Chapter 34: Chapter 34

TERRENCE In the employ of my Alpha, I’ve cleaned up more than one mess.

Some in the boardroom, ensuring our businesses remain profitable. Others involved burning bodies when pack disputes erupted in the early days of Alpha Jason’s reign.

But I’ve never had to step in on behalf of a female before.

Least of all a female with a history as twisted as Grace Cummins.

I’m curious what these males see in her.

She’s pretty enough I suppose.

Wide eyes, full mouth. She has a decent body if not too thin. There’s an innocence or vulnerability about her, but I chalk that up to the absence of her wolf. It makes her frail in comparison.

Jason has bedded many women. Actresses, other prospective lunas. Wealthy socialites from around the world. Women far more enticing and powerful than this broken female.

Considering that she is the one responsible for the death of his fiancee… this game he plays with her is baffling.

I eye the other players—all with some connection to Grace.

Lily’s eyes glow with rage. Not surprising.

Sean looks thoughtful.

Jason…his expression is muted now. His dark eyes bank whatever he’s thinking. But I know he’s paying close attention to how I handle these events.

He told me to take care of it. And I need to do so in a manner that befits what he would do in my shoes.

Jason nods once at me then turns his back on the whole scene. He enters the Emerald dining room and the doors close behind him.

Sean and Lily stand here in the hallway.

Lily gnashes her teeth."Grace is really lucky. Greg, that idiot, can't he be less ostentatious? He just had to disturb Jason Reed!”

Sean shrugs, but his gaze remains on doors through which I had escorted out Grace.

“May I suggest we join Alpha Reed for dinner?” she tells Sean. She puts her hand on his face, to physically draw Sean’s attention back to her.

I watch all of this exchange.

Sean’s mouth opens but he doesn’t reply. Lily snakes her arm through his. “Come, my love. Let’s meet with Jason. I know he would only want me to be happy.”

Hmm.

She could keep telling herself that. But between the power merger that’s happening with Pack Atkinson and Pack Stevens and the little fact that Sean had been dating the woman who’d killed Jason’s fiancee, there’s a bit more on the table here.

Even if Lily wants to pretend it’s otherwise.

"I'm sorry for letting Alpha Reed wait,” she says to me. “We'll go to see him now."

"No need," I say calmly. I overheard every word this young couple said to Grace. ”Mr. Reed said he won't have time to meet the two of you today anymore. The both of you may return to your packs."

Lily sputters. I admit, there’s something satisfying about witnessing her outrage. Jason had said to handle things the way he would so…”Thank you both for coming this evening. You’re both dismissed.”

Sean’s eyes flare.

Lily snarls. “How dare—“

Sean drags her away. “Thank you, Beta Terrence. Give our regards to your Alpha. I’ll have my office contact yours to reschedule.”

I nod as he drags her off.

I wait for them to leave and then appoint several men at the door and at each entrance/exit to this area.

In his true form, Jason is fierce. Even as a human, he can fight and has been trained extensively.

It’d take someone with a death wish to challenge him.

“Alpha Reed will be dining alone this evening,” I tell them. “See to it that no one disturbs him.”

They nod.

Then I turn my attention to Greg.

He’s a lowly alpha.

I stare at him as if he’s a dead man walking.

He doesn’t know it yet, but he probably is.

These young pups are all the same.

Too much money, too little control.

Always someone to clean up their messes. But Gregory, he’s gone too far today. And the foolish man is about to pay the price for provoking someone under Alpha Reed’s protection.

It was a coincidence that Jason happened to be at the club, and had seen what had happened.

What might have befallen Grace if they had not been here?

What would befall Gregory if he’d successfully followed through with his assault on her? I heard the commotion—the ‘disturbance’ as his Alpha had called it—and I’d seen the Stevens heir and several other people watching on while Miss Cummins was nearly drowned in a decorative pond.

Of all the ridiculous things…

I consider myself a master at my beta position and as the direct liaison to my Alpha, I take my job seriously.

What would Jason do?

I know exactly what my Alpha would do…