I rode the elevator up to the thirteenth floor of the posh office building. Eight years ago, the building had only been three stories high until expansion in other markets called for more room to house the employees. My grandfather agreed to fund the expansion, just like he'd agreed to fund everything else. In a sense, he owned the whole goddamned building…just like everything else.

After exiting the elevator, we were greeted immediately by a young receptionist. She smiled sweetly. "I remember you. You're Tristan Arnou. Chancey's business associate. Nice to meet you." She was wearing a deep shade of red lipstick and some of it had gotten on her teeth.

"Angela," I greeted, after glancing at the name badge pinned to her blouse.

The receptionist shuffled through some papers on her desk. She seemed disturbed to be caught off guard.

"Uh, I…I don't see an appointment," she stammered. "What can we do for you, Mr. Arnou?"

"I don't have an appointment. I'm here to see Chancey, of course."

"Uh, but…there's no appointment listed here for you." She frowned, looking at me over the rim of her glasses.

"My appointment with Chancey begins now."

"But—"

"How old are you, Angela?"

"Eighteen."

I narrowed my eyes.

"I'm only an intern," she stated.

"Intern? That means you have some college education. You look smart. Do I look like a patient man, Angela?" I asked her.

"No," she replied, pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose.

"Have you heard the rumors about me?" I asked, twisting the ruby and onyx ring on my middle finger.

"Yes," she said. And with that, she picked up the phone. After a moment, she said, "It went straight to voicemail, so he's on a call. I'll try again in a moment. Would you like to wait here in the conference area?"

I sighed heavily and then stepped back from the desk. I didn't give an answer, but I didn't leave either. By the way she was looking at me and my men cautiously, I could tell that she knew we weren't going to leave until we saw Chancey.

In addition to the receptionist area, there were about five private offices on this level, but only one of them was occupied. Chancey literally had the entire thirteenth floor to himself. He used to be an associate who received special funding from the network for his real estate investments. To date, he still had an outstanding balance due—only paying the minimum each month to keep my collectors off his back. I remember long ago when he went to Vinny about a permanent job in the network. He was promptly turned down. Vinny believed that we didn't need another Capo, and for the most part, I agreed. And if he were alive today, he'd be standing right here beside me saying, 'I told you so.'.

Besides various associates working for me, the network consisted of two other units headed by Capos. Capo number one was Stanley—a human whose family had no blood relation to either the Arnou or the Zovics—oversaw the network's tangible assets and inventory. Stanley's unit was made up of mostly street savvy humans who knew how to make a sale to anyone—from the homeless who just needed a quick fix or fast money to high-profile doctors, lawyers, and big corporate CEOs with side agendas. Stanley and his family were highly organized. He ran a tight ship and had been loyal to me from the get-go. He ran his operations with minimal instruction and screw-ups. I considered him a gem in my network. He was as loyal as loyal could get. He did his job. He ran his operations. He minded his business. There were two other Capos besides Stanley. Not wolves either. Men of human descent. One Serb and one American. Both who ran specific divisions within my network. Weapons, trade, gambling…whatever made money.

I controlled the network's cash flow. And I was boss of the network, but it hadn't always been that way.

Twenty years ago, the Arnou wolves were nothing but guards for the boss, the underboss, the capos and their soldiers. They practically owned us back then while we protected the interests of the Zovic men. For a time, we were our own unit within the network until I took control of it. Until Arnou took control…

Tired of waiting, I approached the desk again. "Call again. He must be off the line by now. Either that, or we'll go right in."

Angela hesitated for a moment, but the look I gave her told her I meant business. I knew she'd heard of me, but what she didn't want was for me to live up to my reputation. I promised grandfather I'd conduct business professionally in the public eye. I didn't know how long I could keep that promise.

She frowned but picked up the phone again. This time, I heard Chancey pick up on the other end.

"You have a visitor waiting in the lobby," she said.

"I'm reviewing the ledgers. That's why I didn't answer the phone the first time. I told you not to page me during this hour. Didn't I spank and fuck you hard enough this morning or do you need me to hurt you some more?" he chastised her.

I was disgusted. At times like these, I wish I wasn't blessed with exceptional hearing. But then again, this only confirmed how filthy Chancey was.

Angela's face reddened and she looked up at me sheepishly. "He's an important visitor or I wouldn't have paged you."

"Whatever. Just know you'll owe me for this, so if you've got paint on your lips, you better wipe it off now because you know how I don't like that shit on my cock. Who is it?" Chancey asked, harshly.

She looked like she wanted to cry, but then she regained her composure and said, "It's Tristan Arnou."

There was silence, and then, "Did you say Arnou?"

"Yes, sir. Tristan Arnou."

"I'll be in the conference room." There was click and then the sound of the dial tone.

Angela replaced the receiver on the cradle and then said, "This way, please. He's ready to see you. I'll walk you down."

I caught her by the arm. "Do you like it?"

Angela shrunk back, fear in her eyes as she glared at me. "What do you mean?"

"Do you like it when he spanks and fucks you?"

Her eyes shot downward.

"Answer me," I demanded.

She shook her head. "No. I'm just trying to pay my rent," she said, quietly.

I bit my tongue, forcing myself to hold my emotions in check. Weak emotions that would only cloud my judgment.

I nodded toward the hallway.

"Take us to Chancey," I told her, quickly dismissing the issue.

I followed the receptionist with my Elites close behind me.

She walked slowly, probably deliberately.

"Here it is," she said, coming to a full stop in front of a door with a gold plate in the center of it that read: Private conference.

Angela swung the door open, but there was no one at the conference table. There wasn't even anyone in the room. It was dark.

I exchanged a looked with my Elites.

"Oh! He must be still in his office. Why don't you men have a seat? And I'm sure he'll be down here in a minute," she said.

I gestured to one of my Elites and nodded further down the hall. Without hesitation, he went to check.

"Sir! You can't go down there. Those are private offices," Angela protested. "I'm going to call security."

"No need for that, Angela," I told her.

"I'll get in trouble. He'll reprimand me…please!" She screamed.

She was tied to the chair in the conference room and gagged on my orders so she wouldn't scream anymore.

When the Elite reported back that all of the offices were empty with no signs of Chancey, I rushed down the hallway. Another door to the stairwell was open and my wolf ears picked up the sound of thudding, moving further and further away.

"He's running," I said. "Let's go."

Chancey Elliot ran like the devil himself was after him, but he didn't get far. Or perhaps he did. While still concealed by the stairwell, I ordered both Elites to shift. When we caught up with him, he'd made it all the way down to the basement level where there were less than a dozen cars parked. Probably the private parking area for execs and such. Too bad. He wasn't going to make it out of here without giving me answers.

Chancey trampled over a speed bump as he dug into his back pocket for his keys. The taillights of a yellow Lamborghini flashed. My wolves took Chancey down without much effort. The pistol he was holding crashed to the floor as the wolves pinned him down. He screamed bloody murder even though the wolves hadn't bitten him—yet.

"Stand down," I ordered the Elites, using my Slavic tongue.

The wolves backed away but didn't change.

"Oh shit! What the fuck!" Chancey scrambled backward while still on the ground. He was inches away from his car, but his keys were sitting some twenty feet away from where the wolves had tackled him.

"What's the matter?" I asked. "You don't like wolves?"

Chancey breaths came in ragged pants like the life had almost been forced out of him. “What? You're siccing your guard dogs on me now? Aren't those things Goran's property?"

"Goran's property?" I laughed. "Goran doesn't own my wolves. He never did. Perhaps you should check your facts before spewing your bullshit."

"Why are you here?" he stammered.

I shook my head. "Come on now."

"It wasn't me. I swear it." Chancey tried to rise to his feet, but the two wolves growled in protest.

"Guilty," I stated. "So, you know why I've come?"

Chancey was kneeling now and he cast his eyes downward for a moment before replying, "Not really."

"Cut the bullshit, Chancey," I told him. "Several members of my crew were murdered at the Oakhaven warehouse back in Virginia. Do you think I flew out all this way for nothing?"

He grinned nervously. "You never know these days…"

I was disgusted that he was acting like this was all a joke. "Get up! You look like a groveling idiot. You think I don't know what you're doing, but I know more than I let on. I should blow your brains out now for wasting my time." I unbuttoned my blazer revealing the two guns strapped to my sides.

"Oh, no…please," Chancey wailed.

"What would Goran Zovic say if he could see you now? If he could see you crying on the floor like a bleeding bitch? What did he promise you, huh?"

Chancey held up his hands. "Whatever I've done to you, I'll fix it. I promise I'll fix it."

"This can't be fixed. Not in the way you're thinking," I told him.

"I just did what I was told…"

"Were you told to sexually harass and fuck your receptionist too?" I asked.

His mouth dropped open, then his face flushed.

"You're pitiful, Chancey. You'll have to answer for your sins, but that's not why I'm here today," I stated.

"Why are you here?" His voice trembled.

I held my arms up. "Where are your guards? Your security team? Huh? A man with all this money. A man who doesn't pay his debts. Shouldn't you have money for proper security?"

Chancey's eyes twitched, erratically as he tried desperately to process the information. Either that, or he was desperately trying to come up with some lie to tell me. I already knew the truth. Once my men used the tracking device to locate the package and I was able to link the murderers to Chancey, I knew the raid couldn't have been a random act of violence. Someone was sending a message. Someone was fucking with me. They just weren't wise enough to cover their tracks.

Chancey shook his head. "All they tell me is who to get rid of."

"So, you're an assassin for them now…one that doesn't pull the trigger himself," I noted.

He shrugged. "Why would I pull the trigger when I can make a call and have it done for me?"

"Lazy bastards like you always make mistakes." I laughed. "So, I guess that's why I'm here."

Chancey said nothing, so I continued, "Are you in on this secret plot to destroy me? Why would you follow them blindly?"

"Like I said, I did what I was ordered," he said.

"By the Zovics?" I asked.

He nodded.

Anger flooded through my veins. "The Zovics don't run shit anymore. Let me guess…they promised you something. Perhaps they promised you a most lucrative position for your betrayal," I stated.

He shrugged. "Maybe they did…"

"It's a lie," I growled.

"But Jovan says—"

"Fuck Jovan. I don't care what he says."

"You're part Zovic. Why are you fighting?" Chancey asked.

I gave a short laugh. "Do you think they care that I have an ounce of Zovic blood in me. I'm Arnou, there's a notable difference…one you have yet to see. In either case, you fucked with the wrong man and I can't forgive that," I told him.

"I told you I would do anything," he said, firmly.

"You can jump back and forth over who you choose to remain loyal to. It doesn't work that way. You never understood that and that's exactly why you're in this position right now," I said. "You chose to transpire and scheme with two raggedy sheep, but I've been doing a bit of demolition and reconstruction myself." I pulled out my gun.

"No…no please," Chancey pleaded.

"Then tell me, what would you do in my case? What would you do if someone fucked with your money, your property, and made it look like you were reneging on a deal with a new associate?"

"I—"

"I take my reputation seriously. I deliver what I promise. Whoever ordered you to intercept my package knew what they were doing?" I said.

"There was twenty grand on the line," he muttered. "I didn't know it was your product. He just told me to—"

"You fucking liar. You knew what the Zovics were sending you out after and you knew who it belonged to."

He looked away.

"So, you put out a contract and had my couriers murdered, didn't you? You gave the order."

He said nothing, but his eyes were telling. The scent of fear was even more telling.

"Then that answers my question. I don't like being made to look like a fool. And I especially don't like losing customers. You fucked with my money, Chancey. That's a terrible thing to do when you're not free and clear either. Or maybe my demise is what you're after. You help the Zovics take me down and you have no debt. Geez, you're smarter than I thought."

He pressed his lips together and his brows furrowed together. "The Zovics ordered me to do it. They'll kill anyone loyal to you, even those…" He shot a look a disdain toward the two wolves standing near me. "…those mangy wolves you brought with you. They're nothing more than dogs trained to obey one person and that's you. No wonder the Zovics got rid of them."

"Do yourself a favor and shut up. You know nothing of which you speak," I told him.

The Elliots were still in the dark about who and what the Arnou and the Zovics truly were. The Zovics were from the Other bloodline and I was an Arnou wolf shifter and my Pack's Alpha. Like all other humans, the Elliots would remain in the dark.

Humans didn't know our history well. They didn't know that long ago, before men were civilized, that a Caedmon tribe of extraordinary beings with magical and physical powers existed. And even to this day, most history books were inaccurate about us.

From the Caedmon tribe, separate groups emerged: the Caedmon wolves, the Arnou wolves, several families of witches, and several families with exceptional abilities that the ancestors labeled Other. The Zovics were of the Other bloodline. They were like shifters but without the ability to shift, but they still had a significant edge over their human counterparts. After a bloody war between the two most notable groups, the Caedmon and the Arnou, the tribe split. Many of the families died out over the centuries, but many others thrived.

Another few centuries passed before an Arnou male and a Zovic female found each other again and agreed to an arranged mating to strengthen the bloodlines—but most importantly, to provide the Zovics with the capital they needed to repay a debt. The Zovics were in jeopardy of being bought out by another organized investment group. If they hadn't come up with the funds, they would've lost everything. Their lives and their legacy. My family bailed them out. The agreement was that my great grandfather, who was to marry the niece of the boss, would one day become the boss himself. The transition never happened because the Zovic males never gave up control. Even to this day, they held some of our most valuable assets in a vault and refused to give them up.

Shifters wouldn't be able to run the network, they said. And once a suitable male heir was born carrying the Zovic name and the distinct traits of the Other bloodline, they carried on as if the clause in the agreement had only been a figment of the imagination. I guess my father and grandfather were content with being silent leaders. Advising and keeping the business operations running behind the scenes while the Zovics took all the credit and enjoyed the fruits of our labor.

But that's not the type of wolf I was. I'm no silent leader and the moment I spoke out, they knew what time it was. Ever since then, they'd been trying to cast me out. They've been unsuccessful.

"What's the truth? I don't even know what to believe anymore. What is it with this family? The Zovics and the Arnou?" Chancey asked, fuming in frustration.

"I don't owe you truth. You should've sought the truth before you betrayed me."

"Like I said, they'll send more," he said, almost in a quiet whisper. "I don't know what you've done to them, but they'll send more out to destroy this side racket you've been running behind their backs."

"Behind their backs?" I scoffed. "I'm not running a side racket. COBRA is mine and that's what I run."

"So, what are doing? Are you trying to completely overthrow the Zovics?"

"Overthrow is an inaccurate assessment of the situation. Obviously, you're still blinded when the facts are right here." I held my arms out to my side. "All you have to do is follow the money. Who do you think has been financing this building? I could've cut you off a long time ago. I should have after you failed to make your payments. Look how you betrayed me. You let the Zovics turn you against me."

Chancey swallowed visibly.

"Who do you think pays your salaries? Signs your checks? Hmm?"

He shook his head.

"Have you never paid attention to the seal on your contracts? Goran hasn't used his seal for quite some time. It's worth nothing. The Arnou seal, on the other hand, is what our business associates know and trust. When I give my word, they know I'll deliver. But you didn't care who was signing, did you? As long as you were getting paid, none of that mattered to you. But now that will end."

"No, it won't. I don't answer to you."

"No, you don't have to do anything. The question is, do you want to live or not," I stated.

"You bastard," he spat.

"Technically, I'm not," I countered. "You're no longer needed. You're dismissed. All funding will be cut off effective immediately."

"No! You can't do this!"

He shot to his feet but one of my wolves mowed him down again. The wolf snarled, his fangs inches from Chancey's throat, waiting for my command to execute.

"Then let's make deal," I said. "You tell me where Goran and Jovan are hiding and I'll let you live."

"I…I don't know. How could I possibly know?"

Even with the threat of a wolf tearing into his throat, he was still lying. I smelled it all around us.

I sighed heavily. "Let's try this again and this is your last chance. I'm tired of searching for these pussy ass motherfuckers. I want them to come out and let us talk like men…or not. Now, I'm not dumb enough to believe that they're able to contact you without leaking their whereabouts at some point."

"Call off the wolf and I'll tell you. Shit, I can't breathe," he replied.

I nodded to the wolf who backed off of Chancey.

"Get to it. What do you know?"

"They…they, ah…" He scooted back and some three feet away from the wolf.

"I've wasted enough time here as it is. Three minutes is all I have," I said, looking down at my watch. "In three minutes, you will die if you don't tell me what I asked you."

"In a safe house," he stuttered.

"Safe house?"

He nodded.

"They're giving out orders to destroy me from a safe house," I repeated.

"That's all I know."

"A lie." I nodded to the wolf and he prowled closer to Chancey and growled.

Chancey understood the threat and said, "Last time, I received a call from Texas, but I couldn't be sure."

"What town in Texas?" I demanded.

"I don't know!" Chancey bellowed. "The town of I-don't-fucking-know. I don't give a damn. They're paying me to do it! To kill. To eliminate. And you know what? You're next on the list, bastard!"

"Get the fuck up off the floor!" I yelled my blood past the boiling point.

My arm rose with him until he was looking down the barrel of the gun.

"Do you think I'm fucking playing games with you?" I asked.

He shook his head.

"This shit needs to end one way or another. I'm not running. Fuck, I need to get on with business. My fucking money and reputation are tied up in this shit while pussy ass number one and two are out hiding like rats. Now I'm going to ask you one more time—"

Before I could get my last sentence out, he threw himself on the floor and picked up the gun he dropped earlier. He aimed for my heart and fired right before my wolves pounced.

The bullet hit me in the shoulder, the force of it jolting me backward. Yet, I held my ground. I didn't have to lift a muscle. My wolves were already on him, tearing at his flesh. I felt a stream of blood leaking out through the bullet hole and I fought the paralyzing sensation of pain as it ripped through me.

"Prestani!" My command echoed harshly throughout the parking garage.

The wolves immediately stopped but circled Chancey like gluttonous vultures. They wanted to kill the man who'd shot their Alpha, but they'd only do so if I gave them the orders. I wouldn't. The kill was mine.

I had held my wolf in check long enough, but now he wanted out. I was only a shift away from relief. At this point, a full shift was the only thing that could expel the slug still lodged in my shoulder. So, I did what came naturally. I took off my jacket suit, hurled it aside, and then rid myself of the heavy belt around my waist. Only then did I give myself to the wolf, purging the foreign object from my body. My knees hit the pavement before my animal emerged, and the last thing I saw before my wolf took over completely was eyes widened in morbid fear. He had no idea what kind of monster I could become, but he would soon find out.

All my wolf saw was a blood-drenched Chancey. Under his ripped clothes, nothing but mangled flesh and bite marks riddled his body. His face was so badly mauled, he couldn't even speak. Blood gushed from the wound on his cheek.

All I wanted was information on the whereabouts of my enemies. I hadn't come to kill him even though he'd managed to wipe out a handful of my soldiers. But he'd just proven that he wished to be my executioner.

"What…" Chancey mouthed. "…the fuck…"

I was the monster who'd just been provoked, that's what the fuck I was.

I growled, and then hurled myself at him, going straight for the throat, and ended his life instantly.

My Elites and I were fully shifted back into our human forms by the time the basement elevators opened up. Two cops got off with weapons in hand. After spotting the gruesome scene and surveying the area, one of the cops lowered his weapons and scowled.

"Jesus Christ, Tristan. You said there would be no blood," David Seabrooke stated.

I picked up my belt from the floor and put it back on. "I did say that, didn't I?" I used a handkerchief to wipe the remnants of blood from my mouth that had transferred over from my kill.

"I didn't bring enough men for this," Seabrooke added. He bent down and looked at the remains of Chancey. "Fucking Christ. You could've taken him out of the building before doing this."

Seabrooke was a cop working in the special investigations unit of his department. Both of our families had a long history together. He and his family had been part of the Arnou Pack for decades. They were also one of the few families who had a history of fathers and sons entering police forces, and even the military. Seabrooke called me a pain in the ass. I made his work harder. He kept warning me that those on the other side of the law, like himself, wouldn't be able to keep secrets for long. It was only a matter of time before the various special investigations units across the nation came together to compare notes that were becoming eerily similar and to make conclusions that couldn't be easily explained away as they had been for centuries.

"No need to call anyone else," I told him and handed him a business card from my pocket. "This guy will help with the clean-up."

"To cover this shit up, I'll need more incentive for—"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I get it. You need to pay your folks to keep quiet—change up the story. I'll have funds wired to you within the hour. Now if you'll excuse me, my jet is waiting for me across town."

I tugged my jacket back on, flinching at the pain in my shoulder. The wound was rapidly healing, but from experience, the discomfort would last more than a few days. My men followed me to the elevator and we rode it back up to the thirteenth floor.

When we reached the conference room again, Angela was still strapped to the chair, gagged. She struggled against the ropes. In fact, it appeared that she'd been struggling without pause. Her glasses had somehow slipped off her face and fallen to the floor.

"Oh, Angela," I said. "All of that wasn't necessary." I untied the gag.

"You thick-headed, chauvinistic rude bastard! Untie me from this chair now."

I'd been called worst names.

"I'm sorry I had to do that to you.”

“You can’t just tie people up. Who do you think you are?” she fussed.

“Funny you should ask that question…” I said.

I struggled with my identity daily. Who was I? A man at odds with himself? A cold-hearted snake? An animal of legend…feared and misunderstood?

I didn’t have an answer for her. I didn’t have the answer at all so I said, “My meeting with Chancey is now over.”

An announcement came over the building's intercom system. "Attention, attention. The building is now on a temporary lockdown for your safety. Please remain on your floor until further notice. Attention, attention…"

Her eyes widened. "What did you do to him?"

"What do you care?" I untied the ropes around her and let them fall to the floor. "You won't have to get down on your knees today, at least?"

She swallowed visibly, her skin turning a bright shade of red.

I picked up her glasses from the floor and handed it to her.

"But he never gave me my paycheck today and it's Friday," she said.

I almost felt sorry for her, but then I didn't. She looked like a smart girl and this couldn't have been the only job in town she could secure. How could she have stayed here only to be fucked over and over again by that fleabag? I frowned. Yet, it wasn't my place to judge.

"Chancey has been terminated. You work for me now. You'll get your paycheck. I'll ensure it myself," I told her.

Her look of confusion faded with a sigh of relief.

"But I…I don't understand," she stammered.

"You'll understand by getting back to work. Answer the phones…file the paperwork. You know how to read, so here's your first assignment from your new boss: pull up your job description and do whatever the fuck it says if you want to keep your job. Don't spread your legs for anyone else in this building or I'll terminate you next."

I left her standing there more confused than she was when we met. I didn't care. I was done explaining myself to people.

My work here was done, but my job certainly hadn't ended.