Chapter 10

I turned away from him, ready to leave.

“If you don’t talk to me, I’ll call your debts due.”

I scoffed. My eyes burned as I turned back to glare at him. I wanted him to see the fury on my face. His eyes were calm. His expression was neutral.

“Get in line,” I hissed. “I’m sure you’ve heard what’s going on.”

The bastard had the gall to smile at me. His eyes twinkled with amusement. I wanted to claw his face off. Even just one swipe would be satisfying. How dare he find my pain amusing?

“As of an hour ago, when I acquired 90% of Wolfe Medical and Mooncrest’s debts through the Inter-Species Federal Bank, on top of the debts with the Lycan Clans’ banks, I am the line.”

I froze. Blinking at him. I hadn’t known we had debts with the Lycan Clans. I narrowed my eyes. Wasn’t there something in the Ordinances about loaning between species?

“You’re lying.”

“I’m the Lycan King.” My gut plummeted and my blood ran cold. “I have no need to lie.”

He picked up a few pages and offered them to me. “You should be getting several calls about the change in your financiers.”

My jaw trembled as I looked at the pages, but I didn’t take them. I recognized the first four account numbers and loaners. The rest I didn’t, but I felt in my gut he wasn’t lying. Then, my phone started ringing and chiming. I lifted the phone to my ear as an automated voice began to speak.

“As of 11:49 AM, loan numbers 3463K979J, 7900395KO, and 80BG07908-9O have been transferred to the Inter-Species Federal Bank. Please contact your loan officer, Charles Blackwoods of the Lycan Clan Banks, for further information.”

Slowly, I lifted my gaze to meet his eyes. There was no smugness on his face. He was watching me. I hung up, and a true sense of terror and helplessness filled me. I clenched my fist. The words from before rang in my ears. Every potential thing that could go wrong flashed through my mind. It was an exorbitant amount of money. He was a lycan, the lycan king. He couldn’t own the company or control the pack, but he effectually did. What was I going to do? What could I do?

Was this the plan? Had he sent Devin to do this so that he could use me as a puppet for some nefarious agenda? Had this all been just to get me into bed with him? What about my kids? My brother? My pack?

I swallowed my pride and tried not to tremble as I asked.

“What do you want?”

A flash of pain went through his eyes as he gestured toward the table.

“I want to speak with you. Will you join me?”

I bristled. Was he mocking me? Acting as if I had a choice? I walked to the seat and tried not to shudder as he drew closer to pull the chair out for me and push me up to the table. He rounded the table and sank into his seat. There was something like regret in his eyes.

“Water?”

“Just tell me what you want.”

He sighed. “I hadn’t intended to show you that. I just wanted you to listen.”

He poured me a glass of water. “I have a proposal and… a show of goodwill. I can see on your face that you’re terrified that I have some terrible scheme against you. I don’t.”

I swallowed. I wanted to believe that, but how could I, knowing that he held my whole world in his hands at the moment? He could ask for anything and… I would have to give it to him for the sake of my children and my pack.

“I—”

“I didn’t expect you to be so resourceful.” I froze at the sound of Devin’s voice. I turned my head to see Devin and Amy standing there, both of them dressed better than I was. “Finding my dad and all.”

Dad? I whipped around to look at Charles and then back to Devin as he smirked, proud and mocking.

“I didn’t think you were that desperate to have me back, but even he couldn’t change my mind.”

He looked so… happy, smug, gleeful about being able to say that to me. The anger flared, but before I could get the words out, Charles spoke.

“Of course not,” Charles said. “She’ll be your future stepmother.”