Chapter 46

Grace is practicing her piano, and I’m trying not to cringe as she struggles her way through the piece and sighs audibly every time she hits a wrong note. I swear she’s doing it on purpose as a tactic to let her stop playing.

“You’ve only been practicing for five minutes, Grace. You have twenty-five left.” I say without mercy.

She groans and starts again.

My phone goes off and I check it to find a strange number and a message that reads “Park. Five minutes. It’s urgent.”

“Grace, I’ll be back in a few minutes. Don’t leave that piano bench.” I say getting up. I don’t know why I’m heading to the park without question. There’s just something about it that says I have to.

I head down the road and get to the park exactly five minutes later. Another message from my phone, and I glance down to see instructions from my mysterious summoner to go to the bench by the creek.

I worry for a minute that this is some scheme Julian has thought up. I haven’t heard from him since breakfast, and I am a little concerned that he’s come up with another elaborate gesture.

It’s not Julian. A woman with long blonde hair, immaculate face, wearing a red dress and sunglasses sits on the bench waiting for me. I groan internally. How did Vanessa get my number.

I sit down next to her.

“You summoned me.” I say blandly and look over at her. “What is this? A bad spy movie?”

“I really don’t want to be seen with you. Especially considering what I know.” Vanessa sniffs.

“What are you talking about?” I ask impatiently. I don’t have time for her antics right now.

“I know about you and Adrian. Sleeping with the father and the son. How very ambitious of you.” She says sarcastically and I roll my eyes even though my heart is beating fast.

“I already told you that I didn’t know what you were talking about.” I sigh loudly.

“I have proof.” She says, and I have to force myself to keep breathing.

“A butler’s gossip is hardly proof.” I take a guess.

She reaches next to her and hands me a folder. I eye it suspiciously before I take it and open it and my heart stops beating entirely. I stop breathing too. Panic stirs deep in my gut, and a loud rushing sound fills my ears.

Photos of me and Adrian in the hallway of the hotel all those weeks ago fill the folder. They look like they were pulled from a surveillance video.

One with my hands on his chest, looking up at him. One with his hand around my waist. Another, the most damning one, shows that first kiss just before he pulls me into his hotel room. One photo after another, put in order, portrays in perfect detail that decision I made back when Julian and I were still together, and I chose to sleep with his father for revenge after I thought he was cheating on me.

“What do you want?” I finally ask, my voice weak. It’s only then that I realize that I’m shaking.

“Stay away from Julian.” Vanessa says. “Your relationship is over, and you will not be getting back together. I know he’s trying to, and you are going to refuse him or else I show him these.”

When I don’t say anything, she continues. “Imagine what he will do if he finds out.”

With Julian’s temper, I could only imagine what he would do. He might try to kill Adrian, and if he’s the heir, he could challenge Adrian and take over. I’m not entirely sure, but from the way Adrian was talking, I’m pretty sure that’s how it works.

There’s no telling what he would do to me. I don’t know anything about werewolves. How much could Julian do to me if he snapped hard enough? I don’t want to find out.

I rise up off the bench and Vanessa smiles at me so sweet it makes my teeth ache.

“Those are your copies. I have my own.” She says and I practically run out of the park.

It takes me half the time to get back to the house. I can hear the sounds of Grace struggling through her piano practice, so I rush up the stairs to Adrian’s study.

He’s startled when I rush inside and hurriedly close the door.

“What’s wrong? Are you alright?” He asks, rising out of his seat and coming around the desk.

“Vanessa gave me these.” I hand him the folder, and I watch as his face goes hard and cold as he flips through the photos.

A low growl emanates from his throat, and his eyes are intense, blazing like an inferno.

It’s moments like these, I can’t help but be grateful that dark terrifying mood isn’t turned against me. I could almost feel sorry for Vanessa. Almost.

Adrian POV

I will make them pay. I know Vanessa didn’t act on her own. Her ambition has been fueled by her father.

I look down at those photographs. Enough to ruin my relationship with my family beyond any hope of repair. It was one thing to have an affair with Lily after she broke up with Julian. In the eyes of the pack, it was quite another to be caught cheating with her.

I am well aware of my reputation as unattainable. The years since my first mate died has consisted of going from one woman to another. But this was taking that image a step too far.

“What did she want?” I ask.

“She told me to stay away from Julian and if I didn’t, she would show these to him.” She says, her voice shaking. “I have no intention of being with Julian again, but if she decides that she thinks I am, she’ll give these to him.”

“Or for any other reason she wants.” I growl. I’m not such a fool as to believe this blackmail won’t extend beyond this initial demand.

“What will Julian do?” She asks quietly. She already knows the answer, but I say it anyway.

“He might challenge me. If he does, I’m not sure what will happen.” I confess. “I don’t think I can hurt him. Even if it’s to protect myself.”

Lily takes a deep breath, tears flooding her eyes. I look at the photo again.

“Leave it to me. I’ll take care of it.” I say.

“What are going to do?” She asks. I consider brushing off her question, not sure if I should tell her about the hacker on my payroll. Except she deserves to know. This affects her too.

“I’m going to call someone. He can hack into anything. I’m going to ask him to get into Vanessa’s computer and the video system at the hotel and get rid of any digital copies.” I say.

“She has a hard copy too.” Lily tells me and I curse silently to myself. Of course she does.

“Well, in that case, I’m going to call my spy in Vanessa’s household.”

“You have a spy at Vanessa’s house?” She raises a brow at me, and I know my return smile is more than a little smug.

“Her housekeeper. I’ve been paying her to keep an eye on that family and do little odd jobs here and there for years. She’s proven invaluable. If anyone can find those photos, it will be her.”

Allowing myself just a brief touch, I press a kiss to Lily’s brow. “Go back to Grace and leave this to me. I’ll take care of it.”