Matt's POV
I left Renda with Grace with the feeling that Grace had lied to me about her name. It was the same feeling I’d gotten when Renda had given me her name.
Lucas growled If we just commanded her–
No.
Lucas may not know the meaning of patience, but I knew that there was no other way to get Renda’s love and trust other than to be patient.
Didn’t we know better than most that being mates didn’t guarantee everlasting love? Besides, how ridiculous would it be to try and command anyone to do anything? What did Lucas think we were some ancient, all-powerful alpha?
Lucas snorted, but he said nothing else.
Felix was gone before I reached the bottom floor and announced that the club would be closed. The patrons looked upset but upon seeing me, they scurried out without much else to say, whispering to each other.
It was good they were curious about why I was there an
I searched through the computer, trying to get my mind off of things until I found the database detailing the club’s prostitutes. I searched for Renda’s profile and growled at the photo that appeared on her profile.Her eyes were closed in the photo as if she were unconscious. She looked desperate and thin as if she’d been starved. She’d been estimated to be 16 years old when she was purchased. Her profile had several documents by the security force detailing her contract violations. Each of them was followed by a medical examination report that showed that she’d been beaten and starved.I realized that she’d been trying to escape and they dragged her back every time.Guilt filled me. If only I’d known sooner, I could have saved her from all of this.I closed the profile and shut down the computer. The sight of her injuries and her young desperate face infuriated me. Lucas was growling, howling for blood
Three days after buying Club Heaven, I brought Renda to Club Heaven and let her go with Grace to search the records for any other information they could find. Before leaving, Grace gave me coded pages and a contract to be signed along with the stamp of Club Heaven to use in place of my signature.“Be arrogant about it. She’s greedy, any promise of more work will get her to tell you things.”“What about the money?” I asked her, intrigued by her coaching. “I don’t think I can just write her a check, right?”She offered me the payment request log where I would take her banking information and banking information that Club Heaven used for these purchases. There wasn’t that much money in the account, but having the information meant I could make the transfer to the account and pay the woman from the account.The account was based in the Black Mountain pack. I hadn’t heard much about them, but I planne
I put thoughts of murder aside. One day, Ben would get what was coming to him, but it couldn’t be today. Ben was at the top of a tower of corrupted alphas and people crawling around in the underbelly of the packs.He would be the last person to deal with if I was going to get Renda her revenge and prove to her that I was worthy of her love.I left the room and sent a group of other staff members to get them checked over and settled somewhere in the building before returning to the office, I pulled out paper and sketched out a crude map of North America and marked where the packs I knew were involved were.Midnight was on the upper west coast of North America, just below where Skyfall was. Skyfall was just to the west of where a pack called Frost Pelt had once been. Luftmensch was just below Warhammer on the east coast. Blue Fire was in the Midwest. Dune was in the desert of the west coast.A knock sounded on the door as I was looking over the
I walked towards Glenda, barely registering the young women floating around the room in cocktail dresses. How many of them were party favors? Where had they come from? Were they all like Grace and Renda or had they chosen to be party favors?As I neared her, she looked at me and my heart started to race. My palms grew sweaty like I was an awkward teen again.I felt a little ridiculous being so nervous, but as I reached my hand out to her, I felt like we’d been dropped into some fucked-up fairytale.Renda looked up at me then down at my hand with a curious lift of her eyebrow.“May I have this dance?”I half expected her to reject me since Andrew was around, but she placed her hand in mine and nodded, allowing me to pull her onto the dance floor. It was a bit ironic that they were playing a waltz at a poker party, but as she followed me through the dance, I was grateful. She was relaxed and graceful.There was a bit of happi
Grace’s POVWhen I found out that Matt Wallber would be buying Club Heaven, I didn’t know what to think. I was a bit afraid, but I had learned a long time ago that fear would just make it harder to make a good decision. The worst thing Matt could do was kill me, and I hadn’t been afraid of death in a long time.After the game was over, I helped put his chips into his assigned box and pondered the advice he’d given Justin. Caleb laughed and told him it was a good game and he couldn’t wait to see the new Club Heaven. The rest of the table dispersed, but I watched Justin slip out of the private room.With Matt’s chips gathered, I walked with him and Renda towards the cashier’s counter and scanned the tables. Mordecai was seated nearby, lounging in his seat as if he was king. He had kept his distance all night to my surprise. I expected him to try and talk to Matt, but maybe he was just biding his time.
Justin’s POVI was able to leave the party earlier than I’d expected. With Matt having taken the bait so easily, there was no reason to stick around. I had other things I could be doing and a report to make. I undressed on my way to the shower and scrubbed down humming in a good mood.I hadn’t ever thought it would be so easy to bait the illustrious Matt Wallber. Matt Wallber was nothing like his brother, Wade, and he didn’t pretend to be either. If anything, Wade felt like a cheap knockoff of Matt.I couldn’t place exactly what it was about Matt that gave him such presence, but it was different from being in Ben’s presence too. Maybe it was just my imagination, but my instincts weren’t wrong.I’d have to get him in the room with Chloe. Her instincts were always spot on.It had to be something about the wolves from her area of the continent.After my shower, I headed to my loun
Glenda’s POVIn the morning after the party, we returned to Club Heaven. Matt had procured a large, table-sized map of North America and started marking places and paths.I was charmed that he’d marked my path from Midnight to Warhammer in the same shade of blue-violet my hair was now.He had a running list of trafficked people including the five girls who had been brought by Victoria. Grace’s line had Frost Pelt on it and mine was blank. I wanted to tell him to put Fluorite next to my name, the way he’d placed it next to Emily’s, but I held my tongue.I'd told Emily to keep quiet about me and Alyssa for a reason. I couldn’t undo that now.Alyssa scoffed, He’s going to find out eventually. Why not tell him now?I rolled my eyes, Because I don’t trust him.Yet, she countered and went quiet.I sighed. She wasn’t wrong. It wa
Owen’s voice was calm, but I knew better. I imagined a pretty, six-year-old boy with Owen’s eyes and shuddered in disgust. Grime was the only way to describe the sick bastards who were responsible for all of this.“You have my word, Owen,” Matt said, evenly though he still looked a little queasy. “Mordecai is on the list.”Owen nodded and stood, “If you’ll excuse me, I’d… like to smoke in peace.”Matt nodded, “Eat something as well.”Owen chuckled, “I promise to eat three squares, alpha.”Matt’s eyes widened as Owen sauntered towards me. He flashed me a grin.“Lucky Cherry,” he said and left the room.I didn’t know how to take that, but I felt a bit embarrassed. Matt sat forward, covering his mouth and looking down at his notes. He sat back with a deep breath and looked at Grace and me.“Sit down, ladies,&rdq
My legs felt shaky and everything was bigger. I realized quickly that I had shifted. I stretched and twisted. The shiny saber coat of fur lifted my heart.I didn’t think I’d ever be able to shift. I felt Alyssa fully settled and solid in my mind as I turned to look at Matt. His eyes were wide as I went up to him and rubbed my face against his leg.“You’re beautiful,” he said, kneeling and stroking my head. “Can you shift back, so we can talk?”I whined. Alyssa panicked and he chuckled, hushing me. He cupped my jaw and rubbed at the spots of tension there. It felt so good. I didn’t know what else to do but practically purr at him.“Take it easy. You don’t have to turn back right now,” he said. “I know it can take some getting used to.”He shifted and Alyssa sat up in alarm as we looked at Lucas and Matt through her eyes. He was so much bigger than us, stronger. His eyes glowed with red light. He could break my neck with such ease. I should have been scared, but I knew he would never hu
Glenda’s POVMatt was different. His eyes were clear and his jaw was set, but he hadn’t said much of anything to me other than I needed to dress nicely.I got in the car in a nice dress and heels. He was in a three-piece suit. His hair was styled, and he looked as though he needed some space, yet he didn’t release my hand.“I’m giving a press conference,” he said. “About… everything.”He turned to look at me, “Do you want to speak about Fluorite?”I looked away and shook my head. I didn’t think I’d ever be ready to speak in such a public way about what happened.“Do you want me to talk about it?”I nodded.He squeezed my hand, “Will you stand with me?”I looked at him and squeezed his hand back, “Yes.”Some of the tension bled out of him and he pulled me close, “I have to tell you the basics before we get there so you aren’t surprised. I’m sorry I couldn’t talk about it. I just…”“It’s okay,” I said, turning into his arms. “I know it’s… been a lot. He’s dead.”“Mordecai was my real fa
My ears were ringing.My mother’s video had answered a lot of questions, but not enough. My mother and Mordecai were mates. Due to some political issues on the west coast and Ben’s military force around Warhammer territory, Sharon had to make a decision: the people of Warhammer or her mate.Sharon hadn’t rejected Mordecai, but the distance and the ruse of pretending to be Ben’s mate wore on them both. Mordecai had been dying long before Sharon died, and if Ben had waited just a few more years, he wouldn’t have had to have her killed.Sharon and Mordecai had shared one night together after Sharon and Ben were married. That was the night she conceived Joel and I. She had me and Joel registered in Midnight when we were three, just after Ben came home with Sonia to protect us because she figured that Ben would realize they were mates and start to suspect that we weren’t his sons. That was the same time that Mordecai found out that we were his sons.Soon after, Ben sent her to the mental h
Matt shifted and pulled the door open. Ben was just on the other side, kicking Mordecai’s body aside. He was still breathing. I could hear his breath rattling out of him as I fumbled for my phone to call the paramedics.Matt said that Warhammer Guard was no more than five minutes away.Mordecai had to have five minutes.Matt looked like he didn’t know what to do as ben approached him. He was staring at Mordecai, shocked pale as Ben pointed a gun at him.“You’ve caused me nothing but trouble your entire fucking life,” Ben said.“You…” Matt breathed. “He… You… can’t… I…”Ben laughed again, “I didn’t think you were Mordecai’s type.”Matt turned, his eyes flashing brilliant red and I heard Lucas in his voice, “Shut your mouth, you sick fuck.”Ben stumbled back and his gun lowered just enough not to be aimed at Matt any longer. Alyssa pushed to the forefront of my mind. I felt her reaching for the dagger beneath my shirt. I heard Tzipporah’s voice in the back of my hand and knew what was a
Matt’s POV The restaurant Ben chose was an upscale little place away from a main city. The entire building had been emptied out. Uriel warned us that Ben had armed people waiting around the area, but just outside their area of operation, I had stationed Warhammer Guard. If anyone wasn’t making it out of this alive it was Ben, Sonia, and Wade. “Matt, it’s so nice to see you,” Sonia said. “You should really come see your stepmother more.” I didn’t respond to her, “Odd that you’d bring her.” “I wanted it to be clear.” It was a ruse. He was hoping to keep the gunfire down from our side because she was here. “I figure the women can stay here and get acquainted,” Ben nodded upstairs, “I’ve had our table set up upstairs.” I turned to Glenda and pressed a kiss to her cheek. “Don’t eat anything,” I whispered, drawing back. I ushered her to her seat and pushed her up to the table before following Mordecai and Ben who were putting on airs about how close they were. Wade glared at me wit
Matt’s POVI collapsed into my seat and listened to Mordecai pour us drinks as the captain got ready to take off. If I didn’t have to stand in front of a news reporter again in life it would be too soon, but I was glad for it.Mordecai sputtered and laughed, “What a fucking dumbass!”I looked at him, “What’s going on?”He offered his phone, “Ben’s a dumber son of a bitch than I thought! Oh, moon. I didn’t think it was possible.”I sat up and took the
Ben’s POVSonia whimpered, clutching at my leg and rubbing her face against my leg, trying to restrain and convince me to spare the ungrateful little whelp on the ground. I should have listened to Mordecai years ago about Matt. While he was headstrong, had I kept a hold on him he would have never crossed me like this.At the least, he wouldn’t have been caught and cost me so much. Wade’s ambition overrode his sense.“Have you anything to say for yourself, you little shit? Huh?”He choked and curled up. His injuries from
He shrieked in agony and rolled off me. The sticky heat of his blood coated my hand. The metallic stench of it filled the air and I turned, screaming, driving my knife into whatever part of him I could reach. He choked and cried out. The scent of the dungeon filled my nose. Blood and more blood came spurting out and I remembered the sight of my blood pooled beneath me, spreading across the ground.Two, three, four, five…He choked and thrashed. His body wiggled and jiggled, but I kept going, counting each thrust of my dagger as I heard his voice in my memories offering me candy, taunting me, ordering me to serve him. I heard Armina screaming in pain and fear. I heard Angelia whimpering. I heard the last breath rattling out of a young girl whose face I could no longer remembe