Chapter 68

The Moon Walker pack Alpha is in charge now? Hadn’t her father been about to go to war with them? Sophia was completely and utterly confused now.

It did answer the confusion about what she’d overheard Vlad say to Jackson the day before. This was the female Alpha they’d been talking about, and from what Sophia had been able to gather, was that this Alpha had been going around making deals with shifters in the Lucian pack to get them to reveal information, as Jackson seemed to have done in exchange for his and Tamryn’s freedom.

She clearly didn’t care about letting them, or Scott or Connor stand trial. This Benson Baciu only seemed interested in Sophia and Neil. Neil especially if that look of pure satisfaction and triumph had been anything to go on when they’d first arrived at the prison.

They clearly knew each other from before, and Sophia recalled even getting a stab of jealousy in her gut by the intensity with which they gazed at one another then.

Yes, it was abundantly clear to her, this Alpha of the Moon Walker pack and Neil knew each other well. But how? As far as Sophia knew, members from different sides didn’t exactly communicate, just another mandate from her father. Was it possible that they fought against one another once?

She couldn’t decide which one it was, as she hadn’t been sure when they’d shared that intense moment whether it was the look of intense lovers, or intense enemies.

Even though Sophia knew it was silly, and just overthinking things again, the thought of Neil having had a history with this enigmatic female, was maybe a little intimidating. She even seemed more like Neil’s type than Sophia did.

This Benson Baciu was beautiful in a fierce sort of way, with dark eyes that spoke of confidence and fearlessness. Everything about her was flashing neon signs warning not to mess with her or else. She was clearly powerful, and Sophia even got the impression that this Alpha was dangerous as well. Dangerous as hell.

Much, much more Neil’s type, especially when she watched Benson walking back her way down the aisle and could spot tattoos on her neck and upper arms that were sticking out from underneath her clothes. She even had a nose ring for crying out loud! She wouldn’t have been surprised to find out that she and Neil had been mates all along…

No, Sophia mentally shook herself. Things were a lot more serious right now than her thinking about things that were just feeding off of her insecurities, which wouldn’t be productive at all. She needed some answers about much more serious matters.

The Alpha was close now, and quickly Sophia decided to calm her breathing and expression, for some reason wanting to show this female that she too can be cool and poised in face of a freaking disturbing and scary situation. Just thinking about Neil and what he was facing now, made the vulture’s talons tighten around her heart.

She wished she could have been there to support him, or at the very least have heard what was going on in that courtroom. More than anything else, she wanted to hear how wrong not only their accusations were of him, but also the things she’d remembered about her father saying about Neil before she even knew him.

If the things her father had said about him turned out to be true, then Sophia didn’t know what she would do. If he was truly capable of such barbarism and horrors, then that would just be another reason she would welcome execution. Because knowing that she loved and trusted such a man would be something she just knew she would never be able to recover from again.

“Are you alright, Sophia?” Benson asked her as she came to stand in front of her cell door holding a tablet in her hand. “Sheesh! That asshole sure has a fouler mouth on him than from what I can remember him having when I saw him last.”

“I’m fine,” Sophia said absentmindedly, finding herself scanning the Alpha’s face.

She truly was stunning, and genuinely seemed compassionate, but there was something else in her eyes that was off somehow… Or maybe Sophia was just desperately trying to find something wrong with the female.

“Thank you for that – and also for whatever you did to get him locked up,” she said, deciding to maybe fish a little for information.

“No problem, Sophia,” she said with the sort of sincerity that would have warmed her heart, but still, there was that gleam of something Sophia just couldn’t figure out in her eyes as the Alpha looked at her. “You know, I’m glad I stepped in to help when I did. Thorin has clearly lost it, and the whole pack was busy falling into ruin.”

“Thank goodness you came and thought the best way to go about saving the pack from this ruin was to go dig up the past, instead of addressing the current pressing issues like the soldiers kidnapping, raping, and torturing people out there,” Sophia said sweetly. “We can be grateful that you have our best interest at heart, especially if Vlad is working with you, does it mean our packs are finally at peace?”

Benson just gave her a languid smile as she pinned Sophia with a long stare, her dark eyes glimmering with cunning amusement. “You’re a clever girl, definitely not how you’ve been described to me. I can see why the Captain has taken such a liking to you.”

She was baiting her, Sophia knew, and she refused to show any reaction of the jealousy, indignation, or even curiosity that she felt, knowing that she would want to ask how she knew Neil.

Instead, she just showed the Alpha her most indifferent and pleasant smile as she said, “They are wrong about a lot when it comes to me, who I am and what I’ve done.”

“Clearly,” Benson said with her index finger tapping her chin contemplatively, as though she had to rearrange a few things around in her head. “Not that I have to explain anything to you, but because I like your spirit, I will – Vlad just named a few things the pack wanted to set right, and giving you the trial that had been denied them six years ago was one of those things that came up. And then after doing some digging, I found out that you were connected to the Captain, who was also due a trial, so figured we might as well get two birds with one stone while we’re at it.”

Sophia wanted to glare at her at the word ‘digging’, for she knew what it had actually meant was that she’d blackmailed, bribed, extorted, and forced friends to turn on each other, but she didn’t say or show anything about what she thought.

“So you’re just a benevolent Alpha that wants to help and then leave once the Lucian pack’s wrongs have been righted?” Sophia asked, the question hanging in the air: Or do you intend to take over the pack and the territory once you’re done ordering everyone about?

Benson gave her an admiring look and gave a throaty laugh, and somehow Sophia still found herself envying the melodious sound of it. “Oh, I like you,” she purred, looking Sophia up and down as though she only saw her for the first time now. “I can assure you, Sophia, all I want is peace again with my neighboring pack. Besides, it’s also no pleasant task having to continually show Lucian refugees away from my borders the whole time.”

Maybe she was very wrong about Benson, and started to feel horrible for doubting her and accusing her of things, but still needed to ask, “ Why only now? Why not step in before?”

“Vlad called and asked that I help overthrow Thorin, as there are still too many powerful supporters of your father and he couldn’t insure his arrest alone. But with my authority and manpower, it was possible.”

“Why would he do that?” Sophia wondered almost more to herself. “He’s my father’s Second and best friend…”

“He was concerned that Thorin had gone too far this time. What he had started doing to young girls of his own pack, and even his own son,” Benson said with disgust.

“Leo, is he–”

“He’s fine, don’t worry,” she told Sophia placatingly. “He’s with Vlad now, as his godfather, he has custody of him for now.”

Sophia felt a smile of utter relief, “Thank the Goddess.”

The Alpha smiled sincerely. “The five girls we found are back with their families as well.”

How could I have doubted her? Sophia wondered, guilt blending with her relief and happiness. This woman had clearly done what she hadn’t been able to. Save Leo and Bella from her father’s evil clutches.

“Here,” Benson said as she held out the tablet to her. “I figured you would like to watch the live stream from the courtroom. The Captain will get a fair trial, don’t worry. As will you…”

Sophia felt tears starting to well up in her eyes as she took what felt like the greatest gift she’d ever received – a chance to know what was going on with Neil. Ignoring the Alpha’s condemning tone when she’d said, as will you, she took the tablet from her.

“Thank you,” she said, having to hold back from it, sounding like a sob.

“You’re welcome, Sophia,” Benson said as she turned to walk away, but then stopped. “Oh, and I made sure they bring the Captain back to his cell, regardless of the outcome of his case. It didn’t look to me like the two of you had a proper chance to say goodbye earlier. I can’t assure you much, but I can ensure you have that small mercy at the very least.”

Dumbstruck and unable to believe what she’d just heard the Alpha say, she stared at her in wonderment. Benson simply smiled and gave her a wink before she walked back toward the office.

“Where are my cigarettes, Joe?” she barked at someone, her voice the opposite now than what it’s just been with Sophia.

Smiling broadly nonetheless, she unlocked the tablet by pressing the side button and swiping her finger diagonally across the screen that showed a screensaver of a full moon.

Immediately the feed came up of what looked to be a courtroom. She could see many council and Lucian pack members there, but the only shifter she was interested in seeing was Neil.

And when she did finally see him there on the screen, her heart gave a sudden jolt, freeing herself of the slinking vulture’s talons that had been gripping her there the whole time. Sophia found she was able to breathe again.