Page 106 of The Alpha's Protective Mate

Robert gives us all confused looks as Gina bursts into laughter and walks into the kitchen.

“What’s going on?” he asks, leaning on the counter between us.

“Ignore them.” I shoot Jazz a nasty look, but she just winks at me.

“I’m taking my break now,” I announce, untying my apron. “And we’re finding the furthest seat from you, Jazz.”

Her snicker is infectious, and my lips twitch as I guide Robert to a booth in the back.

“I’ll have a latte, Jazz,” Robert calls out as he follows me. “And three muffins and two of those beef sandwiches.”

“Gotcha.” Jazz grabs a mug, but then asks, “For here or to go?”

“To-go.” He shoots me an apologetic look. “I just came in to talk to you for a few minutes and get something for the road.”

“The road? Are you going somewhere?”

“One of my people who was investigating one of the disappearances in the slums was reported missing hours after Florian’s murder. We’re trying to track him down, and I’d like to be there myself. I also wanted you to take a look at this.” He reaches into his pocket and brings out a document, which he hands to me. “Does this mean anything to you?”

The odd-looking script is familiar to me. “It’s one of the old languages that was created during the wars between the vampires and the shifters. The Nelo Clan was prominent back then. It had a female leader named Jean Sanguinite. She’s my ancestor. Jean was prominent in creating the language, and she turned the tides of the war.”

“That was in the 1400s.” Robert looks at me seriously. “I remember. It’s in our archives. Jean and Lucian, one of the Alphas, negotiated with each other, and territories were decided upon. Even now, those territory lines are in place. That’s why what Beruth is doing is so dangerous.”

I look down at the writing, my voice soft. “My father is trying to expand his territory, isn’t he?”

“Yeah. That will result in another war.”

“And I don’t think that’s all he’s doing.” I set down the document, raising my gaze to meet Robert’s.

His eyes turn sharp. “What do you know?”

“Nothing, per se, but my father isn’t going to put in years of effort just for some territory. Before I was kicked out, he had begun meeting with leaders of other clans. That’s very rare for our kind. We don’t ally with other clans. It’s done only in extreme circumstances.”

“But they’re allied now?” Robert asks slowly.

I wet my lips. “I’m not saying I know what’s happening, but I would say you need to be looking for a bigger picture than just the Nelo Clan trying to get wolf shifters addicted to drugs.”

“They’re using our people as ingredients!” Robert scowls. “This is not merely some—”

I stare at Robert, my brows furrowing. “If they were using shifters as an ingredient, wouldn’t the users pick up on it?”

“Yes, but—”

“But you can’t know because hardly any have survived, and those that have are barely functional,” I murmur. When Robert looks sideways at me, I give him a faint smile. “I stay away from the supernatural world, but that doesn’t mean I don’t hear things.”

Robert presses his lips together. “What are you getting at, Charlotte? You think we’re being played?”

I can sense his agitation, and I choose my words carefully. “I think you are seeing what my father wants you to see. He’s a very manipulative man and an extremely meticulous one. Don’t trust everything you see.”

Robert’s expression twists, and I immediately gesture with my hands for him to calm down. “I’m just saying, Robert. There’s no special meaning to my words. I don’t know what the Nelo Clan is planning, but I find a few things suspicious. This piece of paper, for starters. This language was invented to communicate secretly between allied clans. If any shifter pack caught the messenger, not only would they not be able to understand the contents of the message, the vampire delivering it wouldn’t, either. Only the top personnel within each clan knew the language. So, this document,” I wave it in front of him, “is not a good sign.”

“You’re saying you can’t decode it?” Robert sounds disappointed.

I shake my head. “I’m afraid not. My brother would have been able to. I began learning the language when I was young, but when I lost my abilities, I also lost all the privileges that the children of the clan leader receive.”

Robert sighs. “Well, I figured getting our hands on this was too good to be true. You don’t know anybody who might be able to read it?”

I’m about to say no, but the word gets stuck in my throat. I do know somebody who can. I just don’t know if he will.

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