“Yeah well, not feeling like I have a ton of options at the moment.” I started putting all of the dirty dishes in the dishwasher as Corbin rose to put the pancake ingredients away. “I can get that,” I said.
“You made breakfast; I can at least help clean up.” We worked in companionable silence for a few minutes, each of us lost to our own thoughts.
“Since we never did really talk about any of this, can you at least explain why in the hell you are taking the kid out anyway?” Corbin finally asked.
“McCallister offered to reduce the term of my indentured servitude by one month for taking Penny on a play date. Sounded too easy to pass up,” I shrugged.
“Still sounds like insanity to me. Just sayin….”
“I’m thinking that the more I make McCallister happy, the better off I’m going to be.”
“Playing. With. Fire,” he said while jabbing the stick of butter he was holding at me to emphasize each word.
“That lost a little something with the butter.”
He looked at the stick in his hand and smiled sheepishly at me. “Doesn’t make it any less true.”
No. No it didn’t.
The rest of my morning was spent in the office catching up on email and paperwork. I was also waiting to hear from Samantha regarding her research into the wonky retirement fund report. Just after lunch Johanna buzzed my office from the reception desk in the lobby.
“Ms. Lassiter?”
“Yes?”
“Jonathan Wilder is here to see you.”
I groaned while flopping my head back on my desk chair. What did he want? McCallister’s shipment and little Penny’s play date both loomed on the horizon. I had a lot to do and very little time to do it.
“Ms. Lassiter?” Johanna prompted.
I sighed in resignation before pressing the button to reply. “You can send him back.” I closed my eyes in silent preparation before standing to greet my visitor. All too soon Johanna was ushering the pack-master through my office door.
“Good morning Jonathan,” I said, reaching out to shake his hand.
“Abigail,” he smiled, taking my hand in his and giving it a firm shake.
“Can I offer you something to drink?” I asked. Johanna hesitated at the door, waiting to hear his reply. “Coffee, juice, water?”
“I’m fine.”
“Alright,” I said before dismissing Johanna. “Thank you Johanna. Hold my calls, will you?”
“Certainly Ms. Lassiter.” She left, closing the door behind her.
“So, what brings you in to see me this morning?” I asked now that we were alone.
“I have someone that I think may be able to help you with a problem you have.”
“What problem would that be?” I asked carefully. A slow burn began to build in the region of my sternum. Heartburn? No, that would be dread. I rubbed the middle of my chest absently, hoping to rid myself of the sensation. I couldn’t help remembering Corbin’s words of this morning. “What if I get you some help that I guarantee will not report details back to me?”
“It has come to my attention that you might need help from a stevedore at the Tioga Marine Terminal.” How the hell did he know I needed help at Tioga? Corbin’s mind was an amazing thing. He must have figured out what was going on and asked the pack-master for help. Shit, shit, shit!
“I have no idea what you are talking about,” I said after pasting a puzzled expression on my face. I don’t know who the hell I was kidding. I so needed the help. I was also apparently lousy at hiding things from my closest friends.
“Are you sure?”
“Absolutely.” I am absolutely certain I need the help. I am just not willing to admit it to you.
“Our mutual friend must have misunderstood the situation then?”
“Must have…,” I replied noncommittally, nodding my head.
“Well, in case you change your mind, here is the stevedore’s information.” He placed a slip of bright green repositionable note paper on my desk. It was folded and sealed closed along the sticky edge. He used the index finger of his right hand to push it towards me.
When I reached out to take the slip of neon from him, he wrapped his left hand around my wrist. He leaned across the desk and began speaking mere inches from my face. The scent of peppermint and man wafted towards me.
“This is one of mine,” he informed me, tapping the paper with his free hand. I forced myself to listen to what he was saying instead of staring at him stupidly. “He will help because I have asked him to. Do not betray our trust.”
“As I said, I don’t need any help.” I guess he didn’t hear me the first time?
“Mmmhmm….” I detected some skepticism in his tone. “Is that why you were going to take the information anyway?”
I started to shake my head, about to make another denial when a thought suddenly occurred to me. “What were you expecting from me in return?”
“Nothing,” he said with a shrug, leaning back out of my personal space. He released my hand and the paper before sitting back down and casually crossing his ankle over his knee. Nothing was for free. I narrowed my eyes at him in suspicion as I pulled the paper towards me. I wasn’t quite ready to give up on the information despite my protests to the contrary. “Corbin already took care of it.”
“Corbin?” Now I was on high alert. “What did he offer to do?”
“He offered to step-up.” Well that explained everything, didn’t it?
“Step-up?” I repeated, puzzled. “What does that mean exactly?”
“It means that he has been hiding in the middle of the pack too long.” His reply came out in an annoyed rumble. He looked irritated just thinking about it.
“Oh no,” I groaned as I realized what that meant.
“Oh yes,” Jonathan confirmed. “Corbin is more dominant than many wolves currently above him in the hierarchy. I know it and he knows I know it.” His voice was still a rumble and my skin began to itch as his power simmered. “He is also aware that nothing aggravates me more than a man holding his wolf back. Starting today, he is no longer hiding in the middle.”
“You cannot make him do that!” I said, aghast. I felt the color drain from my face. “Take the paper back!” I thrust the still folded sheet towards him as if it were on fire.
“Actually, I can make him do it,” he said with a growl. Power swamped every corner of my office. Someone was a little touchy. “I have given him a lot of slack since it’s difficult to live an alternative lifestyle and still be pack. That is over.”
“Please,” I said. “I haven’t even looked at the name. I will find someone else.”
“I thought you didn’t need any help?” he responded dryly. Crap, betrayed by my own blabbering mouth!
“Regardless, I do not need your help,” I said, pointing at him. “Give Corbin his freedom back.”
“You misunderstand, Abigail. I’m not taking his freedom, I’m giving it to him. Besides, it’s too late for that. He’s already agreed to my terms,” he said with finality. The power overflow was starting to recede but it still made my head hurt. “He only requested that I present you with the name. You were neither required to accept the information, nor avail yourself of the assistance. In fact, I got the impression he thought that you would turn down the help.”
“Anyone ever tell you that you’re a bastard?”
“Yes but my mother wouldn’t like to hear you say it,” he said, unfazed by the insult. “She and my father have been happily married nearly one hundred twenty years and since I’m only seventy-two...” he trailed off. I knew he was older than thirty five I thought wryly.
“I guess now is when I’m supposed to politely thank you for the name,” I said.
“It was my pleasure.” He seemed determined to ignore my sarcasm. He rose to his feet. “Think about using it. Seems a shame to have Corbin making sacrifices for nothing,” he mused.
As he approached the door he turned and looked back at me thoughtfully. “You know, I
would have come even if Corbin had not offered anything in exchange.”
I looked at him skeptically.
“My wolf would have insisted.” I was so not going to ask what that might mean. I seemed to be doing a lot of that lately. Instead I focused on keeping my facial expression blank.
“You’re not even going to ask what that means are you?” he laughed. So glad my discomfort amused.
“No,” I said shaking my head. “No, I’m not.”
“Stubborn,” he chuckled to himself before leaving.
Once he was gone I peeled open the sticky edge of the florescent paper. It contained two pieces of information; the name Joey Jansk and a phone number. Despite my earlier protests, I knew I would be calling the number on the paper.
Chapter 18
Twenty seconds later there was a tap on my door followed by Samantha’s head peeking around the frame. “Hey, I saw the pack-master leave. You didn’t mention he was coming in this morning.” She sniffed the room, looking a bit apprehensive.
“Much like you did not mention that Corbin had scent marked me,” I volleyed.
“Well, it hardly seemed like something I could explain with all those people waiting in line,” she said, flipping both of her hands in the air in exasperation. She came in, sniffing again before finally taking a seat in the chair Wilder recently vacated.
“I guess not but to answer your question, I didn’t mention it because I didn’t know he was coming.” Samantha leaned down to sniff the arm of the chair with a slightly bemused expression.
“What’s wrong with you?”
“Huh?” She looked up, her brows knitted in confusion.
“All the sniffing?” I said, mimicking her actions by sniffing the air around me. “And you look a little strange.”
“Oh,” she said, looking a bit sheepish. “I can’t help it. It’s the pack-master’s scent. It makes the wolves in his pack feel like we have come home.” At my bewildered expression she continued. “Think of being cuddled on the couch during a snow storm in front of a roaring fire with a slice of apple pie and warm cider laced with rum.”
“I don’t like apple pie. Or rum.”
“Then you would have a cup of tea and a gingersnap!” she said giving me an exasperated look. “I think you know what I mean!” I did think I knew what she meant and it was a little freaky.
“Really? Does this happen to everyone or just the females?” I asked suspiciously. It seemed odd that the males would get the same reaction.
“Yes, Abigail,” she said. “The male wolves get the same feeling but the alphas feel it less intensely than the submissives.”
“And you said my Locating skills were creepy.” I rolled my eyes. I didn’t want anyone to have that much sway over my emotions. It was a little frightening.
“They are creepy,” she said definitively. “Useful, but definitely creepy. Anyway, was he pissed about Corbin marking you?”
“I don’t know that that is quite how I would put it.” McCallister was the one that seemed pissed. “He seemed more confused at first and then concerned later.”
“Confused?”
Sighing I explained, “I took a shower right after Corbin left, so the scent was apparently subtle. Jonathan originally thought that Corbin had marked me as his mate.”
“No way,” Samantha breathed, eyes wide. “Well, that must have been a shock,” she laughed. “I guess I was not thrown off since I smelled it when I hugged you. I got a nose full.”
“Yeah well, I’m a little annoyed because apparently McCallister could scent it too.”
“And?”
“Jonathan got the impression that McCallister took offense.”
“I told you getting involved in McCallister’s personal life was going to cause problems.” Didn’t anyone ever tell her that it was not nice to say I told you so?
“Like I have a choice here?”
“You’re right, you’re right,” she said. “So, is that what he wanted to talk about?”
“No, we sorted all that out last night.” I waved my hand dismissively. “This morning he came with a name for me. Someone he thought might be able to help with the shipment.”
Her mouth dropped open. “You told him?’
“No, of course not!” Good grief did she think I was crazy? “Corbin arranged it.”
“Corbin?”
“Yeah, I guess he figured it out.” It always amazed me how smart he was. “Anyway, in exchange for the help, Corbin offered to step-up as your illustrious leader put it.”
“It’s about time.”
“What do you mean ‘it’s about time’?” I huffed. “Corbin does not want to be involved with pack politics. He has avoided it for years.”
“Abigail,” she said in exasperation. “You have to understand. A wolf can sense another wolf’s dominance. All this pretending to be a mid-level Alpha is bad for the pack. It confuses everyone and it hurts Corbin’s wolf.”
“Hurts his wolf?”
“Yes. It. Hurts. Him. He is holding back, not letting it reach its full potential.”
“If you say so,” I said skeptically. I didn’t get it. If Corbin didn’t want to do something, he shouldn’t have to do it.
“Ask yourself something. What if Corbin has convinced himself that he shouldn’t be a high level alpha because he’s gay? Or even worse, convinced himself that he will not be respected enough, or that he does not deserve it?”
Hmm. Yeah, that wasn’t good either. When I didn’t immediately respond she continued.
“I think that is really what has been going on. And, I know that you feel responsible because your problem precipitated his decision to step up. Really though, I think Corbin was ready and you gave him an opening to act.”
“Maybe you’re right…” I let the acknowledgement trail off. I was still not one hundred percent convinced.
“I think I am but there is nothing we can do about it. Once Jonathan Wilder decides something, it is as good as done.”
“Ah, yeah,” I said dryly. “I got that about him.”
“Before I forget, I have some information about Harvey Keltan. Sal found out that he was transferred to Tioga about three weeks ago. Apparently he requested the transfer.”
“Well isn’t that convenient.” Too convenient.
“The other tidbit that Sal turned up was that he likes to hang out at The Howler.” The Howler was located on 7th Street in South Philly. It was predominantly frequented by Weres and shifters. That niggling sense popped up again about Harvey. I just couldn’t quite put my finger on it. I covered my mouth as that nagging sense quickly turned into a solid memory
“You okay?” Samantha asked.
“I just remembered something.”
“What?”
“When I got all muddled during my attempt to locate the missing shipment, I tracked it to a club where everyone was using Sapphire. I think Harvey was there.”
“Are you sure?”
“I remember seeing someone familiar, but I was so out of it I couldn’t focus long enough to figure out who it was. I just remember being momentarily repulsed by someone across the room.”
“And we all know you find Harvey repulsive.” Samantha nodded in agreement.
“At the time I just shrugged it off.” I did not mention how I then tried to get my hands on the next hard-body in my radius. She saw enough of my response to Liam McCallister in the shipping container. The more I thought about Harvey Keltan the more certain I became…. He was there.
“Was it the Howler?”
“I don’t know. I have never been inside.” But you could bet your next paycheck I would be going soon. “But think about it. That would link Harvey to the distribution too. That is a solid lead.”
“I don’t know,” she cautioned. “It could also just mean that he likes to use Sapphire.”
“He’s human. Sapphire would kill him.”
“Oh right… good point,” she conceded. “What if he just likes to hook-up with high Weres
or something?”
“Come on Sam, he had opportunity – he works at Tioga, Jason had been interacting with him more lately and he was spotted where the Sapphire ended up being distributed.”
“It’s a little thin but you might be on to something,” she conceded.
“So, can you call in your hacker friend now?
“I already took the liberty of calling her. She’s expensive but reliable.”
“How expensive?”
“Lassiter Shipping can afford it. On the upside, she only takes payment upon successful information gathering. We can pay her as a contractor and say it’s for computer services. The bill will be for checking our network security.”
“Sounds reasonable as long as she promises not to hack us. How do you know her anyway?” Before I found out it was a she, I pictured some unkempt, overweight nerd in a dark room surrounded by computer screens.
“She is someone that the pack uses occasionally, although you didn’t hear that from me.” She gave me an exaggerated wink. “Rumor is that she lives in the Wilmington area but no one really knows for sure. All transactions take place electronically.”
“What is this mystery woman’s name?”
“Nemesis.”
“Nemesis?” I laughed. “Really?” She had either started out with a serious bone to pick with someone, or she had an inflated sense of her own importance. Greek mythology depicted Nemesis as the goddess of inescapable justice. Hopefully she lived up to the inescapable implication of her name because I really wanted to know what was going on with Keltan.
“How do you tell people that your name is Nemesis and keep a straight face?”
“Who knows?” The little shrug she offered said she really did not care either. “I guess that’s the beauty of online interactions. You don’t have to keep a straight face since no one can see you. Regardless of the super-villain name, I’m sure she can find out what we want to know about Harvey.”
“Good.” Then maybe I could figure out who killed my brother. I was feeling more and more confident that Keltan was mixed up in it somehow. My berserker lifted its head at the simmering anger that thought suddenly spiked. I took a deep breath. I needed to settle down, or I was going to find myself in a bad spot soon.
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