Finch’s POV“Talk to me, Turk,” I say, coming into the command room.Ari moves to stand next to Romona, while surveying the room.“I have camera footage. You are not going to like it,” Turk shakes his head.“Is that Carter?” Ari asks as we watch Alicia exit the cells with Carter in tow.“Is she threatening him?” Romona asks.“I can’t tell, but watch this,” Turk moves to another angle and Anderson is approaching them.We watch in horror as Carter attacks Anderson and knocks him out. Carter then carries Anderson to a car.“Alicia has to have Carter under her control somehow,” Ari says, coming to hold my arm. “He wouldn’t attack Anderson like that for just anyone.”Duke- She has a point.“Maybe for his mate,” Turk says, zooming in on Carter’s neck.I see a bite mark. It’s not a tattoo mark like fated mates get, it's a wound from being bitten like chosen mates.“Check Alicia,” Ari commands, shaking her head.Turk checks several angles of the cameras.“There,” Romana points and Turk enlarg
Finch’s POV“I am well trained, father. I am the second ranked female warrior and sixth overall,” Ariella tells him, still laughing methodically.I watch his eye widen in shock.“Now, that she is marked and her wolf is no longer sad over the rejection, I bet she beats me,” Romana smiles. “Our Luna is a great warrior.”“I order you never to be trained,” Joshua growls.“Why would you order that?” I ask, thoroughly confused.Joshua looks away.“There was an agreement,” Tiffany begins to explain.“It's pointless now the agreement is off,” Joshua shakes his head at his mate.“They were going to mate me off to Alpha Jesup,” Ari says, shaking her head. “If I didn’t find a fated mate by the time I was 21.”My heart almost stops.“Does he know she is fated to me?” I hear my voice shake.“Finch?” Ari looks at me with narrowed eyes.“He was Roseline’s Alpha,” I stare at Joshua and Tiffany. “You know what he would have done to her.”I had filed an official complaint against him when I finally got
Finch’s POV“Then stand with us,” Caleb says. “If you love Ariella and I as much as you claim, then hold Alicia accountable.”“It’s not that simple. She is the way she is because of what they did to her,” Tiffany explains.“No, she is the way she is because of what you did to her when she got back,” Ari snaps. “You could have demanded better behavior from her but instead, you defended her bad behavior and fawned over her like a prize piece of jewelry. You saw me as a cheap expendable thing.”“No,” Tiffany shakes her head. “That is why we insisted you be 21 and given a chance to find your fated mate.”“You insisted of an Alpha, who literally beats women for fun! You wanted me mute and pliable to bend to his will,” Ariella lets a tear fall. “You abandoned me. Instead of showing Alicia how we could all be a family, you abandoned me so she would feel welcome.”“Finch,” Turk calls my attention, and everyone turns to look at him. “The trackers can’t find them.”“We are going to need royal h
Finch’s POVDuke- That is really scary.Me- If the investigation starts to show Alicia did it, I think the King will pull back his men and start a cover up.Duke- On this, I bet we can agree.Me- But I need to use it for support.“Would you be willing to say that officially as her former mate?” I ask, knowing what I am asking is a huge risk for him.“Will you still love me if I am stripped of my title?” Tristian asks Caroline.“I will be your mate no matter what,” Caroline rubs his arm.“And you three have a home here, always,” I tell him.“I will make any statement I need to,” Tristian holds Caroline in his arms.“We need to get this information out before Dad starts,” Ari tells us.“I’ll start calling Allies and tell them what we know and what we think,” I say.“I can make calls as well. As long as I have my title, I may as well use it,” Tristian adds.“I will secure the pack,” Turk tells us.Ari goes to help Caroline move into the packhouse, while Tristian and I work the phones.“T
Caleb’s POV“I don’t need to hear your side,” Dad says as we drive away from the packhouse.“Why?” I ask. “I am the crown prince. The one who has to clean up your messes. I should get a say.”“Tristian will be on the side to disown Alicia,” Mom tells us, wiping her tears. “Maybe we are to blame. Alicia has done so much damage. Ariella needs our support.”“Alicia is our daughter we cannot turn our backs on her,” Dad sneers.“So, you turn your backs on me and Ari?” I ask. “What is this hold Alicia has on you? You agreed to release Tristian if he found a fated mate. Why if you are so concerned with Alicia?”“I never thought he would, or if he did, he would choose to stay with Alicia,” Dad sighs. “But in that moment my word was my word. I wanted to take it back, I wish to the goddess I had. Alicia wouldn’t have gone crazy.”“So, you admit she is crazy!” I say. “See, you admit it.”Dad rolls his eyes. “To the public we could have sold that Tristian abandoned his mate and child. But now thi
Ari’s POV“Hey,” Finch smiles at me from the couch. He hasn’t come to bed in over a week.Juliet- He needs us. I lay down with him on the couch and we hold each other.“You need real sleep,” I tell him.“I can’t sleep until I know Anderson is okay,” he mumbles.Juliet- Something is off. Duke is not worried about the boys he is worried about Finch’s lack of sleep.“If there is a battle, you will be useless,” I tell him. “Come to bed. You will hold me, and my scent will help you sleep.”He seems to finally give in, and I pull him to the bed.It’s been a hard week.No sign of Alicia, Carter, or Anderson. Finley can feel his brothers are alive, but not where they are. Dad decided not to declare Alicia an enemy. Instead, he asked any Alpha who found her to detain her for the Royal Guard, so that she can have a private reprimand as befitting her status as a Princess. After all, if you don’t count the years of abuse she did to me, Alicia hasn’t been convicted of any crime.Dad did decide to
Finch’s POV“Finch,” Ari is shaking me a minute after I fall asleep.“Sweetheart, didn’t you tell me to sleep?” I groan and try to pull her into a cuddle.“They found Anderson, he is 6 hours from home, but they found him and are bringing him here,” she smiles at me.I kiss her and jump from the bed. I go toward Finley’s room, but Ari pulls me back.“He has company, leave him alone,” she tells me. “We are setting up a video call for us and Anderson.”She pulls me to the office.Duke- Can we be with our mate now?Me- Can we wait until the boys are home?Duke- I want my mate.I can feel him sulking. He has not been helpful this week at all. He has actually been fighting me as I coordinate the search. All he wants is to bed Ari. I have actually been sleeping on the sofa to keep him from taking over.“Hey, you okay?” Ari asks. “You seem far away.”“I’m having a small issue with Duke,” I tell her as she closes the office door.“I think Juliet understands,” Ari kisses my lips but pulls away
Finch’s POVAnderson leads us until we can smell them.“They are over this ridge. Dad, I’m ready, I want to fight,” Anderson tells me.I look to Ari, who nods. I nod and tell him, Peter and Jack.“Fan out and surround the place,” I give the order.We scan the area and take out any guards we cross.When Peter mindlinks that we have them surrounded. Ari and I start to walk toward the cabin.Alicia comes out and looks at us.“So, the Narc got away and straight to his Daddy,” Alicia rolls her eyes. “Come for your other son?”Duke- Oh, Juliet is too excited.“Let Carter go,” Ari tells Alicia.“Or what, Bitch?”Duke- No one call our mate a bitch.Me- We promised them this fight.I mindlink my troops to each throw a rock at the cabin. I move Ari to the front of me in case someone’s aim is off. But all the rocks sail over our heads and hit the cabin.Alicia jumps as the rain of rocks falls.“Or those rocks become something more real, like shifted wolves,” Ari answers.“Carter marked me, he is