Twisting Her Fate
Chapter 75

Outside the stormy pack, Oscar stands looking at Connor, the others are all inside having breakfast and Connor is stalking back and forward along the border in an agitated fashion. This is one of the limited bonding times that he is missing. He wants a connection with the brothers. He wants to show Leilani that she belongs in the stormy pack, her and her brothers.

"What do you want?"

Oscar has no idea how he ended up here. After the meeting with his mother, he took off for a run. He is not sure when he crossed pack borders of the amber pack and then imagine his surprise when suddenly he is approached by the border patrol of the stormy pack. Before he had a single chance to think through what was happening, he had opened his mouth and asked to meet L. "I just want to have a talk with L"

Connor looks at the man, he cannot understand his intention at all. Connor is usually talented at reading intention, but he is getting nothing off Oscar.

"You come here and ask another alpha to see his woman. I am just trying to wrap my head around your goal"

Oscar raises his hands in a sign of surrender. It doesn't escape him how out of left field his request is.

"I mean nothing by it"

"You can understand my hesitance in allowing you access to her"

"I can, but I just want to talk"

Connor frowns.

"Have you spoken to your sister?"

Oscar sighs. While he loves his sister, he cannot understand her mind at all, he cannot get in line with her line of thinking, he doesn't know if it is the fact that they have not grown up together. Sometimes he thinks that it is only the fact that they are related that he cares for her instead of due to any sort of similarities.

"I am sorry for what she did to you"

Connor frowns harder, his handsome face looking so cold.

"Did to me?"

Oscar is not sure of his own line of thinking when he looks at Connor. There is no conviction in his tone, it sounding more like a question instead of a statement.

"Choosing Gabriel over you?"

Connor chuckles darkly, finally standing stationary, his strong arms crossed over his expansive chest, his naked body on full display as he eyeballs the man in front of him.

"You think I care about that? I know she is your family, but to me it was like we were playing a game of Russian roulette and, thankfully, the bullet wasn't in the chamber when the trigger was pulled. It has nothing to do with me, this is all about Leilani" "Leilani?"

Oscar doesn't care about the insult to his sister as he was thinking the same thing last night, he is more interested in hearing her name. The name rings no bells at all. He is actually slightly disappointed. He is not sure what he was even expecting. He has only seen her on one occasion. He just wanted to see her again, maybe in a different outfit, maybe with no makeup or lighter makeup, she would look different and he could get all sorts of crazy ideas out of his head.

He can't even organize his crazy ideas into a coherent thought as he doesn't know what is going on at all.

Connor doesn't feel bad for releasing Leilani's name as it is only so long before everyone knows it, it isn't a secret. Leilani told him that they don't use their real names just for the purpose of their original packs not chasing them down, since her original pack knows of her survival, it hardly matters.

Once Oscar comes to terms with the lack of knowledge of the name, he frowns at the words.

"What did Maggie do to Leilani?"

Connor raises an eyebrow, he is getting frustrated with the man that seems more like a lost sheep than the alpha wolf he is. Oscar's confusion is palpable and it just serves to annoy Connor further. He can only assume that Oscar is here to fish for information for Gabriel and Maggie.

"Go away if you can't even talk properly. It is your own family issue. Just know that I won't let anyone hurt Leilani ever again"

Connor turns on his heel and takes two large steps forward without turning back and looking at the dumbstruck Oscar, Connor's large wolf bursts forward and he runs back to the pack house.

Oscar just stands at the border scratching his brown hair. He doesn't blame Connor, he can only blame himself for not allowing this whole thing to get out of his head. Maybe he is just so desperate for a connection that he is seeing things that aren't there, that he is just making something out of nothing.

***

Leilani and her brothers have taken over the meeting room completely with their work. The place actually works a lot better than the hotel room as they are able to set up a lot better, sit on proper chairs and work with proper posture. Leilani looks around the room, pursing her lips slightly.

"I'm not happy with just sitting around and waiting for a message. We need to do more. Let's start collecting your information about the other missing girls. See if we can replace a link other than the chat room. How did the seemingly young, innocent girls even replace out about the chat room to start with? What possessed them to talk to a man like this?"

"But do we let people know we are chasing them?"

"No, we don't even let them know we are from the elite squad. Too many people know throughout about our search for Rosalie and will draw out too many questions. I don't want to get everyone worried for no reason" "What excuse can we give for going?"

"Just say we are an enforcer team going after cold cases in the effort to solve them and get reward money"

"Will they allow a separate investigation if we use that as an excuse?"

"They will if they want their daughters or pack mates found, if all other hope has been dried up, how would it possibly hurt to let someone else have a look at it? It doesn't have to re-open old wounds if they don't want it to"

All the packs are within driving distance of their location. Nothing is to the point where they have to fly, which also gives them a general idea of being attackers location.

"Also, start investigating packs around the area. Any troublesome members see if anyone's been reported to the council or even to alphas of the packs but keep ourselves discreet"

***

In the half-moon pack, Gabriel just glares at Maggie, motioning for Simon to take the sobbing Astrid away from the post. Simon grabs his mate off the ground and holds her tightly to him as they back away. He slips more vials into the pocket of her jacket. 'You will have to stay here with her, she needs to have the serum twice a day'

Astrid looks at Simon in surprise as she wipes her tears.

'What? Why can't you do it?'

Simon frowns and pinches Astrid's waist.

'I am really starting to think you are an unsuitable mother, that you don't care anywhere near as much as you let on'

Astrid lowers her eyes, it is not that she doesn't care, it is just that she has had so little time to spend with Oscar and she has no idea when Simon will send him away again.

'It is not like that. Of course I will stay with her'

Simon hooks Astrid's chin, looking at the meek woman.

'Good girl, I knew you were clever'

Maggie is just busy looking at Gabriel, all her fear is gone, the bitter liquid is the best thing she has ever tasted, she has never felt so invincible.

"Gabriel, tell me where I went wrong, tell me what I can do better. You know that I have only ever wanted you. Of course, I am part of the half moon pack"

"I have a vague memory of last night, a memory of blood, a memory of a wound that would not heal"

Gabriel leans over getting right in Maggie's face in an aggressive way. Maggie doesn't say a word, Gabriel will be able to smell a lie and she would, of course, never admit it.

"Tell me Maggie, why don't you heal? What are you hiding from me?"

Maggie keeps her mouth shut, she doesn't dare to look anywhere but at Gabriel, her fingers digging into the punishment pole, the cuffs digging into her skin. Gabriel doesn't wait for her answer. He can prove it to himself, to the entire pack. "Get me the whip"

Gabriel just keeps glaring at Maggie, yelling out the command to anyone that is listening. Soon the whip is placed in Gabriel's waiting hand.

Astrid opens her mouth to protest but Simon just pushes her face into his chest as he embraces her, silencing her words as he watches on with cold eyes. He will never deny an alpha exercising his right to punish his mate, it is necessary. Lunas aren't born, they are made, they are bent to an alphas requirements.

Maggie has the serum, so no matter what happens from here, the truth is safe and that is all that matters.