“Damn right. Now let’s get going.” She held her hand out to Milo. “You’re going to be fine. Who can resist us when we work together? We’ll let you take the lead, and with each of us playing off each other’s strengths we’re bound to succeed.”
“I hope you’re right.”
“I’m a woman, I’m never wrong.” She smirked at him.
He took her hand and walked to Tad. “Just remember, he’ll use whatever he can against us so let’s not give him any ammunition. I opted to stay at a hotel off his land and that offended him, but since we are here representing Tabitha he can’t force the issue.”
“You’re worrying too much.” She reminded him, because it was starting to put her on edge.
“I’m used to guarding the Elders, not acting on their behalf. This is new territory for me. It should be Tad doing it, at least he has more experience with this since he represents Devon.”
“You’re the one with history with Calvin,” Tad said. “Use that to our benefit, and I’ll be there to help you with the rest. Now we’ve got to go or we’ll be late.” He closed the door behind them, and forced them onward.
She took a few calming breaths and tried to share her ease with Milo. He was wound tighter than a prodded tiger in a cage. Even Tad’s and her touch seemed to do little to calm him. With luck, the first meeting with Calvin wouldn’t go badly and things would be easily resolved.
* * *
Milo let Tad drive so he could sit in the back with Courtney. Her touch helped relax him, and he needed to prep himself. Whatever happened with Calvin could be disastrous to the Alaskan Tigers. If he didn’t submit to Tabitha’s command, then it made him an enemy—a dangerous one. The Minnesota clan was double the size of the Alaskan Tigers, making them a large threat.
Nevertheless, Milo’s clan would have the upper hand. With the Kodiak Bears, Texas Tigers, and West Virginia Tigers completely devoted to Tabitha, there was little doubt they wouldn’t be able to handle whatever issues arose. Tabitha also had her magical book that had been guiding her along the path to becoming Queen of the Tigers since meeting Ty. It would warn them if anyone planned to attack, giving them a chance to be ready.
Tad parked the SUV and glanced in the rear view mirror at them. “Ready?”
“No.” Milo laughed. “Let’s do this anyway.”
“There are already a few gathering. Courtney, come out Milo’s door. I want us all on the same side if anything happens.”
“If they threaten us we’re within our right to demand their lives.” Milo glanced out the tinted windows at the gathering, searching the crowd for Calvin who was nowhere in sight. “Even Calvin isn’t stupid. He knows if any of us are hurt on his land, Tabitha will demand he steps down as Alpha.”
“That only matters if he’s truly considering joining Tabitha.”
“What are you saying, Tad?” Courtney asked.
“Have either of you considered we might be walking into a trap? Calvin might have agreed to this meeting as a swipe at Tabitha. It’s possible he thinks this is a way to make Tabitha appear weak.”
“Thanks, Tad.” Milo shook his head. “That was just what I needed.”
“I want you to be prepared. Courtney, here’s the spare key to the SUV.” Tad reached back, handing them to her. “If anything happens, don’t worry about us. Get the hell out of here. In the glove compartment there’s a satellite phone, press and hold two and it will call someone to come and get you to safety.”
Milo raised an eyebrow. “Who?”
“I didn’t walk into this without being prepared. Theodore is waiting nearby in case shit goes wrong. He can get Courtney to safety.”
“Theodore, as in your youngest brother?” She slipped the key into the pocket of her black dress pants.
Tad nodded. “I know you’ll be safe with him.”
“Thank you, I should have thought of it.” Milo shook his head.
“You were wrapped up in everything that was going on.” She squeezed his hand.
“There’s no excuse, I risked your life and that’s unacceptable.”
“She’s right, you were concerned with other things. I had it covered and it doesn’t matter who thought of it, only that she’ll be safe if things go off track.” Tad turned back in his seat. “More are coming.”
“We should go.” Milo took a deep breath and opened the door. Quickly he stepped out before reaching back in and taking her hand to help her out. He kept his gun hand free and positioned her to his left, just slightly behind him. Enough that she was protected without making it appear he was being too cautious.
“You’re cutting it close for my Alpha’s preference.” A platinum blonde stepped out of the crowd wearing a sleek, black pinstriped business suit. “I’m Tina, his personal assistant. Now if you’ll follow me, I’ll take you to him.”
Aghast that Calvin had his own personal assistant, Milo wondered if he was that far removed from his own clan that he needed one. Taking the lead, Milo made sure Courtney was slightly behind him with Tad, keeping the crowd’s interest focused on him rather than his mates. “I explained to Calvin that we would do our best to be here, however the weather in Alaska gave us a delayed start.”
“You should have arrived last night to be in time for him.” She spoke as if he was royalty, her total dedication clear.
“That had been the plan until Calvin made changes and requested we appear tonight.”
Tina stopped and spun around to face them. “You will address him as Alpha.”
“We will do no such thing, he’s not our Alpha.” Milo glared at her, wanting to put the woman in her place. He was not a member of this clan, but he still outranked her. Tad and Courtney, feeling his anger, placed their hands on his back, and he swallowed the unsaid words. “Take us to Calvin or we will leave and you can explain to him why we’re not there. If you wish to bring his temper down on you, so be it.” Milo waited a brief second, and when she said nothing, he turned to his mates. “I will not play games with a low member of this clan. Let’s go.”
“No, no, don’t go.” Tina stumbled on her words. “I’ll take you to him. Follow me.” She quickly climbed the steps.
“You’re doing great.” Courtney reassured him before they started after Tina.
They followed her through the building, taking no notice to the people who gathered in the hallways to catch a glimpse of them. What had Calvin told them?
At the end of a long hallway, Tina stopped and turned to them. “Wait here while I announce you.” She quickly opened the door, stepped in, and shut the door behind her.
Milo took Courtney’s hand in his, caressing it. They had been led too far into the house for Courtney to get back to the SUV if things became dangerous. There didn’t seem to be any other exits once they’d made it to the third floor. She’d have to get down the steps at the end of hall and through all the shifters gathered around the first floor, along with the ones outside. She stood no chance alone. It only left him with one option; he couldn’t let things get out of control.
The door creaked open. “Come in, the Alpha will see you now.”
Milo wanted to slap the assistant, and scream at Calvin. It was clear he was brainwashing his members, since they always referred to him as Alpha and never by name.
Inside the room, it was clear how expensive Calvin’s tastes were. The space was open, with lots of windows looking over the grounds. No doubt he’d watched them arrive.
“I expected you five minutes ago.” Calvin lounged on the leather sofa.
“We’d have been here if your assistant hadn’t detained us.” Milo stepped forward, taking Courtney and Tad with him. “Calvin, I’d like you to meet my mates…”
“I know who they are and I don’t care. You should have left them at the hotel.”
“I told you they’d come with me. If you didn’t like it, someone else could have been sent here to discuss your concerns.” There was no way Milo would have left them behind as targets while he was detained with
Calvin. “Shall we get down to business?”
“Tina, bring us four whiskeys,” Calvin ordered, not answering Milo’s question.
“None for us.”
“You must join me in a drink.”
Milo shook his head. A drink wasn’t something he wanted; he only wanted this to be over, and it was impossible to know what Calvin would mix into those drinks.
“We’ve had a long trip, and a drink will only make us tired. Can we just attend to business?”
“It is rude to refuse the drink of an Alpha.” Calvin glared at them.
“At one time I might have been naive to the rules of clan life, especially when it came to the Elders and their guards, but no longer. You cannot pull the wool over my eyes.” He met Calvin’s stare with one of his. “It is only rude to refuse refreshments of one’s own Alpha, and you’re not my Alpha. But if you wish to go that route, I will point out that it was rude to request that we come tonight, instead of waiting until tomorrow once we’ve had time to rest.”
“I see you’ve grown into yourself.” Calvin took the whiskey Tina offered, swallowing it in one sip before handing the glass back to her. “Fine, if you want to get on to business, tell me why Tabitha is determined to make herself the ruler over all tigers.”
Milo nodded, and the three of them sat on another sofa across from Calvin. “Tabitha is destined to bring us together for our sake. One day we’ll be able to live in harmony among the humans. Wouldn’t you like to live without having to worry if someone finds out our secret? This world would allow us to be as one to fight those against us instead of standing alone.”
“Having humans know about us means nothing to me. They are lesser creatures than us. If we’re going to announce we live among them, we should put ourselves in a position of power over them.”
“I won’t stand for you speaking that way about them. Courtney is a human, and there are many others I know who are dedicated to our kind.” Milo took Courtney’s hand. “Now if you will explain to me what is holding you back from committing to Tabitha, then we can get started.”
“I wasn’t able to stay this over the phone, but I will commit this clan to Tabitha as the Queen…if she’s willing to assist me with some minor details.” Instead of reaching for another whiskey from Tina, he grabbed the bottle.
“Committing to the Queen of the Tigers isn’t for personal gain.”
Milo couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Surely his only friend hadn’t completely lost his mind, thinking he could manipulate them to give him what he wanted.
Chapter Seventeen
Milo took a deep breath and slid to the edge of the sofa.
“If you’re trying to use us to get something you want, it’s not going to happen. We will take our leave now, and will leave your land tomorrow. I have not come here to compromise a deal where we will be manipulated.”
“You do not understand.” Calvin took another long swing from the whiskey bottle. “I need your help to keep my clan. There is much uproar within my ranks and I’m losing control. There has already been on attack on my rule, and my Lieutenant was killed in the attack. I have another forty-two hours before I must announce a new Lieutenant.”
“Why? What’s the reason your members are trying to overthrow you?”
Calvin finished the bottle and handed it to his assistant. “Another one.”
“Calvin?” Milo had begun to wonder if the clan wasn’t trying to overthrow him because of his drinking problem. Shifters had to drink a lot in order to get drunk and even then it would wear off quickly, forcing him to drink more to stay drunk. Or it might be his attitude, as Calvin always believed he was superior to everyone else.
“I do not know, only that they want me out of power.” Calvin sat the bottle down with a heavy bang. “There are still some among my clan that are loyal but not enough to keep my position. My life might not be as important as yours is, but I do not wish to die.”
“We’re not here to make you a stronger Alpha, you have to keep your position yourself.” Milo wanted to shake Calvin for his stupidity. Instead of proving himself as an Alpha, he had barricaded himself on the third floor. While they waited for a chance to kill him, Milo was sure someone else had already begun to take on the role of Alpha within the clan. There had to be a new group of Elders forming floors below, while his former friend sat up here drinking and feeling sorry for himself.
“Then what good is this commitment to the Queen if she won’t help the Alphas following her?”
“We’ll help you with your enemies, but when it comes to you keeping your command that is something that you must do. You won’t be respected if someone else has to step in and take control of your clan.” Milo looked around the room before continuing. “Hiding out here isn’t going to make your problems go away. If anything it will make them worse.”
“What would you know? When have you ever had people depending on you?” Calvin screamed at him.
“He’s not the same young tiger you once knew.” Tad finally spoke. “The changes in Milo from when he first joined the clan until now make him a completely different person. His role in the clan is one of authority, he has people depending on him.”
“I smell the bear within you.” Calvin rose and stalked to the window. “Your word means little to me, you know nothing of living in the clan.”
“Seems you should have done your research.” Tad smirked. “On the contrary, my family is very different than other bear sleuths. We are very much like the Alaskan Tigers, and more to the point I’ve been spending more time at the compound than on my sleuth’s land. I’ve accompanied Milo on missions that saved countless lives, and have protected our kind from the dangers that haunt us.”
“You’re not a tiger, you’ll never understand.” Calvin didn’t look back at them, only continued to stand his ground. Milo’s old friend needed a wakeup call.
“Tiger, bear, wolf, or lion, it doesn’t matter…we all have the same problems.” Milo had grown tired of Calvin’s outdated views, and he was growing irritated. “Maybe the tigers are dealing with a different aspect right now with the rogues continuing on with Pierce’s plans, but we all have a common enemy of hunters. If humans find out about us without some preparations, we will be hunted down and killed or worse yet used for experiments. None of us want that, which is why Tabitha’s claimed her destiny. Either you are with us or you’re against us. It’s your choice.”
“Help me then.” Calvin begged, the nearly empty whiskey bottle sagging in his hand, ready to slip through his fingers. “I have a large clan that could be at your disposal if you assist me in keeping my position. Do this and I’ll make my commitment to the Queen of the Tigers.”
“That is not something we’re doing. I explained what joining us would mean for you. Being against us, your clan will be seen as an opponent. Choose to go against us and I vow you’ll lose your position.” He nodded to Tad and Courtney, his gaze drifting to the door to make it clear they’d be leaving.
He let Tad lead the way with Courtney close by, and he took up the rear before glancing back to Calvin. “Old friend, it’s time to grow a pair and defend your title or step down before they kill you.”
They were nearly at the staircase when a deep growl quaked the building, shaking the pictures on the wall, vibrating the glass in the windows. “Go!” Milo ordered, ready to draw his gun if any of the clan members took this as a signal to attack.
Running down the three flights of steps, they hurried back the way they came. Everyone who had gathered to watch them enter was gone. Milo tensed, the eerie emptiness making him uncomfortable. Where were they?
With the front door less than fifty feet away, Milo almost let out a sigh as they rounded the last corner—until he saw where everyone had gone. Three large men were blocking the door, while at least twenty other men positioned themselves around the large foyer. Women and children were missing from the gathering, making things more dangerous.
Milo and Tad circled Courtney, placing h
er safely between them, and neither of them pulled their weapons even though they were ready to. Milo faced the men in front of the door who were clearly in charge.
“We have no problems with you, we only want to leave. There’s no need for anyone to get hurt here today.”
“We’re not gathered to hurt you, only to warn you.” The shortest of the three laughed.
“Silence, Aaron.” The man in the middle, who wore a freshly pressed suit, stepped forward. “I’m Christian, and I know who you are.” He held out a hand to Milo.
He took the hand that was offered. “What is the meaning of this?”
“Calvin has been keeping things very close to the vest, hiding out on the third floor and neglecting his duties. Your visit was only announced this morning or you’d have been contacted already.”
“What are you getting at, Christian?”
“The clan is tired of walking on egg shells around Calvin. His moods fluctuate too drastically, and it’s time for a change. We have a battle on our hands that you don’t need to be a part of.”
Milo nodded. “We have no desire to get involved with it, that is your clan’s business. We’re only here representing Tabitha, Queen of the Tigers.”
“I’m well aware she has taken hold of her destiny.” Christian looked to the men who stood by the door before he turned back to face Milo. “I believe you had planned to be in town for a few days to get things arranged with the clan. If that’s still correct then once this business tonight is taken care of I’d like to meet with you to discuss the standing of the Minnesota Tigers.”
“We’ll be here for a few days, and I’ll gladly sit down with the new Alpha whenever it’s convenient.” Milo took Courtney’s hand, leaving his gun hand free in case things changed. “If you’ll excuse us, we’ve had a long journey.”
Christian waved his hand and the men standing in front of the door stepped aside, holding it open. “I’ll send word when things are complete and I’m ready to meet with you.” He moved out of the way, leaving them to pass without issue.
Without delay, Milo led Courtney outside, Tad watching their backs as they quickly made their way to the SUV. It had been bad timing to come in the middle of a fight for control.
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