by Lauren Dane
“It’s his job.”
“That’s not an answer to the question, Tracy,” Gabe said with narrowed eyes.
“What do you want from me? I can’t say anything supportive. I’m sorry. I don’t like the idea at all! In fact, I hate it. It makes my stomach hurt to think of only seeing you once a month or a few days here and there each month. I want you all the time, every day. I want you to come home every night to our house. In our state. But it’s your job and you love it and I don’t want to make you feel bad.”
“I’m going to tender my resignation.”
Tracy goggled at him but before she could argue he shook his head and went on. “I’ve been thinking about it since we sealed the bond. About how agonizing it would be to leave you so often. It’s hard enough with no one really. But impossible for me to leave you and Nick for so many days a month. I don’t want to. And I’m an Alpha of Pacific now, that’s important. And right now, in the shadow of all this crazy shit with Sarah and Ben, it’s more important than ever that we stick together and run Pacific right. I do love being the Mediator. It’s a great job. But I can be a mediator in the legal world too. There are law firms in Portland and I can take the occasional mediation job for National when and if they need me. But my place is with you and Nick. That’s where I want to be. Where I belong.”
“But who’ll be the Mediator now?” Tracy didn’t want to let herself fully accept it until she’d worked it all through with him.
“I’m not the only Mediator. As you know, werewolves are constantly fighting and having issues with each other. I can’t do it all. There are wolves on my staff who will do a fine job. And in fact, I think that my intention to resign and go to Pacific will help the Enforcer know that I’m not trying to challenge him but to get him to see just how dangerous Warren Pellini is.” He looked at her carefully. “Does that work for you? You’re the one who has to live with two Alpha wolves and two bodyguards.”
“I just don’t want you to give up something you love for me. I don’t want to be the reason you walk away from something you’ve worked nearly twenty years for.”
“You’re what I love. The rest can be worked out. And I love the house we’re renting but we need something bigger now that we’ll have Trey and Derek there, and each of us will need some office space for Pack business.”
“If we bought the house, we could enlarge the pool house, make it into a residence for Derek and Trey.”
“Yes. But what about our children?” Nick said seriously and Tracy realized that she wasn’t freaked out by the idea.
“We’ll talk about some ideas once this is over.”
Gabe grinned and moved toward her but the front door opened and Julie returned with Milton and Derek.
* * *
They decided to tackle the issue head-on. Nina had sent over what she found but it wasn’t as bad as they’d thought. The National Enforcer wasn’t in deep to Pellini the way that Ben and Sarah were, thank goodness. They could catch the situation early and push Pellini out before he gained any more influence. Or so they hoped.
The National Pack house was in a freaking mansion on Beacon Hill. Tracy was blown away by the place as they entered through the front door. Templeton Mancini, the National Alpha, strode into the hall and swept Tracy into an embrace before she could say a word.
He kissed both cheeks, grinned at her eyebrow ring and looked her up and down before nodding and finally looking at Gabe with approval and then back to her with a wink.
“Hello, sweetheart! Congratulations to you. A tri-mate bond with one of my wolves, I’m very impressed and proud. You’ve got all the archivists atwitter, you know. Told me yesterday that yours is the first tri-mate bond in forty years. Welcome!”
Templeton was six feet eight inches tall and at nearly seventy, he was as spry as a man forty years his junior. He quite literally was the strongest wolf in the country and it radiated off him in a way that Tracy could feel physically. No one would be challenging this man and winning for a good decade or so.
He turned his attention to Nick and shook his hand. “Congratulations to you as well. On both your mating and becoming Alpha of Pacific. It’s a heady thing, isn’t it? You can feel all your wolves needing you, needing your guidance and strength. Some days it feels like a millstone, others like a true gift.”
He strode over to Gabe and patted his back and hugged him. “I can feel it in you too. I think that this doesn’t bode well for me and my Mediator.” Templeton eyed Gabe carefully.
Gabe laughed. “I should have known. I plan to resign my position in National to take on membership in Pacific full-time. I can help out from time to time but I need to be near my mates. Need to run my Pack. But I want to talk to you about something before I resign officially.”
“Okay. I’m anxious to hear what the story is with you all becoming Alpha. Come on through, the others are in the living room.”
Gabe followed and Nick and Tracy walked in behind him. There were three other wolves sitting in the room and one female standing near the couch, who beamed when they entered.
“Gabriel! You’ve brought your sweet little mate.” She rushed over and kissed Gabe and then turned to Tracy. “Honey, I’m Carla Mancini and we’ve been waiting for you for a long time. I can see the difference in Gabe already.”
Tracy smiled. “Thank you. I’m the lucky one here really.”
“Piffle!” Carla said with a snort. She eyed Nick and kissed him on the cheek as well and ushered them all to a couch. “You’re a blue-blooded wolf from a fine, strong bloodline. Nick is as well and Gabe is incredibly strong and intelligent. You’re going to make some amazing babies.”
Tracy laughed then and took the drink Templeton handed her.
“Oh, where are my manners?” Carla turned to the two wolves sitting across from where Tracy and Nick were. “This is Jack Meyers, the Enforcer, and Tina Elder, the Fourth.”
Tracy gave them both the inclination of her head they deserved to be accorded by their rank and noted the warm smile Tina wore and the look of apprehension Jack had. She wished for a moment that she’d brought Shelley with her to flutter her lashes at him to catch him off guard.
“Please give Lex my regards. He’s impressive. A bit of a hero,” Jack said and Tracy felt a bit more hope that perhaps he wasn’t as far gone as they thought he might be.
“I will. He said you two met at some kind of training given by the FBI a few years back. He was impressed.”
Jack’s left eyebrow rose slightly. “It was a good training. Lex, of course, outdid everyone on the course. Damned excellent tracker, probably the best in the country.” Belatedly his eyes moved to Nick and he colored slightly, making Nick laugh.
“It’s okay. I know. Be glad he lives across the country from you and he’s not your brother-in-law. It’s a good thing I’m Alpha now, Lex casts a pretty big shadow.” Nick was good-natured but still strong. Tracy liked that. He wasn’t as serious as Lex had been before Nina.
“Man could get a damned complex from Lex Warden,” Jack rumbled. All the males laughed and the females looked at each other with amused smiles.
After they’d made small talk for half an hour or so, Gabe leaned forward in the way Tracy had come to recognize as his mediation stance. His body seemed relaxed, hands either loosely clasped between his knees or one holding a pen. But his eyes missed not one detail and she sensed the coiled-up energy in his muscles. He’d be able to spring into action at any moment.
“What is it, Gabe? Speak freely.” Templeton leaned back and crossed his legs. “There’s trouble in the Pack ranks, Alpha. I’ve been approached by several Alphas in many Packs nationwide, either in person or via phone, about their concern with Warren Pellini and his growing influence in National.”
Jack’s eyes narrowed and Templeton’s body tightened. “Warren is a friend of Jack’s, Gabe. Careful
where you tread.”
“Yes, sir, I know. And that’s why I was silent for so long about it. But the numbers continued to mount and just recently, an issue came up that led me into a position where I can no longer remain quiet.”
Templeton made a rolling motion with his hand to urge Gabe to get on with it.
“You’re aware that Nick has ascended at Pacific, I know. But Pellini is the reason for it.”
Gabe entailed the whole story to them, complete with the financial records they’d gotten on Ben and Sarah.
“I would have advised any wolf in this situation to come to you, Jack. That is, before you became so close with Pellini. And now I fear that I can’t do that and that’s what led me to finally say something. We can’t have wolves feeling they can’t turn to National for help. It is my sincere belief that any association with Warren Pellini and the Pellini Group is dangerous for us all. If the humans find out about the existence of a werewolf mafia, we are all at risk.”
Templeton’s face was an emotionless mask. “Is that all you had to say?”
Gabe was taken aback. “Yes, sir. I’d hoped we could work something out to help get Pellini off the back of Ben Lawrence and his kids so they could make their lives elsewhere and also to reassure the other Packs that National wasn’t compromised.”
“You intended to sever your Pack membership with National tonight?”
Tracy’s stomach sank.
Gabe took a deep breath. “Yes. My mates are in Portland so my life is there too. I travel too much as Mediator to be able to be the husband I need to be. I can still help out on local mediations.”
Templeton stood and held his hand out and Tracy and Nick followed Gabe, totally stunned.
“Thank you for your service, Gabe. You’ve done this Pack proud. Please look through your staff and recommend a replacement. And I advise you to speak no more about this Pellini situation. It could be detrimental to you and yours.”
Tracy saw Gabe’s outrage at the threat but even she felt the command in Templeton’s voice.
“Sir, I will have to do what it takes to remove the threat of Warren Pellini from my Pack. He has broken laws that could incriminate my wolves. I can’t have that. And I would never allow any harm to come to my mates without heavy retribution.” He looked Templeton in the eye and both men stayed that way for several long moments.
“Leave that to me. Now go.” No one followed them out.
* * *
“Damn it!” Gabe’s fist drove a heavy dent into the door of the apartment.
“I don’t understand this. He seemed so nice. He can’t be in on it with Pellini, could he?” Tracy led Gabe into the living room and pushed him into a chair while she went into the kitchen to grab a beer.
Coming back out again, she handed one to Gabe and then Nick and sat curling herself around Gabe. Sensing his anger and his hurt, she ran gentle fingertips up and down his neck.
“I don’t understand it either. I’ve known that man for twenty years and he’s never threatened me. I’ve never seen him do anything I’d ever describe as unethical. Not ever.”
He sighed. “I may have to talk to an old friend who’s gone to work at the Department of Justice about this.”
Milton came padding into the room and put his chin on Gabe’s knee. Tracy grinned and shook her head.
“You take the cake, dog of mine. You need to walk, dude?”
Milton barked and she stood. “I’m going to take him out for a bit of a walk and to make a pit stop.” She went to grab her coat and Milton’s leash.
“Take Derek with you,” Nick called out and Derek stepped into the hallway with her.
“Sheesh, it’s cold out there. Don’t make poor Derek schlep out into the night to go walkies with me and Milty, that’s not fair.”
Derek snorted a laugh. “Not a big deal, Tracy. I’m a werewolf, I hear they’re pretty hearty.”
She rolled her eyes at him and shrugged. “I’m a werewolf too, you know. You think some mugger or something is going to try and shake me down once I let my wolf take over and shift a claw with three-inch nails?”
“They’re your mates, they want to protect you. It’s in their genes,” Derek said quietly and she sighed.
“Okay, come on then.” Tracy knew he was right and she wanted Gabe and Nick to relax instead of coming out with her, they both had enough to deal with.
The night was quiet outside but Tracy could hear the sound of the T trains going over the river back and forth between Cambridge and Boston proper. Milton was in doggie heaven, sniffing every tree, every curb, every hydrant and car tire. He barked a few times, more because he could than anything else. She was going to have to take him to the park if they stayed in Boston any longer than the next day or so. Run him with his ball.
She was still ruminating on exercising Milton such that she didn’t hear the screech of tires and the sound of running feet until she was already in the air and being carried.
She started her change, letting her wolf feed on the adrenaline of the moment. Milton was snarling and barking and she heard Derek’s howl as she was shoved in a car.
“Do not change, Tracy, or we will be forced to kill the dog and the bodyguard. We’ve got a gun loaded with silver shot pointed at your head anyway. Be smart and listen.”
Recognizing the voice as that of Jack Meyers, the National Pack Enforcer she’d met that very evening, she stopped the change. Breath heaving, she focused on him as the car lurched away.
“You know they’ll hunt you down and kill you. Jesus, how stupid can you be? And Lex and Cade will come back here. You’ll start a Clan war, the first one in a hundred years. All for Warren Pellini’s money? What the fuck is wrong with you?”
“Calm down for god’s sake! I’m not going to hurt you, I just had to talk to you.”
“And you didn’t talk to me an hour ago at the Pack house why?”
“Tina is in it up to her stupid fucking ears with Pellini. She’s a spy. Any reaction we gave you in front of her would have been reported back to him. Probably already has been. We’ve contacted some people who’ve gone to get Ben and to take him, Sarah and the kids out and to a safe location.”
“Oh my god!” She scrambled in her pocket for a cell phone.
“Don’t call the apartment, Pellini has been listening and watching you three. I’ll get you back in another few minutes.”
She nodded and relaxed a bit, hoping like hell Gabe and Nick weren’t crazy with fear for her safety.
“Now, listen and listen carefully. I’m working with Templeton, a human cop named Stoner and an FBI agent named Koehler to take Pellini down. We can’t be seen helping you, Tracy. Templeton did call Pellini and order him to back off Pacific, which he reluctantly agreed to do. But you can’t tell anyone but Nick and Gabe about this. We’ve been working to catch him since the hit on your Third last year.”
“Ben Stoner?”
“Yes. I forgot, he’s a cop in your neck of the woods. He’s been made a liaison between the Pack Enforcement and human law enforcement on this issue. The FBI agent is a wolf.”
“Okay, so what do you want us to do?”
“Tell Gabe and Nick about this but not in the apartment. Write it down and then flush the paper. Don’t say a word about it in front of anyone else. Pellini has spies everywhere. Then get the hell out of Boston tomorrow first thing. Hell, tonight even. Watch your back. We’ll have some wolves on you to keep an eye out but don’t let your guard down for a second. Pellini hates you, Tracy. Hates the Wardens and now he’s sure to hate Nick and Gabe too. Stoner is going to head out to talk to Lex and Cade tonight about this whole thing, they’re under threat as well.”
“Crap. What the hell do we do? Other than watch out for a revenge-crazed werewolf don?”
Jack smiled despite himself. “Keep an ey
e out and ears open. Gabe will need to let a few tight-lipped comments about me drop here and there. It’s imperative that Pellini continue to think I’m in his pocket. To keep cover, everyone else has to think so too. This money laundering stuff is small potatoes. He’s got fingers in everything, drugs, prostitution, and we’re very concerned that the lycanthropy virus may be in his hands still. He’s crazy, Tracy. Bio-weapons in the hands of a man like Warren Pellini? It can’t happen. And so I stay deep. And so you and other wolves the rest of the nation looks at for moral guidance must begin to break with me. Templeton will bear some of this as well but we can’t afford to weaken him too much or he’ll be challenged. Stoner will keep you all as apprised as he can.”
The car turned back toward the apartment building. “I can’t be gone much longer, we shook a tail earlier but we have to let it pick us up again near my girlfriend’s place. Luckily, she lives nearby. We aren’t going to slow too much. Can you handle a roll to the grass strip at the curb?”
Tracy took a deep breath and nodded.
“Okay and one other thing, I’m going to have to rough you up a bit. I told Pellini I was going to send someone out to put a scare into you to get you the hell out of town. It has to look the part. I’m pretty sure you can trust your bodyguards but I don’t know about the others in the building. It’s a Pack building and other wolves live there.”
“Okay. I suppose I’ll heal.”
He smiled again. “Ready to take one for the team?”
As she nodded he slapped her face, hard. And three more times, until she looked pretty swollen.
“I’m really sorry. Gabe is gonna kick my ass for this. Here comes the place, I’ll open, we’ll slow and you jump out. Tuck your shoulder down and roll. Be well and we’ll be in touch.”
It all happened very fast and suddenly Tracy found herself hitting the grass hard and rolling as the car screeched off.
Running footsteps and muffled voices greeted her as she tried to stand.
