Page 37 of Baby and the Beast

“I heard that.”

“Not that change isn’t good. I did hear that there’s a pack down in Phoenix that got a new alpha.” He smirked. “A female alpha.”

“Really?” Kyle said in shock.

“Yep, one of your lot apparently.”

Carol rolled her eyes. “She wasn’t in the Marines, George. She was in the Navy. A medic so I heard. She took over when her brother made such a mess of everything the shifter council stepped in, and thatneverhappens.” Kyle’s throat tightened because he was so unbelievably happy. He would get her details and reach out. He glanced at Chloe, who was directing three of the other kids in the proper way to play the game. Fair, but definitely in charge.

He could definitely name an heir now.

He glanced at the kitchen and saw everyone was outside but Cyrus. He pushed his chair back and stood. “I’m sorry. I want to introduce you to my mate, but I’ve a feeling he’s in there finding a million jobs he doesn’t like leaving to someone else.”

Carol chuckled. “Oh, we need to have a conversation,” she said archly.

He excused himself and walked towards the kitchen, only to be waylaid by one of the gammas on security. “Alpha, there was a truck that came onto our property a few minutes ago. It sped away before I could investigate.”

A cold feeling seemed to unravel itself down the length of Kyle’s spine, and he bolted for the house. Calling Cyrus’s name, he went from room to every fucking room, but he knew he was gone. His gorgeous scent was unmistakable, but now it was nothing more than a memory.

He raced upstairs to their suite, briefly checking in the girls’ room but then going into Cyrus’s and spying the envelope immediately.

With shaking fingers, he ripped it open and a key fell out. He palmed it and read the note in horror and confusion. It listed every one of Martin’s crimes. The fraudulent inflated invoices that had gone on for years. The secret second bank account and the stop that Cyrus had instigated. Being Saturday, Kyle had twenty-four hours to decide what to do.

He had a moment to envision where Martin and Clara sat outside and the surprise they would get tomorrow, then he turned the note over expecting something else. It was blank.

There was nothing else. Nothing to explain why Cyrus had left. Kyle opened his palm and looked at the key. Without another thought he turned and went downstairs to the room. He met Liam, Pepper and Josh who all regarded him in silence, knowing something was wrong, and he inserted the key and swung both doors open.

He staggered and would have fallen to his knees if Liam hadn’t caught him. The room was perfectly restored. With tears in his eyes, he crossed the familiar rug, smelled the clean scent, and studied the pictures and all the books. Most of the pictures were from his childhood, but quite a few he had sent to his brothers while he was stationed overseas. In the corner, the children’s books had been arranged low enough that little fingers could reach them. The whole room was indescribable.

And it was goodbye.

Cyrus couldn’t have said it more eloquently if he’d screamed it.

Kyle sent Liam for Martin. "Bring him here," Kyle commanded, his voice hard. "Now."

Liam's eyes widened at his tone, but he nodded once and strode from the room. Josh and Pepper exchanged worried glances.

"Boss," Josh ventured carefully, "what's going on?"

Kyle handed him the note without a word, watching as Josh's expression changed from confusion to shock to anger as he read. Pepper read over his shoulder, her face darkening with each line.

"That son of a bitch," she whispered. "All this time?"

Kyle turned, trying to breathe through the pain in his chest. The ache that had been bothering him for days was now a stabbing sensation that made it difficult to stand upright. His wolf was howling, clawing to get out, desperate to find its mate.

"Did either of you see Cyrus leave?" Kyle asked, his voice deceptively calm.

Both shook their heads. "I thought he was inside," Pepper admitted. "He was helping with the food earlier, but then I got busy with the new families..."

The sound of footsteps approaching made Kyle turn. Martin entered first, looking mildly annoyed at being pulled away from the festivities. Clara followed close behind, her expression wary as she took in Kyle's stance.

"You wanted to see me, Alpha?" Martin asked, his voice carefully neutral.

Kyle moved with a speed that surprised even his betas. One moment he was across the room, the next he had Martin pinned against the wall, forearm pressed against the older wolf's throat. His eyes flashed amber as his wolf surged forward.

"Eleven years," Kyle snarled, his voice barely recognizable. "Eleven years you've been stealing from this pack."

Martin's eyes widened in panic. "I don't know what—"

---