Isaac snorted, not even bothering to answer that. “I’m going back to the main house. I assume you’re going to join me?” As much as the thought of Paul in his home raised his hackles, Isaac would rather have him close, where he could keep an eye on him.
“Yes. I’ll wait for my team to join us before we have an official look around, but I have a few questions for you first.”
I just bet you fucking do.
As much as Isaac wanted to tell him to fuck off, he had to play nice with the HRU.Well, niceish.He was still an alpha, and Paul was in his territory now.
Without answering or waiting for him to follow, Isaac turned on his heel and marched back to his house. Paul easily caught up to him, and Isaac led him into the kitchen.
“Take a seat.” He gestured to the kitchen table and watched as Paul pulled out a chair. Four days ago Michael and the others had sat around that table and Isaac’s life had been turned upside down once again.
The sight of Paul sat there now made his skin crawl, but Isaac kept all that buried deep. Instead, he walked over and flicked the kettle on. “Coffee? Tea?” If Paul was about to interrogate him, Isaac wanted caffeine first.
Paul looked a little shocked at Isaac’s hospitality and Isaac huffed out a laugh.
“I have manners. As long as you remember yours, we’ll be fine.”
Paul’s expression hardened. “This isn’t a joke, Isaac. I have full authority to search your home, your territory, and all the homes in it. It’s my job. I don’t have to be nice about it.”
Isaac’s gaze dropped to Paul’s throat, then slowly lifted back up until their eyes met. He licked over his teeth, and just in case his message wasn’t clear he added, “And it’s my duty as alpha to protect my pack. And if I think they’re in danger from you or any of your team...” He leant on the kitchen table, looming over Paul. “I won’t hesitate to step in and put a fucking stop to it.”
They stared at each other, the moment dragging out until Paul sat back in his chair with a huff. “Don’t make my job any harder than it already is, and we won’t have a problem.”
For a second, Isaac thought he saw a flash of regret, but it was gone as soon as it appeared, and he shook his head.
Must’ve imagined it.
Paul lives for this kind of thing.
“And I’ll have a coffee, please, if it’s not too much trouble.”
Isaac stood and busied himself making coffee for them both.
“You know,” Paul began, and Isaac glanced over his shoulder to see him leaning back in his chair, looking thoroughly relaxed now. “I always wondered why you chose to become alpha of a pack out here, in the middle of fucking nowhere, when you could have joined one of the London packs. If not as alpha, then as a beta. Yet you chose here.” He shrugged and grimaced as though living on the rugged Devonshire coast was abhorrent.
Isaac took his time finishing off their coffees. He was ninety-nine per cent sure Paul was just being a wanker for the sake of it. He didn’t know or suspect the real reason Isaac had chosen to become alpha of the Mothecombe pack.
Setting the two mugs on the table, he pulled out a chair opposite Paul. “I’d had enough of London. I wanted fresh air and space to run. And my own pack.” He met Paul’s gaze again: cool, confident,innocent. “London couldn’t give me all of those things.”
“But whyhere?” He played with the handle of his mug, seeming distracted, but Isaac knew better. Not all HRU interrogation techniques involved pain. “Surely there are other places with fresh air and space without resorting to the wilderness.”
Isaac threw his head back and laughed. “Spoken like a true city boy.” Two could play at appearing unconcerned. “I know you’ve done your research. I’ve always been a country boy at heart.” He took a sip of his too-hot coffee, trusting his shifter genes to soothe the burn on his tongue. “I needed the peace and tranquillity that you can only get living by the sea.”
And it was true to an extent. Isaac had been born and raised with forests all around him. The idea of living in London after the Shifter Alliance took over had held no appeal whatsoever.
He would’ve done it... for Michael.
But since that wasn’t an option, Isaac was only too happy to move to the coast, ready to do his part to fix the mess they’d helped create.
Another beat of silence, and Paul appeared in no rush to fill it, so Isaac relaxed into his seat, more than happy to wait him out. He wasn’t some green pack member, uncomfortable enough in the presence of the HRU to start talking for the sake of it.
“You have a lot of human members in your pack.”
Isaac narrowed his eyes. “I do.”
“I was looking through your pack records on the drive down here.” He paused to take a sip of coffee, and Isaac barely stopped himself from rolling his eyes. “Only two out of the six humans you have here are bitten.”
“So?”
