I barged past the door, slamming the mahogany slab against the wall as it bounced back.

“Oomph.” Celia was on my heels. I hadn’t meant for it to hit her. “Just wait. It’s not that bad,” she tried to explain. “It always sounds worse in an email than it really is.”

She scurried after me in a short skirt. It hugged her thin ass in a way that was barely work appropriate. She hadn’t caught on that it didn’t affect me the way she wanted it to. Celia wasn’t my type. She was my assistant. I didn’t see beyond that. Wasn’t interested.

“Not bad?” I met her at my desk. “You don’t consider this bad?” I held up my phone, displaying the latest memo my brother had sent.

She shrugged cautiously. “I’m sure you can fix it. How can I help?”

I turned to the row of windows that looked out on Denver’s lights. From my office, I could see the entire city.

The Hawthornes had been here longer than any other family in this town.

“Where is the file?” I barked. This wasn’t the first time someone had tried to back out of a deal. Like hell if I would lose millions. “And where is Clarence?”

“He’s meeting with Jackson,” she replied.

“Damn it,” I growled. “Call them both in here now.” Returning my gaze to the city, I folded my arms. It was an impressive view.

The windows ran floor to ceiling and the entire length of two walls which met in the corner. It was the same office our father had occupied. As family alpha, it was rightfully mine. Everything was heavy. Solid wood. Aged leather. Dark and menacing. An office of power and force. There was a reason for that.

“Jackson said they were working on a personal matter,” Celia eked.

I whipped around. “I don’t care what he said. Get them in here. Now.”

“Of course. Anything you need, Grayson.”

She scampered toward her desk in the foyer. She worked just outside the double doors to my office.

I didn’t care what damn personal business my brother thought he needed to attend to. He was responsible for this department and like hell if he wasn’t going to answer for it. Jackson and Oliver ran their own divisions. We didn’t get in each other’s way. At least not until something like this happened and I had to step in.

But that’s what alphas did. They ran the clan. They ran the family. And in this case, I ran the company.

My father’s portrait hung high at the end of my office. There was a brass light overhead which illuminated his face. If he were here, he’d be just as angry at Jackson.

It had been five years since I had taken over Hawthorne Global. Five long years of late nights, board meetings, strategy, dedication, and leadership. I stared at my father’s face. He had done this job well. He had run the clan and the company. I hadn’t realized what a remarkable man he was until I had to step into his shoes.

I heard the door open behind me and turned as my brother and Clarence walk into the room.

“Celia said it was life or death that we get in here.” Jackson glared at me. “We were in the middle of something.”

I waved my hand in the air. “I don’t care what it was.” My anger wasn’t directed at Clarence. He had been on my father’s team. He was a trusted advisor. The only employee at Hawthorne Global who knew our family secrets. “You have a lot to answer for, little brother.”

Jackson rolled his eyes. “You got my email.”

“I did. And I want to know why you didn’t bring me in if Silverstone was going to back out this entire time. I could have re-negotiated the deal.”

“It wasn’t your deal. I didn’t need you to get involved.” Jackson stepped closer to the desk.

“It is always my deal when Hawthorne Global is on the letterhead,” I countered. “Always.”

He shook his head. “You know what you need?”

“A department head who knows when to ask for help?” I snarled.

“No.” He paused. “You need a mate.”

My eyes flashed with fury. “Clarence, can you give us a minute?”

The attorney quickly gathered his briefcase and strolled toward Celia’s reception area. “Let me know if you need my counsel. I will leave clan problems to you two.” He closed the door.

I glared at my brother. “You keep my personal business out of this office. Clarence doesn’t need to hear anything about it.”

Jackson laughed. “Says the man who is about to go full bear because he hasn’t gotten laid.”

I growled. “Shut the hell up. This has nothing to do with me and everything to do with you trying to deflect from the real problem—how you botched Silverstone.”

Jackson sat in one of the pleated leather couches. He kicked his heels on the coffee table. “Silverstone was never going to sell off that full parcel of land. I knew it from the beginning. I tried to tell you it wasn’t going to happen. You pushed me into a dead end.”

“We need that land. You should have worked every angle at your disposal.”

“There are other land deals out there. There always are. Plenty of them.”

“Then why weren’t you working on finding another one while this one fell through?” I challenged.

“Because sometimes I just need a damn break, Grayson. Don’t you?”

I let my shoulders relax. “This is because you’ve been working too hard? Are you suddenly allergic to money?” Neither was a situation I related to. He was full of shit.

His gaze was steady. Jackson had never been intimidated by me. He always fell in line when he had to, but there was a difference between being my younger brother and obeying the clan dynast. I was his alpha. The regent of the Ashe Peak Clan. I gauged his mood. He wasn’t talking to his alpha.

“Sometimes I want to do something other than work. I’m tired of being a Hawthorne. Aren’t you?”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

He pointed. “Look at this place. The office. It’s like a tomb to Dad. Nothing has changed in here since he died. Aren’t you tired of it? Don’t you want something to change?”

I had to press my lips together to suppress the ferocious growl that wanted to barrel through my chest. “I like my office.” I cleared my throat. “I happen to like being CEO of Grayson Global. I’m proud of our family name. I’m honored to lead the clan.” My eyes bored into his. “Does that answer all your questions?”

“Yeah. I think it does.” He rose from the couch. “I’ve decided I’m going to take some time off.”

“What are you talking about?” I asked. “There is no other name I’d rather have. I’m honored to be in this family. You should be too.”

“Before you interrupted us with your orders, Clarence and I had a meeting. He knows what to do. I signed my power of attorney over to Oliver while I’m gone.”

“You did what?” I wanted to strangle him. “Oliver is still in Seattle.”

“Look, I’m not trying to hurt the company. I don’t want to hold up any business while I’m away.”

He strolled past me. “Away? Get back here, Jackson.”

He stopped at the door. “I need this, brother. I’ll be back. I swear. You and Oliver can handle the company while I’m gone. And maybe when I get back you’ll have met a nice girl and want some cubs.”

“Cubs?” Children were the last thing on my mind.

He nodded. “Yeah, the more cubs you have, the less time you have to boss the rest of us around.”

“That’s not happening any time soon.”

He shrugged. “You do realize without cubs, alpha status will go to Oliver’s or my sons. There will be a new dynast, and he won’t be your heir. Something for you to think about. The clan needs a she-alpha. We need a dynastess to settle your bear. And you need a woman.”

“I’m fine without either.” I clenched my jaw. I had no interest in sharing my power with a woman. I didn’t need a co-ruler.

He tipped an imaginary cap in my direction. “See you in a few weeks or months. I haven’t decided.”

“You can’t take a leave of absence. I haven’t authorized it.”

Jackson laughed. “I’m evoking solitaire rights. There’s not a lot you can do about it.”

The fury whipped through me. As usual he was being selfish. Evoking bear law. Not thinking about the company. Not thinking about the mess he had left for Oliver and me to deal with.

“Damn it, Jackson. You can only do that once in your life. The laws are very specific.”

“Now’s my time. I’ve thought about it plenty.” He grinned. “Take care. I’ll be in touch.”

The door clicked in place quietly behind him.

I stared in disbelief. What the hell had just happened?