“There was some other chick. She was really… I dunno. I’ve never seen anyone like her before, so I introduced myself, and she was such an ass. Like she didn’t have the time of day for me.” I grunted, remembering exactly how dismissive Iris was. How much her words had stung even though I’d never met her before. “I caught her sneaking out of Remus’ office later.”
“What the actual fuck?” Myles snorted into the phone. “Who does that? At aparty?”
“Someone with no manners?” I rolled my eyes. “I asked around after she was kicked out. She might have been a lone wolf or some sort of spy trying to fuck with Silverstreak.”
I could almost hear my cousin roll his eyes at me. “Some people will do anything for attention,” he said. I didn’t thinkthatwas it, exactly, but I didn’t argue. “Sounds like you dodged a bullet.”
“Definitely,” I agreed. “She’s still sneaking around. I put some guards on her in case she tried to return to the house. I didn’t want her messing with the kids, you know? She’s snooping around all kinds of shit, though. I’m not sure what’s going on with her.”
Myles grunted thoughtfully. “You tell Remus?”
“His guards did as soon as I threw her out. He doesn’t seem too concerned, though.”
“Huh.” Myles clicked his teeth together. “You tell your dad?”
I fought the urge to growl. Myles was just trying to be as helpful as he could despite being an ocean away. He couldn’t know all the details without being here. “No. He’s busy. Besides, I can’t go running to him for everything weird that happens, Myles. He isn’t going to be around forever. One day, it will just be you and me.”
Myles huffed into the phone but didn’t argue the point. “All right,” he finally said. “Well, call me if you need to bounce ideas off anyone.”
“Thank you. I appreciate that.” I glanced at my watch again. “Hey, I have a meeting for a new client, and I want to prepare. I’ve got to let you go.”
“No problem, Eli. Just be smart about whatever this is.”
After he hung up, I set the phone down and opened my laptop to start preparing for the meeting. Even as I worked, I couldn’t get Iris out of my mind.What is she doing? What is she after?
If she was a threat to Silverstreak…
On the one paw, it wasn’t my business, and I didn’t care, but on the other paw… Handling it alone would prove exactly what kind of alpha I was. That Iwasa man who could run a business and a pack. That I was a wolf who could solve problems even when he wasn’t asked. That I was a shifter with a damn good sense of when something wasn’t quite right.
And I needed my father to realize all of those things about me.
The door opened,and I looked up with a pleasant smile. Harry was quite a bit early, but—
“Eli! Hi!”
Hannah swanned into the room once she gently clicked the door shut, her heels tapping against the floor as she strode over to my desk. I froze momentarily, unsure how the woman had found me. I hadn’t told her my full name or place of work, had I?I didn’t drink that much. Unless she asked around?
Shit.
It dawned on me that in all of my social media surfing, trying to find anything about Iris, I hadn’t taken the time to untag myself in any photosIwas in. I knew Luna had taken at least one, and I wasn’t sure if my sister-in-law had posted it. I hadn’t asked her not to… and my fatherlovedoversharing on Facebook.
It probably wasn’t hard to find me at all. How many other Elis were at that party?
I forced myself to look calm as she sat down on my desk, fighting the twitch in my jaw as her rump landed on one of my papers.Uhm, hello? Do you have eyes, Hannah?
“I had such a good time last night,” she cooed, leaning closer. “But you had to handle thatintruderbefore you could give me your number, and I just had to see you again.”
Bold assumption. I cleared my throat, raising a brow. Hannah batted her thick lashes. “While it was very… innovative of you to find me here,” I said, trying to be as diplomatic as possible while checking my watch, “I have a meeting in… seven minutes.”
Hannah pouted and leaned closer, giving an eyeful of her perky, round breasts. I very purposefully met her eyes. She was a cute girl. She was averycute girl. That was part of the reason I’d approached her, and the rumors that she wascrazy.
Now I was getting to seeexactlywhat her packmates meant. My wolf grumbled quietly, his ears flat against his skull as he huffed.Heknew she was the wrong sort of crazy, too, but I was in no mood to listen last night. I wasn’t really in the mood to listen right now.
“Maybe I can help! You know, I did a semester of finance at—”
“That’s quite all right,” I said, interrupting her. “I have everything under control. I don’t need the help.”
She pouted again; she was quickly wearing on my patience. “You know, my mama always told me an alpha needs—”