Silence followed, then quiet words. “Yeah. I fucked up.”
“And?”
“It’s not an issue anymore. The needs of the pack are more important.”
Kane detected a certain steel-like tone in his brother’s voice, but this was too important to leave to chance. A blunt warning never hurt. “Just remember that or I will take care of it myself.”
A low growl was his response. “I need some information from you.”
“Such as?”
“Can Elise check the books at the Grey Goose and see how Melody signed in? I want her address in Chicago, her phone number, her credit card...anything Elise can find. You never know what might prove helpful if Melody turns into a runner.”
“I’ll call you with the information as soon as we have it.”
“Make sure you call me on my cell phone. I’m leaving for the airport in less than an hour. If I’m lucky I’ll be able to get a stand-by seat to Chicago.”
“All right.” He hung up, not bothering to say goodbye, his anger, and frustration roiling about in his gut. The decision to let Ryne deal with this on his own, was debatable, yet Kane knew the more wolves that were involved, the greater the danger of discovery. Inaction ate away at him as he played out various scenarios out in his head, none of them pretty. If Ryne’s wolf was looking for a mate, his judgement could be impaired. Yet, Ryne was an Alpha, biologically programmed to protect his pack. The question was, which instinct would win out? Narrowing his eyes, Kane considered the situation before pulling a heavy book from the shelves.
Flipping through the yellowing pages of the Book of the Law, he found the passage he wanted.
The keeping of our secret is a wolf’s primary duty. Threats of exposure must be swiftly eradicated. Should more than two outsiders learn of our existence, dispersal of the young will begin immediately. Remaining members will obliterate all evidence of the pack’s existence. Humanity is a disease covering the earth, a force that cannot be fought. Better that a few should die to stop the scourge, than to risk the perishment of all.
Chapter 30
The young woman hummed to herself as she sat feeding documents into the paper shredder in an upscale law office. She was just a temp, and as usual, no one left her any real or important work to do. Filing, shredding, a bit of typing and answering the phone; it was pretty easy and that’s the way she liked it. Working full time wasn’t on her agenda. Nope. She planned on finding a rich lawyer and settling down as soon as possible. Too bad this particular job didn’t hold any matrimonial prospects. The lawyer she was temping for was a grumpy old man—fifty if he was a day. Still age and looks wouldn’t matter if he was rich enough... She gave the office an assessing perusal, adding up the cost of the decor and factoring in the location. He might be a possibility. Unfortunately, he was in court and not scheduled back for several hours. Oh well, that left her plenty of time to do her work as well as wander the halls looking for eligible professionals. It was always a good policy to keep her options open.
She took a moment to check her appearance as it reflected in the window. Her blonde hair was up in a respectable knot at her nape with a few tendrils falling about her face and her makeup appeared flawless. Giving a satisfied smile, she stood, thinking maybe she’d go for a little walk and see who might be in the halls or gathered near the elevator...
The phone rang and she answered it, automatically falling into a smooth, professional mode. “Good morning. You’ve reached the law office of Leon Aldrich. Ms. Matthews speaking. How may I help you?”
“Put me through to Aldrich.” A male voice barked the order at her.
“Mr. Aldrich is out at the moment. May I take a message?”
“No. You may not. Where’s Ms. Sandercock?”
“She’s away at a funeral. I’m filling in for her for a few days.”
“Humph! When will Aldrich be back?”
Ms. Matthews opened her mouth to respond. “I—”
The caller cut her off. “And don’t give me any of those annoying answers they teach you at business college. I hate it when people tell me ‘they can’t really say.’ Of course you can say! You know damned well when he’s coming back. It’s written in his day-planner on his damned desk. Now get up, walk into his office and check.”
“I’m sorry, sir...” Ms. Matthews quivered at the vitriol in the man’s voice, but did her best to withstand it.
“No, you’re not sorry. But you will be once I tell Aldrich that you didn’t follow my orders. Do you know who I am, girl? My name is Greyson. Anthony Greyson. I own the building you’re sitting in. Hell, I probably own the apartment you live in, too. And I know I own Leon Aldrich. Now if you expect to ever work in this city again, you’ll do as you’re told...now!”