Were in the City Ch. 26

Jessie jumped down from the rock, waved over a young man and pointed to Beth.

Beth, this is Edward. He'll take you to Liam and Jacob. Check up on them for me will you? They never tell me the truth when they are hurt. Edward, it's going to be a VERY long day before all this sorting is done. Make sure everyone gets food and drink when they need it please.

Edward nodded. He walked Beth to a building that turned out to be the pack's medical clinic before moving on to the kitchen in the main house. Jacob was sitting in a chair, bandages around his chest and one arm. He smiled briefly when he saw her.

How's Liam?

Still in surgery. They had to sedate him. The medic told me they'll be able to save his eye but it was a near thing. I don't think anyone is going to have any trouble telling us apart after this. I'll never hear the end of it.

Beth laughed, I'm sure you won't! After my experience looking after him last time, I know he's going to be a terrible patient. Don't ask me to babysit him too often, I'll go mad.

How's Jessie doing?

Gave a terrific speech, hopefully scared the crap out of some and encouraged others ... I just hope she can keep a good chunk of the pack's assets from disappearing as the rats leave the ship. I will go back and check on her in a bit.

Jacob nodded, I don't want Liam left alone. The pack doctor and two nurses are at the circle right now. Hopefully they'll pass inspection and be back to free up the medics from Helen's group who are here now. We'll see. Can you and I trade places here and with Jessie every few hours?

Of course. Now, while we wait I want a complete description of what happened this morning. There will be lots of people who will want to hear the story of Stephen Richard's end, I want to make sure I can tell it right.

*****************************

Jessie's POV

Algonquin Pack Land

It was just before midnight and there were three more wolves to meet before she could stop for the night. If any more pack wolves were found they'd just have to wait until later tomorrow. The other two Alphas and their seconds had finally left a few hours ago. She'd noticed a few glances between them and some former Algonquin wolves who were leaving ... she was glad to be cleaning house.

Jessie was exhausted and her head felt like it was going to explode. It was hard to concentrate on scanning each new wolf while all the pack members she was now linked to were chatting. Beth had told her she'd soon get the knack of shutting them out unless she needed to listen or talk, but at the moment she just wanted to scream "shut up!" in her head to get them all to go away for a little while.

The numbers were better than she'd thought they'd be. She'd accepted just over half the wolves.

She'd started with the pack doctor and nurses. All three had wanted to stay but one of the nurses got sent away. She'd been involved with one of the now-dead beta wolves and was full of hate. Then Jessie had dealt with all the wolves who said they wanted to leave. She'd persuaded a family of four to stay after talking with them and had accepted the (soon to be ex-) wife of a wolf who was trying to force her to leave with him when she didn't want to go. The rest who wanted to go ... well, what she'd felt when touching some of them made her nauseated. Good riddance. She'd 'pushed' several to transfer stolen money back to the pack from secret bank accounts.

It was when she got to those who said they wanted to stay that things got challenging. She accepted those who were willing to give her a chance and had some combination of hope, useful skills or experience, family and/or friends. No one except the very young were unaware of past failings of leadership and all the unsavoury activities that the pack had been involved in, but if they felt regret, sorrow and/or shame and wanted something better she decided to give them a chance. There were a lot of traumatized wolves ... things were not going to be easy or simple for anyone.

The wolves she turned away ... well, some went quietly and others argued, even tried to intimidate her before their wolves were forced to submit to her Alpha strength. Some had enjoyed nasty things they'd done, would do it again; others were only looking out for themselves and didn't care about anyone else; some were so focused on wealth and power nothing else mattered; some were loyal to the Richards (and interestingly, to a couple of names she had never heard before). She'd been tempted to 'push' some kind of punishment into all their minds, but sensed that being cut free and having to scramble to find a new home, with likely a lower rank in a strange pack was going to be a lesson for them all, if they chose to consider the results of their actions.

Five had been flagged for a second session with her tomorrow before they'd go, they had a lot of information about the contraband on the property and pack's financial dealings. The number of people leaving was the excuse for a slower-than-expected exit ... she needed to know more.

She rubbed her eyes and gestured for the next wolf to come over, a nervous young man. She smiled to try to get him to relax and reached out her hand. She didn't really feel the sharp stick the first time in went in to her ... the second blow was more evident ... the third strike was the worst. Her hands stopped the next attempt and then he was being dragged away. She was aware of a lot of noise in her ears and in her head but she couldn't make out words. There was a lot of blood ... that couldn't be good ... Shit.

*******************************

Mark Richard's POV

Somewhere in France

He barely had any voice left. He was surrounded by wreckage and some damp dark spots on the carpets ... he'd vented his rage on anything he could get his hands or his claws on, objects and the (formerly) living.

Others had been receiving phone calls for hours, first reporting Stephen's death (the fucking cowards had not been able to call him directly), then reporting how Stephen had died (what the fucking hell?!), then reporting the details of how Jessie Fucking Taylor was pulling the Algonquin Pack apart .... AND THE FUCKING DE VRIES WERE STILL FUCKING ALIVE!!!

A phone rang.

He croaked out "If some fucking one doesn't tell me she's DEAD soon there will be more bloody fucking spots on this fucking carpet!!!"

********************************

Jacob's POV

Algonquin Pack Land

He felt a hand on his shoulder and open his eyes. Beth said softly, "You need to lie down and sleep."

He shook his head. "I'm staying here until she wakes up."

It will be a while Jacob. You must rest. You are the one the pack will be looking to right now. You've got to keep everyone together, give them things to do. I will stay with her, I'll tell you when she wakes. Liam is right next door, I'll be watching him too.

He leaned his head down and lay his forehead on Jessie arm. I should have been there. Every wolf should have been searched before they got anywhere near her!

They were searched at the start. No one thought a wolf could make a weapon while sitting on a grassy hill, or that it would be a kid who attacked her. She's lucky he didn't really know how to use the weapon he made. He was told to kill her, that's all he'll say. He's a rogue now. No one to compel him to answer questions. Only Jessie might get more out of him. Torturing him is out of the question I hope, that would make us like those Jessie just threw out.

The order to kill her had to track back to Mark Richard, no one else would dare without his approval. Killing Stephen had taken Jessie's edge away, controlling the Richard alpha mantle was now completely overshadowed by the desire for revenge. They'd known attempts to finish her would come now, but not this soon. They'd been careless ... that could not, would not happen again!

We can't sit and wait for the next attack. We have to take the fight to Mark Richard.

Beth sighed, Perhaps. But not today. You are in charge of this pack at the moment, while your Alpha recovers. There is much to do and you have to be strong to do it. There's an empty bed in the room at the end of hall, and there are guards everywhere. Go!

All right.

Jacob stood up and took a deep breath, groaning softly as his own wounds stung. He looked down at the woman he would do anything for, wishing he could have protected her better. The last Richard was never going to get another chance to hurt her, no matter what it took.

He turned and shook his head, looking at Beth. I can't believe Liam won another damn bet.

Not another "who got hurt the worst"?! I think it's a toss-up between Liam and Jessie, I wouldn't say Liam won.

No. Not this time. We've been rogues our whole lives, we accepted Jessie as our Alpha under pressure in an emergency situation, it wasn't something either of us really wanted to do, I certainly didn't. Liam and I were sitting in cells on Richard land, not supposed to talk, getting tasered if we did talk ... and out of the blue he says "I bet you that before the end of this year we'll be linked to more than 50 wolves and you'll be ordering them around like the Beta pack wolf you were always meant to be." I told him he was full of shit, it was never going to happen. Now I'm going to have to eat my words.