Page 69 of Vicious Wolf Mate

“What do you mean?” Drario asks.

“Shifters are treated as second class citizens. I demanded we get more territory. No taxes. Less restrictions on what we can or can’t sell. Better housing and better resources. Basically everything we need to have our clans prosper.”

They both nod in agreement, happy with the demand I made.

“But why would Rovas meet those demands?” Gnash says.

“Because if he doesn’t, we’re leaking these documents of the oxytocin compound to the public. Especially other shifters. We’re not going to burn it like previously planned.”

48

MCKENNA

It’s a plain steel door, just like the dozen or so I’ve already passed. I twist the knob and the latch clicks. Unlocked as always.

“Daddy, why do you always leave your door unlocked? Aren’t you afraid somebody will steal stuff.” Kid-me had asked one day. It had been confusing how every other part of our lives was guarded with biometric scanners and firepower, but his sacred office was left wide-open.

“Because sweetie, I trust everyone here.” He had said, smiling.

It was only when I was much older that I learned that his trust was won through fear. Only a few of Insignys’ employees are true anti-meta zealots. The rest simply keep their heads down and do what they are told because they are afraid of my father, not shifters.

I let out a sigh of relief as I realize the office is empty. I could honestly use a few minutes to reign in my whirlwind thoughts.

Half of me hates my father and everything this office and complex represents. But the other half of me remembers what it was like when I was still a kid, when my mother was still in the picture. Before she disappeared.

Rovas had been kinder then, and smiled more. A single, small family portrait sits on his desk. We are at the beach, the three of us, all smiles. Posing behind an immaculately built sandcastle.

A small smile spreads across my face at the memory.

Suddenly the door clicks open behind me and immediately shuts once more. This is no time for nostalgia I think to myself. It’s time to face Rovas Grayson, the leader of Insignys, not the smiling man in that photograph.

“You.” I stammer, turning around to see a very different face. Natalie stands in front of the door, a sleek 9mm pointed at my head.

“Where’s my father?” I demand.

“Busy overseeing the capture of your boy-toy shifter, no doubt” she replies simply.

“What…” I sputter, fear racing through my veins.

“Did you really think we were going to let you waltz in here and take down big-bad Insignys with your ragtag group of mongrels?”

The venom with which she spits on the word mongrels shocks me. Only a few days ago I had believed she was truly in love with Jax. I guess she was a much better actress that I originally gave her credit for.

“I hear they have special plans for your lover-boy,” she croons. “Set up a nice cozy bed for him this morning in R&D”.

I shudder at the thought. R&D was the above-board name for the department responsible for the most heinous experiments on shifters.

“I wonder if they’ll let him watch your execution.” “Natalie says, chuckling to herself.

Worry for Mace battles hatred for Natalie as my fists clench and unclench. But there is also something else nagging at me. She said they made up his cell just this morning, didn’t she?

“How did you know we were coming today?”

“Trackers, duh.” Natalie replies.

I glare at her in silence. The trackers had been a concern. Unfortunately, my suggestion of going the mission solo had met with resistance.

“Don’t go blaming the boys now,” Natalie pipes up. “It was actually your tracker we were watching.”

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