“I cannot do that. They have a right to their privacy.” He held up a hand to stop my response. “However, I’ll see if they will speak with you. Does that suffice?”
“Yes, that’s fair. I appreciate it.”
“Consider it done. Now, if that is all, I have work to do.”
I rose but didn’t move to leave. The meeting felt incomplete. I couldn’t put my finger on it, but something was off. I held out my hand thinking sealing it with a shake would get rid of the weird feeling. He stared at it for a beat before taking it in his.
“What the hell?” I exclaimed as I pulled my hand back. “What is it about this place? It’s full of static electricity. How do you stand it?”
He clenched his hand into a fist again. “You get used to it. I’ll be in touch. Goodbye, Red.”
So, it was going to be like that. Fine with me. “Yeah, goodbye, Mr. Fraser.”
After lunch, I sat down at the computer to finish the final chapters of my latest creation so I could send the manuscript off to my editor. Patricia is human and knows nothing about me other than I write mystery-romance novels about shifters that as far as she’s concerned don’t really exist.
My main character, Chastity Brown, solves cases within the shifter community while having fun with various lovers as she goes. My life helps with some aspects of my writing, but I mostly keep it all make believe. I don’t include any truth about shifters except that they change into wolves. I’ve added other animals into my stories, even though in real life we are only wolves.
Opening a browser, I logged into my email, attached the file, and typed a quick note:
Patricia,
Here it is. Be gentle.
Thanks, Em
I hit send and off it went through the cyber channels, and I made my way to the kitchen for my celebratory bowl of ice cream. Shifters don’t gain weight as easily as humans, but it is possible, so I like to limit my treats to certain occasions. Typing ‘The End’ is always one of those times.
My phone rang. Not a text, a call. “Who the hell would call me?” I asked aloud as I took my ice cream into the living room where I’d left my phone.
Liam. I should have known he’d use the actual phone instead of texting.
“Hello?” I answered with a mouthful of rocky road.
“Did I interrupt your lunch?”
I swallowed. “Nope, what do you want?”
“Aw, you sound annoyed.”
“I am. Why are you calling me?”
“Hmm… And here I thought you’d be pleased to hear from me so soon.”
I perked up at that. “You spoke to them already?”
“The three women from my pack. Two have agreed to speak with you.”
I did a little happy dance. “That’s awesome! Thank you.”
“There’s one condition,” he added, sounding amused.
He’d deflated my joy with those three words. “And that is?”
“They want me in the room.”
I nibbled my lip as I considered that. “Fine. I understand them wanting their Alpha there. I am the cursed outcast after all.”
“Right. We will meet here on Thursday at three o’clock. Don’t be late, Red.”