Rachel sighed. “Even if that’s true, it doesn’t change things. Alpha Gallen banned me from setting foot on his property and from seeing his daughter. I was wrong to try and sneak out to see Sara; I can see that now. I put my father in a terrible position.” As much as she wanted to tear out of there now and go find Sara, she couldn’t do it. “My alpha ordered me not to set foot on their territory, and I need to respect that.”
Regarding her quietly, Cam tapped a finger on the edge of the table, and Rachel itched to know what was going on in his mind.
Finally, he said. “So you’re not allowed to step foot on Pentarren territory or initiate contact with Sara. Is that correct?”
Frowning, Rachel nodded. “I think that was the gist of it, yes.”
“I need you to be exact.” Cam sat forward, arms resting on the table, gaze intent. “I know you’ve told me this before, but humour me. Can you remember Gallen’s exact words?”
“Pretty sure I’ll never forget.” She took a steadying breath. Recalling that day still lanced through her heart like a dagger. “Gallen didn’t even say them to me. He addressed my father and said, ‘Rachel Tregarrak is forbidden to set foot on Pentarren property. Any attempt by her to contact Sara will be taken as a violation of pack etiquette, and I will retaliate however I see fit.’”
“Thank you. I’m sorry to drag up such a painful memory, but I do have my reasons.”
Despite the sadness lingering in her heart, his comment piqued her curiosity. “Can I ask what they are?”
“You can, but I might need a day or two before I give you an answer.” Cam offered her a small smile. “Trust me, please.”
He was her temporary alpha while she stayed with his pack, and Rachel trusted him with her life. “Of course.”
“Thank you.” He stood, and Rachel did the same. “If you’ll excuse me, I have some calls to make.”
AFTER LEAVING CAM’s flat, still a little confused about what had happened there, Rachel headed for the warehouse in the city. Driving on the busy London streets filled her with dread, and taking the Tube was worse—travelling underground wasn’t something she ever wanted to do. Luckily Nathan had nipped back to his flat at lunch and Rachel caught him on his way back out.
“Are you headed into work now by any chance?”
Nathan twirled his keys on his finger, then glanced at the car Cam had lent her, parked on the street next to them. Where it would stay if Rachel had her way. He grinned, “Yeah. You need a lift?”
Rachel’s eye roll made him laugh. “Yes, please. You know I hate driving here.”
“I do.” He pointed to his car, a little way behind Rachel’s. “Come on then.”
Sitting in the passenger seat didn’t make her feel all that much safer, especially the speed Nathan manoeuvred through traffic. She was pretty sure there’d be claw marks in the leather by the time they got to work.
The car park for their building had never been a more welcome sight.
“What brings you here anyway?” Nathan asked as they walked inside.
Rachel had been on delivery runs with Nathan and Luke a few times but working at the warehouse wasn’t her forte. The coffee shops or clubs would be more her style—the quieter ones anyway—but since all her team worked here, she needed to get at least familiar with the inner goings-on. But as long as Gareth was willing to do so, Rachel was more than happy for him to keep doing the role he did there. “I need to talk to Gareth about some things.”
Nathan looked like he wanted to ask but held his tongue. An improvement, even in the short time Rachel had known him. A few weeks ago, he’d probably have blurted out his question, not stopping to think if it was his business or not. “I finish at about five today. Let me know if you want a lift home.”
“Thanks.” She smiled at him and watched him walk away before going to find Gareth.
The warehouse offices were at the back of the building and Rachel picked up Gareth’s scent before she saw him. While not her own pack, the Regent’s Hill pack scent was familiar enough that it brought a sense of calm with it. Their delivery company employed humans too, but the pack scent was strong, and with Gareth’s mixed in, Rachel felt the tension drain from her shoulders. Her meeting with Cam had left her oddly anxious, which was unusual. Cam normally soothed her nerves, not agitated them.
Gareth glanced up as she reached the doorway. “Afternoon.” He sat back in his chair and beckoned her inside. “How was lunch with Cam?”
“Interesting,” Rachel hedged, taking the seat opposite him. As the alpha’s mate, Gareth probably knew everything Cam did, but that didn’t mean they should talk about it.
Gareth smiled. “I’m sure it was.” He didn’t ask her to elaborate, and Rachel didn’t offer. “I’ve prepared a cheat sheet on the business and basic job descriptions of your unit members. It should give you enough of an overview of how things work in case any of them come to you with issues.” He slid a thickish folder across the desk towards her.
“A little bedtime reading?” She picked it up and groaned at the weight of it.
Laughing, Gareth shook his head. “It’s not that bad, honestly. There’s a lot of diagrams in there.”
“Mhmm.” Rachel remained unconvinced. At least it’d help with getting her to sleep.
“So, how are things otherwise?”
