Chris arrived at the MesoAmerican fifteen minutes early. Tardiness was one of his pet peeves, and he avoided being late whenever he could. A side effect was that often, he was early to pretty much everything. He was all right with that. Better early than late was how he felt. Chris stopped just inside the door to get his bearings. He'd not visited any of the dining establishments in this casino be-fore, so he wasn't certain which direction to take. Scanning the place, he found a sign hanging from the ceiling with arrows pointing toward different restaurants as well as some other areas of the casino. Chris followed the signs until he spotted the buffet where the small, beautiful woman from the night before had agreed to meet him. Rachel. That was the name she'd given him.

He empathized with her. Chris was looking for Emily because she was the daughter of his father's mate. With his father and hers gone, Chris was the only one left to look out for her. Chris had discovered she was dating a dragon, someone with ties to the Fraction's leader, but he wasn't convinced it was the Ricky that Rachel was looking for. Either way, it was worth taking the time to talk with her and see if he could get a better idea, or figure it out for certain. Besides With how drawn he felt to her, and the way his wolf insisted she was theirs, it would be a good way to let her get to know him.

Chris stopped in front of the buffet and looked around, wondering how long he would have to wait before she arrived.

“Chris.” Hearing his name, he turned to find Rachel inside the bright orange and gold restaurant. Rachel caught the cashier's eye. “He's with me,” she said as she beckoned him through the line. The cashier waved him through, and he met the tiny woman on the far side of the registers. Without the mask she'd been wearing the night before, he got his first real look at her face, she was breathtaking. Rachel wore a suit in a dark red, which made her skin look amazing. His hand ached to reach up and run his thumb across her cheek. Her hair was pulled up behind her head and secured with something he couldn't see, but the size of the knot made him sure her hair was long.

“I didn't mean for you to buy my meal.” Chris didn't like the idea of her paying his way.

“It's not a problem.” Rachel turned and wove be-tween tables with practiced ease. “I have us a table back here. It will be quiet in this corner for a little while yet so we can talk without worry of being disturbed or overheard. I wasn't sure when you would be here, so I just ordered water for you to start. We can ask the waitress for fresh coffee, or whatever you want to drink.”

“That's fine, but I was serious. I don't want you to pay for my meal.”

“Chris, it's not a problem because I don't pay for meals. Everyone here knows me, and I eat for free.”

“Is it that way for your entire Fraction?”

“Not all, no, but it is for those of us who manage some part of the resort or Fraction.”

“And which do you do?”

“Excuse me?”

“Which do you manage? Some part of the resort or the Fraction?”

“Oh. No, my official title is Administrative Assistant, but that's mostly because we've not bothered to change the title over the years. I'm Teya's assistant. I help her run the Fraction, as well as the clan.”

“Impressive.” Chris looked at the tiny woman with a little more interest. While she didn't run her Fraction officially, he knew from experience within his own Fraction that she probably did as much, or more, work than the Fraction leader did.

“How is everything?” a young, human girl asked, Chris could tell she wasn't a shifter by her scent as she approached their table. “Can I get you some-thing to drink?”

“A cup of coffee would be great.” Chris smiled at her but wished she'd go away again. Assistant to the clan and Fraction leader could be the tie to the power structure Emily had bragged about. Maybe this girl's brother was the one Emily had been seeing after all. Finally, something in the way of a lead.

“Would you like to get something to eat?” Rachel motioned to the series of buffet bars around the room once the waitress walked away.

“Sure.” There really was no rush, and he could at least pretend to be polite and let her eat while they talked. They both got up and went to get their own plates.

Chris returned to the table to find Rachel still gone. He sat and started eating, happy to find that his coffee had been delivered while they were gone.

“Did you find everything you were looking for?” Rachel's voice came from behind him a couple minutes later. Chris had to swallow before he could answer.

“Yes. You have quite a selection here.” He watched as she took her seat and started on her own plate, somehow unable to look away.

“Tell me what you know about Emily.” Rachel glanced at him between bites.

“I knew her when she was a kid, but I haven't seen her much recently.” Chris lifted one shoulder, not sure what else to tell her.

“And she disappeared when?”

“I'm not sure exactly. She's a were, like me. We're kind of loners when we can be, so there's no one who can tell me exactly when she disappeared.” Rachel watched him for a few seconds then nodded slowly.

“We don't have anything like a were-dragon, we all shift at will, once we learn to control it, that is.”

“We shift at will too, but we also have to shift at the full moon, which is something unique to weres. In addition, weres have a third form, an in between form that many see as monstrous. I’ll admit... it’s not pretty.” Chris took a deep breath and let it out slowly before continuing. “She apparently had been seeing some dragon, possibly your brother, for a few weeks, but no one can tell me anything solid about him. No one in our Fraction ever met him. All I have to go on is the rumor that he had ties to your Fraction's power structure. From what you've said, it does point to your brother.”

“It could be.” She was quiet for a moment. “But Ricky's not the only male in the clan with those, or similar, ties. Do you mind if I have someone else come see if they know her? Do you have the photo with you?”

“I have it.” He dug the picture from his pocket and set it on the table. “And please, ask anyone you think might be able to help.”

Rachel took out her phone, hit the screen several times, then laid it on the table next to her plate. “I sent Neo a message. He shouldn't be long; he's just over at the cafe this morning.”

“Neo?”

“Yes, he's my boss's brother. Neo manages all the restaurants in the resort. He had a delivery this morning; I met him coming up in the elevator.”

“All right.”

“You said you don't know much about her.” Rachel set her fork down after a second. “Then how did you get to be the one searching for her.”

Chris made a face. “When I was a teenager, my father hooked up with her mother. They were to-gether for years, until he passed away last year. You've got a younger brother, you know how it is to have them tagging around copying your every move or tattling on you? She was mine. It wasn't so bad at first, when she was little and cute, but by the time I was seventeen, eighteen, it was a real pain.” Chris gave her a wry smile and went back to eating.

Her phone chirped, and she picked it up. “Neo said he's busy now, but he'll be here in about ten minutes.” Rachel set the phone aside and picked up her fork. “Once he looks at the picture, we may have a better idea whether it's Ricky she was seeing.” She picked up the photo and looked at it again. “I really do think it is. I'm almost certain I met her about six weeks ago.” 

“You met her?” Chris's breath caught as his gaze swung back to her, somehow he'd missed that Rachel had met Emily. “You didn't say you met her. Or did you and I missed it?”

“I'm not one hundred percent certain I did. The face is familiar, and I knew her name was Emily, but I can't be certain why I knew it.” Rachel glanced up at him. “Have you sent out missing fliers to the different Fractions asking for information? Possibly sending them to the normals’ police force too?”

“No, I was hoping to avoid it. But it looks like it's going to be my best option. Normally I'd say it's Fraction business, but if there's a werewolf and a dragon missing, who else might be missing? Ours are likely tied to each other, even if only because they were seeing each other. But what if they were-n't dating? Could they still be connected?” Chris took a deep breath and leaned back in his chair. He was more than a little frustrated but felt he couldn't just let it go because his father had made him promise to look after Emily.

Guilt haunted Chris because he'd been so busy lately he'd not kept track of what she was doing, and he had no idea where to start, so he was looking everywhere and not seeming to get very far. At least until now, but he suspected it was luck that had gotten him this far. It would take work to get any further. “I'm really at a loss as to where to go from here.”

“Well, let's see what Neo has to say, then we’ll talk about it in more detail. I'm going to go get a little more food, if you don't mind?”

“No, go ahead.” Chris pushed away his empty plate and considered it for a second or two before going back and getting a little more himself. After they returned to the table, the waitress came and topped off his coffee, asking if they needed any-thing else before leaving again. They ate in comfort-able silence for several minutes.

“Okay, enough about Emily and your brother for a few minutes. Tell me a little about yourself.” Chris slathered butter onto a biscuit and watched her, waiting.

“I don't know how much there is to tell.” Rachel pushed her empty plate away and took a sip from her coffee mug. “I've lived in Vegas for a really long time. I started out waiting tables here when the last leader was still in charge of the Fraction. I worked my way up from there. I came to know Teya when I was managing the restaurants, like Neo does now. Not one of the ones we have now, of course. It's all changed since then, but she had his job, and we got to know each other. When Teya's parents died, and she was elected to take her father’s position, she asked me to be her assistant. The title then was secretary, but even then, I was more than the average secretary. Over the years since, I've picked up more and more responsibility and autonomy.” She set her mug down. “Enough about me, tell me about you.”

Chris took a deep breath and wondered what he could tell her that wouldn't totally turn her off. He wanted to spend more time with her. He was afraid she would find out just how little the wolf shifters thought of the werewolves, and then she’d refuse to have anything to do with him.

“I don't know what to say,” he said after a moment. “I've been in Vegas all my life. My dad was the leader of our Fraction until he was killed in a challenge fight last year. We had a rough few months, part of why I lost track of Emily for a bit, and I took over the Fraction about two months ago. I've been trying to get things under control and back on track since. It's not been easy.”

“What do you mean under control and back on track?” She leaned forward, putting her elbows on the table as she watched him with interest.

“The werewolf who challenged and killed my father was not a good man and an even worse leader. I had no desire to be in charge, but someone had to step up and put an end to his tyranny.” Chris shrugged one shoulder. “I was one of only a few strong enough to win a challenge against him, so... I did it.”

“So, despite not wanting the job, you challenged him and took over leadership to help your people?” She sat up a little straighter and lifted her hand to catch someone's attention. “Here's Neo.” She spoke before he had a chance to answer.

“Hello,” a man, who looked to be maybe thirty, came up beside the table. “What can I do for you?”

“Pull up a seat and talk to us a minute.” Rachel smiled at the newcomer who pulled out a chair and sat down while Rachel made introductions.

“Nice to meet you.” Chris shook the other man's hand. “Thank you for coming. I was wondering if you've seen her.” Chris picked up the photo from the table and handed it to Neo. The other man studied it for several long seconds, a crease between his brows.

“I think I may have seen her before, but I'm not sure where and definitely not in the last few weeks.” Neo was still studying the picture.

“I think she's the girl Ricky has been seeing, but I only met her once and only in passing, so I'm not certain.” Rachel looked over the top of the photo as Neo held it. Neo glanced up at her then stared, un-seeing, in the distance for several long seconds.

“I think you may be right. He was in one of the restaurants, the cafe I think, with a girl who looked a lot like this.” Neo lowered his gaze to the photo-graph again. “That's all I know. I'm sorry.” Neo handed the photo back to Chris. “I wish I could be of more help.”

“When was it you saw them, roughly. Two, three weeks ago?” Chris hoped Neo had seen her some-time after the last time he had heard from Emily, and he glanced anxiously at Rachel before turning his attention back to Neo.

“No.” Neo shook his head then looked up, his eyes rolled up so that he was looking at the ceiling. He blinked a couple times. “At least a month ago. No, closer to two.” Neo glanced at Rachel then back to Chris. “It was just after New Year’s, I remember because I was giving directions for new decorations to be put up when Ricky came in. I take it she's missing too?”

“She is, and I'm not having a lot of luck finding her.”

“I don't know what more I can tell you but good luck.” Neo turned to Rachel. “Have you heard any-thing more about Ricky?”

“No, but now that I have someone else who believes Emily is the girl Ricky was dating, I'm hoping Chris and I can work together.” She glanced in Chris's direction. “Maybe it will be helpful for us both.”

“I hope you find them,” Neo glanced at Chris be-fore turning back to Rachel. “And I hope they are well. Is there anything else I can do for you?”

“No, I just wanted to see if you recognized Emi-ly.” Rachel gave him a hug, then sat back down. “Thanks for coming to take look for me.”

“Not a problem. I was nearby anyway.” Neo stood, pushing his chair back where it belonged. “You two have a good day, or as good as it can be considering.” He nodded first at Rachel, then in Chris's direction before leaving. Chris watched as Neo disappeared into the kitchen, and then turned back to Rachel.

“Well, it looks like you were right, they were da-ting. Their disappearances are likely linked. Where do we go from here?”

Rachel took a deep breath and let it out in a rush. “I think the first thing we need to do is sit down and compare notes. I'll tell you what I've done and where I've looked, and you tell me the same. Make sense?”

“It does.” He let his gaze drop to the table as he considered what little he had to share. “When do we start?” he glanced at his watch. Seven twenty-five A.M.. The work day would start soon, and she would have to go. She had a job to get to, hell, he did too if he wanted to get technical about it.

“How about tonight? Say, six o'clock? I'll meet you at the front desk, and we can go over every-thing in my apartment.”

“I can just meet you there,” he offered, he didn't want to make her have to come get him.

“Sorry, my floor requires a special code for the elevator. Though, it's the same elevator we used for the party last night, so you could meet me there if you want.”

“That sounds good. I just don't want to inconvenience you too much.”

“Because searching for a missing brother isn't in-convenience enough, right?” Rachel gave a half-hearted laugh.

“Right. So I'll meet you at six. Should I bring something for dinner?”

“No need, I can call up and have something delivered whenever we get hungry. Bring whatever you've found, and I'll share what I've got.” She checked her watch. “I'm sorry, but it's time for me to head to work. I'll see you tonight?”

“No worries, go right ahead. And yes, I'll see you this evening.”

––––––––

AFTER BREAKFAST, CHRIS went back to the Lunar Ob-session to deal with Fraction business. Unlike the dragon Fraction leader, he didn't handle the man-agement of the resort as well as the Fraction. In fact, he had several assistants, people in positions much like Rachel's, who each had their own set of responsibilities.

He'd tried to run it all when he'd first taken over but had quickly realized he needed help. So he'd carefully chosen people who were excelling at their managing positions and expanded their duties. They still reported to him, and he still had to sign off on the big decisions, but it was a ton of work and stress off his shoulders.

Back at his desk, he went through the half a doz-en complaints from members of the pack about dif-ferent supernormals that had been waiting for his attention. After reading each one, he rolled his eyes and set it aside. There was nothing that could be done for most of it, but it made them feel better to complain. He'd never understood that mind set, but he had seen it enough that he knew that was just how some people were wired. There was one, though, that warranted more attention. The com-plaint form didn't have many details however, it just said 'illicit meat.' Chris suspected it was about the underground trade in human or supernormal meat for those who wanted something more exotic than the beef, buffalo, and other game the Fraction made available to satisfy the meat craving all were-wolves had.

Consuming human meat had long since been banned in Vegas, though it went on elsewhere. Since Chris had taken control of the fraction, he'd learned his predecessor had let a black-market meat dealer operate here, with his consent. Chris was working on putting an end to it. Sure, he could have just ordered his people to stop, which he had done, and then punished those who didn't follow his commands, but he was after something bigger and had held off on the punishment so far. He knew of three weres who were active in the underground market currently, but that would only be tempo-rary. Whoever was the leader of the operation, and Chris had already determined it wasn't someone in his pack, would just find new people to work for them and the trade of contraband meat would con-tinue in Las Vegas. Instead of bringing the full heat of his anger down on those in his pack who were still dealing in black market meats, he had a couple men he trusted investigating them.

Chris stared at the complaint in front of him for several long seconds, trying to decide whether he should hand the complaint over to his men or call the person who filed it himself. After a moment, he leaned over and hit the intercom button.

“Maggie? Can you come in here a moment?”

“Yes sir, I'll be right there,” her voice was a little tinny over the intercom, but he was getting used to it. The door to his office opened, and the short woman who had been his father's secretary for years entered. She wore the same style of skirt suit she'd worn for years. Once more, Chris was re-minded how glad he was that she had been there to help him learn his new job. “What can I do for you, sir?” She carried a notebook and pen in one hand in case she needed to take notes. Chris had tried to convince her to use a tablet or recorder, but she in-sisted the notepad was what worked best for her, so he let it be.

“First, what have I told you about calling me sir?” Chris lifted one brow as he watched her.

“It's not going to happen, sir.” Maggie shook her head. “It's not respectful, and I just can't call you by your given name.”

“You've been doing it for years though.”

“You weren't in charge then, you are now. There's a difference.” Maggie sat on the edge of one of the chairs that sat across from his desk. She rested the notebook on her lap and held the pen ready. “What did you need?”

Chris picked up the illicit meat complaint and held it out to her. “I need you to set up a meeting with him for me. Today, if possible.”

Maggie took the page and looked at the name. “I'll contact him right away. Is that all?”

“It is, but please keep the nature of the meeting to yourself. I don't want the wrong people to realize he's turning them in. He might be the next person to disappear.”

“Very well, sir.” She stood, taking the page with her as she went back to her desk.

Chris watched as she disappeared through the door then stood and turned to stare out the glass wall at the city below him as he wondered what he was going to have to do to put an end to the meat market for good.