Page 29 of Alpha's Forbidden Bond

It was for Pearl Investments and Property Management.

My breath caught in my chest as I read the name. I hadn’t thought about my father’s old business in a long time. Not since he was forced to close the doors and driven out of the country to avoid facing up to his many white-collar crimes. Now, I was holding a business card with my last name written in shiny letters at the top, and my mind was accosted with memories I’d worked so hard to keep at bay. I leaned against the car door and closed my eyes briefly, feeling faint. Between everything going on lately, combined with the lack of sleep and a proper meal, I felt lightheaded.

Finding the business card might’ve been a blessing in disguise, though, because it made me turn around and walk back into the basement apartment and climb into bed, forgetting all about my half-baked plans to visit the Vilks compound under the cover of nightfall.

Chapter 13

Andreas

“Mr. Morena,” I said in my most humble tone. “Before I forget, let me express how sorry I was to find out that you didn’t like the mattress we had waiting for you when you arrived. I should’ve seen to the set-up of your lodgings personally instead of leaving that up to the people who own this house.”

It was the following night, and Sarafina’s father had requested that I meet with him after dinner in his temporary home. His son joined us, shooting me cruel looks any time I tried to strike up a conversation with his ailing dad. Eventually, however, Mr. Morena told Becc to get us a bottle of wine from the cellar on the other side of the compound, giving me and my future father-in-law a chance to talk alone. I had a feeling that had been his true intention.

“Oh please,” he said, his eyes crinkling in the corners as he smiled. “Don’t even bring up the mattress fiasco to me. I never once complained about the bed. It was more than adequate, but Becc insisted. He would not stop pestering me about it! I told him he was being rude and scolded him on more than one occasion, but he still wouldn’t listen to me. I hate that he went behind my back and talked to you. And that you went to so much trouble for me when it wasn’t necessary.”

“No trouble at all,” I said. “Really. But the new one is better, yes?”

“Sure,” he said. “It’s great. Both of them were great. Whatever you do, just don’t go buying a third one. No matter what my son says.”

I laughed. “Okay, I swear, I won’t.”

Mr. Morena was sitting in his wheelchair next to the fireplace in the study. I was in the loveseat across from him. This home was owned by a lovely family with two very rowdy children, who I knew had a propensity for drawing on the walls. It must’ve taken Susanna and Duke days to scrub all the artwork off. I made a mental note to send them something as a personal thank you.

In the interim silence, I tried to come up with something to say that wasn’t related to the mattresses but found myself floundering. It was a quiet night on the compound, and I was eager to get back home and get some sleep. I’d spent last night tossing and turning, waking up multiple times from dreams about Diana that I didn’t want to be having. It was exhausting.

“I suppose you’re probably wondering why I requested your presence this evening,” the old man said eventually. To be honest, I should’ve had a sit-down chat with you the first night I arrived. That’s the proper thing to do amongst pack leaders. I apologize for my poor manners. It’s just that the journey took so much out of me. I haven’t been feeling up for company until today, really.”

“I understand. And you have nothing to apologize for. I am honored you came all this way to begin with.”

He nodded and looked over at the flames flickering on his right. “Yes, well, I needed to make sure that everything my daughter told me about you and your pack was true.”

I smiled. “I get it. You had to check that we were good people or that I would be a worthy husband to your daughter. That makes sense.”

He frowned at me. “No,” he said. “It’s not that.”

I frowned right back. “Then what?”

“Or I should say, it isn’t just that.”

Mr. Morena filled his lungs so deeply that I could see his rib cage expand underneath the thin shirt he wore. He let the air out through his mouth and then fixed me with a look that made me sit up straighter in my chair. “Andreas—I came here to make sure you and your pack were strong. I needed to know that you would all be ready for the fight that’s coming.”

“Fight?” I said with alarm. “What fight?”

Does this man know something I don’t?

“There is violence on the horizon,” Mr. Morena said. “Battles, wars.”

“Wars?” The word stuck to the back of my throat. “I haven’t heard anything about wars. What—what do you mean?”

“Just listen,” he said, raising his hand like he was calming a hyper child. “It’s not the kind of war you’re thinking of. Nobody is going to show up at the edge of the property with tanks. At least—not yet.”

“Not yet?” I balked. “Mr. Morena, you’re starting to really freak me out.”

“Things are not as simple as they once were,” he went on, talking as if I hadn’t interrupted him. I made an effort to sit back against the couch and just listen. It wasn’t easy. “At least once a year now, a video of one of us shifting ends up on the internet, or someone with a camera stumbles onto a compound somewhere. Things are getting so—out of hand. Messy. And there’s only so much we can do to keep ourselves secret in the modern world. I fear our efforts will be moot sooner rather than later. Why, I just heard that a stranger turned down the street and ended up in this compound a few days ago. What if she had seen something? I hope you know I firmly oppose violence against humans. I do not support wolves hurting people unless provoked by them first.”

“I feel the same way,” I confirmed. “There was a time before I was the pack leader when some members of the Vilks pack felt otherwise, but my mother did everything in her power to quell those ideas before they could go anywhere.”

“That’s good to know. But I’m still concerned about the fact that this person was able to just show up out of the blue.”

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