Page 65 of An Unexpected Claim

I didn’t want to wait around for him nay more—it was setting a bad precedent. But I had no clue where he worked, and I doubted my babysitters would be any help.

My anger continued to build throughout the evening, and by the time I gave in and went to bed, I was feeling bloodthirsty.

He liked my wildcat? I hoped so, because he was about to get real up close and personal with her claws.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Nathan

Aknock on my door dragged my attention away from my computer and I looked up to see Asher and Ephraim—another enforcer—strolling into my office.

“Alpha,” Asher greeted as he took a seat in one of the chairs flanking the small table with my other chess set. Ephraim nodded and leaned a shoulder against the wall by the door.

These two were complete opposites. Asher had joined the Marines at eighteen and in his time he’d seen and done some intense shit. Only I knew the full extent, because he’d allowed me to look into his mind before I made him head enforcer. I’d needed to make sure that his head was screwed on tight and he was up for the job. The skills he’d learned in the military had also earned him a place as an instructor with KBO operatives. He had no problem speaking up and had the ability to talk himself in and out of most situations. And though he had strong opinions, he was also open-minded and willing to consider every avenue to a situation. People had to work hard as fuck to earn his respect, but once they had it, he had unwavering loyalty.

Ephraim was the quiet one, preferring to observe rather than ask questions. He rarely spoke, so when he did, people listened. He’d been with KBO as an operative since he was twenty—arguably my best tracker—and he’d only left covert operations when I offered him a position as an enforcer. Though I still tapped him for KBO from time to time. He was fiercely loyal and extremely protective. If someone crossed him, particularly if it put his family in jeopardy, they had a death wish.

They worked well together because their strengths complemented each other. Especially if they were in a situation where both stealth and distraction were necessary. Which was why I’d called them in.

“What can we do for you, Alpha?” Asher queried, relaxing into his seat and propping an ankle on the opposite knee.

Before I sent them on their task, I needed to know. “Who do you have on Peyton?”

“Jase and Amanda.”

“Put Jase on something else and assign Sabrina,” I ordered tersely.

If Asher had an opinion about my request, he kept it to himself. “Done.”

I nodded, then picked up a sheet of paper from my desk and handed it to Ephraim, who was closest to me. “I need you both to go to that address and pack it up, then bring everything back here. But you’ll have to do it while avoiding the NYPD stakeout teams.”

Ephraim raised an eyebrow, but Asher asked the question. “Isn’t this a residential address?”

“Peyton’s place.”

Asher cocked his head to the side and frowned. “How exactly are we supposed to pack up an entire apartment and transport everything under the noses of the cops? I’m fucking awesome at what I do, but I’m not invisible.”

My seat creaked as I leaned back and propped a hand on the arm. “She doesn’t have much. I’d guess not more than a couple suitcases’ worth.”

“At her apartment?”

I nodded and stroked my beard. “She’s a loner. Doesn’t stay in one place long enough to accumulate possessions.”

“Why are we bringing everything she owns to Silver Lake?” Ephraim spoke up, his eyes scrutinizing me. With that one inquiry, he was asking why the police were involved, what she meant to me, if she was staying, and how a loner would integrate into our pack.

As I was their Alpha, it was their duty to do what I asked without question and I contemplated whether to exercise that power or to answer Ephraim. Part of me simply didn’t like the idea of discussing Peyton with two unmated males. But thebigger issue was that my situation with Peyton was still precarious at best and spreading the news that I’d found my mate would throw Peyton in the spotlight.

However, my enforcers knew better than to flap their mouths and these two, in particular, were used to a life of secrets. And as I was determined for her to be their alpha female, I decided to explain.

“She’s my mate.”

“You’ve mated her?” Asher blurted in shock.

“That’s not what I said.”

“She’s your true mate,” Ephraim concluded, his voice giving no indication of his thoughts.

I nodded. “She witnessed a murder, and the cops want to talk to her, so they are watching her place with the hope that she’ll return. Until we have more information about the killer, I don’t want them to know where she is.”

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