Page 46 of The Betas: Rene
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The alarm went off at five.
Frankie appeared eager to get going. “I’ll get dressed.”
“Good idea. I can hear Annie in the kitchen. She must be making the coffee. We’ll shower when we come back for breakfast.”
“Yes…let’s get ready. I’m all for coffee.”
René put on his briefs, athletic socks, sneakers and a T-shirt with a graphic of a howling wolf on the front.
Frankie pointed to the shirt. “Isn’t that a bit too obvious?”
René shrugged. “Not if you don’t even have wolves on your radar. Most people think I’m an environmentalist.”
Frankie laughed his way down the stairs.
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René and Frankie hurried back to the house after their workout. “Normally, I’d shower at The Alpha’s, but since we’re having breakfast at home, it makes more sense to shower there.”
They entered using the kitchen level, and Annie was ready with two cups of coffee prepared to their liking. “How did she know how we take it?”
René smiled. “She must have asked Meg.” They climbed the stairs and undressed. René hopped into the shower. “Come on in. No time for anyexercisethis morning. We have to feed you and get to work.” Frankie found one of his new suits and his tuxedo in his closet along with shirts and ties for both. The Alpha decreed that Frankie should have a long tie to go with his tuxedo, so it looked more like a morning coat. One of the Enforcers that stayed home probably took the delivery yesterday from Mr. Abbott’s. He’d have to ask Didier who it was and thank him.
Frankie’s stomach growled on cue. He and René donned their suits and hurried down the stairs for breakfast.
Sitting at the table, Frankie was lost in thought. His Mate noticed. “What’s wrong, Ma Vie? How can I put a smile back on your face?” He frowned.
“Will Pierre resent me because I’m taking part of his job away?” Frankie didn’t want to make enemies on his new job. Making enemies on the old one could cost you your life. He didn’t know if humans went into the pit. Pierre may be an old wolf, but he certainly was fit and had a loup garou’s strength. Since that was the case, Pierre would hold an advantage over him. He must have broadcast his worry over the Mate Link because René answered him.
“There is no need for you to worry about challenges. No loup garou can harm a human, and a human is anyone who can’t make the change.”
“What do you need to make the change?”
“You have to be a smidgeon over half loup garou like The Alpha Mate. His was a lost bloodline. Once the Russian situation is dealt with, I’m sure The Alpha will have you research lost loup garou lines. Even with the baby boom, The Alpha Mate has brought about with his Voice, our numbers are dangerously low. Finding the lost lines has become an imperative. We used to have over three hundred in our pack. Yesterday we were one hundred in a hall that was two-thirds empty.” René took a forkful of eggs while Frankie worked on his pancakes.
A lightbulb went off in Frankie’s head. “Were there three hundred in the pack in your memory?”
“Yes, I was a pup just after the Civil War.”
Frankie rested his head on his elbow and tapped his chin. “Then it’s something in the environment that changed after the Civil War. It may be something that isn’t toxic to humans, and the loup garou that are left are developing immunity. If science couldn’t find the answer, maybe history can point them in the right direction.”
“Good idea, we’ve always searched for a human toxin.” René grew thoughtful. “Mention this to The Alpha today. You can check the histories, and we can have the scientists go back to the science to see if something appeared that wasn’t toxic to humans but worked on the genome of the loup garou.” He glanced at the clock. “It’s ten to eight, time for work.” Today they would face the Russian problem again.
