“So here’s the situation. Shortly after your report we were contacted by the Circle. I have been around as long as any living lycan and I was shocked to find that not only do they exist but they’ve been watching us since our inception.” Cadifor growled. “I don’t like finding out that there’s been a force in play for the whole of our existence that we never knew about. So your report tells me that one of their own went rogue and tried to create a new species of were or several new species. He intended to use them as his own personal army and take control of a point of power on your territory.”
Cullen nodded. “That’s it.”
“No that would have been it. But your man Keith went and handed over the prisoners from Rafe’s mismatch game to the feds. Not that I don’t understand how that happened. But all of our attempts at recovering them and dealing with it ourselves have been sidelined. I don’t know what the feds are doing with them, where they are being held, or if there is any real concern to be had. But the last thing we need is the federal government pulling a Rafe and creating their own personal army.”
“I did consider that after I found out what had happened. But there really was no way for us to hold them at the reservation, transport them to where we could hold them, or find another solution to the situation that wouldn’t result in more deaths. I had enough bodies piled up from that night.”
Cadifor nodded. “And what of the unrecovered book and notes? That’s what the Circle wants.”
Cullen growled. “I’ve got no real proof of anything pertaining to those. Aislinn had a vision that they were in the Tairneach manor.”
“No proof.” Cadifor stared at Cullen with consideration. “But you believe she’s right.”
Cullen nodded. “She’d not led me wrong to date.”
“Any other visions that we should be concerned about?”
“She saw a dungeon like room at the Tairneach manor being filled with people who wanted her help.”
Cadifor pressed his fingers into the bridge of his nose and squinted his eyes as though he had a headache. “Are these the missing people you warned the feds to be on the lookout for?”
“Yeah.”
“Did you know that there are a number of druids coming up missing?”
“I knew that Rafe was killing Senach for some reason. But we never got a chance to find out why. Rafe’s dead. We had no reason to think that the Tairneach would pick up where he left off.”
“Well,” Cadifor said with a wicked grin. “Perhaps we need to ask Jenna what she’d up to then. I have to admit that I wasn’t happy that the Tairneach allowed her to take the alpha position uncontested.”
Cullen growled his agreement. “She did facilitate the overthrow of Rafe’s power play that allowed us to kill him.”
Cadifor smiled. “We’ll take that into consideration.” He pressed a button on an intercom and told the voice at the other end of the speaker to get Jenna and bring her to his office.
Cullen’s face fell considerably. “I don’t like where this is going. Jenna has books for creating weres and is doing something with druids capable of making use of them.” He closed his eyes and shook his head.
“Can I ask what’s amusing you this time? I’m guessing it must have a female name in it.”
“Aislinn was right. Next time I might take her more seriously. She was trying to talk me into raiding the Tairneach manor over a week ago. I didn’t want to risk the pack again so soon after such a large funeral. That’s why I tried to sick the feds on it. I figured a few of them killed in the face of unknown situation and danger wouldn’t be a big loss.”
“Sounds like the woman will be quite the asset.”
“She already is.”
A knock stopped their conversation. “Come in,” Cadifor called.
Jenna walked through the door. Her face went from smug to suspicious in seconds. She had thought that maybe she was being summoned so that Cadifor could get to know his new alpha better. But the minute she saw Cullen she knew that wasn’t true.
“Sit down,” Cadifor said.
Jenna walked to the chair next to Cullen and dropped into the chair.
Cadior was mildly impressed with her self-assured demeanor. “Jenna I’ll get straight to the point. The reason this meeting has been called is because of some trouble your dead mate was causing. At the moment I have a number of concerned parties in the manor are giving me a bit of a hard time. So I have some questions to ask you. Perhaps you can fill in the blanks that Cullen was unable to give me answers to.”
Jenna’s face went blank. Cadifor knew she wasn’t going to work with him. “I’ll do my best. But as Cullen may have told you, Rafe was using mind control effects on the whole of my pack, including myself. I may not know as much as you might think. I spent a great deal of time asleep when he was in our manor.”
Cadifor smiled at her sympathetically. But he didn’t intend to go easy on her. “I understand that there were books and notes he was using to create the weres in his army. Do you know what may have happened to them?”
Jenna’s face remained unreadable. “I assume that everything belonging to Rafe was removed from the manor with the few of his men who had been left behind when we went to the Arnauk reservation that night. I didn’t find anything like what you’re suggesting. Though I do have one of his men in holding. I could have him interrogated.”
Cadifor was amused at her attempt to sound cooperative. “Actually if you have one of them in custody, I’d like to have him turned over to the Council. They’re curious about some of the things that they read in the report.”
Jenna nodded. “Consider him yours.”
“That brings me to the next question. The alphas who are here have been brought in because there are people missing from each of their territories. Do you have anyone nonlycan in your custody?”
“No. What do you mean non lycan?” Jenna asked innocently.
“The Circle has made contact with the Pack Council and has asked our assistance in the recovery of a number of druids. Most of them were found dead and were assumed to be the work of Rafe. But since his death quite a few more have come up missing. Since Rafe involved us in his attempt at creating his own little empire, they’re seeking our help in resolving the issue of their missing people.”
Jenna shook her head. “I can tell you that there were at least a dozen of them left at Tairneach manor during the battle on the Arnauk reservation. We captured one when we returned and killed a couple others. The rest got away. I suppose they could be continuing whatever he was doing. I suggest Cullen keep a close eye on that stone circle of his.” She flashed him a winning smile.
Cullen had to admit. If he didn’t know she was lying it would have been a fairly convincing story.
Cadifor stared at her measuringly. He didn’t know if Aislinn’s visions were more trustworthy than Jenna. She was supposed to be an alpha and loyal to the Council. “Alright Jenna. Thank you for your help. You can return to the great room. The meeting should begin shortly.”