Accidental Surrogate for Alpha

#Chapter 344 – Preparations

Sinclair

“All right,” I say, keeping half an eye on trouble and sister-trouble as I look around the room at my assembled team. “We’re here today to make a concrete plan regarding our next moves against the Cult that attacked our pack and attempted to kidnap my child. Everyone here has been briefed on the events that occurred yesterday. I applaud your work in coming up with the information we need to make the next best step we can. But now it’s time to act. Dad?”

I turn the group’s attention to him, eager to hear what he has to say regarding the reconnaissance that we assigned teams to complete yesterday and last night.

“Right,” my father starts, leaning forward in his chair and glancing over his papers, though I know he’s memorized every word on them. “Our capture of a Dark Priest yesterday morning resulted in a great deal of new information, if not yet definitive answers regarding how to stop these attacks. However, one of the most significant pieces of information that we’ve gathered came in last night.”

I listen while my father speaks but keep my eyes on everyone in the room, wanting to judge my men’s physical reactions to the information. I know that we’re going to need to put together an assault team at some point, and I’m going to want the best and most engaged on it. At my father’s last line, everyone seems to perk up a little, but I spot a few men whose eyes burn with a particular hunger at this turn.

“Last night, there was significant consideration of the fact that, while Ella and Dominic shifted into their wolves to attack the men who came for Rafe yesterday, the attackers themselves did not shift. I want to particularly applaud Conner O’Mally for noticing this particular fact.”

All eyes move, then, to a bulky red- haired young man who nods humbly, even when a slight blush at the recognition colors his pale cheeks. I nod at him, marking him mentally as one I might want by my side.

“At least one of the men,” my father continues, “would have had to stay in his human body in order to carry the child, of course. But the others continued the assault without shifting which, as we all know, is unique. And put them at a particular disadvantage.”

catches my eye here and we raise our brows at each other. We were caught up in the moment, of course, but I feel, quite suddenly, a little stupid that neither of us noticed this. It’s true – considering the

yesterday, that they were, instead, a distraction meant to get Dominic and Roger out of the

fact and the entire room listens eagerly, on

continues, looking now to a slim dark-haired young man down the table, “Simon suggested an alternative. Simon?” Henry invites, “if

think a little put on the spot but responding ably to the pressure. “The men who came into the bedroom, according to reports,” he nods politely to my mate here and she smiles at him, “moved with incredible speed and were able to break glass that they should not have been able to break, which was installed recently against just such an assault. The obvious conclusion here is that the attackers called upon the magic that the members of this Cult are known for in order to aid them in

and turning towards her now, wanting her input. Does

how they came through the window. It is difficult to describe

her a sharp nod in thanks and she smiles at me in return. I can’t help the little smile that twitches at my lips then, though I

hard to keep a straight face around her. Roger’s

a nod and inviting him to continue. As he begins I consider that he’s a little too small for an assault team, though he’s clearly clever. I make a mental note to assign him

of how certain priestesses of the Goddess operate. It is not a common practice, but there are certain enclaves where priestesses worship remote ones, monasteries really – where priestesses actually bind

surprised, though she’s the only one who responds aloud. The rest of us shift uncomfortably in our chairs. It would be …incredibly painful, and isolating, I consider, to choose to turn away from the wolf

at it. I run a mental

do you know this,” Roger asks, sharp but curious. “I’ve never

says, looking down at the table for a moment, perhaps a little embarrassed. “My mother…lives in one