Chapter 82

Rachel POV

Moonglow Pack House

"Beta Carson Merrow. You're welcome here on Moonglow land. As I understand things, you are Rachel Flores, Nathan Lewis of Full Moon Pack, and this much be our Alpha Inspector?"

I had never been in such a huge pack house. The place was a sprawling wooden structure which had the appearance of a log cabin with all the amenities of one on the inside. Handwoven rugs, furs, and quilts obviously not stitched together by any machine decorated the place while also serving a purpose.

I had the feeling everything on Moonglow land was meant to serve a purpose; I wondered if they would see me as anything more than a potential threat or if I wanted them to see me as anything else because what happened to me if they decided I was going to be useful to them? What happened if they wanted me and my baby girl as carriers of Campbell blood?

Looking into the smirking face of Beta Carson, I realized I had seriously underestimated Moonglow Pack---and I had made a terrible mistake doing so.

"I'm pleased to meet you, Beta Merrow. Or do you prefer Carson?"

I offered him my hand to shake as I pasted a smile on the way I had for Tyler Wright on hundreds of occasions during our mating.

"For you? Carson will be just fine. You do look like a Campbell. Do you have any photos of your mother with you? I'm curious to see how much she resembled Luna Elena."

He ignored my hand until I dropped it back down to my side. I refused to shrink back to Nathan as Carson stepped closer to me. If he was going to act as if he were too good to shake my hand, I was going to let him know he wasn't important enough to stir any emotion in me, certainly not fear.

"We're not here to present evidence to you. We're here so you may provide evidence to us," Art interjected firmly, stepping in front of me in such a way Beta Carson had to step back or be stepped on by the huge Alpha Inspector.

"Are you saying House Campbell is being investigated for a crime?"

"Yes. Why else would the Alpha Council send me? Do you think there are Alpha Inspectors lying around waiting for work to become available? If I'm here for an investigation, I'm not somewhere else investigating another case elsewhere. My time is valuable. Don't waste it or you'll regret it."

Beta Carson literally stared up at Art with his mouth open. I was tempted to tell him he was going to catch flies if he didn't shut his trap, but I figured Art was doing a good enough job banging him around. No one needed me to add fuel to the fire.

"Are you threatening me?"

"Yes. Again: stop wasting my time. Questions with obvious answers irritate me. I have a serious distaste for being irritated. My position affords me many benefits. One of those is the freedom to exercise necessary force in executing an investigation. That means, Beta Carson, I get to decide how I interrogate a subject or perform any other task while performing my duties. As far as the Alpha Council is concerned? I am the law."

I had never considered the title of 'Beta' to be anything other than an honor.

Art made Carson sound as if he were pronouncing himself the official grunt of Moonglow Pack. He might as well have introduced himself as a secretary for all the respect Art was going to show him and Art's brutally honest explanation of his own power made everyone shift uneasily.

Some part of me had expected Art to finesse his way around Moonglow Pack. Clearly he was not one to employ finesse when force worked well enough.

"We need to see Alpha Campbell. Now."

My heart raced in my chest at the thought of meeting Alpha Campbell so soon. It was too soon, right? I hadn't expected to be face to face with him so suddenly.

This man might be my father. My real father.

Pack members were sitting or standing in all kinds of positions everywhere I looked. They came in a variety of ages, races, and rankings from their dress, but they all had one thing in common: they were staring at me.

Swallowing back bile, I started to speak only to be startled at the sound of slow clapping coming from the corridor facing us.

A woman approached with her eyes fixed on Art, giving him all her attention as she applauded him before the rapt audience.

"Very impressive, Alpha Inspector. I know I'm prepared to roll over to show you my belly. Do you really think it necessary to illustrate your power so crudely?"

"I find it useful. I like to expedite matters in any way I can every time I can. Thanks for the hand, Elodie. You know, you're actually prettier in person?"

A stiff silence fell as no one knew what to say to Art's backhanded compliment.

I looked around the pack house to see most people were doing everything in their power to avoid looking at the striking woman before us. She was beautiful in a cold way. The dead look in her eyes sent a chill up my spine which made my nausea worse.

All the members of Moonglow Pack seemed to be leaner than I was used to seeing. Physical fitness wasn't a problem for their pack. They made me wonder how often they had to hunt their dinner on four paws rather than eating it around a table with two hands.

Elodie -strange name for a strange woman- offered her hand to Art for a kiss as if they were at court somewhere. She held herself with the regal attitude of a queen. I wasn't surprised when Art ignored her hand the way Beta Carson had ignored mine.

"Hello," I finally said, determined to break the awkward silence myself, "I'm Rachel Flores. Are you the pack luna?"

I hadn't been told my father was married or mated to any new female, but she had to have a powerful place in the pack from the way she acted alone. Given the whole pack seemed afraid of her? She was most likely the highest ranking female which meant she had to be Luna.

"She's your alleged father's whore," Art supplied helpfully, his voice grim.

Elodie let out a loud bark of laughter, her lips twisting into a mockery of a smile which showed her sharp, white teeth. She reminded me of a shark rather than a wolf. I wanted to put more distance between us, but I found myself frozen in place.

Predators could sense prey based on movement. Instinct told me to freeze in place rather than try to run from her claws and fangs.

"Technically, I'm Alpha Campbell's consort. He doesn't specifically pay me for sex though I do see to it his appetites are sated. You were starting out so well, Inspector. How sad to see you're terribly unoriginal after all."

Art stiffened as if she'd struck him; I wondered at the Alpha Council's decision to make this man one of their best Alpha Inspectors. He had issues with authority as well as anger management problems. Those were the very least of his questionable qualities. What if he made this situation worse?

I wanted to tell him to leave me and Nathan alone with Moonglow Pack. The only thing stopping me was worry for my child. I didn't want my daughter claimed as an asset to anyone whether that was House Campbell or House Wright.

"Can we be shown to our accommodations first? I think we could all use some time to compose ourselves."

Elodie turned her icy stare on me, swept her eyes over my face and down my body before shrugging a shoulder in dismissal, "I don't care. Carson! Take them to their designated cabins. Let them unpack if they want. Don't bring them to the Alpha until you're called."

She turned with a swirl of satin skirts and sashayed away to wherever she spent her time in the pack house. I couldn't imagine a room in the rustic lodge where she wouldn't look out of place. I could tell everyone didn't start breathing again until a door closed which must separate her from the rest of the building's occupants.

"She's---memorable."

"She's a raging bitch. I like her," Art declared, giving a clap of his own hands before rubbing them together, "Let's go see our temporary home, hhm? Do you think you'll want to change or something, Rachel? I understand this might be more exciting for you than it is for the rest of us."

Nathan wrapped his arm around my shoulders and I leaned against him with all the gratitude in my heart. I would have balked at showing weakness except no one was going to remember much about me after Art's show of strength and Elodie's show of---whatever she'd been showing.

"Follow me," Beta Carson offered and I did as he asked without question, too overwhelmed to protest.

I only hoped I wasn't being led deeper into danger.