Chapter 228

Sarah POV

Even in Zane’s luxurious Gulfstream G650ER, we were crowded with the twelve members of Operation Lieutenant, Chloe, Grace, Matthew, Orman, Colette’s mate Kanan, Philippe, Jaqueline-call-me-Jackie, a pilot, and three additional security personnel. Fortunately, the siblings were happy to share seats, and Danielle, it turned out, was qualified to copilot.

“Do we need to add one more?” Zane asked Matthew, who was beginning to come out of whatever they’d given him.

“Shot him,” he mumbled, slouched in his seat. “Dead.”

Zane hissed in anger and took himself to the back to get more of the blood off with some water and a hand towel. Everyone found a place to sit while the pilot went through flight check.

I sat in the front row of seats so I could turn and look back over the plane’s passengers. The girls were actually yawning, the late hour trumping even the disturbing images of their father fighting an alpha champion practically to the death. Philippe and Jackie looked close to sleep as well as their father watched over them.

To my surprise, Ted closed her laptop and settled in for a nap as well. The Torrins were talking in low tones with Delia and Melissa and Travis and Alicia were on their phones, as were the publicists. Everyone left the seat next to me empty for Zane.

Shotz sat down across from me. “I don’t understand,” he told me. “Why did Kanan and the children need sanctuary?”

“Colette is no longer Pack Alpha and thus can’t protect them. When a Pack Alpha’s children are adults, which for werewolves is fourteen years old, a deal can usually be worked out with the new alpha either to keep them in succession under the new alpha’s guidance, have the children swear they don’t wish to become Pack Alpha, or have the children move to a new territory, usually to get married.

“But children Philippe and Jackie’s age, they can’t swear to anything, either that they don’t want to be a Pack Alpha or that they’ll follow the new alpha’s rules, and they certainly can’t get married. They tend to be claimed instead, and that can get pretty bad.” I found my eyes going to Grace and Chloe again.

“Pretty bad how?”

I shrugged. “It depends on the territory, but they might be indentured to a household, or they might be killed.”

Shotz’s eyes went wide.

I nodded. “A Pack Alpha will do pretty much anything to keep that from happening, such as having one child as soon as possible, and then waiting until they’re of age to be a guardian to their siblings before having more. Others make political deals or arrange for ways for the children to escape to some trusted powerful friend’s household.”

I snorted. “Colette seems to have been too arrogant to have made those sorts of provisions, so Kanan threw himself and his children on Zane’s mercy.”

“It won’t be for long,” Zane said, slightly cleaner now and wearing his shirt and shoes. He sat beside me and for a moment let himself go lax in relief. I knew he must be exhausted, but I wouldn’t insult him by saying anything.

“Why not?” Shotz asked.

Zane looked out the window. “I doubt the new alpha question will last the night, and most of the people in line aren’t as foolish as Colette proved herself to be.”

He looked back at Shotz. “The earliest Orleans-Cavendish alliance goes back over a century, and they’ll suffer more than we will if relations are cut off.” He rolled his shoulders.

“We’re ready to take off,” the pilot said over the PA.

“Do it,” Zane said, and the next few minutes were taken up with making sure everyone was wearing their seatbelt, lifting off, and climbing. Then we leveled out.

“Ladies and gentlemen, we’ve reached our cruising altitude of 41,000 feet, and I’m turning off the seatbelt light. Please stay stapped in when you’re sitting, however, because turbulence can occur at any time. We didn’t have the room for a flight attendant, but Agent Nordwind has agreed to pass out some sodas and snacks for those who want them.”

Several of us managed weary chuckles.

“Our flight time to Cavendish Airport will be approximately eight hours, but we’ve got a tailwind, so I’m going to see if I can shave that down a bit. Until then, please relax and try to either enjoy the flight or grab some sleep.”

The lights in the cabin dimmed. Zane nodded to himself and rolled his shoulders again before calling out, “Orman!”

The alpha left his side seat and walked up the aisle to kneel at Zane’s side. Shotz looked surprised but said nothing.

Zane looked at Orman expectantly.

“I swear my fealty to you, Pack Alpha Zane Cavendish.”

“Short and to the point,” Zane noted. He didn’t tell Orman to stand up.

“Yes, Alpha Zane.”

“You are to see that Matthew Kro lives safely at a guest house on my lands until such time as I deem it safe for him to return to his cooperative, Omegas, Inc. Then you will escort him there and stay there to help defend him and the other omegas for the rest of your life.”

“Yes, Alpha Zane.”

Zane nodded, then jerked his chin to the back where Matthew was sleeping in his seat. Orman rose, walked back to the omega, and sat beside him.

“Do you think he’s the one who killed Sergi?” I asked quietly.

“He might be. I don’t care. He’s part of it.”

I nodded.

“Shotz,” he said next.

“Yes, Alpha Zane?”

Zane chuckled and shook his head. “All lieutenants can just call me Zane, all right?”

“All right.”

“Soda?” Agent Nordwind asked, holding a box of cans and little bags of chips.

We all took one of each.

“I want you to return to the mine and continue the good work you’ve been doing there, but not until this business with the threat against my household is over, if that is all right with you.”

Shotz gave a wan smile. “It’s more than all right.”

“We’ll get you a room at the villa. You can still coordinate with your people there. It shouldn’t take long now.”

“You think so, Al—, uh, Zane?”

Zane nodded, and I could see he was about five minutes from sleep, if that. Good.

“We know about Dr. Hayes now, and I have him in prison in protective custody. We’ll get him to confess to his role in everything and name the people working with him.” Zane closed his eyes.

Shotz watched him for a minute before leaning to the side in his seat and reclining back. Soon, pretty much everyone was asleep, and I was about to drop off when I looked out the window to see a fighter jet flying beside us. At first, I didn’t understand, but when I looked out the other side of the plane, I saw another fighter.

We were being escorted safely home. Maybe Zane was right. Maybe this would all be over soon.