by Lee Oliver
“Sort of like underground superheroes.” Aiden smiled. “I like it.”
“The council puts their pants on the same way we do and sometimes they make mistakes, or believe false information,” Ranger explained. “Dominic was usually more circumspect about things, but this time he blatantly said the job was a favor for a friend. It’s not like him to be so careless.”
“He probably owes my father money,” Aiden said glumly. “A lot of people do.”
“I hope it was a lot of money then because Dominic’s already in jail. He’s lost his career, his home, and everything because of this. The rest of the council is furious at the way he abused his position. Attempting to kill the next Alpha of the Northern States is frowned on by everyone.”
“I can…hang on a minute?” Aiden’s bright blue eyes were sharp. “I’m not the Alpha Heir. My brother, Bevan is. He’s the eldest. I’m the youngest, remember?”
“You didn’t read the rest of your grandmother’s will, did you?” Ranger watched as Aiden slowly shook his head. “Your father was never Alpha. He was Alpha Regent. He was supposed to be holding the job until you came of age.”
“Which, for wolves, is twenty-five.” Understanding dawned on Aiden’s face. “But how, why? I was only fifteen when my grandmother died. I was nothing like my brothers in terms of strength and size. How could she leave the position to me?”
“She knew your heart,” Ranger said gravely cupping Aiden’s cheeks. “She wasn’t the strongest either, but she was a good woman and she wanted someone to care for her pack, not profit from it and use it for their own gain.”
“Why didn’t someone tell me? The pack enforcers would’ve known. They always know the succession before anyone else.” Aiden’s eyes were wet and Ranger wondered what type of relationship he had with the enforcers. To be honest, Ranger was surprised he hadn’t been met with more force when they’d arrived. He didn’t have a pack affiliation and his tattoo marked him as a danger to anyone who saw him.
“How many of the current enforcers used to work for your grandmother?”
Aiden was quiet for a moment and then he frowned. “None of them,” he said, brushing his eyes quickly. “The current ones were all picked by my father about five years ago. I always thought it was strange they were never allowed in the house. This place was built to house all ten enforcers, plus the ruling family. It was always full of pack members when my grandmother was alive.”
“Your father was making sure no one could tell you he was only regent and not actually Alpha. I bet none of the original enforcers live in this pack anymore.”
“That’s a shame. They were good people.” Aiden’s voice went quiet. “What will happen to him? My father, I mean? I know they weren’t council soldiers that took him unless the team have received a promotion since yesterday.”
Ranger bit his lip against the who cares comment that teased it. Aiden was holding himself together really well considering the bombshells he’d dealt with in the past week. Ranger reminded himself it was part of a mate’s job to be supportive. “We decided to use the trainees because using regular council soldiers would’ve alerted Dominic we were onto him. There’ll be a proper council hearing to assess the charges. I imagine they’ll be more concerned about the fact that your father abused his position as regent, didn’t file your grandmother’s will the way he was meant to, and probably embezzled funds from the bank. Because you’re still breathing, he can only be tried for attempting to procure murder, although they may make a big deal about it, given you are the Alpha now.”
“I’m n…he’s not getting out of jail, is he?” A whole slew of emotions flashed across Aiden’s face including fear and horror. Ranger shook his head.
“I’m the Alpha of the Northern States.”
Ranger nodded.
“I haven’t got a freaking clue what to do.” Aiden buried his head in Ranger’s neck.
“Don’t worry about it, babe,” Ranger said softly. “That’s why I’m glad you have a huge house. Cam will help, Marcus and Shadow and the other assassins will as well when I can contact them. Newton will be by your side, as will I. You will get through this.”
Aiden’s curls tickled Ranger’s face as he shook his head. Then his face popped up. “Won’t you have to go to work?”
“I’m thinking now might be a good time to retire,” Ranger smiled. “Marcus has already spoken to me about your security and the ideas he has for this place. Shadow reckons an infant with a screwdriver could break into this place.”
“Well, we don’t want that, do we?” Aiden tilted his head up for a kiss, which Ranger was happy to give him.
“I do love you,” he said gravely, making sure a now relaxed Aiden was meeting his eyes. “It might not be a great declaration like yours downstairs earlier, but I mean it from the bottom of my heart and I always will.”
Aiden’s cheeks flamed but his gaze never wavered. “I love you too. And you’ll help me, won’t you, deal with all the mess my father has probably left behind.”
“I’ll be right by your side.”
“That’ll freak out the stuffed shirts who run the bank,” Aiden laughed. Ranger joined in, determined to see to it that his lovely mate with a heart of gold got to laugh every single day of their lives together. He could make it a rule as Alpha Mate.
Freaking hell, I’m Alpha Mate. Now it was Ranger’s turn to want to hide under the blankets, although he made sure Aiden didn’t have a clue how much the thought horrified him. Having to deal with people all day. UGH.
Chapter Fourteen
A week later.
Aiden coughed and covered his mouth to hide his smirk. Don Jenkins, CEO of Northern States Bank was more than a little perturbed when he turned up, complete with lawyer, two men wearing assassin marks and the affable Cam who still managed to look intimidating. Marcus made Shadow stay at the house; apparently, the bank might be too tempting for the reformed cat burglar. But Aiden was glad of his new friends as he took the offered seat. Newton sat beside him, but the rest of his entourage stayed standing.
“Aiden…” Jenkins broke off when Ranger growled at him and started again. “Alpha Chalmers, I wasn’t aware you were coming in this morning. Was there a problem with your account?”
“Why don’t you tell me?” Aiden never liked Jenkins. The man was a beta wolf who acted like an alpha every chance he got. “As I understand it, you and my father are the sole shareholders in this bank. The council has now ruled that all my father’s assets be transferred to me. However, after investigating my father’s accounts it appears both you and he took substantial fees from my inheritance account on a monthly basis. I want to know why.”
“Oh, yes, well, that’s common banking practice,” Jenkins cast a nervous look at the other men in the room. “You will find all banks charge an administration fee when handling such a large sum of money. The money is paid out of the monthly interest accrued and doesn’t impact the capital balance in any way.”
“Is it customary for all of the interest in an invested account be then withdrawn as bank fees?” Aiden held out his hand and Newton handed him some documents. “From what I can see here, my grandmother entrusted you with two hundred twenty-two million dollars, is that right?”
Jenkins gulped. “That’s correct.”
“And the interest rate for any investment is customarily five percent per annum as deemed by council laws. Is that correct, or does this bank not follow council laws?”
“Oh no, we follow the council laws to the letter.” Jenkins was quick to assure him.
“But not in accordance with fees it would seem.” Aiden scanned the papers in his hands although he already knew what was in them. Ranger, Cam, and Newton rehearsed this scenario with him a dozen times before they would let him face the bank manager. They wouldn’t interfere unless Jenkins did something stupid.
“According to my calculations, five percent of the capital balance is eleven million dollars per year. Council regulations state that banks can on
ly take half a percent per annum of that money in fees. Or in this case fifty-five thousand dollars a year. Correct?” Aiden looked up.
“Er, yes, but…”
“So by my calculations, and please let me know if I am wrong in any way. My account is short one hundred nine million, four hundred fifty thousand dollars without including compound interest over the ten years you’ve held my account. Where is it?”
Jenkins went green. Aiden didn’t think it was possible for anyone, except maybe a demon to go that color, but Jenkins’s skin took on a green tinge. “We had a lot of expenses,” he said quickly. “There were losses made in investments that had to be covered. Your father didn’t want any pack members to lose any of their investments due to changes in the financial markets.”
“But the money hasn’t gone to pack members,” Aiden glanced at his papers again. “Seventy-five percent of it went to my father’s accounts, and twenty-five percent of it was paid each year into your private bank account. How is that benefiting the pack or its members?”
“Your father and I both contribute substantially to charities in this territory.” Jenkins was trying to take the upper hand, something Ranger warned Aiden he would do.
“The one’s on this list?” Aiden held out his hand again and Newton was ready with another piece of paper. “I’ve visited these charitable organizations as you call them over the past few days. Imagine my surprise when I went to visit the orphanage that according to publicly held records you give a hundred thousand dollars a year to and found out it was a brothel; and not a well-run one at that. Or the LGBTQ homeless shelter, something vital in this region; turns out that it’s a bar. As for the soup kitchen; tell me, does Doris Brown make soup in her own kitchen? Where does she distribute it because I’m sure I can drum up more support for her efforts? She must make a lot of soup to the tune of seventy-five thousand dollars a year.”
Jenkins’s face went puce at the mention of his mistress’s name. “Now you listen here, you little upstart,” he yelled. “Just because you’re wearing a fancy suit and bring a posse of bodyguards does not mean you know what goes on in this territory. Your father and I….”
“Bled this territory dry,” Aiden interrupted angrily. “I’ve spoken to the council. There isn’t any help for wolves or other paranormals in the Northern States. This bank hands out loans and mortgages at twenty percent interest and then when people can’t afford to pay, they are stripped of their belongings and kicked out. Each state territory has a bank that is supposed to help the people in the surrounding territory, not rob them of everything they own.”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about. Your father and I run this territory and no one complains.”
“Because you have any complainers killed, bankrupted or run out of town. I’ve had enough.” Aiden stood up. “Cam, the box please.” Cam threw Aiden a cardboard box which Aiden slammed down on the desk. “Pack your things, Jenkins. You’re out.”
Jenkins stared at the box as if it was an alien object.
“You heard me, you’re out. Fired. Caput. Gone. Clear your desk out and get out of my sight.”
“You can’t fire me; I’m the only shareholder left.” Jenkins didn’t touch the box.
“Wrong. It seems you don’t listen very well. I own seventy-five percent of the bank. You did own twenty-five percent, but that along with my father’s holdings have all been signed over by the council to me in repayment for the interest I am owed. I did my homework before I came here today, Jenkins; you should have done the same before you decided to rip me off.”
“You won’t get away with this. I challenge you for Alpha position of the Northern States,” Jenkins snarled as he shifted and leaped up onto the desk, his lips curled upwards showing his teeth.
Aiden didn’t move; didn’t even blink. He knew Ranger was ready to intercept, but he refused to accept that unless it was a last resort. It’d shocked him to the core to find out he was the Alpha, but after a week of meeting people in town, he knew he could do a lot of good and he was determined no one was going to oust him from his place.
“That won’t work either,” he said, keeping his tone calm. “For one thing, even though I may look small, I’m still an alpha wolf and you’ll never be more than a beta. Don’t underestimate me. And even if you managed to get close to me and actually wound me, I’m mated. Fully claimed.” He tugged his shirt collar aside showing the scar left by Ranger’s teeth. “Under council law, you have to beat me and the Alpha Mate before you can take over this territory. Take a look around and guess which one of these men is my mate. Then make your move.”
Jenkins growled again, the saliva dripping from his teeth, but he didn’t move. Aiden could see the tension in his shoulder muscles and along the wolf’s back, but it seemed Jenkins’s desire for life was stronger than his need to be Alpha or his position at the bank. After a long minute, Jenkins laid his ears back and lay down on the desk, tilting his head.
“Wise move,” Aiden said. “Now, as I have absolutely no wish to see you naked, I’ll leave. You have thirty minutes. Thirty minutes to remove your personal effects from your office, home, and car. My lawyer, Newton Lock, will remain behind along with Cam and Marcus to ensure you don’t touch or take anything that doesn’t belong to you. When you have time to read these documents you will see all your buildings and other assets are to be sold, as ordered by the council, to help repay the damage you and my father have done to this territory. If I see you again, my mate will kill you.” He slipped his hand around Ranger’s arm. “He’s the council’s best assassin, you know.”
Aiden found the strength to leave the bank building with his head held high. He made it to the car before his legs wobbled. “I don’t know if I can do this,” he whispered once Ranger slammed the door shut and they were alone.
Ranger sighed and then started the car, his free hand weighty on Aiden’s legs. “You can and you will. You were freaking brilliant in there. Now, hold on tight, I have something I want to show you,” he said and Aiden relaxed in his seat as the throaty engine roared.
Chapter Fifteen
Ranger knew it was going to take a while for him to get used to his new role. Alpha Mate was a title he was going to have to live with. But letting Aiden do his job, to stand up to challenges such as the scene in Jenkins’s office was a test of his control. Then there were the people. Lots of people. Ranger was a get the job done; hide away until the next one type of person. The tattoo on his face brought him a lot of attention he didn’t want or need; although, to be fair, the Northern States pack seemed to accept him more readily than most. But Ranger knew that was Aiden’s doing, not his. The people loved Aiden.
And so did he, which was why Ranger had turned his life upside down and why he was flogging the Lamborghini up the steep hills on the edge of the territory. Aiden could do with a break, and if he was honest with himself, Ranger wouldn’t mind one either. Training at the council base camp had nothing on the meetings, queries, and duties Aiden had to contend with.
Seeing the small marker on the side of the road, Ranger turned off and followed the dirt track; the car’s undercarriage protesting the whole time. Yes, he could have brought an SUV for the trip, but Ranger secretly loved driving the fancy car and figured a few potholes wouldn’t hurt it. Parking in a small clearing, he dropped a quick kiss on Aiden’s face before getting out. Everything was just as he’d asked it to be.
“You did this for me?” Aiden’s smile couldn’t have gotten any bigger. Ranger felt a blush hit the top of his cheeks but he managed a smile. It’s perfect. He’ll love it. Don’t sweat it. “I thought you’d like to have lunch with me away from the curious hordes,” he said, feeling self-conscious. “We haven’t had much time for dating since we got together.”
“I’m sorry,” Aiden said, stepping close and slipping his arms around Ranger’s waist. “But if I had to be on this roller coaster, I’m so glad you’re on it with me. What made you think of all this?”
Ranger loo
ked across at the small picnic table covered in a white cloth; the food already laid out and covered in cloches. “It was Cam’s idea,” he admitted knowing any lie would be smelled in an instant. “I don’t know a lot about romantic gestures, but I wanted you to know how much I cared about you. That I see you as more than the heir to a fortune or an alpha. That I see you as the man I love and someone I want to spend all my time with.”
“You show me you care every day,” Aiden said softly. “The way you didn’t yell at Jessie’s five-year-old for spilling juice on your pants; or when you helped old Mrs. Forbes with her groceries and ate that brick she called a brownie without complaint. You talked to my enforcers, you haven’t grumbled about sharing our house with so many people. Ranger, you’ve done a lot and for someone who’s used to being alone…it means the world to me.”
“I thought Jessie was going to have a heart attack, the way she looked at me, and as for Mrs. Forbes, I like her. She shouldn’t be treated as a nuisance just because she’s old.”
“It was lovely spending the afternoon listening to tales of my grandmother, even if the coffee tasted gritty and the brownies almost broke my teeth.” Aiden laughed and Ranger ticked that off his to-do list for the day.
Of course, it was on his list every day, but their relationship was still too new for him to assume he made Aiden happy. Aiden didn’t have a formal pack meeting to announce his new position. He’d visited every house and business in the area, introducing himself and listening to every single concern. It’d been a hectic time, and their personal moments together had been few and far between.
“Why don’t you come and eat?” Ranger suggested, looking over at the table again. “Cam said we had the whole afternoon off and I’d like to just spend some quiet time with you.”
“Kiss me first.”
Ranger never needed asking twice. Aiden was sweet and good and innocent in a lot of ways. Not as innocent as he was when I met him, Ranger thought with a grin, but he kept their kissing light. He had a duty as a mate to ensure Aiden’s wellbeing and the confrontation at the bank hadn’t been easy on either of them. Pre-Aiden, Jenkins would have been dead for having the audacity to shift in front of him. Can’t be a killer all my life.