Chapter 30

Dominic

I was in my office, the case files spread out in front of me like a puzzle I couldn’t quite solve. The docket number for Renee’s case sat at the top of every page, staring back at me in bold letters. Financial records, pack account logs, medical records, the guardianship order and so much of her life distilled down into paperwork. I wanted to throw something. I wanted to kill Philip. I wanted to go to Renee’s new townhouse, scoop her up and bring her to the Brightclaw Estate so I could keep an eye on her.

She did not need to be alone, yet bringing her here, I knew, was the worst idea.

Tyler was one thing. My growing — unnaturally stubborn— interest in her was another.

I sighed, rubbing my forehead. My second cup of coffee had long gone cold. I should really get another one, given the state I was in and how much more work I had to do, not just on Renee’s case but with the pack. I still hadn’t managed to do anything more than suspend Tyler from his position as a gamma. He was young, classes were starting again, it wasn’t enough of a punishment. I’d yet to think of one, or calm down enough to bring him in for a formal interview about what had happened.

Then, I heard the door to my outer office open. Then slam shut.

I looked up just as Tyler strode in, jaw tight and posture stiff like he was bracing for a fight. He was dressed in his uniform like usual, hopefully having the sense to keep up with his drills. He headed down the hallway towards his father’s office. A moment later, Vivian stormed in behind him, muttering curses and throwing her purse down on the chair in my office like it had personally offended her.

“Well,” I said dryly, “was it the leather or the color?”

Vivian spun to face me, cheeks flushed, eyes glossy with tears. “She’s insufferable! You should’ve seen her, acting so smug just because Neil gave her a ride! She’s the worst!”

Neil? Who was that?

“Who are you talking about?” I asked, trying to keep my voice neutral.

“Renee,” she snarled. “She’s blowing all of this completely out of proportion.”

“And who is Neil?”

“Neil Eira,” she said, her voice softening as she pouted. She crossed her arms. “He’s the son of the Blackfang alpha.”

An alpha’s son? That got my attention. Blackfang had no ties to Brightclaw, we had mutual ties to other packs, but nothing that connected us directly. There were reasons for that that had more to do with historical precedence than anything. They were perhaps the second largest pack and the third wealthiest.

Making an allegiance with them of any kind would be a great thing for the pack and give the people some form of stability. Blackfang, like Brightclaw, had an impeccable reputation.

I leaned back in my chair, brows lifting. “Would you like to start from the beginning about what’s got you so upset?”Neil?”

Vivian crossed her arms, pacing now. “He offered Renee a ride to campus and when I tried to join, he told me no!” She scowled. “He took her to meet his mother. They were all chummy like they were the best of friends.” She scoffed. “As if she’s not still dating Tyler. He can’t like that sort of thing! He can’t like her.”

A sharp jab of something hit me low in my gut. I didn’t like it. I ignored it and tried to focus on what Vivian wasn’t saying.

“What did he say?”

“What does that matter? Neil isn’t close to anyone.”

“Apparently, you’re wrong…” I said lightly. “Why is his mother relevant to all of this?”

“Because she’s living next door to his mother!” She threw up her hands. “In that stupid little townhouse she moved into.”

I nodded. I forced my tone to stay casual. “I didn’t realize she and Neil were close… Perhaps she is… interested in having her guardianship changed.”

Vivian rolled her eyes. “They’re in the same program, and she’s always hanging around him. But trust me, he’d never actually go for her, and she wouldn’t be that dumb, daddy.”

“You sound pretty sure.”

“Because I know him,” she snapped. “He’s just being nice. It’s not her he’s interested in.”

I studied her, watching the way her chin lifted and her voice wavered just slightly. “Then who is he interested in?”

Vivian looked away.

That was all the confirmation I needed.

A beat passed before I asked, “Do you want me to talk to him?”

Vivian blinked, surprised. “About what?”

“You, obviously. If he’s important to you—”

“I didn’t say that,” she snapped, a little too quickly. “This isn’t about me. It’s about Renee not being a good friend. She knows I like him, and she’s still—still taking advantage of him being nice to her! She’s not even helping me!”

I sat back, rubbing a hand across my jaw as something unpleasant crawled beneath my skin.

It wasn’t about Vivian. Ever once in a while, she got into thee fits of having a crush on a guy her age, but it had never been the son of another alpha before, let alone one as prominent or powerful as Blackfang. I had hoped to see her married sooner rather than later, but she tended to run through boyfriends quickly. I could hold out hope that this young man was different.

And I did more than hope considering the way Vivian said his name, the picture that Vivian painted of his and Renee’s relationship. Renee was a prudent, intelligent, and… oddly ruthless young woman. She may have had feelings for Tyler, but I could see her being completely unforgiving of his behavior.

Renee valued protection. It was as clear as day from the way she reacted to me.

Neil could offer that protection without all the complications that I could. I set my jaw, swallowing past the bitterness in my mouth. I shoudn’t interfere, not for my own selfishness at least.

But the temptation was gnawing at me.

“Right,” I muttered, more to myself than to her. “Sounds complicated.”

“She's making it complicated,” Vivian snapped. “And if she wants to throw away everything she has here for attention from a guy who doesn’t even want her, then fine. Let her. But don’t expect me to sit back and let her make a fool of me in the process.”

I didn’t answer. My eyes drifted back down to the paperwork in front of me, but the words blurred and twisted. There were a million things I could do to block this relationship, whatever it was.

I could imagine Renee, leaning in to a faceless man cloer to her age, in the passenger seat, smiling up at him, laughing. Happy.

I told myself it didn’t matter. That I should be happy that she’s moving on rather than wallowing over Tyler who proved himself not worth the effort.

But I wasn’t.

But somehow, it did.

“The offer to speak to him is still on the table.”

Vivian shuffled her feet, but there was a hopeful light in her eyes.

“You’d really talk to him for me?”

“Well, his father first,” I considered it. “Blackfang refused a seat on the Panel, but they are involved in the country’s deals with other countries. I’m sure he’ll make time for me.” I leaned an elbow against the back of the chair, watching her carefully. “If Neil is someone you want a future with, it makes sense to approach it respectfully. As Alpha Heir of Blackfang, a traditional proposal wouldn’t be out of place.”

“What?”

My lips twitched. “Surprised that I can imagine you—”

“We don’t have that kind of relationship.”

I blinked at her. “That is the entire point of courtship, Vivian, to get to know each other.”

Vivian stiffened.

Her mouth twisted. “Wait. Like, actual courting? That whole... matching values, exchanging gifts, separate housing, formal visits kind of thing?”

I gave a half shrug. “It’s not a bad idea. Gives you both a chance to evaluate compatibility.”

She made a face. “That’s way too old-fashioned. I’m not some sheltered pack girl waiting around to be claimed. I want a real relationship, not a—ritual.”

I didn’t bother to tell her that it didn’t seem that her “real relationships” were working out for anything more than a briefly good time.

I exhaled, sitting up straighter. “Then what do you want, Vivian? You can’t demand the outcome without participating in the process. He’s not going to take you seriously if you treat it like a fling.”

“I wouldn’t!”

I tilted my head. “Then, what’s the problem with courtship?”

She huffed and looked away. Then, she opened her mouth like she had more to say, but her eyes snagged on the stack of papers on the table.

The energy in the room shifted instantly.

“Oh my God,” she said, practically bouncing as she stepped closer. “Are those—cars?”

I frowned. What was she talking about? I followed her gaze to the printouts I'd marked up—mostly practical models, good mileage, safe builds. New for longevity.

She swooped in and picked up the first page. “You’re getting me a new car?”

I raised a brow. “No.”

She paused. “Wait—what?”

“They’re options for Renee.”