“Who is she?” Joshua asked.

Garrett had traveled in wolf form with Joshua to an abandoned bridge just under a mile from the motel. The rain had stopped, but the skies were still overcast which meant the storm was bigger than expected. The knife wound to his gut had partially healed, for the most part. What hadn’t gone away was his driving urge to hunt and kill.

“Her name’s Autumn. She was promised to the Cross City Beta by her father,” he said.

Joshua’s eyes widened. “Jeez man, do they still do that type of stuff around here?”

“Arranged pairings are becoming less frequent these days, now that our existence is out,” he said. “It’s still pretty common with higher ranking wolves, though. It takes a lot more than just the title to run a Pack these days.”

Joshua nodded. “Kind of like what your brother Dane did with Trina to get his land back.”

“Yeah, kind of like that. The difference is my brother cared for Trina even before he found out that she was his true mate. This is a little different. I don’t suspect that any true mating will result from Simon and Autumn.”

“Have they…?”

“No. She bears no markings or imprints at all.”

“So once the storm lets up, she’ll take us to Simon then?”

Garrett shook his head. “She’s innocent, man. Truthfully, I don’t want her involved in this any more than she already is.”

“You trust her?”

Garrett nodded.

“Seriously man? You just met her. What if this is all a front?”

“I know she’s not lying,” he said. “I saw her before I knew who she was. Simon is trying to force her into it. She knows about him and the things he’s done, and she’s been trying to flee him. Her and her sister.”

“Force her? But her father signed a contract. Didn’t she know about this?”

Garrett rubbed at his chin. “Her circumstances are complicated. There was more than her life on the line. That tavern back there belonged to her family before Simon took control of it. By the way, have you seen Edward? He hasn't reported in since the meeting with Benjamin Sr."

"Naw, but I can guess where he is right about now," Joshua replied. "He was getting pretty comfy with two of those chicks down by the strip joint. He goes there nightly to fuck one of them. Probably both of them."

Garrett shook his head. "This isn't the time for him to put his dipstick into every broad he sees."

"Right. But then again, the guy hasn't been on a road trip like this in over a month. He's probably gotten bored with the broads back home. I'll call him again and tell him to report in."

"If we don't hear anything from him, he's not getting his entire cut. And that’s my final word.”

“I hear ya. Did you talk to Dane?”

“Yeah, he says he’ll think about the old man’s offer.”

“The offer was certainly generous. Do you know how much we could grow with hundreds of miles of territory added to our Pack?”

“Yes. My dad understood the value when he talked about this with Benjamin all those years ago. But I understand Dane’s hesitation. He’d be inheriting an unstable Pack as well as the threat that is Simon.”

“Our Pack was just as unstable when Dane stepped in. He turned it all around. If it weren’t for a few select humans causing trouble in our town, we’d be living in peace,” Joshua said.

“Ain’t that the truth?” Garrett agreed. “It’s my brother’s call and I’ll leave it at that. But I already know one thing is certain. I’ve been paid to hand Simon over and anyone who has ever hired me knows that I always get the job done.”

“If you succeed, you’ll eliminate the real threat. Our Alpha will benefit, you’ll keep your perfect track record, and can go back to living your life on the road.”

Garrett pushed off of the brick wall. “It’s not a matter of if, but just a matter of when. The Pack’s livelihood isn’t the only thing that Simon has threatened.”

A flawless vision of Autumn came into view. It was a memory of her that first night when she walked out from the back of the tavern. Looking back on it now, he realized that her entrance had blinded him like a bright ray of sunshine. But then Simon's mere presence and existence had ruined that. He wanted to crush Simon for treating her like a secondhand ploy to escalate to the Alpha position and secure his wealth. She deserved better. Way better. A man with a better past—not a criminal one—and a brighter future.

And although Garrett wanted Autumn for himself, his own past was anything but squeaky clean.