“Humph.” He narrowed his eyes and stared at the man he sometimes called friend. In his life, friend and foe were often two sides of the same coin. Which side was Aldrich right now? He glanced towards the hut. Did his peripheral vision catch Aldrich giving his finger a nervous flick or was it merely a shadow from the leafy branches overhead? Hmm... “All right. It’s a good enough reason. Damned efficient of you. But next time I say to stay away, I mean it.”
Aldrich bobbed his head. “Will you still be ‘incommunicado’ for a few more days, sir?”
Greyson stared past the lawyer towards the main house. He might be getting old but his eyesight was still keen enough to pick out the window in the upper right-hand corner of the west wing. There was a flicker of movement there—just a flash of white—but it was enough to let him know he needed to get moving. He drew his gaze back to the lawyer. “That’s right. No contact. And don’t you dare let on to anyone I’m here. You won’t like the consequences, if I discover this information has become public knowledge. Now clear out.”
“Of course, sir. Except... I do need to make a few adjustments to some of the equipment in the safe room. It will cause less suspicion if I do it now, while almost everyone is away.”
He studied the lawyer. Something was off, but what? Movement in the upper window of the main house drew his attention again. Damn! There was no time for this. “All right. But I want you gone by sunset. Understood?”
“Perfectly.” Aldrich nodded serenely as he pulled open the car. “I’ll just go get what I need and return in about an hour. You’ll never even know I was here.”
“Make sure of it.” Greyson watched Aldrich get in his car and drive away at a sedate pace. Once the car was out of sight, he turned and studied the small camouflaged hut that housed his secret safe room. Leon was checking the equipment and would be back to fix it. Uh-huh. He rubbed his chin, weighing his options before heading back to the house at a brisk pace. Aldrich might be up to something but it would have to take back seat to the more pressing matters that were awaiting him at the main house.
*****
Ryne stepped back from the door, where he’d been eavesdropping on the conversation outside. The walls appeared to be reinforced and if it hadn’t been for his keener than normal hearing, he’d never have been able to make out what had been said by the men standing some several feet away. It would seem that Aldrich might be planning on double-crossing Greyson, since no mention of Melody or himself had been made. A falling out among the enemy might work to his advantage.
He turned to check on Melody. She was resting, her eyes closed, obviously exhausted from the stress and pain of a partial transformation. If she’d been a full-blooded werewolf, the first change would have been slightly uncomfortable but not painful. In fact, once one got used to it, transforming was actually a pleasant feeling of release, rather like a small orgasm. Unfortunately, Melody’s body wasn’t ready for the experience. Some cells were changing, others weren’t. She likely felt as if she was being torn in two.
Not knowing what else to do, Ryne began circling the room, hating the feeling of being trapped. His wolf required space and freedom; confinement went against his very nature. Testing the window, the door, and the walls, he began looking for any weakness in the structure. Using his elbow, he tried to shatter the glass in the window but it seemed to be some form of bullet proof or shock resistant substance. Similarly, the door and walls resisted his attempts to break them down; the only thing he managed to do was bend the door handle out of shape and give himself a sore shoulder. A frustrated growl rumbled up from his chest. Yep, this was definitely a safe room. While it was designed to keep people out, it also served to keep people in.
He rubbed his aching joint and sat down on the floor next to Melody, brushing her hair from her forehead. Her breathing was even; the sleep was natural rather than the unconscious state she’d been in when he left her apartment. How many hours ago was that? He glanced at his watch, having lost track of time. Okay, he still had an hour before needing to check in with Bryan. It was cutting it close, but there was still time so that was one positive. Unfortunately, after that everything else went straight to hell.
Kane was waiting for his call. His brother would be anxious, not wanting to disperse the pack but not willing to risk their safety by waiting too long. Ryne ground his teeth and cursed Aldrich for taking his phone. The dispersal was one thing—if it happened, the members could be called back, but how long would Kane wait before issuing the order to destroy the remaining pack? A knot formed in Ryne’s gut as he contemplated what would happen if he didn’t make that call in the next few hours.