Page 5 of Targeted By Temptation
I ignored them and strolled toward the window. The industrial-looking compound contained buildings that were showing their age. I noted peeling paint and cracked sidewalks, along with vehicles, big and small, that were showing signs of wear and tear.
But the compound was bustling with people going about their daily lives. Never having lived like this, I wondered if these conditions made for a more cohesive pack.
My phone buzzed. I didn’t need to check the display to know that it was a message from Boaz.
Status?He wasn’t one to waste words.
Still waiting.Not met the Alpha yet.
I imagined my brother steaming when he read my text.
Those three dots appeared on my phone before vanishing. Gods that was irritating. But a message popped up.
Give it another hour. If he doesn’t meet you, leave the treaty with the guards and get out.
Four hours in total. I could do that. I’d spent days and nights on stakeouts, but I’d had company, usually one or more of my brothers, plus food and coffee. In this barren room, there wasn’t even a water dispenser.
I sat for another forty-five minutes and couldn’t stand being trapped in this room any longer. And my wolf wanted out, not that he’d take his fur in here. That would be more than disrespectful.
My wolf was getting more agitated by the minute, pacing inside my head. The disrespect was one thing, but something else was bothering him. A restlessness I couldn't quite pin down. Like he was waiting for something, though I had no idea what.
I made it another fifteen minutes before I stood again.
“I'm getting some air.”
“Alpha said to keep you here.”
“He isn't here,” I pointed out. “And I've been here for four hours. I'll be back in twenty minutes.”
Boaz had said to leave the agreement with the guards, but I didn’t trust them not to look at it. So I slipped it under the office door.
“Just in case something happens to me, the agreement is in the Alpha’s office.”
“Something like what?” one of them grunted.
I shrugged. “Maybe I meet a big bad wolf who wants to eat me?”
Oops. They glowered and brought out their guns. These guys didn’t appreciate my sense of humor.
“It was a joke, guys. Tamp it down a little.”
If my brother discovered what I’d said, he’d be furious. Hopefully, this pair wouldn’t pass on the details to their Alpha.
I gave them a little wave and skedaddled out of there. Not wanting to stay on pack land but needing to be close by, I drove out the gates and spied a dingy bar on the street corner. I suspected it was run by humans because any pack member would have placed their establishment on Stravon land.
Inside was cool and dim with few customers scattered around, some at the bar and others at tables and booths. The bartender glanced at me. He was definitely human, but as we were so close to pack land, he probably knew not to ask too many questions of his clientele.
I asked for a beer. “Whatever’s cold.”
Some of my brothers had no head for alcohol which was unusual for shifters, but I could drink a beer and still be able to drive, negotiate, or shoot, depending on what was required. I took one gulp and relished the cool, bitter liquid as it slid down my throat.
I was about to take a second sip when a scent wafted in the open door. Damn. It carried the scent notes of the Stravon pack. Not the Alpha but probably a Beta. It was someone with authority.
The person belonging to said scent parked himself at the bar, three stools away. He was staring at me and not in a friendly “do I know you?” way.
It was probably time to get out of here because I didn’t need a confrontation to add to my woes. I put money for my drink plus a huge tip on the counter before asking directions to the bathroom. For sure, I’d find a back exit nearby from where I could make my escape.
Out back was dark and cluttered with old chairs and piles of papers. There were two doors ahead, and the stink told me that one was the bathroom. I chose the other but stumbled into an even darker space which turned out to be a storeroom.
