MATED TO FATHER, FAT Chapter 68: THE MEETING

Chapter 68: THE MEETING

ALPHA CORVIN

This was the first time in over a year I had called for a meeting like this.

After Zoya died I went down a spiral, letting the pack operations slip while I locked myself in my study and pretended the world outside did not exist. But I could still function then and put on the mask of Alpha when necessary and make the decisions that needed making.

When Freya died I lost myself completely.

There was no mask left, no ability to pretend I gave a damn about pack politics or leadership or anything beyond the fact that my mate was gone and she was never coming back. My sons hated me, the pack fell into chaos, Victor was slaughtering people in the streets, and I could not even find the strength to get out of bed and stop him.

I had resolved myself to death.

What was the point of living if Freya was not in this world? What was the purpose of being Alpha when everything I touched turned to ash and everyone I loved ended up destroyed?

I would not admit it to Ryker, I barely admit it to myself, but if he had not stepped up and stopped Victor when he did, everything would have been lost. The pack, the territory, whatever legacy my father built and I inherited, all of it would have burned while I lay in bed mourning a woman who chose to death rather than stay with me.

But now was my time for redemption.

Time to show the other packs that I was not some weak Alpha who let grief turn him pathetic, that I was still as ruthless as I had ever been, that crossing Gravemoon meant death regardless of who you used to be or what history we shared.

Amaris sat in the chair beside me and I forced myself not to look at her directly.

She looked like an angel in that navy dress, her hair pulled back to expose the elegant line of her neck. But her eyes were not the brightened amber they usually were, instead they looked dull and red-rimmed like she had been crying.

Had she been crying?

Was it because I told her about the artificial insemination in three days?

I shrugged internally and reminded myself this was not the time to concentrate on her feelings because they did not matter.

She was here to serve a purpose, to give me an heir, and whatever emotional response she had to that reality was her problem to manage.

I cleared my throat and everyone’s attention snapped to me.

"As you all know," I started, my voice carrying across the room, "Victor is back in the territory."

Beta Marco stood and began distributing folders to those seated at the table. "We have intel that suggests Victor still has loyalists inside the pack. That is most likely how he gained access to the engagement party without being detected by our perimeter guards."

I let that information sink in, watched faces shift from surprise to anger to fear depending on who was processing it.

"Cole," I turned my attention to him, "you and Victor were once close. He was almost like your mentor in combat training. What do you think his end goal is?"

Cole’s eyes widened slightly and he stuttered. "I... I wouldn’t say we were close. He taught Ryker and Rowan too."

"Can we cut this bullshit?" Ryker’s voice interrupted the deflection with the subtlety of a sledgehammer. "We all know his vendetta is against you." He paused. "And maybe me since I almost killed him. But primarily you."

I sighed and turned to look at my son, at this walking contradiction who could be brilliant one moment and infuriating the next. "Well since you like being involved without being asked, Ryker, what would you suggest we do?"

Ryker’s eyes flicked to Rowan and then to Amaris before settling back on me. I was not sure why he looked at her but there was not that usual contempt in his expression whenever he stared in her direction, no mocking superiority or barely concealed disgust.

Strange.

"We will flush him out this time," Ryker announced, leaning back in his chair. "Last time he had the upper hand because we were reacting to his moves. This time we need to be proactive, force him into a position where he has to show himself."

The idea was brilliant.

I hated that it was brilliant because acknowledging Ryker’s intelligence meant acknowledging that he was capable of being Alpha, that my decision to essentially disqualify him from succession was based on emotion rather than merit.

But I could not let him see that I was impressed.

I frowned and kept my voice unimpressed. "Victor is smart, we all know that. So you realize he is not going to hide in plain sight. How exactly do we go after someone who has spent the last year learning how to disappear?"

Ryker smirked. "Well he is still on Earth. That narrows it down."

The people in the room, especially Rowan, Nia and Cole struggled not to laugh as they bit down their lips at Ryker’s sardonic humor.

I rolled my eyes. "That was incredibly helpful, thank you for your contribution."

I turned to Rowan, my other son who at least had the decency to think before speaking. "What do you think?"

Rowan sat forward, his hands folded on the table. "I agree with Ryker. Victor will be nearby, watching us and planning his next move. He is too invested in whatever revenge he is planning to actually leave the area." He paused. "We just need to give him a reason to reveal himself."

My eyes drifted to Amaris sitting there with confusion written all over her face.

I wondered if she even had a clue what we were discussing. Nia had probably gossiped about Victor but Nia only knew surface level information, the sanitized version we let circulate through the pack to avoid mass panic.

Amaris had no context for the actual threat Victor represented, no understanding of the carnage he was capable of when properly motivated.

"Cole," I redirected my attention, "where do you think Victor would be hiding?"

Cole shifted in his seat and I looked like he was fighting back a hangover which was off character for him. That was usually Ryker’s character and Ryker appears sober.

"I don’t know for certain right now. But if I could have a copy of his file, I might be able to formulate some theories based on his past behavior patterns."

I looked at Beta Marco. "Provide Cole with a complete copy of Victor’s file before the day ends. Everything we have on known associates, previous hideouts, psychological assessments, all of it."

Marco nodded and made a note in the folder in front of him.

"We will reconvene when we have something more substantial to work with," I announced, preparing to end this meeting before it devolved into speculation and wasted time.

"What if we make him come out?"

Amaris’s blurted like she had not meant to speak but the words escaped anyway.

Everyone turned to stare at her.