Strength of an Assassin [Assassins Inc. 3] (The Stormy Glenn ManLove Collection)

by Stormy Glenn

  “You always have a family with us, Henry.”

  I’m sure Sinclair meant that to be reassuring, but it just reminded me that my own mother didn’t want me.

  I bawled louder.

  When my cries wound down and I took the Kleenex Samson held out to me, I was ready to go back to our room. Embarrassment at my display washed over me.

  “Oh god.”

  “There’s nothing for you to be embarrassed about, baby. You’ve had a shock.”

  “We’ve all been there, Henry.”

  I lifted my head and turned to look at Shade.

  “Panthers aren’t known as warm and fuzzy people,” Shade said. “We have a reputation for not forming familial bonds. What Sinclair has been able to do here, bringing us all together to form a pride, is unprecedented in the shifter world.”

  I wasn’t sure what that had to do with my mother hating me.

  Or me blubbering all over the place.

  “Each one of us has had some sort of shock, and while they hurt, we have found that they make us stronger people. We have also found that by forming our pride, we always have a family to help us along the way.”

  That basically was what a pride was.

  “If you’re going to join this pride, Henry,” Sinclair said, “there is something else you need to be aware of.”

  I glanced at the man, curious.

  “I’m a hyena shifter.”

  I waited for more.

  “Do you understand what I’m saying? I’m a hyena.”

  “Yes, I understand what you said.”

  I wasn’t an idiot.

  Sinclair lifted his eyebrows. “That doesn’t bother you?”

  I glanced up at Samson to see what his reaction to that question was, but the man was just staring at me.

  I couldn’t read his expression.

  “No, should it?” I asked when I looked back at Sinclair.

  “Hyenas aren’t well liked by the rest of the shifter world.”

  “Neither are omegas,” I pointed out.

  Sinclair grinned. “Touché.”

  “I’ve heard the stories.” How could I not? “I know what sort of reputation hyenas have. But I think I have a unique perspective.”

  “How so?” Sinclair asked.

  “Well, as an omega, people tend to treat me a certain way, much like how hyenas are treated a certain way. I was born an omega. It’s a product of my birth, but that’s not all that I am, just as I’m sure being a hyena isn’t all that you are. It’s just a part of who you are. And it’s wrong for people to treat you a certain way based on that alone.”

  I jumped when Shade started clapping.

  “Very well said, Henry. I, for one, think that the world missed out when they dismissed you simply because of something you had no control over.”

  Huh.

  “Thank you?”

  Was that the appropriate response?

  “Are you ready to join our pride, baby?”

  I lifted my gaze to Samson. “You really want me to join your pride?”

  “We all do, Henry,” Sinclair said.

  I was surprised at the sincerity I could hear in the alpha’s voice. It sounded as if he truly meant what he said.

  “Just think,” Bob added as he held the Maine Coon up, “if you join the pride, then Mustachio can be your cat, too.”

  “Bob,” Shade admonished, “no cats at the dining table.”

  “He’s part of this family, too,” Bob mumbled as he set the huge cat down on the floor. “He should have his own seat.”

  I smiled. One of these days someone was going to inform the man that shifters had fantastic hearing.

  “Hey, Bob?”

  Bob’s shoulders were slumped and the corners of his mouth had turned down. The poor man looked as if someone had just sent him to bed without his supper. “Yeah?”

  “I know some great recipes for kitty treats.”

  Bob perked up. “Really?”

  I nodded. “Want me to teach you how to make them? They’re actually pretty easy and very good for cats.”

  I’d never do anything that would bring harm to the feline.

  Bob’s grin went from ear to ear, and I knew I had just gained a friend. “That would be great.”

  “Thank you,” Shade mouthed as he hugged Bob.

  I nodded.

  Bob’s eyebrows suddenly furrowed. “If they’re good for Mustachio and Derp, can panthers eat them when in their feline form?”

  A burst of laughter shot out of my mouth when all the panther shifters sitting around the table groaned. “Yes, Bob, they’re all made with natural stuff that’s harmless to cats and panthers. You could probably even eat them while in human form.”

  “Yeah, but how do they taste?” Sinclair asked.

  “Not too bad, actually,” I replied. “I’ve tried a few. I would never feed an animal something I wouldn’t eat myself.”

  Bob nodded as if in total agreement with what I had said. “I’ll start looking for a cat for you. Also, what is your favorite color? Mustachio’s leash and harness are black. Derp’s are red. I don’t want to get you the same color. They could get mixed up and then how would we ever take them to the park?”

  “I don’t wa—green.” I squeaked when Samson squeezed my thigh. “I like green.”

  “Oh, I like green. Black looks better on Mustachio because of his coloring, but green is nice, too. I’ll try to find you a cat that will look good in green.”

  I shot a stricken look at Shade, hoping the man would intercede and keep Bob from getting me a cat.

  What was I going to do with a cat?

  The man wouldn’t meet my eyes.

  Bastard.

  “Are you ready to be part of our pride?” Sinclair asked.

  My heart sank.

  It wasn’t that I didn’t want to be part of my pride. It was sadness that I wouldn’t be part of my old pride anymore. I had been born in that pride, and it felt as if I was abandoning them.

  “You don’t have to make that decision right now, baby.”

  “It’s not that,” I quickly assured my mate. “I want to be part of your pride. I just…”

  “You feel as though you’re betraying your pride?” Sinclair asked.

  “In a way. I mean, I’m not. You always join the pride or pack of your mate. That’s just the way it’s done.”

  “Would it help if we talked to your alpha first? Informed him that you’re transferring prides?”

  I shrugged. “Maybe?”

  Sinclair smiled as he wheeled around and started down the hallway. “Let’s go to my office and call him.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Samson

  Even if we hadn’t been mated, I would have been able to tell Henry was anxious. I wished there was some way I could reassure my mate, but I was pretty sure only talking to his alpha would do that.

  All I could do was be there to support him.

  I wrapped an arm around Henry’s shoulders as we walked down the hallway to Sinclair’s office, pulling him close to my side.

  I wasn’t surprised when Stone followed us into the office and shut the door. Sinclair didn’t go too many places without the large panther following behind him.

  Being possessive seemed to be a natural part of mating.

  I sat on the love seat and pulled Henry down next to me, tucking the man into my side once again. I smiled and pressed a kiss to the top of his head when Henry wiggled closer and then laid his head down on my chest.

  “I’m sorry,” Henry whispered. “Please don’t think I don’t want to be a part of your pride, because I do. I just—”

  “It’s okay, baby. I have no problem with you checking in with your alpha first.”

  Henry’s brown eyes peeked up at me through the long fall of his bangs.

  “You’re not mad?”

  “At you?” I shook my head. “Never.”

  Henry’s deep sigh seemed to relieve some of the tension in his body. He slumped against me
, his head pressing harder.

  “I’m going to put this on speaker phone so you can hear what is said,” Sinclair said, “but you need to let me handle this as the alpha and panther councilman. I’ve dealt with Alpha Darby before. I’m hoping the request coming directly from me will convince the man to allow Samson back into his territory.”

  Henry didn’t lift his head, but he nodded.

  I kept my arms tight around him as I watched Sinclair dial Alpha Darby. It really sucked that my mate belonged to the very same pride where I had fucked up so badly. Alpha Darby had truly been pissed when he learned I was in his territory unannounced.

  I didn’t think he really cared why I was there, just that I was.

  “Hello?”

  “This is Councilman Sinclair. I’d like to speak with Alpha Darby.”

  “What can I do for you, Councilman Sinclair? Lose another panther?”

  “Alpha Darby?”

  “Yes.”

  “I wanted to talk to you about Henry—”

  “Are you the one who made that fucking phone call to his mother?” Alpha Darby shouted through the phone. “If I get my hands on you—”

  I hugged Henry tighter when he whimpered at the anger in the alpha’s voice.

  “Look, this is a difficult situation for all of us,” Sinclair said. “I would appreciate it if you would tell me why Henry’s mother doesn’t want to talk to him.”

  “Because he’s dead, you fucking idiot!”

  The only sound in the room was Henry’s gasp.

  “Can you tell me how Henry died?”

  “Seriously?” Alpha Darby snapped.

  “Please,” Sinclair said.

  “You want all the gory details or just the highlights?”

  “Alpha Darby—”

  The man’s heavy sigh carried through the phone line, telling everyone in the room how painful this was for him. I felt bad for the guy.

  Just not as bad as I felt for Henry.

  “It was a car accident. Henry and a friend went out barhopping. Apparently, Henry was driving drunk. He lost control of the vehicle and it went off the road. The car went over a cliff and exploded on impact. Henry didn’t survive.”

  I tilted Henry’s head until my lips brushed his ear. “Isn’t Gene the guy who sold you?” I murmured.

  Henry nodded.

  I held up my hand and made a motion that I needed something to write with. Stone brought me a small pad of paper and a pen. I quickly wrote down what I suspected had happened. It was nothing I could prove without more investigation, but this little story seemed all too convenient to me.

  Stone’s eyebrows rose when he read what I’d written. He glanced at me.

  I nodded.

  “Damn,” he mouthed before taking the pad over for Sinclair to read.

  Sinclair gave me the same surprised look before speaking again. “What happened to the friend who was with Henry? Did he die in the accident, too?”

  “No, Gene was lucky. He got tossed from the vehicle before it went over the cliff. He walked away with some scrapes and scratches.”

  “I see.”

  “Where is this all going, Sinclair?” Alpha Darby asked. He sounded a little less hostile, but just a little. “Why do you want to know how Henry died?”

  “Because you have a problem in your pride, Alpha Darby.”

  “Excuse me?”

  Sinclair nodded at Henry.

  Henry’s voice wobbled a little when he spoke. I couldn’t tell if he was anxious, nervous, or both. “I’m not dead, Alpha Darby. Gene sold me to—”

  “Henry?”

  “Yes, sir?”

  “Holy fucking shit! It wasn’t a crank phone call.”

  Henry slumped as if the weight of the conversation was more than he could handle. “No, sir.”

  “Holy—your mother and father, they are going to be so—where have you been, Henry?”

  “I was trying to tell you, sir,” Henry replied. “Gene sold me to some humans who were kidnapping shifters and forcing them to fight in pits. I’ve been a prisoner until yesterday when my mate and I escaped.”

  “Your mate?”

  I chuckled when Henry glanced at me.

  “Hello, Alpha Darby.” I couldn’t help my grin. “Henry and I met in the pit. I was supposed to kill him. I mated him instead.”

  “Samson?” Alpha Darby growled.

  “Yep.”

  “Fucking hell.”

  My grin grew when the alpha swore. He knew what was coming. “I’d appreciate if you rescinded your order for me not to enter your territory. My mate would very much like to see his parents, and with Gene and the guy he sold Henry to still out there, I can’t let him go alone.”

  “Fucking hell.”

  “Henry also wanted to talk to you before joining my pride. He—”

  “You belong to a pride?” There was pure surprise in Darby’s voice.

  “I do.”

  “I thought panthers didn’t join prides.”

  “It’s a small pride.”

  “Who’s your alpha?” Darby asked. “Let me talk to him.”

  I glanced at Sinclair, unsure of how to answer that.

  “I’m the alpha of this pride, Alpha Darby,” Sinclair said.

  “But…”

  Sinclair didn’t say anything. He merely lifted his eyebrow as if Darby could see the action.

  “I thought you were the temporary councilman for the panthers.”

  “I am.”

  “But aren’t you in…”

  Sinclair smirked. “In a wheelchair?”

  “Yes.”

  “I am,” Sinclair replied. “I’m still alpha.”

  “How?”

  Sinclair rolled his eyes. I’d bet he got this question every time someone learned he was the alpha of our pride.

  “Because he’s the strongest of all of us, Alpha Darby,” I answered for Sinclair. “As alpha, you know the pride chooses their alpha. They choose the person they feel can lead them the best. When we formed our pride, it was unanimous. We all chose Sinclair.”

  “Huh.” Alpha Darby seemed as perplexed as most people were when finding out Sinclair had been chosen to lead us.

  Despite the talk about alphas, I knew we still had one really large hurdle to get past. “I would like your permission to bring my mate into your territory to see his parents and visit his friends.”

  “Yes, of course. Henry is always welcome here, even if he does join your pride.”

  “And me?” I wanted to hear the man say it. I wanted everyone to hear the man say it.

  Alpha Darby gave a long-suffering sigh. “Yes, Samson, as long as you are accompanying your mate, you are welcome to visit my territory. If you are here for any other reason, I expect a phone call from your alpha.”

  “Fair enough.”

  It was actually more than fair, considering the situation.

  “We still need to talk about what happened to Henry, Alpha Darby.” Sinclair glanced at Henry and me. “I need to know it’s safe for him to visit. I can’t in all good conscience allow Henry to visit if he’s going to be in danger.”

  I growled as my hackles rose.

  “I need to know exactly what happened. The man you’re accusing is training to be one of my betas. I can’t just take your word on it. I need specifics.”

  “Go ahead, baby,” I told Henry. “Tell him what happened.”

  Henry swallowed hard before beginning his tale. “Well…”

  I held on tightly to Henry as he told his alpha everything that had happened to him from the time Gene said he wanted to go barhopping up until this moment. It wasn’t an easy story to tell.

  It was even harder to hear.

  By the time Henry finished speaking, my anger at Gene had grown into a full-blown rage. I wanted the man to pay for what he had done to Henry, slowly and painfully.

  I could tell from the grim expressions on the others in the room that they felt the same. Whether Alpha Darby believed Henry or not,
Gene’s life span had just been greatly shortened. I’d make sure of it.

  And this time, I’d make sure Alpha Darby never even knew I was in his territory.

  “I’m sorry this happened to you, Henry,” Alpha Darby finally said.

  “Then you believe me?” Henry asked.

  “You’ve never lied to me in the past, Henry. I see no reason for you to start now.”

  “I’m not, I swear.”

  “I know, Henry. I just have to figure out what to do about it.”

  I had a few suggestions. None of them involved Gene breathing for much longer.

  “I know I’m asking a lot,” the alpha said, “but would you be willing to put off calling your parents for a little longer? Until Gene is dealt with, he’s a threat to you and anyone you care about. I need time to deal with him.”

  Henry didn’t say anything, but I felt his hot tears on my skin.

  “May I make a suggestion?” Stone asked.

  “And you are?”

  “My apologies, Alpha Darby,” Sinclair said. “My mate, Stone, is here with us.”

  “You have a suggestion, Stone?” Darby asked.

  “I know you believe Henry, as we all do, but as you said, you need something more than his word before you condemn Gene.”

  “This is true,” the alpha replied rather reluctantly. “That was why I wanted a little more time, so I can look into the things Henry said Gene did.”

  “What if we were to come there and you had Gene come to your house, where Henry could confront him in front of all of us?”

  I growled.

  Again.

  I wasn’t in favor of this plan.

  “It would also give Henry a chance to visit with his parents.”

  Okay, that part of the plan was a good one. I knew Henry’s parents meant a lot to him, and they must be going through hell right now. Dragging out their pain didn’t seem like the right thing to do.

  “I think I see where you’re going with this,” the alpha said. “If Henry confronted Gene on what he did in a room full of shifters, we’d all smell it if he lied.”

  Everyone knew a lie smelled acidic and tainted.

  Stone grinned. “That’s the general idea.”

  “When can I expect you?”