Chapter Four
Lachlan
I groaned as I pushed the bar away from my chest, trembling from the effort. I settled the weights back on the rack with a clang and lay there panting. Fuck, how had I let myself spiral so far down that I could barely lift such a light amount?
Moving slowly, I rolled up into a sitting position and grabbed the bottle of water by my feet. Nine hundred pounds might be more than a normal human could bench press but it was the weight I used to load on the bar for a light workout.
I looked down at my shirtless torso and noticed that at least my ribs weren’t quite so pronounced any longer. Over the last week, my appetite had returned and I’d gained weight. My muscles were still leaner than they used to be, but the bulk was returning.
I heard the door slam overhead and Calder’s light step across my kitchen.
“Lach?” he called.
“In the basement,” I answered.
He came down the steps, stopping on the bottom to study me. “You still look like shit,” he commented, “But I’m glad to see that you’re putting on weight.”
It seemed like he said that every time he saw me these days. I laughed, the sound rusty and harsh. God, when was the last time I’d laughed? More than eighteen months ago, that was for sure.
“Fuck, Calder, if I’d known you were coming, I would have put on some make-up for you.”
He grinned, his green eyes twinkling with mischief. “I’ll be sure to call ahead next time and bring my camera.”
I flipped him off as I lifted the water bottle to my mouth to take another huge gulp. “What’s up?” I said after I drained the last of the liquid.
The smirk on his face faded as he came further into the makeshift gym I’d set up in my basement, settling his ass on another weight bench. “I just got a call from Brian Kirkpatrick.”
My brows lifted. “The alpha down in Houston?”
He nodded. “Yeah and something…feels off. He says he wants to meet. That he has something important to discuss with me but that we have to do it face-to-face.”
“Is it about the Faction?”
Calder shook his head. “I don’t think so. He said it was personal. But there’s just something about that guy that gives me a bad feeling.”
I knew exactly what he meant. Brian Kirkpatrick was not an alpha to be trifled with. He was ruthless, cunning, and had a deeply rooted sadistic streak I’d only seen in action once, but once was enough.
“Are you taking the meet?” I asked.
“That’s why I’m here,” he replied. “I wanted your advice.”
I got to my feet and moved over to the chin up bar I had set up in the corner. “What do you mean?”
Calder grunted in frustration. “I mean, do you think I should take the meet or not? I’ve only met him a couple of times, but you know him well. Is this likely to turn into a clusterfuck, or do you think he just wants to talk?”
I hopped up, grabbing the bar and began to pull myself up, smooth and slow. “As alpha, you can’t afford to offend your closest allies, Calder. I wouldn’t want to do it, but I would. If he needs help and we can provide it, we should. Because you never know when the situations will be reversed.”
He was silent for a few moments as I continued to do pull-ups. “I want you there,” he finally stated. “You have excellent instincts and it’s time for you to get involved in the pack again.” It wasn’t the request of a friend, but the command of an alpha.
My rhythm faltered for a moment before I continued. “Okay. Then I’ll be there. When’s the meet?”
“Tomorrow.”
I stopped and dropped back down to the ground, turning to face him. “Tomorrow?”
He nodded.
“That’s pretty damn quick.”
“Exactly,” Calder replied. “I’m not sure I can trust him. I feel like he’s up to something, but I can’t figure out what the fuck it might be.”
“I agree. He’s up to something.” I stared down at my shoes for a moment, thinking. “I’ll make some calls, see if I can find out if he’s in a dispute with another pack or something. What time tomorrow?”
“Ten a.m.”
“I’ll be there.”
Calder drove us into McKinney for the meeting. To anyone else, he would appear relaxed, but I knew better. There was a tension inside him, humming just beneath his skin.
It wasn’t unusual for the alphas of nearby packs to request meetings to discuss working together or alliances, but this one was unexpected. There had been no rumors of unrest among the Houston pack or challenges from others.
Though it could be dangerous to discuss pack business in public, he decided that a busy restaurant would be best for today. If the Kirkpatricks had an ambush in mind, they would think twice in a place full of humans. In fact, the restaurant we’d agreed upon was also frequented by cops. Another deterrent.
When Calder pulled into the parking lot at the greasy spoon we’d selected as a meeting place, I turned toward him.
“What’s the plan?”
He exhaled, his fingers tapping the steering wheel. “I’ll do most of the talking. Watch them. Maybe you’ll pick up something I won’t.”
We walked inside, a half an hour early for the meeting. It was intentional. We wanted to make sure that we were waiting when they arrived.
The waitress came over, her eyes moving first over Calder until they reached his wide platinum wedding band. She looked disappointed until she saw me sitting next to him. Her mouth curved in a flirtatious smile that did nothing for me.
“What can I get you two?” she drawled.
“Just coffee,” Calder replied, all business.
She nodded and strutted away, hips swaying.
Calder and I were still drinking our first cup when Brian Kirkpatrick entered the restaurant, his son, Brayden, right behind him. They were early. Twenty minutes early.
Brian smiled and came over, greeting us with firm handshakes and back slaps. Brayden was more reserved, his eyes moving over the crowd inside the restaurant as though he were looking for someone. Brian and Brayden looked more like siblings than father and son, both tall, muscular, and blond. The only difference was their eyes. Brian’s were dark brown, almost black, and Brayden’s were pale blue. The color of ice. Still, despite the variation in color, their eyes held the same cold detachment. They could hide it well when they wanted, but they were ruthless and brutal. Completely without mercy.
Despite Brian’s friendly greeting, I wasn’t fooled and my focus sharpened.
With the pleasantries out of the way, Brian and Brayden sat in chairs across from us, which meant the waitress came over once again. When she aimed her winsome smile at Brian, he grinned back, his appreciative gaze moving over her body in a way that had her preening.
“Hi, there,” she greeted them. “What can I get you gentlemen?”
I noticed that Brayden barely looked her way, his gaze still searching the other patrons.
“Coffee, darlin’,” Brian answered her with a wink.
She grinned and turned, adding an intentional sway as she walked away. Brian took the opportunity to stare at her ass and I bit back a grunt. Clearly he still fucked anything that moved. He never mated, choosing instead to impregnate several she-wolves in his pack over the years. Though he was over one hundred years old, he looked as though he were approaching his mid-thirties, still strong and handsome. He took advantage of that as often as he could, with she-wolves and human women alike.
When the waitress returned, she leaned over, giving Brian a clear view of her assets down the partially unbuttoned top of her uniform. I ignored his leer and turned my eyes toward Brayden. He looked distracted and angry, his fists clenching and unclenching as he continued to scan the people inside the restaurant. Whatever he sought wasn’t here and it raised my suspicions.
After finishing her banter with Brian, the waitress left us again and Calder looked at Brian.
“It’s good to see you, Brian. How have you been?”
“Good, good,” the other alpha replied as he sipped his coffee. “Busy with business. You?”
“Things have finally settled down.”
Brian’s eyes flicked to me. “Good to see you up and about, Lachlan.”
I nodded instead of answering aloud.
“I was sorry to hear about your mate,” he continued.
I waited for the usual stab of pain, but it was muted. It made me uncomfortable. I had become so accustomed to the sharp edges of my grief that this dull ache felt like a betrayal to her memory.
“Thanks,” I murmured, my voice rough.
Brian tilted his head in acknowledgement before turning back toward Calder. “So, where’s your enforcer today, son? I thought she would be with you.”
Something, an instinct maybe, made me look at Brayden. He leaned forward slightly in his seat, his eyes glued to Calder. For some unknown reason, he was extremely interested in the answer to his father’s question.
Calder must have caught Brayden’s reaction though he seemed entirely focused on Brian because he replied, “She’s away, handling some pack business for me.”
“Oh, really?” Brian said, leaning back in his chair. “Well, that’s too bad. She and Brayden used to be very close, if you know what I mean.”
My brows lifted at his implication. As long as I had known Chloe, she had never mentioned Brayden Kirkpatrick. Ever.
“Ah, well then she’ll be sorry she missed this meeting,” Calder stated smoothly. I knew he’d caught on to what Brian was insinuating but he wasn’t going to address it. “So what do you need today, Brian?”
The Houston alpha shrugged. “We’re in the area for business and I didn’t want to come into your territory without speaking to you first.”
Calder arched a brow. “That was very courteous of you, Brian, but don’t worry. If you ever need to come to Dallas in the future, a phone call is more than sufficient. I hate to take up your time when you have business to handle.”
“Thank you, Calder,” Brian replied. He drained his coffee mug and looked over at his son. “Bray, we should probably get going.”
Brayden, who hadn’t spoken since we sat down, shrugged and got to his feet. When Brian reached for his wallet, Calder waved a hand.
“It’s taken care of, Brian,” he stated.
“Thank you.” Brian smiled as we all stood and shook hands once again.
Father and son left as Calder and I paid the bill for our coffee, neither of us speaking. It wasn’t until we got into the car and were heading back toward the compound that Calder said a word.
“Did you buy any of that bullshit?” he asked.
“No. They’re up to something.”
“Any ideas what that might be?”
I stared out the window as we drove out of the city, buildings and neighborhoods thinning out. “I do.”
“Chloe,” Calder muttered, his voice low. “Dammit, this has something to do with her, doesn’t it?”
I nodded, twisting my head back toward him. “Did you see the way Brayden acted when his father brought her up?”
“Yeah,” he affirmed. Calder’s tone was dark and angry. “I didn’t like it.”
“Neither did I.”
My right hand ached. When I glanced down, I realized I’d balled it into a tight fist. So tight that my knuckles were white and cracking from the tension.
“We need to find her and figure out what the hell is going on,” Calder stated.
“I’ll handle it,” I told him, forcing my hand open and flexing my fingers. “You need to be here to keep an eye on the Kirkpatricks.”
I wondered what in the hell the she-wolf had gotten herself into. Whatever it was, I would discover the answer. Then I would help her straighten it out, whether she wanted me to or not.