Chapter 228

Iris

“What?” The word slams out of me like a gunshot in the cramped space of the van. “He can’t just… he can’t just kidnap our son and force Arthur to give up the presidency! That’s not how any of this works!”

But the grim faces of the officers around us tell me that it might not be so simple. Even when I look at Arthur and see his downcast eyes and the hard set to his jaw, I know that something is seriously wrong.

But I won’t believe it. No. Not until I know for certain that there’s no other way.

“No,” I say, my hands shaking as I pull out my phone and dial Caleb’s number. If anyone would know, it would be him. “No, no, this isn’t possible. There’s no way this is legal. I’m asking Caleb.”

No one stops me as I call my brother. He picks up on the first ring—of course, my entire family already knows what’s going on and they have been waiting for word about our situation. “Hello? Iris? What’s happening? Is Miles okay?”

“Caleb,” I say, my voice coming out choked and thick, “Silas is trying to… He’s trying to claim something called Alpha Swap. What is that?”

There’s a long silence, and the longer it goes on, the more I dread the answer. A knot forms in my stomach that’s almost painful in nature.

Then, he replies slowly and gruffly, “It’s an ancient werewolf law. Similar to the Alpha’s Heir rights.”

“So? What does that mean?”

“In ancient times,” Caleb explains in a grim voice, “a political coup could take place by taking the Alpha King’s heir and… killing it. Whoever did this would take over the King’s position, forcing the King to become a rogue, essentially making them go into hiding. He would lose all pack affiliation, all political claim, all of his inheritance and wealth, and would be forced to roam the forests for the rest of his life.”

I blink in disbelief. “But Caleb, that’s utterly barbaric. There’s no way that can possibly still be legal.”

“I agree that it’s barbaric, yes, but it is still legal because of the biological implications. You see, the death of an Alpha’s Heir—the heir that has not only been legally accepted by the Alpha, but also biologically imprinted on each other by one another’s wolves—can drive the father mad. He would become a rogue whether he likes it or not, and whoever kills the King’s heir would be instantly recognized by all wolves, on a primal and undeniable level, as their new leader.”

“But there are no Kings anymore—”

“The Alpha President is only the modern version of the King. When the President is elected by popular vote, that means that the wolves have imprinted on him as their leader—we’ve just changed the process to not leave out humans, who can’t imprint, over the years. But in werewolves’ eyes, the President’s power is absolute and chosen on a spiritual level. Silas’ actions might be vile, but the werewolves who make up the vast majority of Ordan’s population would view him as their leader.”

“This is insane,” I mutter, clutching at my hair. “There has to be some loophole, some way to fight this.”

The negotiator clears her throat. “Mr. President, we could try to arrest Silas for kidnapping. But Silas has made his intent clear. Miles has been dosed with a sedative via IV, which is still currently connected to him as we speak. Silas controls the drip with an app on his phone. He would increase the dose and kill Miles, claiming Alpha Swap, before we could even get in the door.”

A little cry of terror comes out of me at that. My boy, my sweet little boy…

“So what do we do?” I ask, whirling to face Arthur. I feel utterly helpless and terrified. “We can’t let him kill our son, Arthur! We can’t!”

Arthur is quiet for a long moment, his jaw working as he thinks. I can practically hear the gears turning in his head, weighing options, considering consequences. Finally, he looks up at me, and places his hand on my belly.

“I’m going to accept his terms,” he says firmly.

“What?” I blink at him. “It would be a bluff, right?”

The negotiator shakes her head. “It couldn’t be a bluff. In this situation, I am legally not allowed to lie since Silas has claimed Alpha Swap.”

“So, what? You’ll just hand Ordan over to this… this monster?”

“Oh, to hell with Ordan,” Arthur says fiercely. “None of that matters. The only thing that matters right now is getting Miles back home, in our arms, safely.”

“But—”

“Iris,” he cuts me off, “Miles is our son. There’s no choice here.”

I look into his eyes and see the truth there. Of course he’s right. No position, no amount of power or influence, is worth our child’s life. Not even close.

“Okay,” I whisper, too choked up to say more. “Okay.”

Arthur turns to the negotiator. “Inform Silas that I will accept his terms. I will resign and endorse him as my successor, effective immediately, in exchange for Miles’ safe return.”

The negotiator nods and walks away. I can hardly breathe as I watch her approach the gate, then disappear into the house again. The heat signatures move for a while as they discuss Arthur’s surrender, and then…

Silas’ form moves upstairs. He lifts Miles, then carries him down, and simply hands him to the negotiator without fuss.

After what feels like an eternity, the negotiator emerges from the house.

In an instant, I’m moving. I ignore the officers’ protests as I bolt out of the car, running toward the gate. Arthur is right on my heels, calling Miles’ name. Someone catches me, holding me back, but I don’t care. I reach for my son, my own cries muffled beneath the blood rushing through my ears.

The negotiator stops in front of the gate as it slowly opens, Miles sleeping peacefully on her shoulder. I look up to see Silas standing in the front doorway of the house.

“A deal’s a deal,” he says casually, as if we’re discussing a business transaction and not the fate of our child and an entire country.

I don’t care about any of that. Not even for a second. The moment the negotiator is off the property, I rush forward and rip Miles from her, holding him so tightly he stirs slightly.

“Mommy…? Where am I?”

“You’re okay, buddy,” Arthur whispers, gathering us both into his arms so Miles is pressed between us. “We’re here. We’re here. Mommy and Daddy have got you.”

“I’ll expect your formal resignation by morning,” Silas calls after us as we begin to walk away. “A live announcement would be best. The people deserve to hear it from you directly.”

Arthur doesn’t respond, doesn’t even look back. His arm wraps around my shoulders, his other hand still stroking Miles’ head as I carry him, and we walk back toward the police van in silence.

Once we’re safely inside, Miles safely curled up on my lap, the detective approaches the side of the van cautiously. “Mr. President, we need to discuss next steps. The legal implications of this situation are complex, and we should consult with—”

“Not now,” Arthur cuts him off. “My family has been through enough tonight. We’re going home.”

The detective looks perturbed, but nods and walks away. Arthur turns to me, and the intense expression on his face makes my stomach twist even tighter with anxiety.

“When we get home,” Arthur says quietly as the van begins to pull away, “pack only what’s necessary. We’re going to the ranch and we’re never coming back to Ordan.”