Chapter 63

Tyler POV

Wright House

A pounding sound echoed through the house from the front door. I glared in its direction as I picked my cell phone up from the bedside table.

Rachel was going to call soon. I didn't want to miss my chance to tell her goodnight. I hoped I could talk her into sharing a few of her sexier ideas with me before we both turned to sleep.

Whoever was at my door had better have a damned good reason for being there or I was going to instruct them to take a long walk off a short pier with my thanks.

"Yes?"

I flung the door open only to step back as I realized I didn't recognize the man on my stoop.

"Can I help you?"

"I doubt it. Most of you just wind up causing me to have a headache. I'm Alpha Inspector Art Windsor. The Alpha Council set me to task on Rachel Flores. Her case against House Campbell directly ties into her relationship with you in a lot of places. I want to get started with you before I move on."

I could tell he wasn't asking if he could come in.

There was an easy entitlement to every move he made which spoke to the strength of his wolf. I wouldn't be surprised to learn he'd been challenged to rite of combat before and won. He had the feel of a man who'd tasted blood between his teeth more than once.

"Would you like anything? Water? I am expecting a call from Rachel soon."

"I know. Saying goodnight."

If Wynd had been awake, I would have growled at him. As it was, I did bare my teeth at the invasion of privacy he was suggesting.

"Are you monitoring my phone calls?"

"I'm thorough. Where I'm concerned? You don't have secrets. I know who you talk to, how you talk to them, and for how long. Right now? I'm not interested in any of it, but I like to know if I need the information? I have it. Are you aware Nathan Lewis calls Rachel too?"

"Yes. He wants to be 'friends' with her."

I was going to choke on the words if I didn't swallow down some water myself. I went to the kitchen to get a bottle from the fridge; I realized I would have to ask Magda to do a grocery order because everything was running out and Rachel wasn't here to do it for me.

"No. He wants to fuck her. Specifically he wants to mate her, mark her, and then fuck her so she knows she belongs to him. He's more than a little unstable where she's concerned."

Unstable? Lewis seemed intense in his feelings toward Rachel, but I hadn't gotten any feeling from him he was less than lucid. I supposed I could have missed some signs in my efforts to block him out of my mind.

Who could blame me for not wanting to think too hard about the rival Alpha trying to take my mate?

I raked my eyes over the Alpha Inspector.

Windsor was taller than me -an annoyance I rarely faced at my height- with shaggy blond hair long enough to tie back in a ponytail. His features were shockingly perfect, giving him the appearance of a male model whose masculinity was preserved based on the bulk of his muscles and the squareness of his jaw. I didn't need to see him shift to know he would be a massive beast as a wolf.

I doubted I would be able to beat him in combat even if Wynd were awake and I absolutely hated him for it.

"What are you trying to say? I should be afraid of Lewis?"

"Absolutely," he snapped, rolling his eyes, "He's lovesick and love makes people insane. I have no idea what he's capable of doing. If you don't worry about him, you're an idiot. Are you going to approve him as escort for her into Moonglow territory?"

"I think I might be an idiot if I agreed to it now after your glowing recommendation."

The acid in my voice should have melted some of the smirk off Windsor's face, but all it did was earn me a shark's smile. His teeth were sharp and white and straight as he grinned at me. I had the peculiar feeling he was toying with me and I hated that, too.

"I wouldn't recommend it. That's why I'm here. I'll take her into Moonglow. If I take her, she'll be there as a plaintiff bringing a complaint from the Alpha Council. There's the possibility they'll close some doors to us, but I can guarantee she comes home safely and I can get answers."

"Answers you couldn't get as easily without her?"

Men like him only offered something when it benefited them. I was positive he was offering to take Rachel because Rachel would earn him access to information he wouldn't be able to get near on his own. I could even respect him for it since I knew a female wolf would definitely be regarded as less threatening by those ancient-minded wolves.

"Yes. Do you want me to take her? We can set up a schedule for checking in with staggered times so if they capture us or something goes wrong, you'll know to go to the Council for help."

My fingers felt numb around the cold water bottle. I noticed my bare feet were cold, too. Should I turn on the heat or was the chill all because Windsor had shaken me to my soul with his insinuation House Campbell might genuinely harm Rachel on their land.

"How serious a threat are they? Should she even go on their land?"

Windsor leaned back against the kitchen counter, crossed his feet at the ankles and his arms over his chest. He looked tired yet there was a toughness to him I didn't want to test.

"I wouldn't let her go if she was mine. She isn't though. Come to that? She isn't yours either. I think they'll convince her to go with or without me or you or even Nathan Lewis if he refuses to take her. She's a female with her mind set on something. You're probably not going to be able to talk her out of it."

His expression had become bitter; I didn't need to pry to know he was a man speaking from experience.

I also didn't have to ask how his own romances had turned out because a happily mated Alpha wouldn't be an inspector for the Alpha Council.

Everyone knew those who worked directly for the Alpha Council did it knowing their lives could be over at any moment. None of them feared death as much as they feared dishonor.

"If I give you permission to take Rachel into Moonglow territory, will you ask her if you can escort her or tell her she's going and take her?"

Windsor smirked in response and I knew I'd have torn into him if my wolf were awake. He was practically daring me to try to stop him from doing what he wanted with my mate.

"You can't force her."

I wasn't going to tolerate him using 'escort' as a word to minimize the action of abducting her.

Rachel barely trusted me. I wouldn't betray her by making decisions deliberately against her wishes or without any concern for her opinion at all. She deserved more. Her father had been that way with her and I was not going to put myself on the same shelf in her mind as Patrick Flores.

"I'll ask. First."

"You'll ask and you'll get a 'yes' or you won't take her. Period. I'll tear you apart if you take her by force."

"How? With the power of your mind? We both know you haven't been able to access your wolf since your mating ended."

Shock doused me with cold down to the marrow of my bones. I felt the blood drain from my face. How did he know I couldn't access my wolf? I hadn't been looking for a solution to Wynd's sleep and I hadn't discussed him with anyone outside my most trusted circle.

"It's my job to know things people want to keep hidden. I live on a steady diet of secrets and lies. You don't have to worry about me telling anyone. Not right now."

"Except the Council?"

If he told the Alpha Council I had no connection with my wolf, they would have no choice except to tell my father who would have to find another replacement for his line of succession. House Wright had to have a functional heir. Rachel carried a girl. I only had a sister remaining. The future of our pack would be in jeopardy in a very real, very terrifying way.

"I only report what's necessary to the Council. Give me permission to take her into Moonglow."

"Ask her first. If she says yes---take her."

I hoped he listened to me and got Rachel's permission. I got a wink out of him as my phone began to ring.

"I'll see myself out. Thanks for the vote of confidence, Wright. I appreciate it."

I let the phone continue to ring as I waited for the feeling to return to my hands.