Chapter Five
Alicia stretched as she stood up. She had been feeling a little stiff recently and knew she needed to get to the dojang. Max had built her one at the house and she did use it, but there were times when she wanted to be with people. Today was one of those days. Jacob had the day off and Max was at the office.
She jumped into her Jeep and headed to where she used to live. Pulling into the parking lot behind the building where she used to take classes she parked and headed to the main doors.
Alicia bowed as she entered the dojang, showing proper respect to the floor and the instructor on duty. “Hello, sir, hello ma’am.”
“Alicia Braswell, good to see you.” Her old instructor bowed then offered her his hand. “I thought you moved out of town.”
“No, sir, but I’ve become involved with someone.”
“Good for you.” He looked at the empty classroom. “I’m sorry to say that I don’t have a class for several hours, but you’re welcome to use the floor.”
She sighed. She knew she should have called. “No, that’s fine. I actually have a workout area at my new house, well, my boyfriend’s house, but sometimes I want to work out with other people.”
“You could workout with me.”
“That would be wonderful. Do you have any appointments? I don’t want to get in the way of those.”
“We don’t open for a few hours. I decided to come in early to sanitize the mats. I don’t like leaving that to anyone else because I want to be sure it’s done right.”
“That’s what I’m smelling.”
He laughed as he pointed to the mop and bucket in the corner. “Bleach is always best. If you don’t have your uniform I have a spare in the back.”
“It’s in my Jeep.” She ran out and grabbed it then dashed back into the building. In no time she was in her uniform and working out with her instructor.
“Your style has changed,” he commented. “It shows more power, more confidence. Where have you been training?”
“My boyfriend has a degree in several styles and has been working with me.”
“Ah.” He signaled her to attack again. “Let’s go.”
***
The phone rang once before he picked it up. “What?”
“Sir? You asked us to let you know when we saw his mate out by herself and she’s at her old martial art’s school. It is just her and her instructor.”
“Don’t let her out of your sight. I’ll be right there.” He pressed the button to end the call. This was a little early to put things in motion but when would he have an opportunity like this again?
***
“I’m impressed Alicia, you have great control now. Your focus is on point. This boyfriend of yours is a great teacher.”
“Thank you. He’s been wonderful, but I do miss my classmates.”
“I don’t think they could keep up with you now.”
“I haven’t change that much, my boyfriend might be good, but I can’t say he’s all that.”
“Maximillian Santos.”
“How did you know who my boyfriend was?”
“No.” He pointed to Max who had just walked in the dojang. “Wait. He’s your boyfriend?”
She nodded.
Max stepped in and bowed before he approached him.
Alicia watched as her instructor bowed to Max before he shook his hand.
“Mr. Santos, it has been a long time.”
She looked at Max and mouthed a long time?
Max studied him. “Bill Fitzgerald? How are you?”
“I’m good. I should have known you were the one training Alicia.”
“You two know each other?” Alicia had to ask.
“My instructor was in classes with Max. I saw Max do an exhibition at one of our major tournaments and it was amazing. I have it on tape.” He turned to Alicia. “In fact, I showed that to you when you first started.”
“Oh my god.” Alicia felt her mouth drop open when she remembered. The marital artist flew halfway across the stage with his tornado kicks. Werewolf or not that was what made her work so hard on her form and sparring. “Max, that was you?”
“I told you I trained with the best.” He wrapped an arm around her waist.
“Yeah, but you never told me you trained with our master.”
Max looked at her and smiled. “And what would you have done if I had?”
“Probably acted like a fool and stopped practicing.”
“Instead you’ve gotten better.”
“Yes, much better,” said her instructor. “Her confidence is what I noticed first, then the power behind her moves.”
“Thank you, sir.”
“Are you ready?” asked Max.
“All I have to do is change.” She gave him a quick kiss and headed to the bathroom.
***
He stood across from the dojang. The wall of glass allowed him to see everything. He had watched Alicia workout with the school instructor. She wasn’t bad for a human. Just as he was putting his plan together in his mind that damned Max Santos showed up. He couldn’t grab her now, not unless he wanted to confront the alpha of the largest pack in the area. He wasn’t ready to do that yet. It wasn’t that he didn’t think he could take him. He was alpha of his own pack and he was challenged all the time. He would defeat Santos and kill him then force his pack to merge with his.
The woman was the one thing he wasn’t sure about. He needed to kidnap her before she used the Tears. Right now he could swing people to his side because she wasn’t part of the pack but if she used the Tears on herself then a lot of his pack would suddenly see her as one of them. Max would have the upper hand and he couldn’t have that.
The man wanted to change their age-old traditions of a fight to the death to be alpha. Something he felt shouldn’t be shoved aside. He didn’t care if the humans found out. He was tired of hiding. There had been families who had run from his pack because they thought he was cruel. Some of those families he found and gave them what they deserved for leaving his pack. Others were still hidden, but he never stopped looking for them. Then there were the ones he had found but couldn’t touch because of Max Santos. They were protected by his pack. If he were taken out of the picture, then they would have to answer to him.
Lost in his thoughts he suddenly found Max staring right at him so he stepped back and faded into the background. Hopefully, the stupid alpha didn’t realize who he was looking at.
***
Max guided his mate down the street.
“Oh, did you put a microchip in me to find me so fast?” Alicia kept her voice soft, but he could feel the anger radiating off her.
“No, sweetheart, I know it probably looks like it, but you left me these overwhelming clues.”
“Like what?”
“You took your Jeep instead of taking the sporty Lexus I bought you for Christmas. The only time you do that is when you meet with your parents or someone from your old life that doesn’t know about us.”
“Like my instructor.”
“Yes, then I found your took missing as well as your sparring gear. It was pretty easy from there.”
“I didn’t mean to leave a mess.”
“I know, you had hoped to get back before I knew you left.” He squeezed her waist. “I just finished with my meeting early.”
“Did the board go along with your idea? I know Stacey isn’t someone they know and trust.”
“The girl has the backbone. She just needs to be pushed so she believes in herself and I told them that.” Max noticed a man watching them. He looked vaguely familiar and he knew he was pack, but not from Max’s. “They approved my proposal, but they had to because yesterday I had already told her she’s in charge of all of my finances until my audit.”
“I bet she was happy about that.”
“Yeah, she made sure I knew she was good at fading into the background.” The man he had spotted had stepped back and faded into the crowd. He’d have to look for him in the files he had on some of the other packs. “I also assigned Patrick to be her bodyguard under the guise of their new relationship.”
“Then you see it too.” They stopped at the corner and waited for the light to change. Alicia looked up at him. “You know I’m going to have to move my Jeep.”
“I’ve already called the service to have it picked up. That way we can enjoy a few hours together.” The light changed and they moved with the crowd. “I’ve never known Patrick to spend the weekend with any woman. And he knew Stacey should have been off limits. No matter what the two of them say there is something there and they need to face it.”
“What are you up to?” asked Alicia.
“I want to take my mate to an early lunch then maybe stop by a jewelry store,” said Max.
“That’s not what I… wait. Jewelry store?”
“We need to pick out our rings.” His parents had bought wedding rings when they started to live among humans to keep them from asking questions.
“But I thought you wanted to use your parents’ rings.”
“I did and I brought them to a jeweler nearby to get them cleaned and he said the settings were weak. Instead of rebuilding them I thought we could redesign them. Make them ours, but I want your input. I want you to be happy with the design.”
“Max, you know I would love anything you gave me because it came from your heart.”
“I know.” He stopped in front of his favorite restaurant and opened the door for her. “But I thought this would be fun.”
She entered the Irish pub and headed to his table. “You’re going to make a big deal of this in front of my parents, aren’t you?”
“We are doing this for them. And your mom has called me ‘Max of millions’ so why not?”
She laughed. “I never should have told you that. Poor Mom, she doesn’t know what she is in for.”
***
Stacey found a car waiting for her when she stepped out of her apartment. When Max said she’d be in charge she didn’t think he’d make sure she looked like she deserved the position. Something she didn’t agree with.
The driver opened the door and waited for her to climb in.
“Patrick?”
“Max asked that I help acclimate you to your new position and make sure everyone knows we’re dating.”
The door closed once she was seated. “I’m sorry you got sucked into this.”
“I’m not. I get to spend more time with you. Something I think you would try to avoid if he hadn’t forced us to portray a loving couple.”
Patrick was right. She would avoid him, thinking he was just being nice. “I’ve never been in charge like this before.”
“And that’s the other reason I’m here. I do have the experience and can whisper in your ear without anyone being the wiser.”
“Max has thought of everything, hasn’t he?”
“Yes. That is why he is the alpha. Max sees the big picture and the minute details. He’s kind of awesome in that respect.” Patrick took her hands in his. “How are you doing, though? Are you ready for this?”
“Of course not, but I’ll do what is expected of me. Their trust in me humbles me a bit, but it also fills me with pride.”
“Welcome to the pack. You’ll find it’s like that all the time.”
“How do you handle being his second? I’d be quaking in my boots all the time.”
“We grew up together. I know Max’s flaws as well as his triumphs and he knows mine. If he makes a mistake, I do my best to cover it up so no one is the wiser. He does the same for me.” He caressed her hands with his thumbs. “What would you do if Alicia made a small error in dealing with our crazy rules?”
“I’d protect her. She’s innocent to our ways and doesn’t need those brow beaters coming after her because of some stupid infraction.”
“That’s the way it is between Max and me. He asks me to jump and I’ll ask how high because I know that if I did the same thing he would ask the same question.”
“I’ve never had this before.”
“And I’d like to know why.” Patrick sat back into his seat. “You are the daughter of the leader of your pack, yet you don’t act like someone of your position should.”
“And exactly how should I act then?” That pissed her off. She had heard this many times, but this is the first time it ever bothered her. Was it because it came from Patrick?
“Like a lioness. You are smart, beautiful and sexy as hell, yet you want to be invisible and I don’t get that.”
“You think I’m sexy?”
“Oh my god.” He pulled her onto his lap and slipped his hand under her skirt to rest it intimately against her inner thigh. He drew small circles against the soft skin. “I have never met anyone who makes my blood boil by just a look. If we weren’t expected at the corporate office in just a few minutes I would show you how you make me feel.”
The door of the car opened and she suddenly had to adjust her skirt and climb out with her dignity intact. “You are evil,” she teased.
“No one will question if our relationship is real.” He climbed out after her. She never answered his question and he wanted to know why.
The limo caught several people’s attention. Stacey caught others and he caught the rest. It wouldn’t take long for the gossip mills to make everyone aware that Stacey was there and had been found in a compromising position with him. Just what Max wanted.
“You ready?”
“No, but that is no excuse.” She pulled on the cuff of each sleeve and smiled. “Let’s get this over with.”
“You make it sound like you’re walking the last mile.”
“That’s what it feels like.” She linked arms with him. “If you weren’t here I would run away and change my name.”
“Then I’m going to have to show you that this is a good thing, won’t I?” He patted the hand she tucked in his arm.
“Like to see you try.”
All she got in return was a smile.
***
Patrick opened the door to their main corporate office for her and waited until she walked in the building. The fact that she had been picked up early in the morning showed power, but she didn’t know that. At least not yet.
When she stepped in, the receptionist jumped up. “Miss Sullivan, your office is ready. Please follow Ben.” She pointed to a young man standing next to her desk.
Stacey didn’t respond, just nodded and turned so she could follow the young man. Everyone else would see it as another show of power, but everything was going the way she expected so she didn’t have to talk to anyone.
Ben took them up several floors and into a corner office. The view was spectacular. Her desk was massive. Max had to have picked it out.
“Do you need anything?” asked Ben.
“Who has been assigned as my secretary?” Her voice was soft as she asked.
“Oh, I don’t know, but I will find out.” He fell silent.
Patrick bet he didn’t know what to say to keep her happy. “A couple cups of coffee would go a long way.”
“Of course.” He looked at Patrick. “Cream and sugar?”
“Cream and the yellow packets for the lady.”
“Yes, sir.” He took off like his ass was on fire.
“Was he afraid of me?”
Patrick laughed. “A little bit.”
“Why?”
“Because he should be. You have power. You are the person Max trusts with his finances. And your silence, even though I know you were afraid to speak because you didn’t want to say something stupid, fit perfectly with what Max set up.”
“So they think I’m some stuck-up bitch?”
“A powerful woman who expects to be treated with respect,” he corrected. “And you need to keep this up.”
“I have no clue how to do that.”
“You do. Just remain silent and let me do all the talking right now.”
There was a knock on the door and he answered it before she could say a word. The young man gave her a furtive glance before he focused on Patrick. “I brought coffee as well as a few pastries.”
“Thank you,” said Patrick. “And Miss Sullivan’s secretary?”
“Should be set up before I leave.” He set the coffees on the massive desk and stepped back. “I apologize. We should have been ready. We will strive to be ready in the future.”
“Good.” Patrick opened the door and waited for the young man to leave. He didn’t need any prompting. He closed the door and went to the coffees. Once he put the imitation sugar in it, as well as some cream, he handed her a cup.
“Patrick, this is so out of my element. I don’t know how to be a bad ass.” She took the coffee from him. “How am I supposed to pull this off?”
“Two things will help you. One is me. I will help you be the person they think you are. The other is that smart mind of yours. I know you’ll pick this up fast.”
“I’m going to be in the limelight from now on, aren’t I?” Stacey sighed.
Patrick nodded. She didn’t seem happy about the prospect. “Why does that bother you so much? Max will protect you.”
She looked at him and for an instant he saw it. There was something she was afraid of. That was why she always faded into the background. She didn’t want to be found. But what was she hiding?
***
Max brought Alicia to his favorite jewelry store. They were pack members and had always taken good care of his family treasures. When he had brought his parents’ rings here to be cleaned they asked if he had thought of maybe having the stones set in something new. His mate might tell him that she would wear his mother’s ring proudly, but he knew, deep down inside, she would love to have one they picked out together.
“We don’t have to do this, Max.”
“Yes, we do.” He held the door open and let her step inside before he allowed the door to close behind him. The owner of the store stepped up to the doors and locked them. “You are my mate and I want you to have the ring of your dreams.”
“I have the man of my dreams.”
“You are good.” He pressed a kiss to her lips. “But my friends here are better. Let them show you what they have.”
“Okay.” She looked up at him. “I hope you realize this could cost you.”
“I know.”
“A lot.”
“I expect nothing less.”
“Carte blanche?”
“Whatever you want.”
She gave him a smile that had him hard in seconds. This was going to be very expensive. He could tell by her smile.
***
Stacey sat behind her massive desk and sipped her coffee. She let Patrick speak for her most of the time, but when she asked a question she found everyone looked at her then scurried to get her answers. Patrick’s smile showed pride.
It was kind of heady to have people jump when you spoke. Not the other way around. Patrick was right. She didn’t need to say a word. All she had to do was sigh or shift her weight and people would act like she had issued some sort of law.
But she shouldn’t get used to this. Her father told her that she needed to remain invisible. If the wrong people figured out who she was she would be in trouble.
“You okay?” asked Patrick.
“Yeah, just didn’t expect people to treat me like royalty. I’m the accountant. Nothing more.” She wanted to add that she was the accountant without a college degree, but she knew Patrick had seen her records and knew she just never took the CPA test. Something she could have aced. Her father’s desire for her to blend in kept her from doing a lot of things.
She had finished all her classes for her basic school studies by the time she was eight years old. Her father didn’t allow her to go to middle or high school before she was supposed to. Instead he set up a false identity and allowed her to take college classes online. She took computer courses and business classes. She knew at least twenty different languages fluently. Anything that piqued her interest. Math was her favorite. It was what she was best at.
When she was finally allowed to go to college she had already learned everything. College though was different. She took the tests to show she was proficient in one subject so she could take the advanced classes. In some subjects she had the equivalent of a master’s degree. She was brilliant but had to act like she was normal.
“Oh, beautiful Stacey, you’re so much more than that.” Patrick leaned a hip on her desk. “You want to be invisible, but I noticed you the moment I met you. You are the daughter of an alpha and you can’t hide it. No matter how hard you try to.”
“It is for the best.”
“Why?”
Stacey looked at him. He didn’t know how badly she wanted to tell him everything, but he’d never believe her. “My pack is small. It would be like a prince dealing with the daughter of the baker. My father might be alpha, but of what? A few families that couldn’t blend in with a larger one?”
Right there she told the truth. He heard it in her words. They cared for those who didn’t fit in anywhere else. There were many that fit that category and an alpha who could deal with this all the time was something they needed. They wanted to help everyone who approached them, pack or not, and have a place for them.
“It doesn’t matter how big or how small your pack is. Alpha blood runs through you. If you had been male you would have been groomed to take over.” Patrick stepped toward her. “You have power you don’t see.”
“No.” Fear filled her eyes.
Patrick inhaled and realized Max was in the building. “Max is here.”
She took it as a reprieve. “Do I have all the reports?” Stacey moved to her desk and picked up her tablet. The moment she noticed one missing she tapped on her phone. “Where is the report due three hours ago?”
She did it with every report missing and smiled when it appeared on her tablet.
Max walked in the door and looked at him then her.
She handed him her tablet. “Ninety-nine percent have reported.”
He nodded. “And the one who hasn’t submitted?”
“Has been summoned.” She glanced at her phone and smiled. “He should be here in a second or two.”
They heard the man grumbling as he came to her door. Stacey had left it open and sat behind her desk, waiting.
“You think that just because our alpha notices you that we must jump when you speak? I need more time than the few hours you gave.”
“Hmm, no one else seemed to have an issue. Yours is the only report late.” She swiveled her chair as she spoke so she could stand up. “You are the only one who didn’t have time.”
Patrick noticed she was taller than the man standing in front of her. Max had stayed out of sight and Patrick knew it was because he wanted to see what she was capable of. He moved to Max’s side. “You need to speak to her father.”
“We have already spoken.” Max had done the same thing he did, pitching his voice so no one else could hear them.
“He knows how to deal with misfits.”
Max looked at him. “Noted.”
Patrick turned his attention back to watch what would happen.
“Your ledgers are late,” Stacey admonished.
“I know.” He sure didn’t seem intimidated. In fact he looked angry at being disturbed.
“I need those files now.”
“Look, missy, you’ll get those files when I can get to them. Just because you’re sniffing around our alpha’s second doesn’t give you the right to come in here and demand I put away what I was working on just to give you something you could do yourself.”
“I see.” She clutched her tablet to her chest. The only sign that she was frightened. “None of the other companies in the group had a problem giving me the data I requested. And on time I might add.”
“You’re not even from our pack. Why should I jump when you demand things from me?”
“Maybe because I asked her to.” Max stepped out from behind the man so he could see him when he turned around. “And Stacey is part of our pack.”
“Sir!”
“Seeing how you behave when I’m not here saddens me.” Max looked at Stacey before he turned his attention to the man he was speaking to. “I expect my pack to treat everyone with respect. No matter whom she is sniffing around.”
The man had the presence of mind to realize they had heard everything. He hung his head. “I’m sorry, sir. I was wrong.”
“Yes.” Max stepped to him and put his face inches from his. He growled, asking, “What exactly were you working on that you felt was more important than turning in something I requested?”
“I-I found something in the books that didn’t add up and wanted to make sure it balanced before I turned them in.”
“And you couldn’t tell Stacey that? Instead you ridicule her?” Max was so angry he was starting to shift. “If you had done this to my mate I would have ripped your throat out. Stacey is family. My family. You are to pack up your things and go. You’re not welcome here anymore.”
“Sir.”
“Give Stacey the file she wants now and leave.”
The man hung his head. He nodded and headed to his office.
Max looked at Stacey then Patrick. “I’ll be in my office.”
Patrick couldn’t help himself. He walked up to her and wrapped his arms around her. “You were wonderful.”
“I didn’t do much.” She brushed a few stray hairs behind her ear as she stepped back. “Having you two standing in the back like that had me petrified.”
“Max can be a bit intimidating.”
“You two together are quite intimidating,” Stacey corrected.
Patrick wasn’t quite sure why he hadn’t left yet. There was something about Stacey that drew him.
She settled in her chair and pulled up the file the man had sent. It didn’t take her long to sit back and stare at him. “He found it too.”
“Found what?” Patrick watched her ignore him and he wasn’t sure he liked it.
“The error in the books. Just like your bookkeeper, but this only started a few days ago.”