Page 86 of The Thief

She closed her fingers around its uneven edges. “Tak and I lead this pack as one. If you can trust him, you can trust me. You know that.” Hope sighed, her brown eyes studying me closely. “I knew something was off the minute I saw you. It pains me to think there’s anything troubling you so deeply that you’re unsure whom to confide in. No matter what, we’ll support you.”

“Don’t say that. You don’t know everything. But I appreciate you keeping this between us.”

“I’ll look at this right now. I need to get something out of my desk in the art room first.” She placed the diamond inside the drawer. “Let me change into something more comfortable.”

I chuckled. “You always dress in comfortable clothes. That’s what I love about your style.”

She unlatched a hook on her wide pants. “These aren’t as comfy as they look. I want to put on my overalls and work on a few projects.”

“I’ll go find Tak.”

When I closed the door behind me and turned around, I smacked right into the six-foot-seven alpha.

He braced his hands on my shoulders and stepped back. “Slow down before you run me over.” Amusement twinkled in his eyes. “Hope had a dream she saw my horse running. I’m glad to see she’s in her stall.”

“You and I need to talk.”

His eyebrows drew together. “Yes. We do.” He put his hand on my shoulder and led me down the hall. “I’ve had time to think over our situation. You pointed out a need regarding our finances, and I spoke with my father about it over the phone. He gave me his advice, and Hope’s father offered me counsel.”

We turned in to the kitchen on the right and walked straight into the dining room, where most of the pack had gathered. They silently waited, watching Tak with a mixture of concern and curiosity.

Tak gripped the end chair and addressed the pack. “I’ll fill in the others later. Mercy will be our accountant. We have no use for hiring an outside party if someone within is qualified. This is my decision, so if anyone has concerns, you can speak your mind now.” After a moment of silence, he continued. “A good leader recognizes the talents of his people and puts them to use. Mercy will create accounts for each of you and help with your deposits and withdrawals. If you earn money from a job, she’ll move a percentage into the Arrowhead account. The pack money goes toward things we need—food, equipment, appliances, repairs, and so on.”

Virgil raised his hand. “What if I need a loan?”

Archer snorted.

“Mercy will work that out with you under my guidance,” Tak answered. “She’ll let you know your balance so you can make good choices. It’s not her business to ask what the money’s for, so privacy isn’t an issue.”

“What about those of us who don’t have jobs?” Archer asked.

“I take care of my people. If you have basic needs, you can use pack funds. But if you have large expenses such as cars and vacations, you’ll need to find work. Pack money is not for your new Ferrari. We have more than enough cars to share, so I consider that a luxury and not a necessity.” He faced me with an impassive look. “I’m blindsiding you, but this isn’t up for debate. Calvin says you’ve taken over his books. He may be a stubborn mule, but he recognizes talent when he sees it. I’d be a fool not to take advantage of that. You’ll not only save us money, but I won’t have to stress over a stranger handling our cash. On that note, money and valuables will be kept in a locked room. Lucian, I want you to install a security system that only allows Mercy and me access.”

Lucian slumped down in his seat but appeared content with his new assignment.

I stood frozen like a deer in the headlights. Tak wasn’t asking my permission. Not only was this a tremendous opportunity to prove myself but also an honor to be recognized.

It was also a thing of nightmares given I still had to break the news to him about my past.

Tak adjusted the band at the top of his braid. “We’ll fortify the room, and if the safe is too small, Lucian will solve that problem. Larger bills always make more sense.”

“You watch a lot of movies.” Lucian played with a saltshaker on the table. “Human banks don’t make the larger denominations anymore. If you want them, check with a Breed banker, but they’re getting harder to find unless it stays in circulation exclusively with us.”

Tak rubbed his chin. “My father deals in diamonds and gold, so there are ways around paper money. I don’t want to hear that any of you are stuffing your life savings in a drawer or beneath the bed. Keeping pocket cash on hand is fine, but if you don’t trust your packmate to handle your finances, that tells me more about you than it does them.” He stared at the group. “Well? Congratulate your new accountant.”

While the room didn’t erupt in cheers, they patted my shoulder, hugged me, and cracked jokes about investing in Bitcoin. I gave Bear a furtive glance, but he returned no look of concern or doubt. When he bent down to give me a hug, his lips softly kissed the shell of my ear.

In front of everyone, and yet no one noticed.

Chapter 15

Once our impromptu meeting ended, Tak announced he needed the house to discuss private business matters with me. Everyone went outside to work on the fence while Tak and I remained in the dining room.

Before sitting at the head of the table, he stripped off his sweaty tank top and draped it over the back of his chair. I couldn’t help but notice he didn’t have much hair on his chest, only a light dusting down his arms. Whenever he spent time in the sun and didn’t shift for days, his skin got even browner.

“Do you think you can handle it?” he asked.

My stomach twisted into a knot. “Reserve your choice for pack accountant until after you hear what I have to say.”

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