Born to be Broken (Alpha's Claim 2)

"That will not matter. Claire will be recovered immediately." Shepherd could always tell when Jules had something more he wanted to say, it was in the shiftiness of his hardened glare, and the uncomfortable lines around his mouth. Standing, his huge arms crossed over his chest, Shepherd's own posture made it clear his subordinate had better get to the point. "Speak."

Jules explained in the same steady monotone that displayed acute sincerity. "Aside from the threat of Svana, Claire O'Donnell is willing to kill herself, brother. By starvation… a bullet to the head… she will find a way if she wants to."

The single step closer put Shepherd within the distance to behead Jules with little more than a flick of the wrist. Eyes flared, Shepherd threatened, "You presume to tell me what she will and will not do? You presume much lately. I am quite certain I made myself clear before."

The Beta was loyal; it was his duty to speak. "You are responsible for Claire O'Donnell's current state. Your open infidelity has altered what you created when you chose to pair-bond. That kind of hatred will not disappear simply because you drag her back."

The beast emerged. An arm bulging with muscle struck, slamming the smaller man against the wall. Dangling Jules by a grip on his throat, Shepherd roared, "You do not know of what you speak!"

Gasping, his boots high above the floor, Jules grunted despite the grip of the giant, "You allowed Svana to manipulate you into dishonoring your pregnant mate. You are responsible for what broke her, and must recognize the consequences of what you sanctioned. I cannot return her as she was."

Jules was thrown clear across the room. Before he might break the man's bones, the bellowing giant's fists attacked the wall instead. Huge chunks of concrete broke off, his knuckles tore, and blood flowed, but Shepherd's outburst did not exercise such rage.

When the provoked, panting monster spun to face the Beta, eyes full of murder, he found Jules standing, loyal and unmoving as always. Shepherd poked Jules roughly in the chest. "I should kill you."

Before answering, Jules wiped a trickle of blood from his mouth. "For speaking the truth, brother?"

Shepherd rolled his shoulders, snarling a defense. "I did what had to be done and sent my mate from the room so she would not have to watch as I pacified Svana."

The Beta outlined the facts. "In choosing to pacify your former lover, you destroyed any potential for Miss O'Donnell to be your mate the way you seem to wish her to be."

"And you think given the fact that you once had an Omega wife, your opinion has value?" Shepherd's face was red, his pulse thundering at the bulge of his neck.

Jules offered an alternative. "The only way you will gain influence over the Omega is to give her what she wants."

A minute passed, a minute where Shepherd had to fight every instinct that told him to crush the Beta for questioning him. "Explain."

"Her profile is one of a martyr. If you offer to leave the Omegas and her allies in peace, you have a bargaining chip—influence over Miss O'Donnell you can wield to gain compliance and the behavior you prefer. If approached correctly, I expect that she will agree to return of her own free will in exchange for the lives of the others. Suicide will no longer be an issue, giving you time to progress the pregnancy that may soften her hatred towards you."

Shepherd detested what he was hearing, but there was wisdom in his second's words. "Is there more?"

For once, intonation, bitterness, inflected Jules speech. "I didn't only have a wife. I also had two sons."

There was a hint of remorse in Shepherd's retreat. Ignoring his bleeding knuckles, the Alpha pulled on his coat and left the room. "I shall lead the surveillance of the Beta personally."

Jules radioed an underling to clean up the mess and repair the wall, as usual, three steps ahead.As ordered, Corday had escorted Leslie Kantor to his apartment. The journey had not been simple. In fact, it seemed that every causeway they'd tried to walk contained some obstruction or Follower presence that required the pair to choose another path.

It took hours of doubling back just to make it a few steps forward. It didn't help that Leslie Kantor did not have a clue how to fend for herself. The female, though charming, had no business on the streets.

Corday could hardly believe she'd survived as long as she had.

He did not voice his opinion, but she could sense it. When they were finally sequestered and safe in his apartment, she admitted, "I have been sheltered since the city fell. My family's housing holds a secret panic room that was stocked with enough food and water that I had little need to leave."