Chapter 11

“Pylyp and Demyan didn’t lie. The Russian First is totally out of control. With the help of Chernof’s Betas, Vitas managed to escape but not before they tortured him for three months trying to get him to attest to being Chernof’s Mate. He also has a bad case of human pneumonia.”

“Have him make the change, Alpha. It will all go away.” Aline was, as ever, a practical she-wolf pointing out the obvious as if he were still a child.

“Don’t you think I know that?” Henri snapped. “Chernof gave him a drug to prevent the change. He’s been drugging him for three months.” Henri paced the oval rag rug in the hallway off the bedroom suites. Julien’s parents did like their rustic residence and kept things like the rug from years gone by when Julien was a pup. It was chewed on one end.

He heard Aline’s muffled sob on the other end of the line. “Oh, that poor boy, Alpha, I shouldn’t have presumed…Oh, the gods, is there such a thing? You have to mate immediately to protect him,” she clucked.