Page 2 of Targeted By Temptation
Boaz scoffed at my suggestion. “Not at all. You go in, present the agreement, and leave. There’s to be no negotiations, no meetings, and no back-and-forth.”
Okay.” I shrugged.
I don’t like this. Why can’t one of the Betas do this? My wolf was wary of what we’d be walking into.
They’re not family. The Stravons would lose face if Boaz sent someone not named Grey.
“I’m thinking of you here. The Stravons have a reputation for being brutal, as you’re aware.”
True. We’d had skirmishes in the past, and while our pack always came out of it with a few scratches and bruises, the Stravons were the worse for wear.
“Viktor’s second-in-command is more feisty than him, so if they try to provoke you, don’t take the bait. Up and leave.”
“This is a power play, am I right?”
He fiddled with a pen. “Of course you picked up on that.”
“We’re showing them that we’re confident enough to send in one wolf with the treaty as opposed to an army. Me, the tech guy, suggests we’re secure enough in our position so this doesn’t register as a threat.”
Boaz nodded.
“But what if they don’t accept it?”
“They can’t afford not to.”
“What if they don't?” I needed to know.
He gave me the details of where to meet Viktor or whoever he designated. I was to answer questions about when we expected the agreement to be signed and boundary markers but nothing about the terms of the treaty.
I memorized the address and destroyed it. Perhaps I was being overdramatic, but I preferred that to being sloppy.
“One more thing.”
I was at the door, and I glanced over my shoulder, expecting Boaz to deliver a bombshell or a pithy statement.
“If this goes sideways, let me know immediately and I’ll have people there.”
And there it was. Boaz made it sound like a breeze, but there was the potential for trouble.
“I’ll be careful.”
“Good. Trust your instincts.” His attention was on his computer. “Because I’d hate for there to be five Greys instead of six.”
Same old Boaz. “Underneath that tough exterior, deep down, you do have a beating heart.”
He tossed a book at my head and told me to get lost.
Despite this being a get-in-and-get-out procedure, I’d take my gun. The Stravon pack was unpredictable, especially whencornered. I worried Boaz was overconfident about their reaction to the agreement.
Tonight, I’d check the route and review the agreement so I could answer basic questions if asked.
I bypassed the daycare on my way out, even though I loved playing with the kids.
Maybe a child of ours will be there one day,my beast said, always the optimist.
Perhaps.
When I returned to the home I shared with my three younger brothers, it was empty, so I shut myself in my room and studied page upon page of the agreement. Walking into another pack’s territory alone wasn’t for the faint-hearted. If I told my brothers what Boaz had asked me to do, they’d say it was foolhardy and they’d accompany me.
