53
Jaxson
There was no way to stop my heart from pounding as we followed fucking Casey LaSalle toward the large red brick building. I couldn’t believe they were letting me within a mile of the place, or that Regina had even agreed to set foot on LaSalle land.
Although the security appeared shit, I knew better. The last factory the LaSalles ran, the one my sister had tried to shut down, was rigged with enough enchantments to blow a crater in Magic Side. And it had. The LaSalles spent a month rebuilding after the blast.
It had taken me years, and I still wasn’t over it.
Casey opened a white metal side door and held it open. I paused on the threshold and glanced from him to Savy.
She nodded.
I stepped inside. Not for myself, but for the pack. For the hope for new beginnings.
Sucking in a sharp breath, I spun as my eyes adjusted. The place was far more complex than I’d ever imagined, a space the size of a football field with concrete floors and dozens of steel vats, copper stills, and tables.
“Where is everybody?” Savy asked from behind me.
I’d been so distracted by the impressive array of equipment that I hadn’t even considered why we were the only ones here.
Casey stepped up. “We’re planning on shutting down and refitting to take advantage of other opportunities. I pitched the idea to Reggie after a run to gauge if you’d be interested.”
Reggie?
My heart skipped a beat as the words sank in.
We’d been trying to shut down the LaSalles’ wolfsbane production for decades. After all this time, were they really ready to give in?
There had to be a catch.
I narrowed my eyes and looked from Casey to Regina. “And what sort of opportunities were you thinking about?”
“Trade deals. And free access to our docks,” Regina answered.
“We agree to stop producing wolfsbane, and you cut us in on your operations,” Casey said. “It’s a win-win. And if you need better enchantments and wards—because trust me, that cut-rate work you had done by Mages Guild rejects doesn’t cut the mustard—we’ll be glad to offer assistance on a case-by-case basis, for a fee.”
The floor moved beneath me. I could smell the truth in his words.
He was serious.
It would change the future of our pack—of packs all across North America. The LaSalles had a monopoly on the wolfsbane market. Cutting off that supply would mean fewer weapons on the market and fewer senseless attacks on werewolves.
I’d be a fool not to agree, but I knew it wasn’t that simple. Money can change minds, and we’d need to lock them in so that in a year or two, as black market wolfsbane prices soared, they wouldn’t be tempted to dip their toes back in the pond.
I crossed my arms. “How about we contract with you to run the enchantments on all our shipments? If you can handle them, they’re yours.”
Casey turned pale. “Seriously? Hell, yes, we can handle them.”
He had no idea how big of a favor he’d be doing us by taking over the enchantments. Weak aftermarket mages’ spells were just the tip of the iceberg. We had supply lines we had to keep hidden and protected, and our last group of enchanters—a coven of witches—had gone out of touch.
Of course, I wasn’t about to let him know that.
I glanced at Regina to make sure she was onboard. Her scent betrayed no emotion—which was good since Casey LaSalle was still a fucking werewolf—but I could almost hear her crunching numbers in her head. Approval flashed in her eyes.
“It’s done, then,” I said. “The rest is up to Regina and our partners. If they’re amenable to it, you can access our docks and negotiate trade deals.”
“Holy shit!” Casey dragged his hands through his tousled hair. “Deal, Laurent.”
Casey spent the next thirty minutes giving us a rundown of the place and explaining what he planned to do with the leftover equipment and supplies. In short, his father was going to help him transition to a smaller operation of producing over-the-counter potions, which Casey hoped they’d be able to sell across the Great Lakes region.
His words faded into mumbles as I wrestled with the implication. Regina found my side as Casey continued the tour.
“You okay with this?” she asked. “I wasn’t trying to go behind your back—he was hesitant to approach you directly after everything… with Stephanie.”
I nodded. “Shutting down this operation is what she wanted. And if she can make peace with what happened to her in the afterlife, then I can do the same in this one. You did well.”
“What about the council? Will they object to us working with the LaSalles?”
“After what Savy and Laurel LaSalle did last week?” I scoffed. “They’ll swallow whatever issues they have. Plus, I’m squeezing the other alphas so tight for not showing up that they can’t tell their nuts from their eyeballs. Don’t let up the pressure while I’m gone.”
“I won’t, and I’ve got nails,” she chuckled. “When do you get back?”
“A week. You’re alpha until I return.”
Regina shook her head. “I’m not. But I’ll remind everyone who is, and that should keep butts moving.”
“I’m serious. I rely on you for a reason.”
She gave me a wry smile. “Smart man.”
Savannah joined us. “Laurel just texted me, and I’d like to stop by to see her before we leave.”
I slung my arm around her waist and breathed in her citrus sunshine scent, which mingled with the coconut shampoo she loved so much. “Then we’d better go. I don’t need to be around here any longer.”
“I might drive over with Casey, if that’s okay.”