Page 34 of Elf

“I’m good, Mr. Forsberg. I’ve already told your mother of your arrival.” He led them into a formal living room.

Ezra nodded. “Thanks.”

The inside of the house was decorated in the most ostentatious color scheme Alaric had ever seen. Red and gold everywhere. Lots of gold. Even the curtains and most of the furniture. Red throw pillows with gold embroidery were strategically placed around the room—but not for comfort because the furniture was that modern type with all sharp edges and little stuffing.

A woman in a gray pantsuit, who had to be Ezra’s mother, strolled into the room, frowning. “Hello, Ezra. I’m surprised to see you since you didn’t call.”

“I thought the element of surprise would work in my favor. I need to talk to you, Mother.” He put his hand on Alaric’s arm. “This is my friend, Alaric.”

“Alaric what?”

“Denman,” Alaric said, knowing that would do nothing for her. His parents had once been a part of high society, but had quietly moved into the background to better be out of the spotlight since they didn’t age.

“I don’t know any Denmans,” she murmured as she took a seat on one of the uncomfortable-looking couches. She had iron gray hair in a stylish bob and wore heels despite being home alone. Her gray pantsuit was perfectly pressed, and she had a red scarf around her neck that matched her lipstick. Not one hair was out of place.

Ezra sat on the couch across from her and rested his elbows on his knees as he leaned forward. “I need to know about my father’s enemies. Someone is after me, Mother. Trying to kill me.”

“Kill you?”

Alaric watched her closely. Alarm had started spinning through his chest. She didn’t seem at all upset or worried and, in fact, didn’t seem surprised at all. He narrowed his eyes.

“Yes, kill me. There’ve been two attempts already and whoever is doing this is willing to pay a lot of money to see it happen. Everyone knew I wasn’t involved in Father’s business, and it turns out it wasn’t Brian.”

“How do you know it wasn’t Brian?”

“Because I confronted him, and he was never able to fake surprise. Surprise that you don’t seem to have, I might point out.” Ezra had gone white as a sheet. “Why aren’t you shocked?”

“I am surprised, but not shocked. But I don’t believe it wasn’t Brian. Who else stands to gain from your death? You’re still married.” Her eyes flicked to Alaric. “Did he tell you he was still married? Because I’m not buying this friend explanation. It’s obvious you two are more.”

“That’s right,” Alaric said. “We are more. In addition to being his bodyguard, I’ve come to care for Ezra.”

She smirked. “That’s surprising.”

Pure hatred burned a quick hole in his chest. To stand here, knowing the man he loved was hearing that from his own parent? He was braced, body taut, because her lack of surprise told him all he needed to know.

His heart broke for Ezra.

“Did you know that Brian was involved in human trafficking?” Ezra asked his mother. “Was my father also involved in that?”

She waved her hand. “I never paid attention to all your father’s business dealings.”

“That’s not a business, Mother, that’s people. Actual, living, breathing people, whose lives were completely taken away from them. It’s sickening. And if Father was a part of that business, I need to know. Brian is going to prison for a long, long time. I made sure of that. But if it wasn’t Brian after me, then it has to do with something involving my father. The price on my head is too high to be anything else.”

“And apparently, that price wasn’t high enough.”

Alaric inwardly cursed when Ezra’s brother stepped into the room. He had two shifters by his side, both massive werewolves, and a wicked long knife in his hand. Alaric began gathering magic in preparation to fight them all.

“You’re not killing him here, Ezekiel,” Ezra’s mother said, her bored expression hardly changing.

Ezra’s sheet-white face went impossibly paler. “Mom?” he whispered.

She gave Ezra one empty glance before she stood and smoothed her hands down her jacket. “I want nothing to do with this.” It was all she said before she left the room.

Alaric felt utterly shattered for Ezra, but he couldn’t afford to look at him again since both shifters were watching him closely, their bodies coiled tight—ready to attack. They knew what he was while Ezekiel still thought him a human bodyguard. He was surprised to see the shifters working for him—werewolves were generally very upstanding preternaturals with a strong sense of honor. Ezekiel must be paying these two a fortune. Alaric could smell no pack bond on them, so they must have had enough incentive to leave their pack.

“You’re the one,” Ezra said, his voice shaking, and Alaric knew it was from complete devastation that his own family had turned so far against him. “This was about money? But Ezekiel, you stand to inherit so much on your own. Why would you need mine?”

Ezekiel stepped in front of the shifters, gaze just briefly flicking to Alaric before he sneered at his brother. “Because you don’t deserve it. And now that you’ve taken out a good portion of my income, I’ll be needing more.”

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