86 A firm hand


    ~Sylvester~


    Leo and I spent a while in the booth, and soon it was time to join our families, so we left the booth.


    While Leo walked me to my family''s booth so he could say hello to Tamia, Max and Kyle joined. It


    was clear they were lurking around and waiting.


    Leo shook his head, indicating I disagreed.


    "Your Emminence, I believe a fated is more valuable than a chosen. We feel it would be more..."


    Max said, and I looked at him.


    "You are lucky I am in the spirit of forgiveness, Alpha nch. I haven''t forgotten that you attacked


    my estate with your men." I said, and he was silent.


    "Tribute does not work that way. There can be no swap. As you can see, the women have moved


    on. Avery is happy and will marry Marcel Sidorov during the blue moon. Likewise, Linda is four


    months pregnant and will marry Theodore Orlov on the same day. They are nowdies of the north


    and above you; they are not yours, so a swap cannot take ce," I said calmly as we walked


    towards my booth.


    "What if we talk to.." I heard Kyle say, and I was irritated.


    I stopped in my track and looked at him.


    "You are lucky Theodore isn''t here. He would have bashed your face in. How dare you ask your


    men to fuck your wife for entertainment while you watch?" I asked, and Max gasped.


    "You are lucky I am not your Alpha. I would have stripped you of your title and seized yournds


    and money. Then I would have had you locked up to serve time, but Leo seems a bit too liberal for


    the good of the east," I said, and Maxwell looked at Kyle with disgust.


    "It isn''t what you think. I was .." Kyle said, trying to justify himself, but the words won''te


    because what he did was wrong.


    "You hurt that woman and traumatised her. It took a lot for Theo to help here out of it," I told


    him, and he was silent. Max had a judgemental look in his eyes.


    "And you think you are smart," I told Max.


    "Asking your wife to shift so you can beat the shit out of your wife, and no one would know. Who


    does that? With silver, Max? Mia has scars on her lovely white fur. I can''t believe you all did these


    things because you had found your fated. It is absurd. I want to believe that your mates had


    agendas other than having you to themselves," I said, and they were silent.


    "Anyway, the answer is no. You are lucky I am in good spirits or I would have taken disciplinary


    action against you to discourage others that n on walking in your footsteps," I said. I looked


    ahead and saw my family''s booth.


    "Well, I guess this is where we part," I said, shook Leo and left them to go to my booth.


    It was best for Leo to say hello to Tamia some other time because I did not want Marcel and Theo to


    deal with Max and Kyle outside the pitch.


    I was happy that I had found myself an ally in Leo. All that remained now was for the actual


    investigation to begin.


    I got to the booth, and Tamia looked at me with expectant eyes. I smiled at her and kissed her.


    "I am alright, darling. I am not as troubled as I was this morning, and Leo and I have made


    headway," I said, and she raised her eyebrow at me, which made me smile.


    "You are right; he is a cool guy and highly misunderstood," I said, and she giggled.


    "Lilly has delivered the items to Gezel, and we have four men on her now," Tamia linked me, and I


    nodded and looked at Marcel.


    I knew I would have to tell him that his family was involved in the mess.


    I did not know how he would take it, but I hope to sweep Gezel''s involvement under the carpet, so it


    does not hurt Marcel.


    Whatever the case, I knew Gezel was not the mastermind.


    I believe she was being used, and they wanted me to catch her so it would implicate my beta.


    My gut feeling was telling me to protect them first and investigateter.


    "So we will wait to see what they would do with the items Lily got them,"


    I linked Tamia.


    We returned home early, and I went straight to my office. Tamia followed me, and I let her sit on my


    lap while I went through my email on myputer.


    I was still trying to trace my half-brother, and I was still trying to find Jenny''s child.


    "When are they bringing the list with the names of the alpha that raised the petition?" Tamia asked


    me, sounding eager.


    "They will bring it tonight. I trusted Kappa William with the task. He is my most loyal officer." I told


    her, and she smiled at me.


    "And Wilson too," she said, and I did not know how to respond because Wilson was the one that


    pped her when they wereing to the north. I disciplined the Kappa for it, but I wondered if


    Tamia had forgiven the guy.


    "It''s okay, darling. The jaw-shifting blow Theodore gave him the day we arrived was satisfactory,"


    she said, giggling, and I was relieved.


    "Him too. I trust him too." I confessed, and she kissed my forehead, saying it was cute.


    Marcel entered my office, followed by Theo; I knew they were eager to know what Leo and I had


    discussed.


    Avery and Linda entered, and I knew they were looking for Tamia. Still, Tamia remained on myp,


    and I wanted her there because I was hard as hell and trying to calm down.


    Her citrus scent was overwhelming, and we were hiding the fact that we were fated from our friends


    for now.


    "What is with Gezel?" Marcel asked me.


    "First, I will tell you what Leo said," I said, trying to save the serious thing for thest.


    Theo took orange juice from the small fridge in the office and gave it to Linda, then asked her to sit


    on the couch.


    Avery collected the juice from him and sat quickly, leaving Linda dumbfounded.


    "I get to be pampered, too," she said, and everyoneughed.


    Marcel took another Juice from the fridge and gave it to Linda, and Linda received it smiling while


    she sat next to Avery.


    "Leo said Kyle, and Maxwell put him up to it. They requested a tribute swap," I said, and Avery


    coughed, spilling the juice through her nose.


    "What?" Linda said, eximing.


    "Yes, I want to believe they have either lost it or are on some medication that isn''t good for their


    minds.


    Kyle wanted to swap his mate for you, Linda. Leoter exined that Kyle found out that her triplets


    aren''t biologically his, and he has difficulty getting women pregnant. He regrets his actions towards


    you," I said, and Linda was nonplussed.


    I could see her mixed feelings, and I knew it came to her as a shocker. After all that Leo told me, I


    figured Kyle might have med her for not getting pregnant too, which was why he visited that level


    of abuse on her. I wonder if he would abuse himself now that he knew the fault was with him all


    along.


    "Max wants to do the same. I expected it since he joined forces with Devin to attack the estate.


    Those two men are desperate. We have to watch them," I said, and Theoughed.


    "You never know what you have until you throw it away. I am so looking forward to Rugby now. How


    dare those two treat this as a transaction? He wants to take my pregnant mate and swap her for his


    fated as if they are objects. I will treat him as an object soon," Theo said with a tinge of anger.


    "How stupid is Leo to deliver such a message? And let me guess, he wanted to swap Ramsey''s


    daughter for Tamia too?" Marcel said, and I shook my head.


    "No, he has made peace with his loss. One thing I realised is that Leo genuinely loved Tamia. He


    took her for granted and did not know his action would have consequences. He was presumptuous


    about many things, which cost him dearly. He wishes us the best and will work with us to expose


    Ramsey. He does not like the Alpha and believes the man is shady." I said, rubbing Tamia''s back


    gently, and she smiled at me.


    I wondered how she would feel when I told her I was willing to allow her friendship with Leo to


    continue.


    Tamia is not my prisoner and has the right to have friends. I do not feel threatened by Leo, and I


    trust herpletely.


    "Oh, before I forget. Devin Corrigan returned to the south today but said he would be back next


    week. He has been trying to put himself on Tamia''s itinerary, and I have blocked him," Marcel said,


    and I was a bit pissed at the guy. Doesn''t he ever give up?


    "Let him see her," I said, and everyone was shocked. Tamia looked at me, frowning.


    "What are you saying?" She linked me, and I smiled at her.


    "I trust you, Tamia. I think you should hear him out so he can leave us alone. We are fated now, so I


    have nothing to worry about," I linked her back, and she smiled.


    There was a wickedness to her grin that let me know Devin won''t have it easy when he saw her.


    "Very well, now let''s talk about Gezel," I said, and Marcel was eager to listen. I told him all we knew,


    and he had to sit down to control his emotions.


    "That bitch! Does she know the implications of her actions? If she is found guilty of treason, our


    family will be exiled, and she will be killed. She wants to cost us our reputation and good name," he


    said, angry and worried.


    "I n on sweeping it under the carpet. I will catch the people she is working with, so we can get


    closer to the culprit.


    I am telling you this so you can take steps that won''t cause you to be implicated in this crime. You


    too, Theo," I said, looking at my Gamma.


    "The person we are dealing with is very smart and knows thew well. So far, we have concentrated


    on the council, but the trail we follow leads us away from them. That does not mean we would not


    remove Pam and Joan, but we need to be careful.


    This person is trying to take away my shield and protection so they can deal with me directly. With


    both of you in exile, I will be vulnerable. Vino is a coward, so I do not expect him to be of much help.


    The other council members have been linked to one thing or the other. You need to be on the


    lookout. Go back to your ns and families and ensure everything is in check, so they don''t hurt


    us," I said, and Theo sighed.


    "I know you want to sweep this Gezel matter under the carpet, but it will be difficult. It will be


    challenging unless we kill everyone who knows of her involvement. We need to think of ways to


    manage the situation if it gets out," he said, stating the truth, but I wanted to be optimistic and try.


    While we discussed the matter, Kappa William was ushered into the office. It was time for dinner,


    but we needed to attend to the matter so we could retire to our bedrooms after dinner.


    Kappa William was holding a sheet of paper, and Tamia got up and went to collect it from him. She


    was eager to nce at the list of the people on it. She smiled evilly and looked at me.


    "Is he the one that would handle it?" She asked me, and I nodded. I did not know what she would


    tell him, but I had to let her handle it.


    "They are seven on this list. Is there a hidden location in the north that no one knows of?" she


    asked a peculiar and unrted question.


    "We have warehouses and underground shelters that are isted, Luna," Kappa William said, and


    she nodded.


    "Skip the underground shelters. Let us use the structures that are above ground and could belong


    to anyone. Let us use the warehouses." She said and looked at Wilson.


    "I need you to abduct their wives and a child, each, if any. If they have no spouse, then the person


    closest to them. I want these people blindfolded and kept in the warehouse. They should not be


    harmed yet. Make sure it is done covertly, and they don''t see you," She said, and I was shocked.


    Avery was grinning, and Linda wasughing.


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    "I want you to set up a fictitious ount as citizens and bombard these alphas to withdraw their


    petitions, or their loved ones won''t be returned to them. Let them believe that the people are


    unhappy with their actions and will riot if they choose to proceed. Also, make it seem like the


    citizens abducted their loved ones to motivate them toply. Can you do it?" Tamia asked him,


    and he nodded.


    "I want to oversee the operation," Avery offered.


    "Me too. Croquet is very boring," Linda said, and Tamiaughed.


    "We will create fictitious untraceable emails and use them to troll them. But we have to keep up


    appearances at the games, so you two can''t be physically involved," Tamia said, and Avery thought


    about it.


    "Well, it is fair enough," She agreed, but Linda was silent. Looking at Linda, it seemed she wanted


    to be part of the process.


    Kappa William saluted us and excused himself.


    "Now we can focus on serious matters. Those clowns will cave. More will be taken from those who


    prove stubborn, and if they insist...," Tamia said and paused to think deeply.


    I knew she was thinking something sinister.


    "Well, let''s not go there because they won''t like what I would do to them," shepleted her


    sentence, smiling.


    "We honestly need to focus on catching the culprits. We can''t be ahead if we are nice and y by


    the book. These people need a firm hand, and that is what they will be getting henceforth," she said,


    and Marcel nodded with approval.


    "Remind me to not get on your bad side," Theo told her, and we allughed.