Parking his car, he nodded toward another wolf shifter on his security team. Nick made sure to employ outlawed wolves like him. Most of the wolves didn’t have the invasive mark that he did, but he respected them all the same.
He took the elevator taking him straight to his office. Dean was standing there with Mark and one of his security men, Bill.
“Get the fuck off me. This is business, nothing else,” Mark said.
Closing the door, he watched with satisfaction as the men flinched. All of them had been so preoccupied with arguing they hadn’t even smelled his approach.
“If I was still an alpha of a pack, I’d punish you all for simply not paying attention,” Nick said, gaining their attention. Bill had walked out of his pack when they’d murdered his wife for being unfaithful to him. The laws of the pack were strict. Once a male and female mated, it was for life. If a female was to cheat then death was the penalty. He noticed the same rule didn’t apply to the males. All they got was a slap on the wrist. Bill walked away because they took his life mate from him even though he’d asked to watch her with another man. Someone had spied on them, killed his mate, and Bill had left. The story was sad, depressingly so, and another reason why Nick would never be part of a pack even if one was offered.
“What’s going on, Bill?” Nick asked, taking a seat behind his desk. Refusing to look at Mark, he concentrated on the men he didn’t want to kill.
Don’t kill her father. His death would make a mess, and there are more humans in the office than not.
He tried to reason with himself. The more he thought about what he learned of Clara, the harder it was not to hurt the bastard.
“This asshole,” Bill said, pointing at Mark. “Stormed into your building shouting out his demands.”
Bill looked ready to commit murder.
Get in line, Bill. Anyone who takes out this fucker will have to answer to me.
“He caused a stir, terrified the women, and started bad-mouthing you.”
Moving his attention to Dean, he waited for another explanation.
“I tried to get him out of your office, Nick. He wants more money,” Dean said, shrugging.
Getting his anger under control, Nick turned his attention onto the man he wished to murder. “What gives you the right to come into my place of work and start mouthing off?”
“I want more money.”
“I paid you one million dollars for your daughter. You’re not getting another cent from me.” Staring at Clara’s father, Nick couldn’t stop the feeling of repulsion coming over him.
“She’s worth a lot more than a million.”
“I heard your wife say Clara is the runt of the litter. She means nothing to you. A million is more than fair.” In truth, Nick would pay triple if not more to keep her.
“If you don’t pay me more I’m going to the collection of alphas.”
Nick raised a brow and turned to Dean, who shook his head.
“Interesting. You’ll go to the collection of alphas?” Nick asked, standing up. The collection of alphas was responsible for his outlawed status. People referred to them as either the “collection of alphas” or as “the collective”. The only desire he had to deal with the collective was to hurt them. The collection of alphas acted like social workers or the modern legal system for wolves.
“They would make you pay more.”
“You really think they’d help you?” Nick asked, taking a step toward the other man. All he needed was any excuse to end this sack of shit’s life and he’d do it in a heartbeat.
“I’m a pack wolf. They still answer to our calls, not outlawed bastards like yourself.”
Leaning against his desk, Nick folded his arms over his chest, staring at the other man. “Go and get them. Tell them all that I won’t pay you another cent of my money.”
The other man looked confused. “I will.”
“Good, then you can make them all aware how you sold a woman for money. Not only will you incriminate yourself, you’ll bring everyone else down with you. I wonder how long you and your family would survive being outlawed with a lot of enemies, stronger enemies.”
He let his words sink in.
“I’ll get you for this,” Mark said, pulling out of Bill and Dean’s hold.
“I’m sure you will. Bye.” Nick watched the angry man leave his office.
“Why does he suddenly want more?” Nick asked, turning to Dean.
“From what I hear he learned who you were and that you could pay a lot more money for her. He feels cheated that he only got so little from you instead of a larger payout.”
“Fucking asshole.” Nick made arrangements with Bill to increase security. Once he was alone, he dialed one of the security firms he trusted and put a man on to trail Mark. The last thing he needed was for him to turn up and ruin his plans to mate with Clara.