CHAPTER 40: THE RED WOLF

(MIRA)

"Why is Maeve Frost so interested in you anyway?" Amelia asked Finn as she sat cross-legged on the new bar that had just been installed early this morning.

Finn, tenser than ever, didn’t like that I wasn’t in the office. The bar had its own door and far too many windows, not to mention, it had a separate entry into the kitchen. Despite the extra manpower watching me, Finn still thought I was too exposed in the bar.

I understood. I really did, but I’d just spent three hours in my small, cramped office listening to the others complain outside.

Rhiannon was third in the pack. She hated bodyguard duty, even if we’d sort of become friends. Amelia was fine with it but antsy, and she seemed to get off on poking at Finn. The other three guards who rotated between outside and inside were not quiet about their own annoyance for guarding the fake mate.

Fake mate. I couldn’t even complain about it. It was how I felt about myself, wasn’t it?

But a girl can only take so much, so I was spending some time touring the new upgrades.

It was amazing how much work had been done in so little time. All I needed was staffing, a menu, and a distribution order.

"Who knows," Finn said tersely. "Maybe I had a run in with one of her guards when I was a rogue."

Opening the step stool, I climbed on top and started counting the liquor bottles on the wall. Everything that had been broken was replaced, and Shiloh had apparently a few others to stock. He’d refused to send me the order form, so he was planning on paying for it out of pocket.

That meant it would have to be entered into the system manually.

"Oh, come on. There has to be something you’re not telling us because it pisses you off. Did you sleep with her when you were a rogue? She’s a little too old for you, but I hear she likes to have a new wolf in her bed every night. I bet she just ate you up," Amelia cackled.

"She isn’t the problem," I said without turning around.

Rhiannon snorted. "You haven’t been part of a pack long enough to know that all the alphas are a problem. Not just Irving ."

"Speaking of, why are we so on guard with Irving ? Your daddy killed someone he was close to?"

"The opposite actually." There was no point in keeping it a secret. "Irving was close to my father."

My response was met with utter silence, and I glanced over my shoulder. "What? You thought my father got away with all of his atrocious crimes for so long because he was smart? He had friends in high places. Until Shiloh came along, they protected him."

"Shit, really?" Amelia’s snarled. "Did he lay a hand on Cora?"

"No. I didn’t see him all that often, but he wasn’t there when Atlas took Cora. To my knowledge, he didn’t actually kill anyone. He just liked to hang out with my father."

"And you?" She asked softly. "If he touched you, you have to tell Shiloh."

Climbing down from the step stool, I moved it over to the other side. "Why do you think there are so many of you guarding me? And Shiloh can’t do anything to him. We weren’t mates then. He didn’t even know about me then."

"Wait a minute, this is too much of a coincidence. Irving is friends with your father, and now, just when you’re mated to Shiloh, he finds the excuse to come here?"

"It’s not a sudden coincidence," Rhiannon chimed in. "Mira has been Shiloh’s mate for years, and it hasn’t been a secret. He’s coming because of the witches, although he probably will try and take advantage of the situation. We need to be careful."

Her phone buzzed, and she pulled it out of her pocket. "I need to take this. Assume a two-man guard until I get back," she said before she exited the restaurant.

I watched Amelia and Finn exchange a look. Rhiannon did not sound happy when she’d left. Had something happened?

I was so keyed up. Shiloh had promised to text me when Irving arrived, but so far, there had been nothing. Either Shiloh had forgotten to notify anyone, which was unlikely, or Irving still hadn’t shown which didn’t bode well for me.

Finn and Amelia didn’t say a word while Rhiannon was gone. I finished the count and put the stepstool away. "Done. I’ll go back to the office."

"About fucking time," Finn growled.

Amelia rolled her eyes. "Do you really think Irving is going to try to kidnap her off Shiloh’s land? In broad daylight?"

"I think, Princess, that you’ve spent so much time under Shiloh’s protection that you think he hung the moon," Finn snarled back. "You have no idea what it’s like out there, no idea what other packs can be like. Your witch was taken off your land. What makes you think someone can’t get to Mira either?"

Amelia’s cheeks colored red, and I sighed. "That’s enough, you two. We’re all a little on edge. When Rhiannon returns, you two should ask for a break. Take an hour to run. Rhiannon can get some temp guards here."

Before they could argue, Rhiannon returned, and her face was ashen. "Something’s happened. Finn. Amelia, you’re to get to Irene’s. Now. Mira, the other guards and I are going to get you back to the security compound."

I stiffened. "Irene? Is everything okay?"

"No. Nothing is okay." When Finn and Amelia didn’t immediately move, she barked at them. "What are you doing? Move! Now!"

"I don’t take orders from you," Finn said as he pulled out his phone. "I’m sorry Rhiannon, but when I’m guarding Mira, I only take them from Shiloh."

"Shit, I forgot about that. Amelia, take two guards then. Finn and the other guard and I will take Mira. Go."

Amelia sprang into action, and I barely had time to put the clipboard down before Finn was strong-arming me toward the door.

"Wait, I need to do security checks on the car. Wait for me in the office," Rhiannon ordered before muttering something under her breath.

"Wait, what the hell is going on, Rhiannon?" I was tired of being pushed around. "What is wrong with Irene? Is it Irving ?"

"It’s a red wolf," she said under her breath. "And it’s not one of ours. Irene’s guards are down, and she’s gone."

The red wolf. Fear washed over me.

"It’s Irving ."

"Irving isn’t here," Rhiannon said tersely. "Enough questions. Office. Now."

After being bustled into the office, I reached for my phone which I’d left on the desk.

It wasn’t there.

"My phone. I must have left it at the bar." I needed to call Shiloh, but what was I going to say? Something that he already knew? No point in jamming up his phone.

Still, something bothered me. "Shiloh didn’t text you? To warn you?"

Finn double-checked his phone, and his troubled expression told me everything I needed to know. It was entirely possible he only had time to notify one person, and he chose Rhiannon.

"Something is wrong," Finn said. "It shouldn’t take this long to do a security check on a car."

Pulling out his radio, he tried to check on her, but all he got was static. "We’re sitting ducks in this damn restaurant. We need to get to the vehicle. Stay close to me, and if I tell you to run, you fucking run."

Sure. Run from a psychopathic werewolf. That was on option.

The river was two miles behind us. We could make a run for it and stick to the water until Shiloh came for us.

Except that I was done running, and I was tired of hiding. Like it or not, for now, this was my pack. If it was in trouble, then I was going to protect it.

I locked eyes with Finn and nodded, and we slipped out of the office and to the service exit.

One of the cars was still parked there. There was no sign of Rhiannon or the other guard.

Pushing the door open, Finn stepped outside. A wolf dropped from above us and immediately shoved him to the ground. "Finn," I screamed, but before I could do anything, hands wrapped around my waist and pulled me from behind.

It was over in a matter of seconds. One second Finn had started to shift, and the next, he was still and bleeding from the neck on the gravel.

A massive red wolf stood over him.

"He didn’t have to die," Rhiannon said, her arms still tight around him. "If he had just left when I told him, he’d still be alive. I didn’t expect him to be so loyal to you."

"My God, it was you. You betrayed Shiloh. You orchestrated Irene’s abduction. You were working with my father? Why?"

"Your father? He was a gutless cockroach whose insane need to kill nearly ruined everything," Rhiannon hissed. "His abduction of Cora set us back years. Fucking years. I don’t work for him."

"You work for Irving ?" I kept my eyes on the red wolf. "And who the fuck are you?"

The wolf stared at me, and even before he shifted, I knew who he was. I could see it in his eyes. Hear it in his voice.

I just hadn’t made the connection until now.

"We’ve been waiting a long time for this, Mira," Kelly said in a soft voice. "Don’t fight us. We’re going to make you famous."