All it Takes is Love
Chapter 17

Byron and Lynn stepped into a small, rundown-looking building that looked as if it hadn’t been used in, well, a very long time. It was one big open room with metal, slab-like beds, the mattresses long gone.

“Wow, I didn’t even know this place was here. The few times I needed a doctor, Mom snuck me into town to a clinic there,” Lynn whispered.

Lynn had to admit she was a little ashamed of the conditions the pack was living in. It also made her wonder how she had been so oblivious to it all.

As if he knew exactly what she thought, Byron said, “It isn’t your fault, sugar. I have a feeling your parents tried very hard to hide this from you.”

They made their way over to the first table. There lay a young girl of about twelve, her sad-faced brother next to her.

“What is your name, child?” Byron asked.

“Selena and this is my brother Levi.”

Byron smiled. “Yes, we’ve met. He’s been very worried about you, and when you’re feeling a bit better, he’ll be taking you home. For now, I’m going to send someone to replace some blankets. Maybe they will bring pillows for you and the others too.”

“I’ll get some, sir. You know, the Alpha always had blankets that he never used. Perhaps this would be a good use for them.” Margie suggested.

Byron looked at Lynn, eyebrows raised in question.

“I think that is a wonderful idea, Margie,” Lynn said. “It seems to me that some of his excesses should do the pack some good somehow. Go and gather as many unused ones as you can replace and bring them here. Oh, and gather up a few women to help replace anything the new pack doctor will need.”

“Why just the women?” Byron asked.

“Because men are oblivious to things that women take note of,” Lynn teased.

“Ah, well, I’ll have to remember that, won’t I?” Byron teased back as he leaned in to kiss her forehead. “I do believe I have a brilliant mate.”

“Indeed, you do,” Lynn stated.

Byron gave a fake growl at her words, and she laughed.

Hearing a giggle behind her, Lynn turned.

The little girl, Selena, was giggling while Levi looked on with a smile. “You two are funny. You remind me of my mom and dad.”

Lynn glanced at Levi and saw a sad look on his face. This told her he was the one raising his sister. Returning her gaze to Selena, she smiled. Deciding to tease some more and maybe create a bit more laughter, she said, “Alpha Rhodes is the funny one, not me. I don’t have a funny bone in my body. Now, you get some rest while we check the others.”

Selena nodded and closed her eyes.

Making their way across the room, Lynn and Byron listened to the stories of the other three that were there, two men and one woman. All of them had families that were being blackmailed in some way by them being in the pack cells.

Margie soon came back with a couple of dozen blankets and pillows along with three other women.

Sara also brought food. She had enough for everyone, one of which was her mate. She placed the food items on an empty table and ran to her mate, crying, “Oh, Jerry, I’ve missed you so much.”

“I’ve missed you too, baby, but I’ll be alright,” Jerry murmured as he held her gently to him. “I’ll be able to go home with you soon. I’m just underfed and weak, but once I start eating right, I’ll heal faster and be healthy before you know it.”

Sara turned to Byron with tears running down her face. “Thank you so much for saving us, Alpha Byron. You will never know how much it means to be free of… of that monster finally.”

“Were you one of the women he…?” Byron left the question hanging, knowing she would understand.

Sara nodded and wiped her face. “Yes, but thankfully Jerry didn’t reject me because of it. He loves me and is a good, kind mate. I will tell you honestly; there are very few women here that Chester didn’t abuse in some manner.”

“That’s why he wanted you so badly,” Margie spoke up to say.

Lynn turned from where she had grabbed two sandwiches. Handing one to Byron, she asked, “What?”

Byron took a massive bite of his sandwich as he listened.

“That’s why Chester wanted you so badly. You were the one who got away from him. First, your parents managed to keep you hidden. Then you were gone. You were fresh meat, innocent, and he liked them the best. When you were suddenly gone….” Margie took a deep breath before almost whispering, “He had to replace someone innocent to destroy, so he… he began to molest the boys. My son was one of them.”

Lynn gasped, and she heard Byron take a deep breath next to her.

“Did your son tell you?” Byron asked her.

Margie shook her head. “No. I’m sure Chester would have beaten us both if he had. You see, his father didn’t know his dirty secret, and he didn’t want him too to learn of it. The only reason I knew was that his father sent me to replace him at home one day. It happened to be the day he raped my twelve-year-old son, and I caught him doing it.”

Lynn reached for the woman, pulling her into her arms and holding her as she sobbed.

“He knew that it would be hard for me to stay quiet because I was his father’s plaything. That’s what Chester called me that day. That’s why he killed my boy and threatened my mate, all to make sure I stayed quiet.”

After saying that, her knees gave out, and together, we hit the floor as her sobs became wails. Lynn’s tears joined hers as she rocked her, knowing there was nothing she could do.

Lynn glanced up at her mate with tear-blurred eyes and found him standing, tears falling unchecked down his face.

“I want to kill him again and again!” Byron snarled. “The more I hear, the more my heart is broken. I thought our pack was bad, the killing, the bloodshed, but it was nothing compared to this. Oh, Lynn, am I enough to bring peace to this broken pack?”

Lynn didn’t have to say anything because the gentleman behind Byron spoke up and said, “Yes, sir, you are.”

Byron turned to look at him.

“For so long, we have needed someone, anyone, to come and give us hope. This morning I stood chained to the wall as Alpha Raymond took out his anger on me. He was going on about how all his problems were because his beta couldn’t control his daughter, how he couldn’t wait to get his hands on them all, and how he was going to destroy her parents physically and mentally. How his son would teach the girl a lesson in respect, she wouldn’t soon forget. Then he left. Two hours later, I felt my Pack bond with him and that diabolical son of his break. Do you know what I did?” The man asked.

Everyone in the room shook their heads no.

“I pulled my bruised and broken body up off the floor, and I danced. I danced a jig and shouted at the top of my lungs that the evil tyrant and his son were dead. All it took was that bond breaking to give me hope. When Levi came to let us out of the cells, I almost danced again because I knew someone had finally come to save us all. That someone is you, sir, and I will be proud to serve you as my Alpha,” the man finished. He had tears rolling down his face, yet he grinned.

“I think that goes for all of us here, sir,” Levi said. “You have given us a hope we haven’t had in a long time. There will be some that will balk, but most will welcome you with open arms.”

“I like you,” Selena said with a grin.

Byron smiled. “I like you too, Selena. Thank you, all of you.” Byron wiped at his face as he took a deep breath and quickly finished his sandwich. When it was gone, he said, “I should go now and check out the Alpha’s office. Honestly, though, I’m not sure I want to make my office there.”

“Might I suggest an alternative, sir?” The older guard asked.

Byron gave him a nod to continue as he bit into another sandwich.

“Well, this building here has a second part to it. The other half is in worse shape than this half, but you could probably make it into an office with a little work. If you give me about an hour, I can round up a few of the guards, and we’ll move everything from the office into there, that is if you want it moved,” the guard said.

“Let’s go have a look,” Byron said. Then he followed the old guard outside.