"Maybe he's under another's protection?" I suggested. "Someone within the pack who wants to undermine you?"
Matthew thought for about ten seconds before a flash of anger came over him. "Elijah, you fucking idiot," he snapped to himself. "I will not have rapists and murderers in my pack."
"So Elijah took him under his protection," Tommy asked.
"You must be sure of this, Matthew," Gordon said. "Accusing Elijah without evidence would only cause more problems."
"Why don't you just kill Elijah if he's that much of an affront?" I asked.
"Politics," Matthew almost spat.
Each alpha normally takes a selection of people as his council, elder wolves who have experience and power, but who couldn't be an alpha by themselves. He also takes a female alpha, someone who takes charge in his absence and deals with a lot of the day-to-day issues. The fact that I hadn't seen a female alpha was a little odd.
"When I ascended to the position of alpha, I removed several of the wolves chosen by my predecessor, as they were more interested in their own power than that of the pack. I assume you saw those men and women through the windows as we walked up to the house?"
I nodded. "So, who are they?"
"They're my council. Gordon did not know that I was planning on bringing you both back here. Once he found out, he had them retire to the rear of the property to await my instructions. I'm sure that Gordon will voice his disapproval of my actions once you've left.
"But my point is that those men and women are utterly loyal to both me and the pack. Elijah is not. He is loyal only to himself. And he has aligned himself with those others whom I removed from my council, the same wolves who were upset that I appointed a two-hundred-year-old werewolf as my aide."
As one, Tommy and I all turned to Gordon.
"Two-hundred-and-three," he said with a smile. "I was forty-four when I was turned."
"Why do you need a cane then?" I asked.
"Silver bullet in the hip, but I got the bastard."
Tommy laughed, but the expression on Gordon's face told me that the memory was not a pleasant one.
"Gordon, can you bring Ellie in? I think she's going to want to hear about this."
Gordon immediately left the room.
"Elijah wants the pack, doesn't he?" I asked, after getting back on subject.
Matthew shook his head. "Elijah is no alpha and he could never hold the pack. But his son has the makings of becoming a strong warrior. Possibly even alpha material. Elijah hopes to maintain the pack's strength and position himself in a useful role until such a time as his son can challenge me and win."
"So if you order him to hand over Neil it could cause problems," Tommy said.
"Unfortunately, yes. I can't allow him to split my pack. Those men who were blocking you from entering earlier, Randal and his friends, they would gladly take the opportunity to hurt people."
"Is there anything you can do? I asked.
"There's always something," Matthew assured me, as the door re-opened and Gordon stepped inside, accompanied by a striking young woman. She wore dark combats and a grey hoodie, with a picture of a pink skull and crossbones on the front. Her long dark blue hair tumbled over her slender shoulders.
"Ellie," Matthew said, motioning to the chair nearby.
She sat without a word, but constantly glanced past her alpha to Tommy and me, probably wondering what the hell was going on.
"There's something I need to tell you," Matthew said and wasted no time in explaining who Tommy and I were and why we were there. The mention of Neil's name caused Ellie to ball her hands into tight fists, and her eyes to harden, but she remained seated and continued to listen to Matthew without interruption.
When he'd finished, she took a deep breath. "What do you need?" she asked.
"I can't order Elijah to hand Neil over to Tommy and Nate without a fight. But you have a claim on Neil's life. One I intend to use if it comes to it. When I give the word, I want you to claim Neil's life as forfeit."
"Does that mean I get Neil?" Ellie asked with a wicked glint in her eye.
Matthew shook his head. "I'm afraid not. I know I can't make you give him to Tommy, and you more than deserve your retribution, but Tommy needs Neil."
"I promise you, he'll get what he deserves," Tommy said.
"I've heard that before," she said bitterly.
"We have one more problem," Gordon said.
I sighed, werewolf politics made my head hurt. "Yes."
"Elijah will be most displeased to see Tommy; it will not end well I'm sure."
"Why?" I asked Tommy.
He didn't appear to be happy to have to answer the question. "I've not been entirely honest," he eventually told me. "I'm not a pack member, because if I was, I would have to challenge for alpha. I'm too powerful to allow Matthew and me to coexist. Pack members already come to me for help, and Matthew allows it because I have no desire to replace him."
"But," I said.
"But, there are people here, mostly the same ones who want Matthew gone, who believe that any involvement I have undermines the alpha. They want me to either go and never return, or fight for the leadership." He turned to Gordon. "Neither of which is going to happen."
Gordon bowed his head slightly.
"So let me get this straight," I started. "Elijah is probably hiding the man we're looking for, and Ellie can demand that he hand Neil over, but in exchange for this, he and his supporters will try to force Tommy to challenge for the leadership."
"In a nutshell, yes," Matthew said. "He considers Tommy less of a threat. No offence."
"None taken," Tommy said. He downed the rest of his beer and stood. "Well, let's get this over with. Where's Elijah?"
A smile tugged at the sides of Gordon's lips. "He's been confined to his tent. He has one specially prepared and puts it away from the festivities, but close enough to Matthew's home that he can know all who come and go."
"The tent outside?" Tommy said. "He's a little brazen."
"He's pushing his boundaries," Matthew said with a slight growl. "And I'm close to pushing back."
"Matthew," Gordon said. "Do not allow him to do that."
Matthew calmed in an instant. "I was just voicing my displeasure." He stood and sighed. "Let's go fetch the little turd." He walked out of the room, his aide closing the door as he left after him.
"So, Tommy, what's likely to happen?"
"I will not fight Matthew."
"Leaving the options as?"
"Elijah will want something. He's a snake and he'll have a dozen scenarios in his head by the time he gets here. We just have to ensure he gets what he wants without crossing any lines."
"You don't think he'll hand Neil over to you even if he has to obey my right to justice?" Ellie said. "That… evil… cunt of a man raped and beat me for fun. He turned me into a werewolf, not as some great gift bestowed upon me, but because he knew it would cause me pain and suffering. Elijah will hand Neil over, even if I have to tear him from his grubby little paws."
"Oh, he'll hand Neil over," Tommy said. "But he'll want something in return for it."
"How many of Neil's victims are in this pack?" I asked Ellie.
"Two," she said. "Melody had a harder time accepting what she'd become; she tends to stay away from the larger pack meets. I want you to promise me something. Promise me that he'll get what he deserves, that he'll never see the light of day again. I want him to spend the rest of his life rotting in a pit somewhere. Can you do that?"
"We'll do our best," Tommy said.
"I guess that will have to do," Ellie said, although she didn't look happy about it.
"Is there anything we need to know about Elijah?" I asked.
"Don't threaten him," Tommy said. "He'll see it as a sign of weakness and refuse to help. He responds to sickly sweet compliments, money and power. The man would spend all day in wolf form licking his own cock if he could do it unnoticed."