I made it home around 11 am and walked in through the backdoor. Angelica was sitting at the kitchen table, staring off into space past a bowl of fruit her mom had cut up for her.

My mate, Diane, looked up from the kitchen sink in surprise, “You’re home early, honey.”

I got straight to the point, the seriousness of my tone indicating there was no time for pleasantries.

“My love, pack a small suitcase each for you and Angelica and take the old Honda to Cooleyville Private Airport as fast as you can.”

Angelica looked up with alarm, her eyes finally focusing on me, “There’s a plan...Tristan made a plan. I have to wait...”

I walked around the table to put my hands on Angelica’s arms, “Listen to me. There’s a new plan. Tristan and Avery approved it. You aren’t going to wait any longer.”

The hope in my daughter’s eyes made the risk one hundred percent worth it.

“Hurry and go pack. You have five minutes to get on the road. Only essentials, no cell phones,” I urged.

Angelica ran up the stairs to her room, and my wife approached me with worry in her eyes, “What’s happening?”

“We’re leaving. You’ll take a private plane with Tristan, Avery, and a few others to a new home. I’ll stay here for a day or two to get messages to our family. They’ll soon follow,” I explained, “There’s no time, please hurry.”

Diane and our daughter made quick work of throwing a few things in a couple of suitcases and headed out to the garage to put them in the trunk.

I kissed them both and helped load their luggage into the car. As they backed out of the drive and turned onto the road, I watched as they drove away, carrying my heart with them.

Once the car disappeared, I headed inside to fulfill my piece of the plan.

I drew in a few deep breaths to slow my heart rate. Once I was certain of the slow, steady beat, I called Alpha MacKenzie on my phone.

His office phone number rang twice before he picked up, “Alpha, I’m back early, and I thought I should let you know. Tristan and Avery were gifted a car as a mating gift and no longer needed my services.”

The Alpha’s silence stretched for a few seconds before he asked, suspicion coating his tone, “David, I’m told your wife and daughter are headed into town. Why?”

I had an answer ready, “Angie’s been down since the incident. Her mom’s going to take her on a girl’s trip until after Avery’s mating ceremony. The farther away she is, the better; I’m sure you understand, Alpha.”

That satisfied him, and he adopted a more relaxed tone, “I’m sorry about all of this, David. You’ve served our family for a long time. It’s nothing personal against your lovely girl; we just need the bloodline to continue.”

“Yes, Alpha,” I answered.

MacKenzie didn’t bother to respond, and I heard the phone click as he hung up.

I plopped down into my favorite leather armchair and rested my head against the cushion. It was time to get to work.

I mind-linked my uncles and brothers, all 21 of them, inviting them to poker night tonight at my place. I told them the girls had gone on a trip until after the mating ceremony, and the house was too quiet without them.

My oldest brother Jesse responded, “What time?”

“Six pm sharp,” I replied.

“I’ll bring the beer,” answered my eldest uncle, Walter, the current head of our bloodline.

Next, I went to the game closet in the hallway and pulled out the large poker top that fit snuggly over my dining room table. Carrying it to the dining room, I quickly placed it over the surface and secured it to the table legs.

Back at the game closet, I pulled out my large set of poker chips and several decks of cards. I carried them down the hall to the dining room and arranged them on the poker top.

Lastly, I headed to the kitchen and started assembling trays of snacks to set along the buffet table in the dining room. They might not get eaten, but I needed to make it look like a real poker game among family.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

Gabriel helped prepare me as well as he could. I had only to get my brothers and uncles here and explain things. Should any outsiders happen by, like the Alpha, we would appear to just be having poker night while the girls are away. Our family poker nights were legendary, and I didn’t think this would alert anyone else in the pack that anything was amiss.

Gabriel had prepared me in case MacKenzie brought his witch with him to probe my memories.

At the dealership, he always kept Jane out of my line of sight and had entered my mind to explain my part in his plan.

Before I drove away from the car lot that morning, I watched as Gabriel shook hands with Tristan and wished him a hearty congratulations on his mating ceremony. Tristan and Avery then got into a red Mercedes and drove out of the parking lot.

Gabriel shook my hand and said, “Nice to see you, David. Please excuse me; I’ve got a plane to catch.”

It truly was the last memory I had of seeing Avery and Tristan, even though it was staged. I’d driven directly home from there. Avery and Tristan wouldn’t return to Alpha Martin’s pack today.

I also knew more about MacKenzie’s witch than the average pack member because, biologically speaking, she was my niece. Her magical giftings were from our grandmother.

My job as Avery’s driver and bodyguard also gave me a deep knowledge of the Alpha’s family. MacKenzie had stolen my niece, Abigail, from my brother and raised her in the pack house from the age of four years, when her magical giftings were discovered.

Because of all these things, I knew that her ability to sift through people’s minds was limited to the visual aspect of the memory and rarely included sound. She could read lips, so anything people said while you were looking at them could be interpreted, but she couldn’t hear it.

She also didn’t have access to people’s thoughts that were not visual. These limitations left me confident that Gabriel’s plan would work if my acting was convincing enough.

Staying here was still a risk. I had to inform the leaders of our bloodline of the plan, all while escaping the Alpha’s suspicions. I’d been able to rebuff them so far, and I hoped I would continue to do so.

Shortly before six that evening, my brothers and uncles began to filter into the house through the back door. Most had taken routes through the woods that faded into our back lawn. Family rarely used the street-facing entrance to our home.

While half of them were settling in around the poker table, we all turned our heads toward the front of the house. We could scent our Alpha’s presence on the front porch.

His knuckles rapped twice, and I opened the door immediately, “Alpha! What a welcome surprise. Would you like to join our poker night?” I smiled pleasantly.

“I need to speak with you, David. Please come out,” the Alpha replied.

“Of course, Alpha,” I answered, stepping over the threshold onto the sturdy covered porch. I reached behind me to pull the door closed. As the door latched shut, I looked past the Alpha at the curly-haired figure behind him.

Just as we predicted, MacKenzie had brought Abigail the witch with him on this visit. She walked up the steps and into the light of the porch. She came to a stop by the Alpha’s side.

“David, how long have you served my family?” the Alpha asked coldly.

“Thirty years, my Alpha. Is something wrong?” I asked innocently.

“Avery and Tristan did not return to the Martins’ today and we can’t reach them by phone. Do you know anything about this?”

Shock appeared on my face in what I hoped was a convincing expression of concern, “How could they not return? I saw them drive their new car away towards Alpha Martin’s pack territory!”

I tried my best to imagine how I would feel if Avery were actually missing and responded, “Oh goddess, please, if anything happened to Avery...” I let a tear roll down my cheek.

The Alpha’s tone immediately softened although it was still firm, “Perhaps you wouldn’t mind allowing Abigail to probe your last memory of them? It may give us some clues as to where they went,” he ordered in the form of a question.

“Anything to help find her!” I replied fervently.

The Alpha nodded at the witch, and Abigail stepped forward, placing her hand on my bowed head.

She closed her eyes for a time, and I focused on the memory of watching Gabriel wish the kids well and seeing them drive out of the parking lot in the red sports car.

She opened her eyes again and faced the Alpha, “He’s telling the truth. The vampire congratulated them. Next they drove away. Afterward, Gabriel shook David’s hand and said he had a flight to catch. David came straight home, and it doesn’t appear he made any phone calls.”

The Alpha put his hand on my shoulder, “Thank you, old friend. We’ll let you know as soon as we find them.”

“Please let me know if there’s anything I can do to help, Alpha,” I replied earnestly.

He patted me on the back, then turned around. He headed down the steps and drove away in his black SUV with Abigail beside him.

I watched them disappear down the street and around the corner before I headed back into the house.

Stepping back into the kitchen, I raised my voice to get everyone’s attention, “Gentlemen, we need to talk.”

Twenty-one pairs of eyes turned my way, and there was nothing but silence.

“It’s time to make a move,” I began.

My Uncle Walter stood up and approached me, clasping my shoulder, “We’re with you, David. After what the Alpha did to Angelica...let’s just say there’s been a lot of restlessness in the ranks.”

A chorus of agreement flooded my ears from all the men in my family. I bowed my head in gratitude, “Thank you all.”

Jesse came to stand beside us, “That’s what families are about. So, what’s the plan?”

“We’ll have to make our move right after midnight. This is the only night for the next six days that border patrol consists entirely of our family,” I began.

“Where are we headed then?” Walter asked.

“Montana,” I answered, “that’s where our new Alpha Tristan Martin and Beta Avery MacKenzie await our arrival.”

Walter called out, “You heard him, boys! Gather your families, and head out at midnight. Keep it fast; keep it quiet.”

And everyone did.