The Mark of Betrayal (by Cooper) novel Chapter 52

Chapter 52: The Pack

Roman

After I tucked Sloane into her bed, kissing her forehead and telling her that she is loved and everything will be okay, hoping she hears me subconsciously, I went to find my father.

When I got downstairs, I was glad to see that Althea’s body had already been removed, and the blood from her body was being

washed away.

I find my father talking to Sawyer’s Beta and Gamma I walk up to them, feeling every eye in the room turn me

“Are we good?” I ask without any preamble. I have too much to do to placate ranked members‘ feelings right now.

“There is a lot of stress in the pack, Roman. But Beta Adam and Gamma Kyle understand that the betrayal that happened to

the Brenners could not be allowed,” my father says, I watch the two men and I can tell that they are not going to fight the

takeover.

came from Alpha Royal’s pack, Alpha. To find out that our Luna and her chosen mate were responsible for the attack on our previous Alpha family has been devastating to all of us,‘ Beta Adam says.

“It was to me as well when I found out,” I say, turning to look at the pack

“I know a lot has happened in a very short amount of time. You realized that we found your previous Alpha and Luna’s

youngest daughter, then you lost your current Alpha and Luna because of their role in the betrayal of your previous Alpha family. For some of you, this is twice in your lifetime that you’ve lost your leaders. I’m sure that many of you are feeling upset, concerned, distraught, or angry at everything that has happened. I want you to know that Samara and I are here for

you. We are going to care for your previous Alpha and Luna’s children and will be taking them to our pack to raise them. I do

not yet have an answer about what will happen to this pack. I know that this is your home, I know that you’ve already had your lives disrupted multiple times, and I don’t want to make this any harder on anyone. A lot of decisions still need to be made, but you are not without leadership. Your Beta and Gamma are still here. They will make themselves available to you if needed,” I say, looking at them. Both of them nod.

I know this is a difficult time, but you are not alone. We are here for you. It may not feel like it right now, but Samara and i will make ourselves available to you over the next several days while we make decisions about what needs to occur with this pack For now, support each other, love each other, and be the pack that Alpha Royal, Luna Jessica, Alpha Theo, and Alpha

Samara would be proud of,” I say to them.

I take time to walk around and talk to the pack members who seem to be struggling the most, then I return to where my father is also talking to pack members, helping to calm them. When he’s done, he steps over to me.

“What is the status of the warriors who wanted to return to Alpha Dylan’s pack?” I ask him.

“There were about thirty of them. They have been taken into custody in Alpha Dylan’s pack, and I told the warriors who went with them to go home after they were in custody. Some of these warriors haven’t slept in two days.”

“Thank you. We need our warriors at full strength. We still have a lot that needs to get done,” I say

“You have that look on your face,” my father says.

“What look is that?”

“The one that says you are on the hunt,” he says.

I nod and look at Beta Adam and Gamma Kyle: “Do either of you know why they closed off the secret passageway from the Alpha floor to the first floor?” I ask them

*No, Alpha. It happened during the time all of us were in mourning. When Gamma Kyle

Kyle and I finally noticed that it was

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+25 BONUS

blocked off, it was maybe two weeks after our previous Alpha and Luna were murdered,” Adam says, looking at Kyle who nods in agreement.

I turn and look at my father.

“What are you thinking?” he asks.

“There’s no reason to have closed off the Alpha’s secret compartment. It was an escape route for the pups and as an Alpha who adores his Luna, I would want Samara and my pups to have a place to get away if our pack was ever attacked. They hid something in there and I want to know what it is.”

“The Alpha family was all accounted for except for Luna Samara,” Gamma Kyle says.

“Yes, they were. So, what is hidden in that compartment?” I ask.

“There’s only one way to find out,” my father says.

He and I walk to the hidden entrance on this floor. I had a basic idea of where the hidden compartment was, Theo trusted me and Sawyer with that information, but it’s Samara’s memory that helps me find the doorway that is hidden even more now.

This door, like on the Alpha floor, is blacked off. I push the table with the decorative flower arrangement aside and begin pressing on the wall, trying to find the doorway. When nothing gives, I get frustrated, and Pierce extends his claws. I punch them through the wall, feeling them meet no resistance and then I rip a chunk of the door out

I look inside, smelling the stale smell of must and mold. I find the inner lock and reach in opening the door. It hasn’t been opened in so long that I have to shove it open. When I do, I step back, letting the space air out before entering it.

Images of Samara’s fear and flight push forward as I make my way up the stairs, looking in every nook and cranny for something to explain why they blocked this corridor off.

It isn’t until we’ve reached the Alpha floor that I see it. Bones.

“Son of a bitch,” my father says behind me.

“Who do we know that can identify these bones?” I ask him.

“I’ll have to call around” he says. “Any idea who it could be?”

“It’s not Alpha Royal, Luna Jessica, or Theo, we know that I would have known if their bodies had been missing at the funeral. I watched all three of them burn on the pyres,” I say.

“These are the bones of an adult, so they didn’t murder any pups, although I wonder if they would have left Samara in here to die if Althea had found her instead of Theo,” my father says.

Pierce growls angrily at the idea of our mate dying a slow death in this secret compartment, all alone.

“They would have had to injure her,” I say, the realization coming as I say it. “If Althea had tried to lock Samara in here without killing her or incapacitating her first, she would have pounded on the doors. She would have screamed, Someone would have heard her,” I say, getting a sick feeling in my gut

“So if the person was dead, why hide their body?” my father asks “It was a war. No one would have thought twice about

another dead warrior”

That’s a very good question. One I would like the answer to as well,” I tell him. “Let’s close this up. I don’t want the body disturbed. Call the person you think can help us and let’s find out who this is.“–

I’m still wondering who the hell is in the secret compartment when I walk back up to Alpha Royal and Luna Jessica’s room. I refuse to call it Sawyer and Althea’s room.

DOS BONUS

However, the moment I walk into the room I see Samara holding Aria and desire hits me like a tidal wave. I want her to be holding our baby, our pup, a child that we create together

I’m thrilled that she’s in agreement and hoping, as I am, that I’ve already put a pup in her. And while I want to focus on our future, there is still so much that we have to discuss and work through right now.

When we’re back in our room, I start by telling her about the bones.

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