Chapter 15
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
maverick
We parked in the dirt lot outside Cassidy’s packhouse. It was fairly large, and built like an oversized bed-and-breakfast.
We wouldn’t be sleeping there, obviously. I wasn’t risking Bloom’s life that way.
“We need to act like we’re into each other, right?” Bloom asked, making no move to leave the vehicle as she studied the building in front of us “Are you sure that’s the best idea? Wouldn’t everyone be less likely to attack me if they thought we were going to separate after all of this is over?”
Probably.
But I wouldn’t be backing down from my claim on her. Eventually, she’d accept that she was mine.
I wanted her badly, and beyond wanting, I actually liked her.
So I wasn’t walking away.
That was that.
She’d accept it eventually.
“No. The moment they see a divide between us, there are men in this pack who would make a move on you in an attempt to gain power over me,” I said.
“I think you just suggested that none of them would want me if I wasn’t your soulmate.”
“That’s not what I was saying. Everyone in this pack hates vampires.” I tried to cover my ass. “I—”
“It’s fine, Mav.” Her lips curved upward, and her hand brushed my arm. I didn’t know if she even realized she had touched me. “I don’t know any vampires who would want to mate with werewolves either. Even you.”
“Including this one?” I gestured toward her
Her smile grew wicked. “Nope.” She opened her car door, and I followed suit.
“Don’t touch anyone, or anything. If they offer food or water, don’t take it,” I murmured, draping an arm over her shoulders.
Was it necessary to act like we were closer than we were?
Yeah.
Was I also going to milk the fuck out of it?
Hell yes.
“Do you want me to stay quiet?” she asked.
“No. Don’t be afraid to piss someone off.”
I locked the car behind us as we strode up to the front door.
“Do they know we’re coming?” she asked.
“I didn’t warn them, but I’m sure someone told Cassidy when we reached their land.”
“They did,” Cassidy said, as she pulled the door open with an annoyed look on her face. Her black hair was tied back in a severe bun, her light skin bloodless where her hands clenched the door. Her dark eyes landed on Bloom immediately, but were narrow long before they did.
“You’re going to want to take a step away from my mate with that expression,” I said flatly.
Cassidy’s glare lifted to me. “What the fuck do you want, Maverick?”
“An invitation in would be nice, for starters.”
She clenched her jaw.
I lifted an eyebrow.
Cassidy stiffly took a step back and yanked the door open. “Fine. Come in.”
“Thanks.
I tucked Bloom behind me, stepping inside first. I kept an arm around her lower back as we went.
My nostrils flared, looking carefully for any sign of wolfsbane. It was a poison that had been used extensively during the war, by werewolves, against vampires. We could smell it if we paid close attention, but they couldn’t.
I’d never used it. It was the coward’s way out.
It could kill us too, so most weres wouldn’t be ballsy enough—or stupid enough—to put it in their home for a small chance of killing one vampire.
I still wasn’t taking chances. Only one vampire had ever survived the poisoning.
Luckily for the Erren pack, there didn’t seem to be any sign of wolfsbane in the house.
Cassidy, her Beta, and a bunch of her enforcers were gathered in the living room. None of them looked happy, which didn’t surprise me at all.
I knew most of them by name, but didn’t bother with greetings.
“This is my mate, Bloom. I’m sure you’ll all treat her with the respect any Alpha’s mate would receive.” She stepped up beside me again, after a light nudge to her back. She was my equal, and I wasn’t going to allow her to meet people while acting like anything less.
Muttered greetings went through the group.
Unlike Cassidy, most of her wolves weren’t willing to risk pissing me off outside of a challenge.
“I’m looking for the fucker who’s targeting my investment company.” I scanned their faces, tapping into their minds lightly to get a read on them.
They’d be controlled enough not to let me feel their worry if they were responsible, but I tried anyway. They’d feel my presence and know I wasn’t there to play games.
“We’re scrambling to figure out our own investment missteps,” Cassidy said sharply. “We don’t have time to make a move against yours.”
I didn’t feel any dishonesty from her, but she hadn’t directly said that she wasn’t involved in any way.
“We’re going to need to interview each of you,” I said bluntly. “Individually.”
“You suspect us? Really, Maverick?”
“Who else should I suspect?” I looked at her.
She huffed and ran a hand through her hair. The woman looked exhausted. “Fine. I’m not a part of any movement against you, but we have nothing to hide. Take the dining room and talk to whoever you want. Even Shelley.”
The Omega she referred to waved from the couch, beaming. I knew her fairly well. She was Nolan, my Omega’s, younger sister.
Bloom stiffened, but I waved back.
I’d explain it to her later. This was one of those times where a mental bond with my mate would’ve been helpful, to clarify that there was nothing romantic between us.
“Thanks,” I told Cassidy.
She had little choice in the matter, but pleasantries were helpful in situations like this.
She eyed Bloom as we passed.
I wondered if a challenge would be coming our way, but I wasn’t going to be the one to bring it up.
Bloom and I went where we were directed. It was better to keep the peace for the time being, so we could have the Erren wolves on our side—or at least not against us—if they weren’t responsible for the murders.
The first interview went poorly.
“How are things going with the pack?” I asked Evan, one of the pack’s enforcers, tapping into his mind lightly
He said flatly, “Fine.”
“Have you heard anything about the murders in Vast City?”
“No.” He was telling the truth.
“Did you know about them, or were you involved in any way?”
“No.” Also true.
I sent him on his way.
The next seven interviews were similar. The enforcers avoided glaring at Bloom by straight-up ignoring her and staring at me as blank-faced as possible.
When we interviewed Shelley, things finally got more interesting.
Shelley was a recent transfer for the pack, and like many Omegas, more attached to the normal wolves than she was to the Alpha and Beta. Because she was Nolan’s little sister, I’d met her a handful of times.
She had his coloring, with dark brown skin, golden eyes, and thick, curly hair tied up in a large puff. Like him, she was tall and strong, built for fighting despite their designation’s inclination toward peace.
“You heard about the drama between Cassidy and Landon, right?” she asked, leaning over the table between us before I bothered asking a question.
“We didn’t,” I said.
Shelley looked over at Bloom. “Landon is the Beta. Cassidy is the Alpha. I’m the Omega, Shelley.
I don’t hate vampires like most of this pack, but I do love the pack.
Erren is gorgeous, and it’s really central, so I can get to Vast City and Mork pretty easily.
Most of my family is in Mork, but my brother and his mate are in your pack. Have you met them yet?”
“I’ve been pretty busy trying to take care of the investment company,” Bloom explained.
“Oh, Nolan told me about that. Sounds like there’s a huge mess.” She shivered. “I hate that for you.”
“Same,” Bloom said with a smile.
“What’s the drama?” I asked Shelley.
We had a bunch of other interviews to do, and we were already nearing dinnertime. The challenges hadn’t come up yet, but they would. I was hoping there would only be two or three.
Shelley leaned over the table a little more. “They started screwing.”
My eyebrows lifted. “Cassidy and Landon?”
“Mmhm. Turns out they’ve been in love with each other for years but neither wanted to admit it.” She shrugged. “There were talks of a wedding before everything went to hell with the finances. Zach was supposed to be in charge of that, but he dropped the ball.”
“Zach Harker?” I asked.
“Yeah.”
“The tech whiz, Zach Harker?” I double-checked.
“Yep. Apparently, he invested most of the pack’s money in something and it went to shit, so he ran off. He’s been gone a few weeks now. Kenna, his ex-girlfriend, thinks he’s hiding out with the Wilder pack, but you know they’re full rural. She’s not into that enough to go looking for him.”
“So Cassidy and Landon have been too busy fucking to be involved in a complicated murder plot,” I said.
“Oh, definitely. They’re still in the honeymoon stage. I’m sure you guys can relate with that immediate obsession.”
I nodded.
Bloom bit her lip.
“Any other questions?” Shelley checked.
We went through our list just to be sure, but Shelley didn’t have any other useful information.
“It was so nice to meet you, Bloom. I’m sure we’ll run into each other again at the tower! Want me to send someone else in?” she asked on her way out.
“We’ll come grab them in a minute,” I said.
“Alright. Good luck!”
Bloom looked at me. “Why is Zach the tech whiz such a big deal?”
“He’s the one who built the investment company’s infrastructure from the beginning.
We paid him a small fortune to do it, and haven’t been able to get in contact with him.
We assume he’s behind the issues we’re having with the looped security feed during the murders.
Someone broke in before we had a chance to watch the feed. ”
“So he’s definitely involved?”
“It’s likely, but someone also could’ve hacked us.”
“But if he hasn’t been here for weeks, and Cassidy and Landon have really been spending all of their time together in bed, this pack isn’t responsible,” Bloom said.
“Nope. We’ll finish out the interviews just to make sure, though.”
She nodded, and we went back to it.
Cassidy was our last one, and she admitted that between spending time with Landon and trying to figure out the financial thing, she was drowning.
Bloom gave her my investment company’s phone number, and suggested she reach out. Cassidy bit back a grimace as she took the card, but she seemed worried enough that I thought she might actually do it.
“There’s dinner at the pavilion, if you want to come,” the Alpha told me reluctantly. “And I do have a guest room you can take. I’ve heard there are a handful of women who want to challenge your vampire’s claim, so it may not be the best call, but it’s there if you want it.”
“Thanks for the offer, but we’ll pass.” I tucked Bloom close to my side. “Let us know if you hear anything about Zach or the murders.”
“I will.”
I felt Cassidy’s eyes on my mate’s back, and casually put Bloom’s body in front of mine just in case the Alpha decided to make a move against her.
We went out to my car. The sun had already set, and I was waiting for the challengers to show up, when Bloom stopped in the middle of the parking lot.
“Why is your car surrounded by women?” she murmured.
I looked over at it.
Damn.
That was definitely more than two or three.
I scanned their faces, recognizing a few of them. “Those would be your challengers.”
“You’re going to have to fight all of them?” she whispered, sounding alarmed.
“You say that like it’s a big deal.” I kept my voice light. The women weren’t a concern, thanks to my size advantage. The men behind them would be a little more difficult, but I doubted I’d break a sweat. “Don’t worry about me. I haven’t lost a fight since I was a kid.”
“Why are they bothering with a challenge if they know they’re going to lose?”
“Typically, the women want a chance to see if fate will pair me with them. They might want to tire me out before I fight someone who’s challenging me for my pack, because they know I almost never kill female challengers. Sometimes it’s a bit of both.”
“They can do that?”
“Alphas are supposed to be loved or at least respected by everyone who follows them. My position over all of the packs makes that much more difficult, so yeah, they can do that. I fight a lot more than most Alphas, and it’s always fine.”
Bloom let out a long breath. “I guess we should face them.”
“It won’t be too bad.”
“I have a hard time believing that.”
“You’ll see. For now, let’s get this over with.” I led her to my car, putting her safely inside the vehicle before speaking to the challengers.