Betrayed by My Pack – Wolfless Hybrids Escape
Chapter 56 –

Paxton's POV

Council member Floyd said, "We have the vehicle in our warehouse. We made a thorough investigation into it. We found that the brake lines had been intentionally cut. This was a deliberate act. The only outcome could be that this was no accident. They would only work briefly before the line was dry and the brakes failed. Since they had gone into the city, we believe someone followed them, and cut the line while they were at dinner. We are getting the surveillance footage from the restaurant now. Beta James would have only had the breaks for a few lights, probably until they got back on the highway." "I had no idea," I managed to get out. I turned to look at Rex with a hard look. I am going to kill him. I sent him a week ago to ensure the vehicle had been demolished and crushed. If he had done that, the council wouldn't be at our door now. I can't just let their accusation float in the air.

"Did either of you suspect that this was anything but an accident?" I asked as I looked at them standing behind me. They both shook their heads in the negative, and I was glad that they both managed to maintain confused looks. They didn't look guilty; they looked like they were just as stunned about this as I was.

"Well, I am glad that you looked into it. We just wrote it off as an accident. The police had told me that the vehicle would be crushed after about a month, if no one claimed it. I could understand why their daughters wouldn't want it. It would be a horrible reminder of losing their parents. The vehicle was basically destroyed as far as we knew. If the police had told us that they thought it was suspicious, I assure you that we would have investigated. It could be someone after ranked members of my pack. Do you think we are all in danger? Does someone have a vendetta against me or my pack?" I fired off question after question at them.

I knew there was no threat, but it didn't hurt to plant seeds of doubt in their heads. If they had something definite, they would have arrested me by now. They don't have any concrete evidence and just wanted to see if they could get one of us to mess up. I am proud of myself for not falling into their trap. I relaxed back into my seat as I pushed even harder.

"Could it be someone who is after their family? Will Beta James' daughters be in danger now? Their mates need to protect them. Who knows who Beta James could have pissed off. He was a great Beta, but to be totally honest, he was less than patient. He pushed others hard and had a temper. I hate to think of his daughters being in potential danger over this. I wish they had just stayed here, where we could have protected them. I hope their mates step up and protect them before someone tries to kill them, too," I expressed my worry.

I let them know that someone could be after Beta James' daughters. As I voiced my concerns here today, we will be less likely to be suspects when they disappear. Which will make me look more innocent when the time comes.

"Is it your habit to just let the human police tell you what happened? I am surprised that they didn't catch it themselves. I am confused that a high-ranking member of your pack and his mate were killed, yet you did nothing. No investigation by the pack to make sure that it really was an accident?" Council Member Floyd asked.

I knew where he was going with this. It was sloppy, and it seemed like we wanted to sweep it under the rug as quickly as possible. They were not giving me an inch on this. They kept pushing when they should have listened to me about it. I am going to have to convince them that we had nothing to do with this, as that is the exact reason that they were here. They were looking at us for this, and I needed them to look elsewhere.

"At the time, I was shocked and upset. I took the pack over three years ago, but this is my first experience with something like this. I may have taken the police investigation as correct, as I didn't really know what I needed to do. We were really busy at the time. I had to schedule a replacement for James, who admittedly was hard to replace. I had to get their funerals done and help the girls get past this. That, along with my other Alpha duties, was overwhelming. Add in the Beta duties as well; I was swamped and didn't want to look like a failure by asking for help from my father. I wanted him to be confident that I could lead the pack on to greater things. I let my pride get in the way when I should have just asked for help," I told them.

They had been Alphas, too; they knew the drill. Do not show weakness, even in front of your family. This was actually my first big incident, and it was tough. I was busy, so it wasn't a lie. It is part of their job to put themselves in our positions and try to have some empathy for what happened. By council member Sharp's expression, I can see that he understood what I meant. He was less severe-looking now as he nodded at me. He could see what I meant, but Council member Floyd was not backing down. He was still convinced that we had something to do with the accident. He can wait forever before I would admit such a thing.

"I understand that you were short a Beta, but he was trained in his former pack. He literally arrived the next day to help. It wasn't like you were struggling for months, Paxton. You only were busy for a week. I am aware that if you wanted, you could wait until the police completed their investigation for you to conduct your own. Yet you are perfectly willing to let it go after your second in command was murdered. That doesn't seem logical to me at all. How could you shrug it off? That is not how an Alpha should think. Protection of your pack members should be first and foremost in your mind," Council member Floyd stated mockingly.

"I messed up. I admit that I dropped the ball on this. I can tell you that I never once suspected anything other than what the police told me. I have been under a great deal of strain as my mate is struggling to provide me with an heir. It has been over three years now, and I had made an announcement before the accident even happened. I believe that the local Council office will have the formal request on file, one that they approved. I wanted my child to come from my mate, but she has an issue. I am within my rights to choose another to bear my pups. I am still dealing with that as it is a lengthy undertaking. Trying to replace an unmated she-wolf willing to do it. I am not getting any younger, and my parents are pressing the issue," I responded. My tone implied that I was hurt and upset as I spoke, which seemed to work. "I am sorry to hear that, Paxton. That is an acceptable reason for your lack of follow-through on this. My brother had to do the same, and it was very hard on all involved. Especially the mates, be sure to treat your mate well, and remind her that it is she that you love. I am sure that you both will be able to make it past this difficult time that you are facing. Children are important, and you are an only child, which makes this even more important. Thankfully, with the advancements in medical procedures, you can do it through IVF. It keeps the mate from feeling the pain of betrayal. Thank you for your time. We will let you know our replaceings when the investigation is complete," Council Member Floyd said as he rose from his seat.

"We can see our own way out, gentlemen. Thank you for seeing us on such short notice," Council member Sharp said as they left my office.

Clay walked over to the window and nodded at us when he saw the Council members returning to their vehicle. They may be gone, but this isn't over. "I thought you said that their vehicle was crushed, Rex. How did it end up at Council headquarters?" I asked Rex.

"They told me that it had been crushed, Paxton. I checked the lot, and their vehicle wasn't there. When did they get it? It had to have been before I went to check. You know that if I had seen it, I would have made them destroy it. Don't forget, I was the one who cut their break line. I was the one who took the risk, not you two. I wouldn't just leave it lying around for someone to replace. It wasn't on either of you. I could barely hold it together with the fear I felt in doing this. They must have been looking into this for the last several days. If they knew it was me, they would have mentioned it when they were interviewing us. They came right to us. What the hell did they mean when they said, "A claim was made against our pack?" Who made the claim? We should have asked," Rex vented at us.

He was clearly scared, and he was right. He was the one who had stuck his neck out. How did anyone know to point the finger at us? There was no evidence leading them back to us, not as far as we knew. It did look bad that Clay arrived so fast, but they seemed to believe what I told them. Beta James was an excellent Beta despite his arrogance. He was knowledgeable, strong, and an excellent leader and trainer. It just made sense for Clay to come and learn from him. Plus, it made it seem like Beta James had agreed to train Clay, which helped us out. "Rex is right. If someone is claiming that we did it, I think we need to replace out who is behind it. I don't like the fact that they came straight here. I know none of us talked about it, so it had to come from someone else. Rex, will they be able to identify it was you at the restaurant?" I asked, dreading the answer. I was honestly concerned about them returning here. Once they have Rex, he might turn on me and Clay to get a lesser sentence. Clay came up with the idea, but I sent Rex to do it. I couldn't leave, as I would be noticed more than Rex would with leaving. Goddess, how did this all go so wrong?

"No, I wore a hoody and a face mask. It was dark, and I was quick. Luckily, James parked towards the back of the lot. I checked and saw no one, but you never know i f someone in a nearby apartment saw me. I parked two blocks over. So, even if they saw me, they wouldn't get any information," Rex replied.

At least it couldn't be tracked back to us. Someone is trying to ruin everything, and I have no idea who that could be.