Chapter 76

I slide the phone over to my mother, and she grabs it. Glancing down, I watch her eyes move across the message, and she chuckles.

With a sigh, she lifts her gaze to mine. “This will make things worse, anger him. He will retaliate,” she tells me, and I shrug, uncaring.

He made his bed. Now he gets to roll around in it. Hopefully, the damn sheets strangle some sense into him.

“And by then, I will have him by the balls along with every Alpha in that city,” I tell her, and she raises an eyebrow at me.

“And how do you plan on doing that?” she questions.

“Have you forgotten who was the city’s accountant, Mother? I know all their shady trades, and finding Axton’s won’t be hard. I just need space to dig it up, and I can’t do that with him breathing down my neck.”

“But you haven’t got the pack back from your father yet. If Axton retaliates, we are no match for him,” she reminds me.

“I will have the pack. I’ll make sure of it. I will head into the city tomorrow and check some things out. Dad either stands down, or I take him down with the rest of them. That city belonged to your family, my family. I am going to remind them who really owns it. And it is not Alpha Derrick or Alpha Axton, but Alpha Bardot,” I tell her, grabbing the bottle and walking toward the stairs.

“Oh, this is the most excitement I have had since I tortured the bastard that murdered my mother,” Sondra chuffs, making me stop on the steps.

I turn to give her a questioning look. Mom stares at her in utter horror.

“One of Floyd’s goons?” I ask.

“Nah, they wouldn’t have dared. No, my father. Right old prick he was. Wasn’t so tough with his limbs removed and no longer able to throw a punch,” she tells us so casually I can only blink at her.

“You are one scary old woman sometimes,” Mom tells her.

“Nah, Floyd was scary. I was just his sidekick.” She shrugs, grabbing her tea and moving to her rocking chair out the front. We watch her slip outside, and my mother turns to look at me.

“I don’t know if I am impressed, disgusted, or terrified of her sometimes.” She chuckles, and I have to agree. Those horrors we heard of in packs, but a human woman, for some reason, sounded more horrifying.

Shaking my head, I climb the stairs heading back to my room while mind linking the women that dinner will be in an hour.

Entering the room, Axton snatches the bottle off me. “What took you so long? Bane is crying now.”

I move toward the crib, retrieving him and giving him my breast. I move to sit on the chaise in the corner. Watching Axton, he feeds Kyan with one hand while turning his attention back to his phone. After about half an hour, I hear the women setting up for dinner.

“What are they doing?” Axton questions.

“We eat together every night. You’re welcome to join us, if you can drop your aura,” I tell him.

“No, I’ll stay here,” he tells me, and I inhale deeply, reminding myself he will be gone soon, when a knock sounds on the door.

The door pushes open, and Axton growls. The sound cuts off when Luke sticks his head in.

“Sorry, I thought you were someone else,” he tells Luke.

“Marco is downstairs. He got here early,” Luke mind links me before speaking.

“Everyone is setting up, and some car is down the driveway,” he says, and I play dumb.

Axton looks at me as Luke slips back out. “Are you expecting someone?”

I shake my head. “Nope, I will go check it out,” I tell him, laying Bane down next to Kyan.

Before I can turn around, Axton is already gone. I chuckle before following him downstairs.

I check the women before walking halfway down the driveway, the women all watching as Axton approaches the car. I hear Axton’s roar of aggravation when he stops before he reaches it and places his hands in the air. Moving toward the car, I see armed council guards, their tranquilizers and wolfsbane dart guns aimed at him. Marco gets out of the car and shakes his head.

“Elena!” Axton growls at me as I approach.

“Marco,” I acknowledge him, ignoring Axton.

Marco comes over and pecks my cheek, and Axton gapes at me.

“I hoped you wouldn’t be foolish enough, Alpha Axton,” Marco says, shaking his head.

“You got here early,” I tell him.

“Vampire attacks in the city. Was here investigating another crime scene but in town.”

“In town?”

Marco nods. “Yes, so you and the women need to keep a lookout. Got the shopkeeper, Taylor, this afternoon.”

My stomach sinks. Fuck!

“Marco, call them off. This is ridiculous. She is my mate!” Axton snarls, drawing our attention to him.

“You breached. She is well within her rights to have you removed.”

Axton growls. “You would ruin our business relationships over an infringement!”

“For family, yes. Now, arrest him.”

“Family?”

Marco groans, turning to him. “Sondra, she is my sister-in-law. Elena here is her carer and now family. So, yes, Axton, if I have to choose sides, I choose hers.”

I smirk and raise an eyebrow at Axton. He growls and curses. The council guards move in.

“No fucking need. I will come willingly,” Axton snarls. He stomps toward the car and opens the passenger seat door before stopping. “You are making a mistake, Elena.”

“Only mistake I made, Axton, was letting you think you could walk all over me. You’ll learn, though,” I tell him.

“We’ll see.” He laughs, climbing into Marco’s car.

“Yes, he will.” Marco chuckles, sending me a wink. He flags his men to stand down and walks back to the car while I return to my pack.