by M. A. Church
Clarence chuckled. “It’s certainly been an interesting meeting.” I always have ideas, but first I need to know what’s going on.
Warwick had shared his blood with Clarence over two hundred years ago, allowing them to speak telepathically and extending Clarence’s life span. It was a secret dragonkind guarded closely because in battle it could be a deadly weapon. Even so, they were friends, nothing more. Clarence had abilities Warwick knew could be useful to him, plus he generally liked the man. In return for extending his life, Clarence worked for Warwick with the knowledge that he could leave whenever he wanted.
“Indeed.” Alpha Montgomery has a male Omega pup who became a man according to their pack laws today, thus the party we interrupted. I saw him standing outside when I confronted the Alpha. I want him. “The Alpha did say he’d do anything. Hard to pass up that kind of open-ended promise.”
“Yes, sir.” Oh my, how I did miss such a reaction as that? “What do you need from me?”
“Do you have the Alpha’s file with you?” I sincerely hope you’re not the only one who missed it. Once the Alpha figures out I want his son, he’s going to try to bargain with me.
Are you going to allow him to do so? “Yes, sir.” Clarence opened his briefcase and dug through it. “Here you go.”
To a certain point. Warwick pretended to take the file. He didn’t think the office had cameras in it, watching them. As sensitive as his hearing was, he didn’t pick up the telltale buzz of a camera. On the other hand, he was positive the Alpha werewolf was eavesdropping at the door. It was one of the reason he was communicating telepathically with Clarence.
“Thank you.” As quickly as you can, go through the information and pick the three most profitable businesses owned by him and not ones where he is a shareholder. You know what I’m looking for.
Yes, sir. “You’re welcome.” Give me a couple of minutes.
Warwick made a big production out of taking a long breath, as if he was contemplating something. “Amuse yourself while I look through these papers.” They had to keep up the sham for the werewolf listening outside the door.
Several minutes passed as Clarence searched through the information on Alpha Montgomery’s holdings. Warwick tapped his finger against the chair arm as Clarence continued to scan the papers. Finally Clarence looked up and nodded.
Excellent. Thank you. “Alpha Montgomery, we’re done. Would you like to join us?” Warwick didn’t bother to raise his voice. He wanted Alpha Montgomery to know he was aware the Alpha was eavesdropping.
The door swung open, and Alpha Montgomery stomped inside.
Warwick waited until the Alpha was seated, then steepled his fingers underneath his chin. He stared at the Alpha until he squirmed uncomfortably in his chair. “Let’s cut to the chase. By midnight tonight your time is up, and you don’t have the money.”
“No. I don’t.”
Warwick shook his head sadly. “It never ceases to amaze me how someone who obviously has a head for business can allow himself to get in such a predicament. But that’s not my problem. You owe me an enormous sum of money, which you are unable to pay. According to the papers you signed, I would be well within my right to take everything you have and cast your pack out.”
“But—”
“But I’m not going to.”
Alpha Montgomery’s mouth dropped open. “Y-you’re not?”
“No, I’m not.” Warwick did enjoy the look on the Alpha’s face. Surely he didn’t think it was going to be that simple? He smiled, and it certainly wasn’t pleasant. “You offered to do anything, remember?”
“Yes, I did. Whatever you want.” Alpha Montgomery spoke quickly, obviously warming up to the subject. “I, um, I understand you’re not mated. My youngest daughter isn’t mated either, and—”
“I have no interest in females.”
“Oh.” Alpha Montgomery deflated. “Then I’m not too sure…. What could you possibly want, then?”
“Your son, the Omega. Avery, I believe his name is. You will give him to me, along with—” Warwick glanced at Clarence. Clarence cleared his throat and rattled off the names of the businesses of Alpha Montgomery’s. “Along with those three.”
“What?” Alpha Montgomery bellowed.
Warwick wasn’t sure which offended the Alpha more—the fact that he wanted his son or three of his businesses.
“My son is an Omega. Do you have any idea the prestige attached to such a title?” Alpha Montgomery demanded. “And those businesses you mentioned? Those are my most profitable.”
Warwick crossed one leg over the other and settled back into the chair. “His title means nothing to me, considering I’m a dragon. We don’t have such. As far as those restaurant businesses go, that’s exactly why I want them. Understand, even with those and your son, that still doesn’t come close to what you owe me.”
Alpha Montgomery slammed his fist down on his desk. “How can you possibly put a price on what somebody is worth?”
Alpha werewolves and drama seem to go hand in hand. “Interesting you should bring that up. Were you or were you not trying to forge a profitable alliance tonight by inviting several prospective werewolves to meet your son?”
Alpha Montgomery paled. “How… how did you know that?”
Honestly, did this werewolf not know anything about dragons? “Doesn’t matter how I know. Tell me, Alpha Montgomery, how much would have an alliance brought you? Did you honestly think it would cover the amount you owe me? Not to mention that you left it to literally the last minute.”
“I… I had hoped his dowry would’ve been enough to show that I was, in good faith, going to pay you.”
“Unbelievable. So you were not only going to sell your son, you were going to try to scam me into letting you have more time to pay off the loan even though you knew perfectly well the due date had passed by midnight. Your gall amazes me.”
“I refuse to give him to you so you can just… just… use him as if he’s nothing more than a—”
“For your sake, I suggest you don’t finish that sentence. I would never dishonor your son by reducing him to nothing more than a kept man. I will join with him, and as my mate, he couldn’t have a higher title. He’ll be the most important treasure in my hoard.”
“That’s all you want?”
“That’s it. The honor of mating your son and the three businesses named. Really, you’re getting a deal here.”
“Can I…. Can I be the one to tell him? This needs to come from me. He’s going to be upset enough as it is, and I… I love my son. No matter what else you may think of me, believe me when I tell you I do love my son.”
Warwick kept his thoughts to himself. He would have preferred to be the one to tell Avery, but maybe having it come from his family would be better. Warwick was well aware he wasn’t the easiest dragon to deal with.
“Fine. I’ll have the papers drawn up and will return tomorrow for you to sign them. If your son refuses to go through with the mating, then the deal is off. I’ll take everything you own and evict every last werewolf off this land. Do we have an agreement?”
“We do,” Alpha Montgomery said, a beaten look on his face. “I’ll meet with you at three tomorrow afternoon. Is that acceptable?”
Since he had nothing planned, there was no reason why he couldn’t allow Alpha Montgomery to set the time. “Yes. I’ll see you then.” Warwick stood and held out his hand. Anger flashed across Alpha Montgomery’s face before he finally shook hands. Warwick followed Clarence from the office.
As they walked among the werewolves, he sensed the unease and hostility directed toward him. Honestly, what did they have to be upset about? At least they wouldn’t find themselves kicked out of their homes in a week’s time. He scanned the many bodies around him but couldn’t find Avery.
It didn’t matter. Tomorrow he’d have the one he wanted.
Chapter Three
“YOU what?” Avery shouted.
He grabbed the back of the chair in front
of his father’s desk, his knees suddenly weak. What a perfect ending to an otherwise miserable birthday party. After their unexpected guest left, everyone else also cleared out and he’d been called to his father’s office.
“How many more times do I have to say it?”
“A couple more times, apparently, because I still can’t believe what I’m hearing, Father.” Avery heard the words—they just didn’t make sense. Okay, strike that. They made sense, but he didn’t want to believe them. Mated… to that dragon who was there last night—Warwick Ehecatl. He couldn’t fathom it.
Alpha Montgomery scowled at Avery. “Careful.”
Avery heard the warning, and those weak knees of his trembled, but why should he be careful when his father so obviously had not been? “So you’re telling me you took a loan out pretty much the same day I was born. Right? From a dragon who is basically a loan shark.” How messed-up was that?
“Yes.” Alpha Montgomery paced back and forth behind his desk.
“A really, really big loan.”
“That is correct.” Alpha Montgomery huffed.
“A loan you knew was going to come due in a hundred years. A loan”—Avery stressed—“you didn’t make any provisions to pay off.” It still boggled his mind.
Alpha Montgomery stopped pacing and stared at Avery. Nonchalantly he waved his hand. “I don’t expect you to understand all the ins and outs of such things.”
Avery crossed his arms. He was so tired of being treated like he didn’t have a brain in his head. “I understand enough to know you don’t have the money.”
Alpha Montgomery growled, displaying his enormous fangs. “Watch what you say to me. I will not tolerate disrespect from my own pup.”
Avery uncrossed his arms and quickly tilted his head to the side, displaying his throat in a sign of submission. He knew he’d been pushing and was surprised his father let him get away with as much as he had. Once his father was satisfied with his gesture, he quit growling. Avery relaxed, then pinched the bridge of his nose. A headache was brewing.
He wanted to point out he would’ve had enough sense to put money back to pay off the loan, but decided he’d pushed his luck enough for one day. His father never laid a hand on any of them—he really did love all his pups—and he didn’t want to start a new tradition now.
“I’m sorry, Father. Maybe I was being disrespectful, but that doesn’t change the fact that I’m right.”
Alpha Montgomery bristled for a few more moments and then his shoulders drooped. “I-I shouldn’t have snapped at you. Without going into details, it’s sufficient to say I don’t have the money. You must understand, that dragon has me by the balls. If he doesn’t get you and my three most profitable businesses, he’ll kick the pack off our land and take everything we own. I can’t let that happen.”
“Of course not, Father.” Of course he couldn’t.
They had a lot of members—then add in all their homes. All those families left homeless. Plus they had stores they owned through the Alpha. Then factor in all the land those homes and property sat on. Altogether, they were talking millions and millions of dollars that could be lost. So compared to all of that, what was one pup and three businesses?
He was afraid he was going to be sick all over his father’s fancy Persian rug.
“I don’t have a choice. Surely you understand that. The mere thought of having to start completely over at my age is terrifying.” Alpha Montgomery sat in a chair behind his desk. “It’s not like it was a hundred years ago, even. So much land has already been claimed and, well… I simply can’t.”
Then you should’ve been saving money. Avery glanced around at all the wealth surrounding them—the expensive paintings and signed artwork. Had his father ever entertained the possibility of cutting back his expenditures or selling assets? Had he even tried to rein in his daughters and his wife? Hell, Avery was just as guilty. He ran his hand down his cashmere sweater. But he hadn’t known.
But then, that was only one problem on his plate. While he’d always known an arranged marriage might loom in his future, he’d never entertained the thought that his mate would be anything other than another werewolf. “If I do this—”
“If?” Alpha Montgomery snorted. “Do you really think you have a choice in the matter?”
Robbed speechless by his father’s arrogance, Avery debated walking out of his office. Fuck yes, he had a choice. It wasn’t much of one, but by all the gods, it was a choice. He also knew that wouldn’t solve anything.
“I’m of age. You can’t force me into a match, especially a match with a dragon.” Regardless of who I think he might be to me.
“Want to bet? Tell me, how do you suppose you’re going to survive without your pack around you?” Alpha Montgomery demanded.
Forget weak knees. They’d turned to water. As discreetly as he could, he dropped his butt in one of the chairs in front of his father’s desk. Surely he misunderstood. “Wh-what are you saying?”
“I thought it was fairly clear.” Alpha Montgomery’s doleful stare fixed on Avery. “If you force me into having to relocate and start over, I’ll be doing it minus one pup.”
Avery knew his father could be ruthless, but he never thought he’d be on the receiving end of it. No matter how he looked at it, it was a lose-lose situation… for him. “Would you really do that to me?”
Instead of answering, Alpha Montgomery glared at him. “Do you not understand what a privilege it is to be mated to a dragon? They’re the top predator in the paranormal community. No one fucks with them. Quite honestly, as his mate, your position would be equal to mine.”
Then you mate him. He, of course, didn’t say that. Nor did Avery point out that his position as a dragon’s mate would make him higher than his father in the paranormal hierarchy. But hey, why borrow trouble?
“Not only that, he’s rich. Incredibly rich,” Alpha Montgomery said.
Dammit, money wasn’t everything. “I would assume so, since he’s a dragon. Especially this one, since he’s basically nothing more than a modern-day moneylender.”
Everybody knew about dragons. Once a dragon got obsessed with something, there was no stopping them. They would do anything it took to possess whatever it was they wanted. Most dragons collected gold and precious gems. Granted, he’d heard rumors of other dragons who collected things like ribbons or rocks, so not all of them were preoccupied with pretty, sparkly things. But by the gods, he wasn’t a thing.
In the end, it didn’t matter what they collected. They were very possessive of their hoard.
“Avery, I know you feel like I betrayed—”
The office door slammed open and bounced-back. Mandy slapped her hand on the door, keeping it from hitting her. Her eyes blazed. “You’re giving him to a dragon? A dragon? Was it that bastard who was here last night?”
Giving. Ha! Just slap a bow on me and call it a day. Avery gazed at his sister in amazement, though. He didn’t know whether to shove her out of the room or hug her for her audacity. He sneaked a peek at his father, who also was looking on with an odd mixture of acquiescence and affection.
“Mandy—”
“No!” Mandy stormed into the office and smacked her hands on their father’s desk. She leaned over it. “Why? Why a dragon?”
Avery blinked in surprise. Fierceness rolled off Mandy. He’d seen her mad before, but nothing like this. The power surrounding her was impressive. Even he hadn’t known she was capable of this, and they were close.
Why didn’t his father see how perfect she would be as their Alpha? He glanced back at his father, who was now scowling. Oh man. Maybe he should try to defuse the situation before Mandy and their father ended up at each other’s throat.
Avery exhaled softly. “Because Father owes him a lot of money and can’t pay. He took out a loan, and it’s come due.”
“Still,” Mandy said. “There must be another way to—”
“The choices are mating or leaving. Do you want to get kicked off our pack
lands?” Alpha Montgomery demanded. “We would be homeless… all of us. Including you. I’d either have to fight another Alpha in a bid to take over his pack or try to find territory that was unclaimed and start over.”
Mandy straightened and crossed her arms over her chest. “But surely you could—”
“You can’t possibly comprehend how difficult that would be.” Alpha Montgomery paused, then lowered his voice. “I’m not a young wolf anymore, Mandy. I’m not… I’m not sure I could win a challenge now.”
Avery’s mouth dropped open. Never in a million years had he dreamed he’d hear his father admit to such. He flashed a quick look at Mandy. She appeared to be as dumbstruck as he was. He had to stop this before it went any further. Besides, it wasn’t like he had much of a choice, especially after he had gotten a whiff of that dragon.
“I’ll do it.”
Both his father and Mandy turned to him in surprise. Quickly he continued while he had both of their attention on him.
“But, Father, if I do this, I want something in return from you.” Wasn’t there an old human saying about striking while the iron was hot?
Alpha Montgomery’s eyes narrowed. “That depends on what you want.”
“From where I’m sitting, it doesn’t look like you’re in position to bargain with me.” Avery knew he was taking a huge chance by saying that, but his father had to understand how serious he was about this.
His Alpha’s eyebrows rose up until they practically met his hairline. “Is that so?”
“Yes. You admitted something I never thought I’d hear you say, but that also made up my mind. We can’t start over, and I won’t allow the pack to be destroyed over your bad judgment.”
The instinctive need to bare his throat swept through Avery when his father growled again, but that growl was more one of displeasure than a warning.
“If I mate with this Warwick guy, our pack will be secure. But it still doesn’t answer the question of who will follow you as Alpha. You have the power to change our laws, don’t you?”
“Yes, I do.”
“Good. Then in return for me doing this, I want you to change the law so females can fight for the Alpha position.” Avery waved his hand at Mandy, who had dropped down in the chair next to his. “Tell me, is there anybody else in our pack who’d have the balls to storm in here and confront you? Before you answer that, we both know the answer is no.”