look. He was right about Nelly being a witch. She was the one who wiped my friends’ minds and I owed her. If they hooked up, it wasn’t my problem, but Casey wasn’t up for discussion.
“Ah. Casey. I knew she had a name. And I seem to have hit a nerve. Funny, she seemed to think you two were just friends.” He grinned wickedly, knowing just how to get me where it hurt.
“She’s unavailable.”
“Is she? I wouldn’t go after another Pteron’s mate—unlike some other people.” He put his hands behind his head.
“Allie was mine first.”
“She wasn’t your mate. But that’s beside the point. We’re talking about Casey, and she isn’t your mate either.”
I growled. “Just leave her alone.”
“Okay. I get it. You like the girl.”
“Is there a real reason you’re here, or is it just to annoy me?”
“I’m here because you suck at your job.”
“My men are on it.”
“That’s not good enough and you know it. We have to quash this before it gets any bigger.” He leaned back further in my chair, and I had to fight myself not to toss him from it. It wasn’t worth the fall out.
“What do you suggest we do?” I stayed standing. I refused to sit in one of my visitor chairs. He’d like that too much.
“Who do you have on the inside?”
“I’ve got a guy.” Marv wasn’t ideal, but it would have to do.
“Wolf? Bear?” He sounded bored.
“Bear. We’re watching him closely.”
“Have you mapped out the attacks yet? Do they fit any pattern?” He messed with the pens on my desk.
I shook my head. “No. They just keep getting progressively more public.”
“I want to avoid any outright fighting. That will just give them the attention they’re looking for. We have to do this quietly. I’ll need to look at everything you have on the packs and clans involved.”
“I’ll get their files.” My grandfather had been so old school that we literally had file folders. I planned on changing everything over to an electronic system when I got the chance.
“Good. Anything fun going on tonight?” He cracked a smile, and I knew he was messing with me.
“No.” I planned to comb through all the documents myself. Like hell I was going to let him discover anything first. Jared may have been Levi’s best, but he distracted easily. I needed to prove I could handle the situation myself if I didn’t want more of Laurent’s men on my territory.
“Are you positive?”
“I’m sure you can find something to do.”
“Maybe I should see if Casey’s free…”
“She’s not.” I regretted my decision to hold off on our dinner date until the next night.
“Are you sure? She seemed to really like me this morning.” He was just pushing my buttons, but it pissed me off.
“Try the witches’ place in Battery Park.” Anything to keep him away from Casey. I’m sure he’d find something or someone to keep him busy there.
“Maybe I will.”
“Great, now get out of my office.” I pointed to the open door.
“I thought we were just starting to have some fun.”
“Go bother someone else.”
“Will do, but get me those files. I’ll need an office for the time I’m here.”
“You’re not going to be here long.”
He finally got his damn feet off my desk. “I still need an office.”
“Fine. Ask Nelly.”
“Sounds like a plan.” He got out of my chair. “Try to calm down. Stress isn’t good for you.”
“Fuck you,” I grumbled. Even if he weren’t a cocky bastard, I’d still hate him. He reminded me of everything I hated about Levi—only worse. He’d better stay far away from Casey. She already had Eric to worry about, she didn’t need Jared too. She didn’t need me either, but it was probably too late for that. She’d awakened a side in me I thought was gone, and I needed it. I dug out my phone as Jared strolled out through the doorway.
“Hey, Toby,” Casey answered in a singsong tone. She sounded happy to hear from me.
“Hey. Any chance we can move that
“Ah. Casey. I knew she had a name. And I seem to have hit a nerve. Funny, she seemed to think you two were just friends.” He grinned wickedly, knowing just how to get me where it hurt.
“She’s unavailable.”
“Is she? I wouldn’t go after another Pteron’s mate—unlike some other people.” He put his hands behind his head.
“Allie was mine first.”
“She wasn’t your mate. But that’s beside the point. We’re talking about Casey, and she isn’t your mate either.”
I growled. “Just leave her alone.”
“Okay. I get it. You like the girl.”
“Is there a real reason you’re here, or is it just to annoy me?”
“I’m here because you suck at your job.”
“My men are on it.”
“That’s not good enough and you know it. We have to quash this before it gets any bigger.” He leaned back further in my chair, and I had to fight myself not to toss him from it. It wasn’t worth the fall out.
“What do you suggest we do?” I stayed standing. I refused to sit in one of my visitor chairs. He’d like that too much.
“Who do you have on the inside?”
“I’ve got a guy.” Marv wasn’t ideal, but it would have to do.
“Wolf? Bear?” He sounded bored.
“Bear. We’re watching him closely.”
“Have you mapped out the attacks yet? Do they fit any pattern?” He messed with the pens on my desk.
I shook my head. “No. They just keep getting progressively more public.”
“I want to avoid any outright fighting. That will just give them the attention they’re looking for. We have to do this quietly. I’ll need to look at everything you have on the packs and clans involved.”
“I’ll get their files.” My grandfather had been so old school that we literally had file folders. I planned on changing everything over to an electronic system when I got the chance.
“Good. Anything fun going on tonight?” He cracked a smile, and I knew he was messing with me.
“No.” I planned to comb through all the documents myself. Like hell I was going to let him discover anything first. Jared may have been Levi’s best, but he distracted easily. I needed to prove I could handle the situation myself if I didn’t want more of Laurent’s men on my territory.
“Are you positive?”
“I’m sure you can find something to do.”
“Maybe I should see if Casey’s free…”
“She’s not.” I regretted my decision to hold off on our dinner date until the next night.
“Are you sure? She seemed to really like me this morning.” He was just pushing my buttons, but it pissed me off.
“Try the witches’ place in Battery Park.” Anything to keep him away from Casey. I’m sure he’d find something or someone to keep him busy there.
“Maybe I will.”
“Great, now get out of my office.” I pointed to the open door.
“I thought we were just starting to have some fun.”
“Go bother someone else.”
“Will do, but get me those files. I’ll need an office for the time I’m here.”
“You’re not going to be here long.”
He finally got his damn feet off my desk. “I still need an office.”
“Fine. Ask Nelly.”
“Sounds like a plan.” He got out of my chair. “Try to calm down. Stress isn’t good for you.”
“Fuck you,” I grumbled. Even if he weren’t a cocky bastard, I’d still hate him. He reminded me of everything I hated about Levi—only worse. He’d better stay far away from Casey. She already had Eric to worry about, she didn’t need Jared too. She didn’t need me either, but it was probably too late for that. She’d awakened a side in me I thought was gone, and I needed it. I dug out my phone as Jared strolled out through the doorway.
“Hey, Toby,” Casey answered in a singsong tone. She sounded happy to hear from me.
“Hey. Any chance we can move that
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