Chapter 75

Sarah POV

I had never been what one would call “well traveled,” but I had been to a few besides my own and just recently been in Alpha Carlos Diaz’s territory, which included Los Angeles. However, nothing had prepared me for Alpha Malo’s idea of what a territory should be.

First, we landed in what Travis explained was a private airport. It had a tower, a few hangars, and the kind of landing strip you’d find at an international hub. Two limousines met us as we walked down the stairs of Zane’s plane, and our security interacted with the betas who came out to sort our luggage.

We were driven by a gamma down a private two-land road lined with swaying palm trees and lampposts whose bases were landscaped with flowers. We passed through a well-guarded gate, and after that I spotted a fenced-in giraffe eating leaves off tall trees. After that in their own habitats came zebras and monkeys, a white rhino, and leopards.

As we neared a turn in the lane, I saw peacocks and parrots, and then we passed a small lake with swans.

But I still wasn’t prepared for the palace.

Malo’s summer palace was an Italian-themed, sprawling edifice that looked like the façade of a Vegas casino. The marble and limestone were fashioned with a dozen arches and two dozen Doric columns. The front drive was flanked by two enormous statues of two naked she-wolves fashioned mid-transition with their granite breasts with pointed nipples resting on front paws with extended claws.

A few yards past that was a spewing fountain flanked by two smaller lion statues, and past that were two statues of Tibetan guard dogs. Above the towering front doors was a fresco of what looked like a Roman emperor overlooking a battle between horses and wolves.

The limo pulled into and around the circular cobblestone drive and finally came to a smooth stop in front of the entrance.

Zane and I exchanged a look as the driver came around and opened Zane’s door. Another gamma came from the house to open mine. Travis came from the other limo, but he stood behind us in an alert stance.

Zane waited for me to come around, and together we passed through the massive front doors, where yet another gamma was stationed holding up a tray with two glasses of champagne. Travis obviously wasn’t to receive one. My gaze met Zane’s again as we both took a glass, and then yet another gamma came to lead us into a small room.

“Alpha Malo will send for you shortly,” she said, bowed, and left the room.

I glanced at Zane, but he was looking around with his eyebrows raised. I realized the room was actually quite large but seemed so small because it was absolutely packed with furniture and décor. There were several overstuffed leather armchairs scattered around, oversized silk tapestries on the walls, which themselves featured gilded trims and crown molding, and mahogany tables groaning under the weight of gold and silver statues, antique clocks, and dozens of china curios.

I had never in my life seen such a blatant display of wealth, and I hoped I never would again.

I thought with longing of the quiet elegance of the villa, thinking of how much wealthier Zane actually was than Alpha Malo and grateful down to my bones Chloe hadn’t ended up being his daughter instead.

Zane looked at his watch and sat. I sat opposite him over a chessboard carved in jade, onyx, and what I really hoped was bone and not ivory. We both sipped slightly at our champagne and set our half-full glasses on side tables, finding space between all the museum-quality brick-a-brac.

Travis took position next to a window.

It was almost a half-hour before a new gamma showed up to say we would be seen. He turned and led us down a mirrored hallway obviously decorated in the style of the Palace of Versailles. We were then instructed to wait outside a set of double doors (with gold-plated knobs, of course).

A few more minutes passed, and then two gammas opened the doors from the other side and we could walk into nothing short of a throne room. Though his face betrayed nothing, I could feel Zane mentally rolling his eyes.

Malo wasn’t actually sitting on his throne as we entered, but he stood there before the raised platform wearing tuxedo pants, a bright red Hawaiian shirt, and an air of impatience, as though he had so many more important things to be doing.

“Thank you for meeting with us, Alpha Malo,” Zane said.

“It’s my pleasure, Alpha Zane, though I didn’t believe it when they told me you wanted to leave your own territory right now, considering. A slavery ring! Right there under your nose!”

Alpha Malo snorted. “I’d be taking names and kicking asses, myself. I’d have to fire my staff and start anew. Have you even considered what sort of black eye this gives the rest of us wolves? And I’ve heard there were drugs, torture, even murders in this sex trafficking of our weaker cousins. Is this true?”

“We’ve had reports of all of that and more,” Zane said calmly.

“I’m surprised you can show your muzzle in public,” the pack alpha said with a scowl, “let alone come here demanding I turn my friend over to you while you ignore the people who were actually involved in the disgusting mess.”

“I’m not ignoring anyone, I assure you, but Scott was directly involved with the ‘mess’ himself, including endangering my children’s goddess-mother.” Zane leaned his head slightly toward me.

“Oh yes, the human goddess-mother!” he exclaimed, beaming at me suddenly. “Are you here to request asylum? I’ll be happy to grant it.”

“No, I’m here to support Alpha Zane in his pursuit of justice for the enslaved humans I helped rescue,” I said, hoping I sounded strong and not ridiculous.

“Even though you know he allowed this? How do you know he wasn’t in on it?”

I had my mouth open to object when there was movement to my right, and we all turned to look as an alpha walked into the room looking at his phone.

“Alpha Malo,” he said as he walked toward us. “You have a meeting with the Cree delegation in fifteen minutes, and—” He broke off, staring at me.

“You!” I shouted, recognizing him as the man who bid on the canary girl at the auction. “You were there, bidding on a little girl! You sick sack of shit!”

He paled.

“What’s going on here, Frederick?” Malo demanded.

Frederick turned to run, but Zane was on him in a minute, his hands on his shoulders to turn him back around.

“Kneel,” Zane said in that tone I now recognized as his Alpha Voice. “What were you doing at the Rotary Club?”

“I, I was there to bid on a blond human girl I’d been sent photos of,” Frederick said, the words dragging themselves out of his lungs. “I bid on her and won her, and I was, I was having sex with her when the police raided the joint.”

“You were raping her? Beating her while she was in a collar and cuffs?”

“Yes, and a spreader bar between her feet. It was delicious and worth every dollar.”

“My goddess,” Malo breathed then employed his own Alpha Voice. “Frederick? What are you saying? How could you do this?”

“You’re a pig, fucking around wherever you want,” Frederick told Malo. “But no one cares because you’re a pack alpha. If I could, I’d put you down and eat your heart!”

Malo put up his hand, and the alpha fell silent. Malo staggered over to his throne and collapsed into it. Then he gathered himself and looked at Frederick. “How many others on my staff are involved in this?”

“I, I don’t—”

“How many, you rabid dog?”

“Seven.”

“You will give me their—no, no wait.” Malo looked at me and Zane. “Scott is at my hunting lodge. I give you leave to take him from there while I deal with . . . this.” He waved vaguely at the alpha still on his knees.