King's Throne(68)

“Maybe more than you think. I’ve been working with a shifter doctor who runs a special project for Phelix.” That was news to him. “Actually, the project goes back quite a ways to when my family first went to America. I became involved in it later, but it was always designed and meant for shifter use. We call it royal nectar. It’s a distillation of what we think is the active component in my blood.” She sighed and shook her head. “When I was called down to Ellie’s apartment to treat you, I gave you my blood. It stopped the poison, but then you were unconscious again when Cade brought you up to my apartment. He needed you awake again, so I gave you a dose of the nectar. It roused you for a little while but then you took a turn for the worse. Much worse, actually. Mitch, the combination of the poison you were given and the nectar almost killed you.”
“What do you think that means?”
“I think if Phelix is corrupt, it means that something we were creating to help shifters has been targeted. The poison seemed to react violently with the nectar. Maybe whoever created the poison knew about the nectar and deliberately cultivated an agent that it wouldn’t work on.” The implications were terrible.#p#分页标题#e#
“Let’s hope not. Let’s hope we’re getting ahead of ourselves. All I have right now is a suspicion of financial wrongdoing. Let’s take this one step at a time for now. And be very cautious. It still might be nothing. I could be way off base. I’m going to look at the books in depth today and see what’s what.”
“I’m happy to help in whatever way I can.” Her steadfast support meant the world to him.
“I’m counting on it.”
After they’d finished breakfast, they went out to face the day together. Adele was the ranking Old Guard on duty but Gunnar was with her. He was a font of information.
As it turned out, the majority of Gisli’s followers had been swept up in the flood. The crooked bookkeeper, the complicit accountant, the shark of a lawyer who had systematically bankrupted the Clan. According to Gunnar, they were all gone.
Mitch and Gina were taken on a tour of the stronghold. There were the expected audience chambers and living quarters, but there was also the hi-tech area Mitch had ordered closed the night before. This was the area reserved for the running of the Clan’s many business interests. This was the area Mitch wanted to study first.
It was time he put his MBA to use.
What he discovered was troubling, to say the least. First of all, the supposedly hi-tech equipment was woefully out of date. From the look of the account books, it was clear they hadn’t spent any time or money on upgrades in the past decade at least.
Mitch spent part of an hour going quickly over the personnel records and realized right away that someone would have to personally visit some of the corporate offices of the companies owned or heavily invested in by the Clan—especially their greatest investment, Phelix Corporation. The executives needed to know that things were going to be done differently now, and if Gisli’s handpicked lackeys didn’t want to comply, they would be summarily replaced.
He started to make notes for whoever ended up in charge. He still couldn’t wrap his head around the idea that they wanted him to be the king. He was more of the opinion that Frederick should come back and retake the throne, though Mitch would be glad to help him. Fixing the Clan’s finances was an urgent matter and Mitch was already strategizing the best way to go about implementing changes. The Clan couldn’t wait. They needed help now.
“Mitch.” Gina’s voice came to him from a few feet away. He’d been so intent on the ledger he’d been reading, he hadn’t noticed her approach.
When he looked up at her, the older female guard who had questioned him on the challenge field was beside her. A quick glance told him that a few of their Old Guard friends were near enough to assist should there be any attempt at treachery. Just because Mitch had won the challenge didn’t mean these Guards who had served Gisli had earned Mitch’s trust yet.
“This is Helga,” Gina said, indicating the woman at her side. “We’ve been talking about the state of the Royal Guard.”
“Thor was washed away in the flood and good riddance,” Helga said in a flinty tone. “He was Gisli’s chosen to lead our ranks. Now we have no leader and are in chaos. This is not good for the Royal Guard or the Clan, but I didn’t want to act without your permission.” She tilted her head to the side in a slight bow of respect and Mitch realized this seasoned warrior was deferring to him. He’d known on some level that winning the challenge would change things, but he hadn’t quite realized how much. Frankly, he’d never really thought much about what came after the challenge.