Chapter 154

Tyler POV

Rachel had finally drifted off into a fitful sleep. They'd had to pump her full of icy IV fluids to drop her temperature enough to allow her any peace. Every drop of sweat from her forehead felt as if it were being wrung from the marrow of my bones.

I literally ached with the need to protect her, care for her, heal her.

But there was nothing I could do.

"You'll drive yourself insane if you keep pacing out here worrying over what you can't change. We need to get to Elena," Windsor said.

I could hear the finality in his tone; I knew he wanted to push me to do something for him. I just didn't know what more I could do for the Alpha Council. What help could I be in tracking this 'Peter' down?

I'd never crossed paths with the man to the best of my knowledge.

"How can I help?" I asked, knowing Art Windsor well enough to realize he would tell me what he needed if I only asked.

Art placed his hands into his pockets, walking over to me as he said, "You can ask your father for a favor. I know John Wright swings a big hammer of his own. He's part of the Alpha Council himself. He could get us a directive to override her care. I think the asylum will have to listen to an order direct from our governing body."

Our governing body wouldn't be the one issuing an order though, would it?

The order would be coming from my father, John Wright, Alpha of Wright House and Moonrise Pack. We would be throwing ourselves in together again; Rachel would rather die than get back into business with my father.

Would she want access to her mother enough to accept my father as part of the bargain? Was I willing to make the trade for her?

"If I ask him for his help, you know he's going to want more than a favor in return," I said.

Art nodded, "Yes. I understand. I mean. As well as I can understand. My father---my father is also complicated."

Curiously, I tilted my head, "What do you mean complicated? Who is your father? I've not heard of House Windsor. Where is it you come from Art Windsor?"

Art shook his head and I knew I wouldn't be getting any easy answers from him. Not that I had expected any, but I had hoped he'd slip to let something go out of empathy for my situation. I wasn't above using my misfortune to gain information which could be useful to me in the future.

"So you want me to throw myself onto my father's version of mercy in order to help you solve your case? Is that it?" I asked.

Shrugging a huge shoulder, Art admitted, "I'll take all the help I can get. John Wright would be a great help to my case. I believe he'd do anything for that child Rachel carries. That includes helping us restore Luna Campbell to Moonglow Pack."

I didn't need to test Windsor's theory to know he was right. I could already hear my father making demands of my child. I knew I would have to make the decision soon if we were going to get Elena Campbell before someone else -Peter probably- got to her first.

"Fine. I'll call my father," I said.

Calling the number for my father's office, I knew he'd be there before he would be anywhere else. I asked for him from his assistant and Gladys was quick to connect me which didn't bode well.

Knowing my father? He had been waiting for the opportunity to strike rather than hoping for good news from me.

It wasn't as if we ever called one another for an exchange of pleasantries. I knew as well as he did the only reason I'd be calling would be to trade favors or demand them of each other.

I decided to cut right to the chase.

"I need access to Elena Campbell. She has to be restored to Moonglow Pack. They have no leader right now and no heir. We found her at an asylum for the paranormal. They won't let us see her saying only Patrick Flores and an unknown threat named 'Peter' are the sole visitors allowed to her," I stated.

My father chuckled on his side of the line. The sound was dark and filled with commanding which I knew was the result of having been head of a major Alpha House for too long.

The man had never been directly thwarted or denied anything he wanted. I was playing right into his hands. We all were, weren't we?

"Will you ask the Alpha Council to issue a demand for her release?" I asked, hating the sound of the question even as it tripped off my tongue.

"What will you do for me if I ask the Alpha Council to intervene? You know I need something from you, boy," my father said.

The enjoyment of the moment was clear in his tone. I could tell the man was sitting on his haunches just salivating at the thought of tearing into a fresh kill or what he perceived to be easy prey in me.

"What do you want?" I asked.

I thought I already knew, but I was going to make my father say the words. The man would have to demand my daughter from me. I wasn't going to offer her up as a bargaining chip.

"I want your solemn vow your daughter will sit as heir to House Wright. Moonrise Pack depends on you continuing our line. The girl belongs to our house, son. Swear she'll take the seat as Luna and I'll get you the order you want to free the madwoman," Father said.

His promise was in his tone. I knew he meant exactly what he was saying. If I gave him my word our daughter would stand with Moonrise Pack, John Wright would personally deliver a decree from the Alpha Council to release Elena Campbell from her captivity.

"Are you certain you can get an agreement from the rest of the Alpha Council?" I asked, trying to buy time as I thought through the consequences of agreeing to what he asked, "What if you can't swing a majority vote? I won't consign my daughter to our pack without her mother's consent until you swear you'll return her mother to her."

"If there's anything left of Elena Campbell to return?" Father said, "I will see her returned to her daughter and her son and to that Alpha Inspector you're so fond of now."

Sighing, I swallowed against the dark thoughts swirling in my head and agreed, "I swear: my daughter with Rachel Flores will be named heir to House Wright of Moonglow Pack to rule as Luna when the title is passed from one Alpha to the next. You have my word. Now get Elena out of there."

I hung up before Father could gloat to me. We had said all we needed to say to each other. I felt as used as I had used him; my father would give only as good as he got, but had I made a good decision?

Our daughter needed to be heir to one Alpha House or another. Rachel had wanted to take her to Moonglow Pack, but they wouldn't accept a female Alpha. They also had her mother who was still breathing, alive in an asylum against her will. Elena deserved to go home to the House she represented.

"Rachel may kill me for this," I said to Art who snorted and rolled his eyes, "What? You know she wanted her daughter to be free of my father. The girl was meant to be destined for a pack based on her mother's choice. Not mine!"

"Tell her you had no choice. It's the truth. You didn't want to make this deal, but it was what was necessary because if this Peter gets to Elena before we do? He'll kill her. His punishment for false imprisonment of an Alpha heir? A Luna of a major pack? He'd get death, Wright. You know that as well as I do," Art said.

I did know he was telling the truth. I just didn't know how I was going to tell Rachel.

"She's not stable enough now. I'll wait to tell her. She'll improve in a while. They've said they can keep her stable with their medicines here. Can you go get Elena?" I asked.

Art shrugged, "I've never been there so I will have to call in a favor of my own, but I don't see why not. I'll go get the decree from the Council myself. I'll have it in hand when I walk up to their door."

I nodded, "Good. See that you do."

Rachel was going to have her mother back.

Elena Campbell-Flores was coming home to her children.