Chapter 2
NICCO
“You ready to go, Alpha?” Vinnie asked me. I stared at the spot where the girl disappeared. I wanted to go after her. No one ignored me, especially not women. Most women threw themselves at me.
I frowned, remembering her awkward lies about the big dog and her boyfriend. I must have scared her, somehow. I know I’m a scary guy, but women usually didn’t run away from me.
And there was the little matter of her being my mate. My wolf, Lupo, was going crazy. As soon as I got out of the car I could smell her. She smelled like violets and sunshine and oranges, all at once. Lupo began screaming that she was our mate as soon as we caught her scent.
Problem was, I couldn’t sense her wolf and that meant one thing. She was human. And there was no way that my mate could possibly be a human. This was a huge mistake.
I realized Vinnie was talking to me and I nodded, sliding back into the car. Vinnie turned over the engine and it sounded a lot better. He carefully steered back on to the highway and tried to have a conversation.
“That was lucky, huh Alpha?” Vinnie was prattling on. “Who would have thought that we would find a mechanic in the middle of the woods?”
“It’s weird that she was there where we broke down,” I mused. And it was even more weird that she turned out to be our mate, although I didn’t say this to Vinnie. He was my Beta, but I knew he wouldn’t understand. He was a hopeless romantic.
Vinnie looked at me sharply in the rearview mirror. “It was just a coincidence, boss. No one knew you were coming here.”
I nodded, not convinced. This just felt like a setup, somehow. “Her sweatshirt said Earl’s Automotive Repair in Summerville,” I mused. “I wonder if she works there.”
Vinnie looked over at me. “She is just a nice girl who was out here camping,” he said. “Sometimes things are just as they seem.”
I shrugged. “Maybe. And sometimes it’s more than just that,” I said. I lapsed into silence, watching the miles drift by.
Vinnie got us settled into a hotel for the remainder of the night even though I had no intention of sleeping. I don’t sleep much during the week, and I tend to crash on the weekends. My staff knows this habit of mine and most people don’t last long in my employ. I need people around me that are available when I am working, and eighteen-hour days are too much for the average person. That’s why most of my staff were wolves from my pack. Werewolves didn’t need as much sleep as a human did.
My business wasn’t an easy one. I had inherited my pack and the family business after the untimely death of my father. Sometimes there were unpleasant aspects to the job. That was the reason I was down here, away from the city and my pack. I had some unpleasant business I needed to attend to.
“Give me the details,” I said, sitting down in the uncomfortable chair that my hotel room provided.
Vinnie handed me a stack of photos and I began to leaf through them. “They are human. Their kids leave for school at eight,” Vinnie said. “Private Investigator got these pictures for you.”
I studied them. The kids were nice enough looking, both very young. Unfortunately for them, their dad decided to try to cheat me. Since this family was human, we dealt with things like this a little differently than we would if they were shifters. My business serviced both demographics and we were always careful not to expose ourselves to humans.
“Mister Steven Luin has a little dish on the side that the missus isn’t aware of,” Vinnie continued, recapping the report we had gotten. “His wife takes the kids to school, and he gets dressed. He leaves before she gets back. The side dish usually comes for some side action around noon at his office. He’s home at six. She’s the typical soccer mom, taking the kids where they need to go.”
I half listened, going through the photos. This meeting I was having tomorrow morning wasn’t going to end will for the mister. I had loaned him some money with some very strong terms, and he decided not to pay me. I was down here to make an example of him. I had a few other borrowers who were thinking of re-negotiating their terms and that was unacceptable.
I put the photos down and looked over at Vinnie. “When’s Charlie coming?” I asked. Charlie was Vinnie’s son and my age, but about twice as heavy.
“He’ll be here in the morning,” Vinnie said. “About three hours. That last job you sent him on went a little long.”
I nodded. I hadn’t felt the need to personally attend to that one, but the photos that Charlie had sent me were acceptable. The personal apology from the blubbering banker was also a nice touch. I gave a half smile remembering. Charlie had cut the tip of his little finger off. He would be back in the office next Monday with a bandage on his hand and a story about being more careful with power tools. Wolves had amazing healing abilities, but regenerating a finger was beyond most wolves. His finger would always serve as a reminder not to mess with me.
I waved Vinnie away. “I want to get there after the kids leave,” I said. “So, figure we are there at 8:15. You have a few hours, so get some shut eye or do whatever you need to do.”
Vinnie looked relieved. “Thanks, boss,” he said, putting down the folder he was carrying and leaving my room. I could hear the door to the adjoining room opening up and then closing. Within moments the snoring started. I smiled.
I leaned back in my chair, thinking. I was having a hard time wrapping my head around the coincidence of a mechanic being available in the middle of the night in the middle of nowhere. The fact that she was my mate was even more absurd. I felt like I was being set up, but I couldn’t figure out what anyone would have to gain from it. I picked up my laptop and searched for Earl’s Auto Repair in Summerville and was surprised when it popped up immediately. It was reviewed very well. It looks like Earl is an honest guy.
I wondered about the girl. Was she his daughter? Most girls didn’t go into mechanics unless they grew up with it. Daddy’s business? I closed my laptop, leaning back and thinking again about the tall, brown haired beauty that showed up on the side of the road, just when we needed her.
I closed my eyes and a vision of her came unbidden. I knew it was my wolf. He had gotten a whiff of her scent and he was smitten, wanting to take her and mark her. That wasn’t going to happen. We didn’t know anything about her except that she was human.
I stood up with a start, going into the bathroom and turning on the shower. I couldn’t have a human as a mate. I am the Alpha of the largest pack in the Eastern United States and the head of one of the mobs in New York City. I was responsible for a huge pack, and I had hundreds of people that worked for me. I needed a strong Luna who understood the business and would know what I needed. A human wouldn’t be able to do that.
I stood under the hot spray, washing myself down, still thinking. I knew that my business was always under attack. I took over the family business when my father made one bad deal and lost his life over it. I was the youngest Alpha Don ever, and I was constantly being underestimated. I quickly garnished a reputation of being hard, fast and ruthless.
I had sent my mom and my sister to Spain, setting them up in a nice little villa there. It had gotten too dangerous to have them here and I was having a hard time watching my back and theirs, too. They had an around-the-clock security team and, last I heard, my sister had met her mate. She was fourteen when I had sent her over there and she was eighteen now, the same age as my mom was when she was mated to my dad.
I sighed, getting out and dressing in my typical black slacks and black button-down shirt. It was almost time. I checked my watch. Charlie was here and Vinnie was up. We would head to breakfast and then over to Steven Luin’s house. He had some explaining to do.
HOPE POVBeing behind the wheel of my van was like coming home to an old friend. I knew her idiosyncrasies and I loved them. The engine responded to me and the familiar hum lulled me. My mind began to wander. So much has happened in the past few months. It was hard to remember that, just a few months ago, I was working as a mechanic. Since then, I found out about werewolves, had several adventures, found my mate, had a few bad encounters and have changed as a person. I feel like I am a completely new person, but the old Hope was still inside me.I put on the blinker and slowed down. My map said that there was a campsite up to the left. I had headed northwest to try to avoid Nicco’s Pack, and my map said I was hundreds of miles from them. I should be safe enough to spend a night or two here while I tried to get my head on straight and to come up with a plan.I found the road in the dim light and drove the rough terrain that winded through towering pine trees. It opened up t
NICCOI started by gathering all of the residents of Moon Tower. I wanted answers and Lupo was pissed. We lost our Beta and I wanted justice. Not as bad as Charlie did, though.The wolves began arriving, most of them confused, especially when we ushered everyone into the basement. It was dank and dark, but it was the only place that was large enough for what I wanted to do.“They’re all here, Alpha,” Caleb said, checking the last wolf off the list. I walked to the far end of the room, my pack members nervously shuffling out of my way. Charlie was already standing in the front of the room, his arms folded across his chest and glaring at everyone. “This meeting is to be kept secret,” I shouted in my Alpha voice. I could see everyone’s neck bowing to my authority, exposing their vulnerable necks to me and showing submission. I hated giving Alpha commands. It reminded me, and everyone else, of my father’s realm where Alpha commands were given multiple times a day. They should o
NICCOI raced over to Vinnie’s apartment. Despite his Beta status, he chose to live in an apartment building that I owned and used to provide living accommodations to members of our pack who worked at my companies. He had at least taken one of the top floor apartments, using the excuse that the view was amazing. It was.I didn’t wait for the elevator and, instead, took the stairs two at a time. It helped Lupo work off some of the nervous energy and gave me an outlet for mine. We made it to the top in record time and I gently knocked at the door.There were no police, no crime scene tape and no techs dusting for fingerprints. We handle things in house. There would be no outside involvement. And when I found out who did this, there would be no trial, no jury. Only swift justice.Charlie opened the door, his face white and his jaw set. He stepped aside and I slipped in, closing the door behind me. Until we knew what we were dealing with, I didn’t want to let anyone else know w
NICCOI frowned at my watch. Hope was late and that wasn’t like her. I was glad she wasn’t early as usual, though. I didn’t want her running into Lucia. What a hateful brat. My phone chirped and I grabbed for it, a smile playing on my lips. It was probably Hope, begging for forgiveness because she got caught up in some sort of shopping expedition with her new friends.“Alpha?” It was Charlie and his voice sounded strained.“Yes.” I could feel my stomach tightening in a knot. Charlie rarely sounded this way. Nothing bothered this wolf. He and I grew up together and the wolf was cold.“It’s dad. He was killed.”Lupo reared up inside me and it took all of my self control to push him back down. I knew why he felt this way. He had immediately felt for our bond with Vinnie, the tether that held him to me, and we couldn’t find it. It was broken and the only way it could be broken was either by banishment or by death. I had lost my Beta.I threw some money on the table blindly,
Chapter 70HOPENicco irritated me beyond belief sometimes. After all his lectures to me about lying, he goes and does it to me. Our mate bond must be getting stronger because I could tell he was lying. I was so angry, I was growling under my breath. When I caught myself, I giggled a little bit. I was picking up on Nicco’s habits.I had a good morning showing Mario and Gia around and getting them settled into their own apartments. Nicco had been kind enough to get them apartments at one of the many buildings that he owned. They were small, but they each had their own, which was usually unheard of. “This is amazing,” Mario gushed, coming back in from the little balcony. His apartment consisted of a tiny kitchen, a small living area and a bedroom with the balcony. “I have never had this much space before.”Gina’s apartment was almost the same, though I had picked out one that had a larger bathroom and more closet. Girls have to stick together and there are just some things t
NICCOMila’s attitude shifted and her face got dark. “You’re never around anymore,” she complained.“What did you do?” I asked, suddenly tired. I always felt guilty about Mila. The attack that killed her parents had taken place right after I became Alpha. I had been warned that it was coming, and I was too arrogant to listen to anyone. We had found Mila in the rubble, her limbs mangled and her little body limp. It had taken the talents of multiple healers and doctors to get her to where she was. “I just wanted to get your attention,” she said, the tears starting. I forced my emotions to harden. She was manipulating me, and I knew it but my guilt made it easy for her to do so.“Who?” I asked. Mila shrugged. “I don’t know. It came in an encrypted message.”“And you thought it would be a good idea?” I asked, dumbfounded. Mila was never one to consider the consequences.“They only borrowed the money. It was always put back,” Mila said, pushing out her lower lip. “I should k