“Don’t apologize to me, Mena. You’re my Alpha, not the other way around.” He shoved the stick in first and got back on the interstate.
“If you were my Alpha, I would expect an apology from you if I needed you and you weren’t there for me. We’re a team. I just happened to be the one that was forced into command.”
Roel sighed. “I see what you’re saying. I agree. Why wouldn’t he let me talk to you? And don’t make excuses for him.”
“Something happened to one of his lions. We’re on our way there now, but the traffic is slowing us down. He didn’t want to miss a call.”
“Oh… he could have told me that.” Roel could hear the loud roar of an engine and that Alpha werelion cursing in the background. Uneasiness settled over him. “What happened?”
“I don’t know yet. Ace’s Beta called and said something happened, but didn’t say what. Ace has a touch of road rage.”
“I wouldn’t have road rage if these fuckers would get out of my damn way!” Ace shouted from the background.
Glancing in his rearview mirror, Roel switched lanes so he could make the next exit. “Sounds like you need to give Ace some catnip.” Mena didn’t laugh. “That was a joke, Mena.”
She huffed. “I know. I’m sorry. He’s angry, so that means I’m angry, too. Can I call you back after we get this figured out and he calms down?”
“You can call me any time, but I was just calling to let you know a few of us are about to track down a moonrising wolf and the dumbass who bit him or her.”
There was a pause. “Are you serious?” she said.
“What is it?” Ace said in the background, and she shushed him.
Roel shrugged, despite the fact that she couldn’t see him. “We get a dozen or more of these a year. It’s not as big a deal as your case was. You were an Alpha moonrising wolf. We’ll handle it. I just wanted to make you aware of what we were doing.”
He heard the relieved breath leave her nose. “Call me when you find out anything else, okay? Who is going with you?”
“I will, and I’m pulling into Peanut’s driveway as we speak. He’s got a good nose for this stuff. I’m hoping his investigating skills pay off as a shifter. We’re meeting Heath at Hellhound.”
“Hellhound?” she said, shocked. “Why are you going to Hellhound? Is the moonrising wolf there?”
Roel laughed. “No, Phoenix may be going with us.”
“What?” she shouted. “Why?”
Roel paused for a moment, unsure of why she would be upset about this, but hoping her mood stemmed from Ace still being pissed at the Vegas traffic. “Um… Well, you made an alliance with his clan. I figured you wouldn’t be opposed to him helping us with our problems, and vice versa.”
More with the huffing. “I’m not opposed to him helping. It just scares me that one of you could get hurt. I should be there—”
Ace butted into the conversation on her end. “You should be right here until you know how to fight and defend yourself against an enemy, Andra.”
She growled in frustration. “Just be careful, and call me later, please.”
Roel snickered. “I’ll make your boyfriend wear a bulletproof vest and a battle helmet, alright?”
“That’s not funny, Roel. It’s not only Phoenix I’m worried about. I’m going to be a nervous wreck in between the times I hear from you, so make sure you text or call Ace’s phone frequently. Do you understand?”
Roel pressed his lips together to keep from laughing. He’d never had a sister-like or a mother-like figure telling him what to do for a long time. He had to admit that it felt nice. “Yes, ma’am—I mean, Mena. I promise that one of us will give you an update often—”
“Every hour,” she demanded.
“Every hour?” Roel said in disbelief. “It could be days before we—”
“Every hour, Roel. And remember that Phoenix can’t be out in the sun, so don’t wait until the last minute before finding shelter for the day if you leave Montgomery.”
He huffed as the passenger door of his car opened and Alex tossed his duffle bag to the back seat then sat down in the passenger seat. “I didn’t call you to worry you—”
“I know you didn’t, but knowing that won’t stop me from doing so.”
Rubbing his face with his free hand, he shook his head when Alex gave him a puzzled look, and then he mouthed her name as he pointed to the phone at his ear.
Alex nodded. “Hey, Mena,” he said.
“Tell him I said hello, and I mean it, Roel… every hour. There’s Kai,” she said. “Oh, God, he’s covered in blood. I gotta let you go, Roel.”
Roel sat up in his seat a little straighter. “Wait! What? Who is covered in blood?”
The sound of dinging from a vehicle door opening was all he heard for a few seconds, and then there were muffled voices before Mena’s frantic voice came back on the line. “I’ll talk to you in an hour. I need to go. Bye, Roel.”
“Mena!” He waited a few seconds. “Mena, what the hell is going on?” After looking at his phone and realizing the call had ended immediately after she’d told him bye, he slapped the steering wheel with his hand and dropped his cell phone into the empty cup holder between the seats. He ran his fingers through his hair then dropped his head into his hands and just sat there with no clue as to what to do next. If he went off looking for a moonrising wolf and Mena was in trouble, he’d never forgive himself if he missed her call of distress. If he dropped everything here and showed up in Vegas and everything was fine, she’d kick his ass for coming all that way for nothing. It was best just to do as she said and call her back in an hour. After all, she’d mentioned that something had happened to someone Ace knew. That didn’t mean she was in trouble. He was overreacting and needed to calm the fuck down before Alex had him committed or told Mena that he didn’t think he was Beta material. If Alex tried either, Roel would have to squash a peanut.
“Are we hunting a moonrising wolf or flying to Vegas tonight?” Alex said.
“We’re hunting.” Roel started the car and backed out of the parking spot at Alex’s apartment complex. “If she needs us, we’ll just have to drop what we’re doing and leave then.”
“I’m really happy you said that.”
Roel looked over at him when he got to a stop sign. “Why?”
“I’m, uh… nothing.”
Roel’s brow furrowed in confusion. “You’re what?”
“Nothing,” Alex said. “It’s not important.”
“We’re not leaving from this spot until you tell me why.” He glanced in his rearview mirror when a car pulled up behind them and its lights shown through the back glass. “Oh, look. I bet they blow their horn in less than ten seconds. What is it? Are you still hung up on her and afraid that if you go to Vegas you’ll try to kill the lion again? That move was really stupid, by the way. And then you pointed that gun at me. I’m still going to kick your ass for—”
A loud and persistent horn sounded from behind them and Roel smiled.
“I wasn’t going to shoot you. I just didn’t want you to stop me from shooting him. And no, I’m not still hung up on Mena. She chose who she wanted to be with…” his face twisted, “… sort of.”
Roel’s shoulders lifted then fell. “What is it then?”
Alex mumbled something, but his words were drowned out by that obnoxious horn again.
“What was that?” Roel shouted. “I couldn’t hear you over the horn!” Alex’s face flushed and a glimmer of silver flashed over his hazel eyes when a car door slammed behind them. Roel grinned devilishly. “Your wolfie want to come out and play?”
Alex’s breathing picked up and his glowing eyes cut over to the window just as a guy tapped on it with a silver pinky ring. “Get us the hell out of here,” Alex demanded, huffing out each word.
“Tell me why you don’t want to go to Vegas and we’re as good as gone,” Roel deadpanned. “Otherwise, we’ll see how long you can control the furry side of you. This is good prac
tice on your self-control, ya know.”
“Roel!” Alex shouted as his teeth elongated. “This isn’t funny! He’s an innocent,” he said, nearly whimpering. “I—I…” Alex looked down at his hands in horror and watched his fingernails grow into claws. “… please, Roel.”
Roel shrugged as the ring tapping on his window turned into a fist pounding, and then he sighed as he began to manually crank his window down. The sweet scent of blood wafted in with the cold night air. “How are you this evening, sir?” Roel said with a cheesy smile.
“I’m afraid to fly! I’m afraid to fly!” Alex blurted. “Now, get me the hell out of here!”
It was clear the man outside his window was confused by Alex’s outburst, so Roel took that time to wish him a goodnight and farewell, before shoving the stick in first, releasing the clutch and stomping on the gas, leaving nothing but the smell of burnt rubber behind.
Chapter 7
Wednesday, February 4th 2015 11:32 p.m. CST
Montgomery, Alabama
Phoenix
Looking over the paperwork and the monthly logs, Phoenix wondered why he even bothered coming to the club to do anything. The log numbers were never short, nor were they over. James made sure of that. He trusted the half dozen employees he kept on payroll at Hellhound, and he left it up to James—the club’s manager—to hire, fire and call the shots on pretty much everything.
He glanced up from the log to the human on the other side of his desk. James looked like hell, his normally kept appearance now thoroughly frazzled and neglected.
“How are things with you, James?” Phoenix started.
James nodded, and a curtain of brown waves fell to cover one of his blue eyes. He brushed it back with the swipe of his hand and tucked the mess behind his ear before speaking. “The club is doing well. We’ve been at capacity every weekend for over six weeks now. Business is good.”
The springs in the leather chair squeaked as Phoenix leaned back, and he narrowed his eyes at the guy as he settled into comfort. He tossed the thick log on the desk. James didn’t flinch when the leather loudly popped the wood.
“I looked at the log, James,” Phoenix deadpanned. “I’m fully aware Hellhound is thriving. I asked how things were with you. You look like shit. When was the last time you had a haircut or shaved?”
James frowned as he ran his fingers over what could—in Phoenix’s opinion—be a very good start to a Willie Robertson beard, and then he shrugged as he shook his head. “I don’t remember exactly. Maybe a week or so before Melissa left.”
Phoenix’s brow popped up at that. “I thought your girlfriend’s name was Cheri.”
James chuckled dryly as his elbows rested on his knees and he looked down at his clasped hands. “Yeah… she left, too.”
Phoenix puckered his lips as it occurred to him what an asshole he really was—or had been in the past. Lea had also thought she had to give up her social life in order to work for him. Were there more doing the same? How the hell was he supposed to make up over a decade of time wasted up to everyone he knew? He had an eternity to make it up to his clan, but Lea still aged, albeit at a slower pace than a human. Well, it wasn’t exactly wasted—they’d been working for him, but that was all they had been doing.
James was one of the few people he kept on his payroll that was completely human, and he had no clue what Phoenix was, either. He wanted to keep it that way. More importantly, he wanted everyone he kept close to him to be happy.
“Look,” Phoenix said, and then blew out a long breath, “I think you need to take some time off—” James jumped to his feet, his eyes wide and full of anxiety. Phoenix looked up at him and held his hand up when James opened his mouth to speak. “This is non-negotiable, James. I never meant for you to give up your whole life for this job. I understand it means a lot to you, but you can’t keep doing what you’re doing or you will be old, alone and have nothing to show for it before you know it.”
“I really don’t need—” James started.
Phoenix interrupted, “Sit down.”
Defeated, James practically fell into the chair, biting his lower lip to keep from shouting the words he so desperately wanted to say. Phoenix could read everything in his eyes, stiff posture and the reddening of his neck and face. It was obvious the guy thought he was on the verge of being fired.
“This isn’t permanent. I want you to get away from here for a week or two. Book a flight to somewhere tropical or whatever suits you. The expense is on me. Take Hellhound’s business card and live like a king for half a month then come back rested. This place will still be here when you return. I’ll take care of the employees and the log while you’re gone. Lexi, Marco, Dave, Tara and Cassie can and will run Hellhound in my absence if I can’t be here. This isn’t a termination, James. It’s a vacation. I’m sure you’ve heard of those before; you go away, leave your worries behind and have fun. Don’t come back until you know what fun is and you have experienced it. I mean that.”
James crossed his arms over his broad chest and stared at Phoenix through narrowed eyes. “Is this a joke?”
Phoenix shook his head. “No. And another thing…”
“What?” James said.
“I’m hiring someone to help you out, and you will take more time off in the future—”
“Phoenix,” James leaned forward, outraged, “I took one night off last month and a girl ended up dead on your dance floor. I don’t think—”
Phoenix held his hand up again, silencing him. “That had nothing to do with you not being here. I handled it. I don’t want you spending your entire life living like a vampire—it’s not good for you. Find a girl and fall in love, and after you fall in love, keep her. Don’t let this damn job and the hours you work run her off. Your salary won’t be cut. In fact, I’m giving you a raise.”
James shook his head as he gave Phoenix a confused look. “Who are you?”
Phoenix smiled. “Just a guy who has recently realized there is more to life than being at the top. It’s awfully lonely up there, isn’t it?”
James sighed as he stood. “How is Mena?”
Phoenix frowned. “She’s taking a little vacation of her own. I’m going to visit her at the end of the week. Jaxon will be here to take care of anything that needs tending to.
James took his wallet from his back pocket and slid the company credit card from its place. “Is there a limit to your generosity?”
“There’s a two-hundred-and-fifty-thousand-dollar limit on the card. Try to keep it under that. Oh, and, James…?”
“Yeah?”
“Make sure the first thing you buy is a haircut and a shave.”
James ran a hand over the dark strands, and he smiled for the first time since he’d entered the room. “Alright, I will. And… and thanks, Phoenix.”
“Don’t mention it.” Phoenix flung his hand through the air. “Get out of here.”
There was a knock on the door, followed by it opening and Heath walking in. Lexi’s bright red curls were bouncing on her shoulders as she followed him in, fuming.
“You can’t just barge in here unannounced!” Lexi griped. “I told you Phoenix was busy and would see you—”
“It’s fine, Lexi,” Phoenix said as James slipped by Heath and out the door. “I was expecting Heath. But I’m glad you’re here, too. James is taking a vacation for a few weeks. When he returns, the rest of the staff will each get a two-weeks’ paid vacation. I’d like you to tell the others, so the five of you can make your plans to take leave at different times. Jaxon will be helping out here when I can’t be here.”
Her scowl swiftly turned to a beaming smile, and then she squealed as she turned and ran out of the room.
Heath closed the door. “Roel and Peanut are on their way.”
Phoenix leaned back in his chair as Heath took the seat James had vacated. “I know. What’s this about?”
Another knock came from the door, and then Roel and Rhodes walked in before Heath could respond.
/>
“We’re going out of town,” Roel said. “You’re coming with us.”
The blood in Phoenix’s veins picked up its pace when the thought of Mena being in some sort of trouble came to mind. He still hadn’t heard from her, and three members of her pack were in his office, including her Beta. He sat up slowly. “Is Mena okay?”
Roel nodded. “She is fine—well, I think she’s fine. That dick lion is keeping her busy with training and stuff, but something happened. They aren’t at his compound, but that’s where Mena’s cell phone is. She gave me an order to call Ace’s phone every hour on what’s going on with us, so we should know more about their situation soon. That’s not why we’re here, though. We come offering a distraction. Figured you might need one.”
Phoenix’s eyebrows rose. “I’m intrigued. Go on.”
Roel grinned. “We thought you might want to help us hunt a moonrising wolf.”
Phoenix smiled. “When do we leave?”
“Now,” Heath, Roel and Alex said in unison.
Chapter 8
Wednesday, February 4th 2015 10:38 PST
Las Vegas, Nevada
Ace
This was not how I pictured my evening going at all, sitting in the living room of my home with my legs bouncing and my hands clenched into tight fists. I wanted to scream. I wanted to fight. I was positive there was a ticking time-bomb inside me that would explode at any second.
It was all I could do to hold my shit together as Andra massaged my left hand and forearm. Not even her touch seemed to ease the ache in my chest, though. I knew she felt everything I was feeling. I didn’t want her to, but I didn’t have the energy to hold it back from her. Rage and sadness consumed me and, for the first time in a very, very long time, I realized these emotions were completely my own. Being sad sucked. I’d choose anger over that sappy emotion any day of the week.
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