CHAPTER 3

Alpha Blake

It's been a hell of a couple of weeks. After noticing some of the accounts weren't adding up, I sent an email to my friend Isaac. Isaac Miller and I have been friends for a few years, ever since one of my warriors mated his human sister. It's not uncommon for a wolf to mate a human, even though our worlds stay pretty separate. We don't go around announcing what we are to just anyone.

I was surprised when, within twenty-four hours, Isaac's firm had already located the problem and tracked down the source. Isaac has some of the country's best accountants working for him. After they found the person who'd stolen almost a million dollars from me, I asked Isaac to send that same accountant so I could have all of our finances reviewed. It's one thing to steal from me but no one steals from my pack and gets away with it.

I was relieved when my phone rang and Isaac's name popped up. When we'd last spoken, he'd seemed hesitant about asking his employee to relocate to my pack. I assumed the accountant was human, but he'd have nothing to worry about I already have humans living within my territory.

"Blake Orion," I answered.

"Hey Blake, it's Isaac."

"Isaac, I hope you're calling with good news."

"My employee has made some requests." I rolled my eyes. Of course they'd have demands, even with the sizable bonus and paid accommodations already on the table.

"And what are these demands?"

"A house away from the pack house. Their own office. Weekends and all requested time off guaranteed. And everything wrapped up by the end of summer." I was more surprised by how few demands there were.

"How big does the house need to be?" I asked, already knowing which one I'd put them in.

"They have a teenage son, so at least two bedrooms."

"No wife?"

"Just the two of them. School's almost done for the year they'll relocate after and stay through the summer, until the next school year starts." That sounded reasonable. I wouldn't want to pull my own son out of school with only a couple of weeks left either.

"I agree to the terms."

"Good to hear. I'll send over their exact arrival date once I give them the good news. And Blake if you have any issues, bring them to me and I'll handle it."

"Will do. Thanks again," I said before ending the call, wondering what kind of issues he meant. I had no reason yet to think it would be anything I couldn't handle. That's the trouble with not knowing something's coming you never brace for it the way you should.

"Dad, who was that?" My son, Aspen, asked, walking into my office. He was the spitting image of me, except for his late mother's eyes my fated mate's eyes. A piece of her I get to keep.

"Finished my exam early. Got a few hours before the next one," he said, dropping into the chair across from me.

"We'll be having a couple of humans as guests this summer. A forensic accountant and his son," I told him.

"Still worried there's another thief in the ranks?"

"One can never be too careful, son. I employ hundreds of people. If someone got through our security once, others will try or already are. It's not like anyone's shy about how wealthy we are." I sighed.

"Yeah, that's one thing that sucks about being an alpha's son. You never really know who your real friends are. And the girls only care about being Luna. It's exhausting," he admitted.

"Why do you think I never remated? No one could replace your mother, for one. But every woman I met only wanted to be Luna not a single dad and his kid. It was easier to just raise you myself."

"Maybe you'll get a second chance," he shrugged.

"And how would you feel about that?" I asked. I knew he missed his mother I did, every single day. I didn't want him thinking I was trying to replace either of them.

"It would be nice to see you happy again. And I'll be off to alpha training next year. I just want to know you're taken care of."

"I think I'm supposed to be the parent here. Shouldn't I be the one worrying about you?" I gave him a pointed look, and he laughed.

"I'd worry less if you didn't work so much. You need a hobby outside the pack businesses. Once I take over, you'll have plenty of free time."

"Oh, is that how it is? Just going to throw your old man out on his ass?"

"I'd feel better if you had a woman to keep you company," he grinned.

"Fuck off. Don't you have an exam to study for?" I grumbled, looking back down at my paperwork.

"Maybe. But think about what I said. You could still have a second chance out there. I just don't want to watch you turn into a lonely old man." He teased, then saluted. "Yes, Alpha, sir," and left, shaking his head at his own joke. I shook mine right back at him.

"He's not wrong, you know. Might be worth visiting a few other packs, see if there's a second chance out there," Gunner, my wolf, chimed in.

"I don't know. Feels like cheating on Mia. She died giving us Aspen, and now I'm supposed to just move on to someone else?"

"She'd want us to be happy. She knew the risk of bringing our son into the world, and she took the chance anyway."

"Because she lied to me about those risks until it was too late. I love Aspen more than anything, but I never would have let her gamble her life like that. We could have adopted." Gunner whimpered and retreated, and my stomach twisted with guilt. He'd lost his mate that day too. Aspen's birth was the happiest and saddest day of my life and second chance or not, no one will ever replace Mia.

I signed off on the arrival date that same afternoon without a second thought a house, an office, two names on a contract I barely glanced at twice. I had no idea I'd just handed my front door key to the one wolf who was about to unravel everything I thought I'd already grieved my way through.