She waited by the stairs, not knowing what to do. The stairs were pulled away and the attendant told her she had to leave the tarmac or the plane wouldn’t be able to leave.
When she walked to the car, Alex was waiting, holding the door to the car open.
“Did you have a good evening, Ms. Chase?” There was a slight snideness in his voice.
“Yes, Mr. Westbrooke,” she sneered. Bastard, she added mentally as she entered the car.
***
That night, Alynna tossed and turned in bed, waiting for a knock on her door. But it never came and she slept by herself for the first time that week.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Despite the lack of sleep and the bags under her eyes, Alynna was determined to meet with Cady and Grant that morning. She took the files with her and met with the two of them in the redhead’s office. It wasn’t that she was intimidated by her brother’s office, but Cady’s was neutral ground and she knew that if Grant objected, Cady’s would definitely defend her. She felt slightly nauseous that morning, which she chalked up to nerves and fatigue.
Before heading in though, she stopped by Nick and handed him an envelope with her research. He gave her a raised brow, then a nod of acknowledgement, which she guessed was his way of saying thanks.
She shrugged and went into Cady’s office. After Cady’s assistant brought them coffee and pastries, they sat down on the couches in the corner.
Alynna took out the folders from her bag and put them on the coffee table. She opened the top folder. “Gardiner’s Laundromat on 1st and 16th. Robbed 6 times in the last year. Police have no clue or leads, despite all the footage on CCTV cameras.” The photo in front was of the Lycan man’s face, severely beaten and bleeding. She opened another folder. A picture of a young Lycan woman. “Michelle Lapicola, mother of two human children. Her piece of shit husband cheated on her, beat her up for years until she finally found the courage to leave him. Now he’s suing her for custody, claiming she cheated on him and therefore an unfit mother.”
Grant looked at his sister with a serious look on his face. “These are our clan members that came to us for help because the authorities won’t?”
“Uh-huh. But we should help them. I want to help them,” Alynna stated.
Cady and Grant looked at each other.
“I know, we’re supposed to let the police or lawyers handle this, but well, it’s obviously not working for them and they’re part of clan so we should protect them—“
“Alright, alright,” Grant relented. “You don’t have to make a case for this. If this is what you want, then you should do it.”
“—And if no one will help them and they can’t trust—wait, what?” Alynna’s eyes widened. “Did you just…you said I could do this?”
“Only if you’re careful and stay under the radar from police, the authorities, and the media.”
She blinked. “Yes, of course. I mean, I always do. I don’t go in with guns blazing. All I want to do is help these people, our people, the best way I know how. Like you do.”
Grant smiled. “Well, there are other details to be taken care of, like more Lycan rules and procedures that you should know. The High Council lets us deal with small things like this, but we are not enforcers nor do we take justice into our own hands,” Grant looked at the pictures and frowned. “I wish…I didn’t know. Or I did, but I just haven’t had the time.”
“You can’t be expected to micromanage the clan. You’re our Alpha. This is street-level stuff, Grant, my turf. You can take care of the big picture,” Alynna stated. “There’s a couple of cases like this a year and not all of them need attention. I’m not running around for every Lycan who loses his cellphone or wallet. It shouldn’t take up too much of my time, which is why I’ve also accepted Liam’s offer to be on the board of Amata. I’m also going to be investing my own money in some of the companies he’s working with.”
“I didn’t know things were that serious between the two of you,” Grant quipped.
Alynna laughed. “Yes, Grant, he’s so serious about me he wants to put me on the board of his company,” she said sarcastically. “With me having some interest in the company, he figures he doesn’t have to come to New York as often.”
“Ah, so it’s not serious then?”
She gave an exasperated sigh. “Can we talk about that another time?”
Grant looked at Cady. “Would you mind if we took over your office for a moment?”
“Of course,” the redhead stood up. “I have to talk to HR about something.”
When they were alone Grant turned to his sister. “I’m proud of you Alynna. If he were here, Dad would be too.”
“Thanks,” she said softly, a lump forming in her throat. “I can hardly believe everything that’s happened to me, you know. And I know I can’t go back to my old life. Too many things have happened and in a way, I wasn’t really living a life of my own. More like, going through the motions, because I thought I had no other choice,” she paused, her voice cracking a little. “It’s all overwhelming, you know? PI detective stuff, I can do. But board member stuff? Grant, I never even went to college!”
Grant pulled his sister into an embrace and kissed the top of her head. “Listen, you’ll do great. You’re talented and smart and you don’t need a fancy degree.”
“But most people who hold these positions, they have MBAs and stuff, right?”
“Yes. If you want to enroll in school, you should do it. But also experience will help you. If you need anything, you can always ask me.”
Alynna smiled against his shoulder and hugged him back. “Thank you, Grant”
He let go of her and gave her a serious face. “Any other surprises or major announcements? I would like to have breakfast first before you announce that you’re going to join a rock band and tour the world.”
“Oh good god, no! I don’t think I could take any more surprises.”
***
Nick Vrost liked to think he was good at what does. What that is exactly, he couldn’t say. As Beta to Grant and second-in-command in the clan, it was his job to make sure his Alpha was protected, and that included anything in the day to day running of that clan that could get their leader’s hands dirty. And today was one of those days.
Maybe he did things that were slightly illegal but he had never hurt anyone innocent nor commit ted murder. Perhaps he skirted the law a little bit, but he thought of that as part of his job. Including what he was probably about to do today.
He hated to admit it, but Alynna was good. The envelope she handed him this morning contained screenshots from Fred Allman’s social networks, which tagged him in Staten Island and the name, address and social security number of his mother. He was glad he was still in the state and that the dumbass didn’t even bother go farther than his mother’s house.
The house on the suburban area of east Staten Island looked normal enough, nothing out of the ordinary. Nick didn’t scent any Lycans nearby, nor traces of them. The neighborhood was 100% human, which hopefully should work with him rather than against.
Nick snuck around the back, and pulled the unlocked door open. This guy was either an idiot or this was a trap, Nick scoffed to himself. He walked down the basement steps quietly, stopping as he heard loud bangs and gunfire. He put his hand over his own gun in his shoulder holster and descended down slowly.
The basement was dark, except for the glow of the large HDTV. New and just unboxed, judging from the cardboard and wrapping material strewn about. A first-person shooter video game was on the screen, its player obscured by the large leather sofa, which also smelled new to Nick’s keen senses. Definitely an idiot, he thought.
Nick waited for a few seconds, watching the screen explode in blood as the player shot down a group of enemies across the screen. Just as the game was reaching its peak, Nick reached over the sofa, dragging the surprised man over the back and let him him to the floor.
“What the fuck!?” The other man ripped his headphone
s off and tried to stand up. Nick grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and shoved him against the nearest wall. “What the fuck do you want? My mom has jewelry and stuff upstairs, go and take that and get the fuck outta here!”
“Is that what you think I’m after?” Nick was tempted to show his fangs to this boy, but of course, he couldn’t risk it. “Fred Allman?”
“Yeah, what?” he asked, still struggling to get away from Nick’s grip. “Whaddaya want? Did Joe send you? I already sent him the money I owe him and the interest! Tell your boss to leave me alone.”
“Joe didn’t send me,” Must be a loan shark, Nick thought. “I’m here about the night at the Waldorf.”
Though it was dark, Nick could scent the sudden fear from Allman, his sweat leaking out of his pores, smelling of terror and panic. “Hey man, I don’t know nothing about that!”
Nick shoved him harder. “We can do this the easy way or the hard way,” Nick stated. “Easy way would be to tell me what happened and I leave. The hard way…well, if you want to find out what that is, I’d gladly oblige, but I don’t think you’ll stand more than 5 minutes of what I’ve got in store.”
“Alright alright!” Allman cried. “What do you want to know?”
“You poisoned the glass you handed to the girl and then took away the evidence.”
“No!” he denied, which made Nick throw him to the ground. “I…I didn’t poison her! I mean, it wasn’t me!”
“But you put the poison into her champagne?”
“I didn’t know it was poison,” Allman confessed. “Look…I got a call two days before the party. Said that they would give me $25,000 dollars if I just do this one thing,” he scrambled to get up. “I just had to make sure this substance went into something she ate or drank. Someone at the party put a vial in my pocket at some point - don’t ask me who, we aren’t supposed to stare at the guests - and then I put it in her champagne. That’s all I know I swear!”
“And the money?” Nick asked, a hard edge to his voice.
“Cash. Showed up in my mailbox! I had enough to pay off my debts to this loan shark I owed money to!” the frightened man cowered. “Please don’t hurt me! I swear I didn’t know what it was.”
“You idiot,” Nick spat. “What else could it be? Did you think it was vitamins? Someone paying you to make sure she didn’t get a cold?” He hauled him to the wall again.
“Look, I thought you said if I’d told you what happened, you’d go away!”
“Who was it? What do you remember? Was it a man or a woman?”
Allman shook his head. “I don’t know. The voice called me on my cell was muffled. Could’ve been a man?”
Nick grunted in frustration and threw him over the back of the chair again. “Don’t leave town. Don’t even try to disappear - you know I’ll find you. And if you alert anyone, well, you’ll find out what the hard way is.”
The other man nodded, “I swear…I won’t.”
Nick turned and walked up the dingy stairs, and straight out of the house. He parked his car a few blocks away, but he didn’t have to turn around to know that Allman was not following him.
As soon as he got in and started driving, he dialed Grant. A dead end, he thought. The Alpha wasn’t going to be happy, but it was better to tell him sooner than later.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Alynna walked out of the elevators with a spring in her step. It was the first time in weeks that she actually felt somewhat…normal. Things were falling into place and she found a new purpose. She stepped into the lobby of the Fenrir building, looking around for Tate Miller, who brought her here. Hmmm…no sign of him. Alynna shrugged and looked outside. It was a nice, sunny day and it had been a while since she had just walked around New York City.
Alynna waved to the friendly receptionist at the lobby and went outside. It was a lovely late summer day, though she could feel just a slight bit of autumn in the air. She walked north on Madison, grabbing an iced coffee and two bagels at an Au Bon Pain cafe. After a couple of blocks, she turned west, towards Central Park.
Normally, the entrance to Central Park was teeming with people, but it was one of those strangely lucky days when it seemed the city was not full of tourists. She continued to walk through park, meandering her way through the The Pond, the Bethesda Fountain, and eventually, the Met. She wasn’t following a particular route, just working her way through the park. She planned to cut across after the reservoir through Bridle Path and make her way to the Enclave.
Alynna took her time, enjoying being outdoors and being alone for a change. So much had happened, and she was still trying to process most of it. Now that she finally knew what she was going to do, she was mapping out in her head all the tasks that had to be done. She wanted to start with her new cases right away, maybe visit Gardiners in the morning and then call Michelle Lapicola and see if she was free for lunch the following day. Then if she had some time, maybe she should seriously start looking at college courses or programs she could do part time.
Alynna was so deep in thought that she didn’t notice the three men following behind her. She was halfway across the park when she felt the presence behind her. Stay calm, she told herself. It was as if every hair on her body stood on end. This was bad news. She clenched her fists and picked up her pace.
The path ahead of her seemed long and there was no one else around. She wondered, if she screamed, if anyone would hear her. It was the middle of the day, which actually made it less safe than being out here at night. Since it was daylight, the already-spread-too-thin NYPD or park security probably weren’t sending anyone out here on patrol, plus all the office workers nearby had long clocked into their desks.
The footsteps behind her shuffled faster, and Alynna swallowed a gulp. Now or never. She broke into a run, getting ahead of the men behind her. But, their longer legs made up for her small lead and one of them overtook her, effectively blocking her path.
Alynna threw her handbag at the man in front of her. “There’s cash there, about $300 and my phone. Go ahead and take it. Take all of it.”
The man in front of her was well over 6 feet and built like a brick wall. He was completely bald, with tattoos running all over his arms and shoulders. “That’s not why we’re here, girly.”
“I don’t wear jewelry,” Alynna gritted her teeth. “We can go to ATM. You can have everything, I won’t try to scream.” She turned to his friends, who were not as large or tall, but still imposing. She considered running off the path and running up to 97th Street, which might be her best chance, but not being sure where she was exactly, she might run into a wall or a big drop down to the road cars used to cross the park.
“We don’t want your money,” their ringleader said. Before Alynna could think of what else they could possibly want, he raised his hand, showing her the syringe he was holding. “Now, just stay still and we won’t hurt you. We just want you to come along with us and go for a ride.”
“Ride along with you? Drugged? Are you insane?” Alynna shouted. The men came closer, and the feeling of being trapped was very real.
The man holding the syringe quickly lunged at her. Fuck it, she thought. Instinct took over and she dodged the larger man. Her would-be kidnappers probably thought she’d just comply, so it was obvious her move surprised them. She wasn’t sure what she was doing, only that she had to run. But before she could step off the path, one of the other man grabbed her arm, pulling her back.
Alynna screamed in pain as she was hauled against the other man, and his other hand came around her mouth to muffle her mouth.
“Just hold still!” the leader ordered.
There was something inside her, an inner voice, seemed to speak to her. Protect…must protect…
As the large man approached her, Alynna’s eyes rolled and she went limp for a few seconds. The man stuck the needled into her neck, but before he could plunge all of the sedative into her, Alynna’s eyes flew open and she let out a snarl.
“Holy fuck!” the
third man, who had standing next to leader, shouted in surprise. “What the fuck is wrong with her eyes!”
“Help…me!” the man who held her sputtered. “I don’t know…she’s fucking stronger than she looks!”
Alynna struggled against the arms holding her, trying to shake him off. The leader threw the syringe to the ground and wrapped his own beefy arms around the other man’s trying to subdue her with his strength.
She made one last push and grunt, then was able to break free as both men toppled to the ground.
“What the FUCK!!” one of them shouted.
Alynna breathed in and out. Her eyes blazed in anger, her arms elongating, the muscles underneath shifting and growing.
“Jesus! What is…that?” the man on the ground cursed.
She could feel herself transforming, her skin stretching, bones moving. The change felt like it took forever, but in truth it was only a few seconds. It wasn’t painful, but it was a new sensation. Instead of blacking out, like the other times she shifted, she remained fully aware of the change. Black and dark brown fur sprouted from her arms, legs, and all over her body. Her clothes ripped as she grew and changed. It felt exhilarating and freeing. Protect…save…must protect…She had never heard that voice before, but she knew it was her inner wolf, speaking to her.
When she was fully transformed into her Lycan form, she pounced.
***
Alex waited outside Fenrir building, across the street where he could see the entrance clearly, but not too close. He wore a dark baseball cap to shield his eyes from the sun, as well as obscure his face from view.
He’d been waiting since that morning. He was off-duty for the day, but for some reason, he wanted to just be there. Be near Alynna. Heath had told him he was driving her to Fenrir for a late morning meeting, so he took the subway and planted himself across the street. Right on schedule, the black town car pulled up in front of the entrance and Alynna stepped out. Alex felt his heart skip a beat, seeing her again after that night. Jealousy twisted inside him, remembering how the San Francisco Alpha had kissed her before he boarded the plane. He knew he had no chance - he never did, and he had to remind himself that. He asked Nick if he could take the overnight shift as soon as they got back to The Enclave, knowing that being on duty to guard the Alpha’s apartment was the only thing that would prevent him from storming into Alynna’s apartment and try wipe the Liam Henney’s scent from her and cover her with his own.
Fated Mates: Book 1 of the True Mates Series Page 21
