The Alpha Queen's Mate (Book 5 of The Regal Eclipse Pack Series)

Chapter 16

Noelle looked at her in surprise. That could explain everything. Why Patty had suddenly become a rogue and why the girls reminded her so much of Hailey. "Is that where you're from?"

"No, it's not. But these girls are," she said firmly.

Noelle looked back up at them and saw that none of them were looking at her now. They were all intently studying their magazines. She had a feeling that they were listening closely to the conversation though. "What do you know?" She asked Patty. Hopefully these girls had trusted her enough to tell her something significant. If they weren't under Alpha Command like Hailey was.

"They won't talk to you because they don't know you. They don't trust easily. It took me months to get them to really talk to me. But I think it's important that you know because if anyone can put an end to what's happening out there, it's Regal Eclipse." Patty met her gaze in the mirror. "It's a well guarded secret."

Noelle knew the last part of the conversation was for the girls, trying to reassure them. She looked at them in a whole new light now knowing what little she knew. "Go on."

"Everything was fine at Salt Flats until Alpha Mason took over. His father was killed in a car crash and he was put into the position early, which I'm sure you probably know, or at least your pack does." Patty started. She was still working diligently on Noelle's hair, which she was thankful for. She didn't have a lot of time.

"Yes I'm aware of all of that."

"Mason is not a good person. He will not allow any of the women to be with their mates if they found them after he took over. They must reject them. If they are under forty and are mated to someone in the pack, they have six months to get pregnant. If they don't, they're taken away from their mate and given to someone else who can get the job done. Every woman in the pack is required to have one child a year, or they'll be killed."

Noelle listen to her quietly talk and occasionally glanced at the women. All three of them were crying. She couldn't imagine being subjected to such a thing, forced to produce pups with a man who wasn't her mate. Or to be taken away from her mate. Especially if they were bonded. It would be horribly painful for both of them and cause them to go into a deep depression. "Who is impregnating them?"

"Alpha Mason and his friends mostly. He's installed some of them as pack leadership and they have free rein to do whatever they want, and have sex with whoever, whenever, whether their partner is willing or not. The women have no choice in the matter and they are not allowed to fight back or they will be beaten to death. Almost the entire pack is against this but go up against the Alpha and you're killed. He and his friends are ruthless. If you try to leave the pack, you're killed. These girls were very lucky that they got out. They've been out for four months now. There were six of them that tried to escape together. The other three didn't make it," Patty said. "They were chased down and ripped to pieces."

Noelle sat in silence. Nick had been right, and it broke her heart. She couldn't imagine the horrors these women had been through, or what the other women were going through. She needed to talk to Nick. "Thank you for telling me about all of this. It will be taken care of. I can promise you that."

"I hope so. These girls are too afraid to speak up on it and I wasn't sure how to, or if anyone would even listen to me, given that I'm a rogue and never a member of that pack," Patty sighed.

"My pack doesn't discriminate against rogues. And you can always leave tips on our website, even anonymously," Noelle informed her. "Someone always checks into any tips we get."

"Really." Patty sprayed her hair down and turned the chair around so Noelle was again facing the mirror. "What do you think?"

Noelle's eyes widened as she looked at her reflection and the beautiful creation. Patty was quite talented. "Wow. You did fantastic. Thank you so much."