Chapter 125

Art POV

"Even more importantly---what are we going to do to find out the truth?"

The only thing I hated more than dealing with Nathan Lewis's obsession with Rachel was having to admit when he made a valid point.

Crazy men should just stay crazy. Making sense should be left to those of us who still possessed all our sense.

"We're going to investigate, Lewis. 'We' meaning 'me' of course since the rest of you aren't saddled with the role of Alpha Inspector."

Lewis looked as if he wanted to start arguing with me and it took every ounce of my self-control to shove my wolf down behind the hunger of my other personal demon.

Sometimes my curse came in handy. Merlyn was really not fond of Nathan Lewis -he was a good judge of character, my wolf- so I relied on the thirsty bastard sharing my headspace to shove Merlyn into a corner when he wanted to tear into the Alpha heir to House Lewis.

"How are you going to find out anything about Elena? If Patrick has been hiding her all these years, I doubt he's just going to confess if you show up to threaten him."

I rolled my eyes so hard I was surprised I didn't blind myself. Did Lewis think I was that stupid? Really?

"Lewis, I get I'm a blond bombshell, but don't let my platinum locks fool you: I'm a lot smarter than you."

If I were in a conciliatory mood, I would have added 'think', but, really? Fuck Nathan Lewis. I was smarter than him. His fated mate was clinging to his arm as if he were her personal Jesus and he was picking a fight with me over another's marked and mated mate?

Idiot.

"I don't need Patrick Flores to confess anything to me. I just need him to think about how he's going to tell me nothing."

Everyone seemed surprised at once as my meaning sunk in; I tried not to be offended by the lack of faith in my skills as an investigator. The Alpha Council didn't hire me only because I was an otherwise uselessly cursed prince.

Come to that---I wasn't telling anyone I was wolfen royalty.

The Alpha Council knew. My family knew. All my former lovers knew which I regretted every single time they threw it in my face.

I didn't need anyone else knowing the Alpha King was my dear old dad.

"Rachel," I called, snapping away from my thoughts before I let Lewis get started with his inept inquisition, "Do you think you could convince Patrick to come here? Tell him Ethan needs a blood transfusion from a relative. You won't be lying. He may need a different transfusion to kick his body back into living color."

I had no idea whether Ethan Flores would wake up or not. His comatose state worried me, but I was worried about what would happen if he woke up changed because of the gift of my blood, too. What if I passed my curse on to him? What would a vampire omega wolf be like?

Merlyn kept the blood-thirsty demon in my mind quiet as often as the demon shoved Merlyn into a corner. My Alpha wolf had his hands full with the vampire in me. Would an omega wolf be able to beat back the thirst?

Come to that---was Ethan Flores really an omega?

I was beginning to doubt his status after having been close enough to him to get a good sniff. There was a tainted scent to him now because of the poison; I hadn't been able to sense his full essence. I had gotten a good idea of his strength though which seemed out of order with his size and age.

"Do you know if Ethan has the same blood type as Patrick? I've always thought omegas had weaker blood so their inheritance was lesser when they mated with a higher-ranking wolf. It's possible he would know he couldn't donate because Ethan would only be able to get blood from his mother, but he's not an Alpha is he?"

Rachel shook her head, looking at me in a daze while I realized I was speaking too fast again. My dual nature often resulted in my system being flooded with adrenaline I couldn't shake without exhausting myself which I wasn't getting a chance to do while babysitting Rachel and Company.

"I don't know," Rachel admitted, still looking dazed, "I could call him. If I were to be panicked, I think he would show up? Or Tyler---"

Tyler rescued her as soon as she gave him the opportunity, saying, "I'll tell him to get here or else."

"Or else what?" I asked, genuinely curious what the strange Alpha Wright considered a fitting threat for Patrick Flores.

"Or else is enough when it comes from me."

Tyler Wright met my eyes without flinching. His black stare was cold enough, dead enough, I actually found myself freezing in place in reaction. Would I ever get a handle on him? What made him so intimidating?

Better question still: how did Tyler Wright have the dubious gift of being immune to my telepathy?

I would love to learn the last answer as quick as possible in case it was something which could be passed around. Hearing the thoughts of others was an annoyance and a headache. I didn't want to have to deal with any more voices in my head than I already had; I'd gladly share the fix across the whole wolfen kingdom if I had the chance.

"Fair enough."

Standing up, I pulled my work phone free of my jeans then tossed it at Rachel. She was too stunned to catch it, but Wright proved his reflexes were every bit as intense as his personality when he snatched the phone in midair.

"Call him from my work phone. It shows up as 'Alpha Council' on the caller ID. I'm pretty sure he'll answer."

Who could blame me if I sounded a little smug? My plan was going to work out. I could feel it. Sometimes I wondered if one part of me or the other had a touch of prescentience. I definitely felt as if I could sense the future from time to time.

Rachel dialed with shaking fingers, fumbling the buttons twice before managing to send the call through.

"Put it on speaker," I instructed, "Everyone keep quiet though. Well. Except you, Wright. Feel free to growl a threat of your choice at him. We want him to show."

Wright gave me a grim nod. I focused on his face with as much intensity as I could conjure in the moment. All I managed was to start a headache blooming to life behind my eyelids before I gave up trying to read him.

Fine. I didn't want to hear his thoughts anyway.

Patrick answered after three rings -a surprising amount of restraint showing considering the fact he was an omega getting a call from the highest law in his world- and all he said was his name.

"Patrick Flores."

"Patrick! Ethan has been hurt. We're at Our Blessed Goddess Medical Center. We're in the Surgical Waiting Room on Floor 3. Please come as quick as you can. We need you."

I mouthed at her: 'Ethan needs you.'

Nodding she understood, Rachel repeated, "Ethan needs you. How soon can you get here?"

"I don't have a way there. Why do you need me to come anyway? What's happened to Ethan? What kind of surgery is he having there?"

Ethan had been through a lot of surgical procedures, but we didn't need to give Patrick too much information. He was sharper than any omega had a right to be. I shook my head 'no' at Rachel and mouthed at her to insist he come.

"You have to come! I'll pay for an Uber. I'll send a car right now. Are you at home? He's been---he's been fighting. He took on a Lycan in a cage fight. He's been hurt. Badly hurt. They're saying he was poisoned and he needs blood. I don't know. Dad. I don't know what to do. Please say you'll come."

Adding 'Dad' was a nice touch even if it did sound strange coming from Rachel.

Wright leaned over the phone and stated simply, "My beta Adam will be there with a car in twenty minutes. If you aren't there, I'm giving him instructions to hunt you down."

The hair on the back of my neck stood up as Wright took the phone from Rachel's hands and thumbed the call off before throwing it back to me.

"Well. I have a feeling he's going to be coming soon. That's one hurdle down. Now let's make a plan to get Patrick to think about his dearly departed darling!"

I was beginning to think this was going to work!

I was also beginning to be one hundred percent fucking certain I never wanted to try my luck in a challenge match against Tyler Wright even if I was a cursed Alpha Prince.