Chapter 58

Tyler POV

Moonrise Entertainment - Executive Level

"I think I'm making headway for your girl!"

I looked up from the contract I was going over to see my father letting himself into my office without a by-your-leave.

John Wright had never been good with boundaries. As far as my father was concerned, this would always be his company and we were all only visitors playing in his sandbox while he was willing to share.

"What are you talking about?"

I'd learned to be direct with him. Father wanted to play games while I didn't have the right nature for it.

"My granddaughter," he said.

There was a smugness to his tone I knew meant he was congratulating himself on finding out I was having a daughter instead of a son even though I hadn't shared the information with him. The bastard could choke on the knowledge. I wasn't hiding my child's gender. He hadn't gotten a foothold over on me; I was not about to let him make any decisions for my child.

"My daughter is none of your concern. No 'arrangements' will be made for her."

"Don't be ridiculous. These things take time. Look at the contract you have there," Father waved at the paperwork I was studying, "All those details to go over because of a business arrangement with a time limit. A marriage is meant to last a lifetime. You have to set everything up in advance or you never know what misery you'll leave for your child to fall into."

I could imagine my mother felt her 'arrangement' with my father had been miserable though I knew no real details about their relationship except my father had been married already when I was conceived.

Growing up with everyone knowing I was a bastard born from a rich man's mistress had not been easy. I'd gotten in more fights than any other boy in my grade level. For a while, I had gotten so used to being injured from all my schoolboy skirmishes I forgot what it felt like to live without bruises or cuts or damage of some kind done to me.

"My daughter hasn't even been born. There's no rush to start matchmaking for her. Besides that? I want her to have the opportunity to meet her fated mate the way all wolves are meant to mate."

I'd talked too long. Father waved at me again as if I were spouting nonsense he could just waft away like early morning fog. He came from a world where Alpha Houses never left anything to fate because wolfen society needed to control every aspect of their dealings or risk being overtaken by human interlopers.

"You can always worry about a fated mate after the fact. Alpha Houses have to remain strong. Besides, if she has two mates -one arranged and one fated-, then she's got two males who can protect her. That's twice the safety of another female."

I was not going to listen to him make up reasons to control my child before she had a chance to take a single free breath.

"No. Now I'm busy. Get out."

"Is that any way to talk to your father?"

He seemed amused by me in a way I wanted to question. What if he knew I had lost my connection to Wynd? Was he even now planning to put me in the same position as my crippled older brother William?

I could wake up the next morning in a 'convalescent home.' I had known my father to do worse in the past. Both Rachel and I would be better off if I presented a strong front.

"You're barely a father. I have to go through two more of these contracts today or we risk losing the clients which loses us a significant amount of money. Clear enough reason for you to get out?"

Father gave me a mocking bow as he said, "I'll leave you to it. Keep towing the company line, son. I'll keep doing what I must for our House."

I had a sinking feeling he had chosen to give me my way rather than left out of any fear of angering me. There was no world in which showing weakness to John Wright was a smart move. I would have to warn Rachel we couldn't take him for granted.

I'd barely started to read the contract over again when my personal cell phone vibrated on the desk.

Giving the phone a glare, I checked the caller ID before answering the call, "Hello? Who is this?"

The number was unfamiliar to me. I didn't like the idea of a crank call any more than I liked the idea of an unknown person having my private line at their disposal.

"Nathan. Nathan Lewis."

He clarified as if I knew too many Nathan's to know who he was on first name alone.

"Why are you calling me, Lewis? Better question: how did you get this number?"

A heartbeat passed before he sighed into the phone in a way which let me know I wasn't the only one frustrated by the conversation.

"I got the number from a PI. I'm calling you because I just came from visiting Rachel. We're going to be friends."

The idea of Nathan Lewis being alone with my mate made me grit my teeth in a mixture of anger and irritation. I could tell he was informing me he was going to maintain a friendship with Rachel rather than asking if he could befriend her. There was no question being presented in anything he was telling me, only statements.

I could respect him for being direct.

"Fine. You're friends. What has come from your friendship to lead to this call?"

"She wants to visit Moonglow Pack in their home territory. She asked about going without an escort, but I told her she has to have an escort. They're completely backwards. I'm talking almost medieval. You can't let her go without an Alpha escort. Why can't you go? Why wouldn't she just ask you?"

Had he always been such a talker? I was exhausted by how much Nathan had spewed at me in such a short span of time.

With all he'd babbled on about, what was I supposed to address first?

I decided to respond with as much directness as I usually used with my father. It felt more useful than trying to talk to him with emotions involved.

"We're still talking about the visit to Moonglow. I will ensure she takes an Alpha escort. Are you offering to take her?"

I knew he was as much as I knew I hated the idea of letting him have any time alone with Rachel.

"I am. I've been there several times. My family is on good terms with them. I just---Wright, I don't like you, but I love Rachel and I know she won't give up on this idea of going to see these people. You have to make the right decision to protect her because she doesn't understand what she's getting into with them."

Primitive wolfen societies were not well-known to me. I had visited a reservation den once when I was twenty-years-old. I remembered females who didn't look up from their feet and males who wandered around barefoot and shirtless as if they were always one breath away from their wolf bursting free of their skin.

I hated the idea of Rachel being in one of those territories a lot more than I hated her spending time with Nathan Lewis.

Lewis loved her. I could hear it in his voice and I'd seen it in his face when he'd offered for her at the Alpha Council petition. His love for her would ensure he protected her with the same degree of devotion I would myself and he still had access to his wolf.

"If you took her," I emphasized the word 'if' because I wasn't saying I would agree to the arrangement without further investigation, "Could you ensure it was a one-day visit or would you have to stay overnight? I know they're remote. I doubt there's a hotel nearby."

"No hotels. We would have to stay on their land. Their territory is massive. They have these 'cottages' they keep open for visitors. We wouldn't be expected to stay in their Alpha's den."

I wasn't sure how I felt about any of this. All I was certain of was my former mate was going to drive me insane. I decided to talk it over with my Beta and with Rachel herself before making a decision.

"I'll think about it. Thank you. For offering to escort her and protect her. I know you have her safety in mind."

"I love her," Lewis said again, sounding helpless, "Save my number, Wright. We're going to stay in touch even if you hate me."

I found I felt less hatred for him than I had before. I supposed knowing he loved the woman I loved made us allies more naturally than enemies.

"Fine. Save mine, Lewis. I'll contact you when I'm ready."

I hung up before preparing to dial my Beta to get him on the task of investigating Moonglow territory.