I exhale slowly. “Fine. What’s the plan?”
Kaiden
“He’s leaving. Why else ask for a meeting with us all?” Luciano sighs, twirling a knife between his fingers. “Shame, I actually like the fucker.”
“He wouldn’t be that stupid,” Valentin murmurs, his voice echoing through the phone on loudspeaker. “He worked hard to get employed with us. He’s not gonna throw that away after a year.”
“I dunno, man. If he’s found an omega.” Luciano whistles. “Things change quick when you do.”
“Maybe it’s money. Someone offering him more,” Valentin suggests.
I frown at that.
“We pay the best wages. It isn’t that.” Sylvan never looks up from his tablet, but the next thing I know, there’s a spreadsheet on the centre screen of the table, displaying competitive security firms and their corresponding wages. “See.”
“Let’s stop guessing,” I say, the command subtle but clear. “Whatever it is, we discuss it as a pack before making a decision. Agreed?”
They all nod, except Val, whose gruff acknowledgement echoes from the speaker.
Right on time, punctual as ever, there’s a knock on the door.
I straighten my shoulders. “Come in, Rue.”
He steps in with an easy-going smile that squashes half our concerns. “Hey guys, thanks for meeting with me so quickly.”
Luc holds up his hand, and Rue clasps it as he walks by with a hard shake. “Course, man, sounded urgent over text. Got the guys and me a little worried you’re about to leave us.”
“Leave? Fuck no, I love it here.” Rue takes the seat at the opposite end of the table, facing me directly.
The seat beside Luc is free, but I respect that he chose this one. I’m the pack alpha; he knows that and is showing me respect.
I settle back in my seat, silently showing he has the table.
“Can we get on with this? It’s 4 AM here.”
“Sorry, Val. I appreciate you being here too, especially because it’s… personal.” Rue shifts a little.
“I fucking called it,”Luciano says over the bond.
“It’s my sister.”
I wasn’t expecting that. Even Sylvan glances up from his screen.
“There was an incident last night, and, well…” He pulls out his phone. “Might be easier if I just show you.”
We all get a notification. Syl taps it open, and in one fluid flick, a video is projected onto the two-way screen in the middle of the table.
It shows the outside of a building. The video’s a little grainy with no sound, but it shows enough. A brunette woman exiting a taxi, pausing on the street to search through her bag, and then a towering figure steps into frame.
She sees him. Her searching becomes frantic, and she pulls something small and rectangular out. A pass?
She rushes towards the building doors. The camera angle switches. Now we’re inside what looks like a hotellobby. All white marble, clean and modern, and she enters—with a man chasing.
We all lean forward in our chairs. When his hand swipes for her, we tense. He misses, but keeps going, closing in. The girl’s mouth is wide open, and then the alpha’s hand snatches her hair, yanking her back.
A low rumble emits from us all.
“Don’t tell us that’s your sister,” Luc growls.
