Page 56 of Threads of Fate

Clearing his throat, Grayson pulls a single dollar bill out of his wallet. It’s wrinkled, and his cheeks are flushing pretty pink. Finn’s eyes pop out of his head. “Gray, no. You kept that? I’m going to die. You can’t give that to ourfather-in-law.”

Grayson hands the bill over to Jay. He can see there’s a lipstick kiss in the center. He remembers exactly how Grayson had earned this, and he has nothing to be embarrassed about. Not at all.

“It’s all we’ve got, Finn, and if it helps Nix, then I’ll happily earn another one, okay?”

Sighing, Finn resigns himself, but there’s a flash of a tiny lovesick smile before he nods.

Jay offers the bill, but Antonio holds up his hand, goes to his desk, and picks up the phone. “Hello, Ms. Christie. It’s Antonio Costas. Would you have a moment? Yes, my office, and right now if it’s convenient. Excellent. Thank you.”

He sits back down, and it’s mere minutes before there’s a knock. A woman a little older than Jay is entering the room. She’s petite but carries herself with confidence, even though she’s clearly uncertain about why she’s received a call to the big boss’s office. The energy changes and Jay has to make eye contact with Rowan to be sure he’s not going to challenge her for Leo’s hand.

“This is Erin Christie. She is an attorney in our Were Rights division. I recommend you hire her to represent Nix’s interests. She will make sure we all respect his rights regarding this case and anything else he might require. I’m going to go and see my assistant for a few minutes. Jay, give her that cash. It’s a retainer on Nix’s behalf. Ms. Christie? Bill to me personally, please.”

After Antonio leaves, Jay makes a mental note to argue about the billable hours later and gets a good look at the attorney he’s about to hire to protect Nix. Or rather, Nix is going to hire. He stands up and holds out the money with two hands. She puts her tablet down and accepts in the same way.

“I’m Jay Rhodes, and these are my mates: Gideon, Leo, Grayson, Finn, and Rowan. Luca is at the hospital with our newmate, Phoenix Rena. Thank you for seeing us on such short notice.”

“Hello. Maybe we should talk about what it is you need me to do and who I’m doing it for.” She sits on her employer’s “throne” looking like she belongs there.

They fill her inexceptfor the parts about Nix’s secondary gender. She’s horrified and angry in turns. “It sounds like the prosecution has the case well in hand. Do you need me to represent Nix in court? Should he be called?”

Finn stands up. “You’re bound to hold whatever we talk about here in the highest confidentiality, right?”

“Finn, isn’t it?” She asks.

“Dr. Merritt,” Rowan growls.

“You’re a doctor?” She smiles at Rowan. “You must have taken the Oath, then. It’s similar to the one we take to become a lawyer, and I uphold its tenants as a personal point of honor as well.”

“Good.” Satisfied, Finn gives her the papers from Dr. Spencer.

The attorney looks up at him and then at Jay to see if it’s a joke. “Are you telling me my new client is an omega? Holy shit,” she whispers, awed, and Rowan laughs out loud. “Oh shit, sorry. I shouldn’t swear at the office.” She laughs, too. “Sorry. So, Phoenix Rena transitioned as an omega, not a beta, as assumed. Now, you need to prove he’s a beta for justice to proceed—without revealing his true gender. If the truth comes out, you’ll have zealots and super-fans all over you.”

Jay nods grimly.

She begins pacing. “We need to keep his secondary gender a secret while meeting the burden of proof for the registry, so the Were courts take jurisdiction.”

It’s Leo’s turn. “Do you think we could tell my Dad? Maybe he has an idea.” She contemplates the request and shakes her head.

“It’s why Mr. Costas called me in. I’m sorry, but not without Nix’s consent. At any rate, I expect we have time. The trial will not go before the courts for a bit.”

“I’m sorry, Ms. Christie, but we don’t have time. We have to notify them of our intention to register so that they can charge him by midnight tonight,” Jay says.

She nods. “Leave it to me. I’ll draft the letter of confirmation with the intent to register and buy us some time. The letter alone will be enough for them to proceed. Let’s—”

Jay’s phone rings; he hadn’t put it on silent just in case Luca needed them. It’s not a number Jay recognizes, but a frisson of worry slithers down his spine.

“Excuse me. Hello, Jay Rhodes speaking. Who is this?”

Jay can hear muffled growling in the background and the squeak of shoes on a tiled hallway. He can see Gideon dialing Luca on his phone, too, with no luck.

“This is Greg Stanley, Phoenix Rena’s nurse at the hospital. I’m calling because your packmate is not doing very well.”

“Luca Wilde? Is he all right? He has panic attacks sometimes. Please tell him we’re coming.” The pack is on their feet in an instant, moving with purpose. Finn pauses just long enough to hand Ms. Christie the card from Detective Larsen, his expression polite but firm. Meanwhile, Leo slips quietly out the door, heading to let his dad know they have to leave.

“No, sir. It’s Phoenix Rena. He’s awake, andhe’snot handling it well at all!”

Jay has no recollection of leaving Antonio’s office or any of the social niceties he would normally use. He’d bolted from the office, intending to take the stairs down the twenty flights to the street level and run the entire twenty miles to the hospital.

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