Series: Werewolves of Wall Street Series by Renee Rose
Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 94820 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 474(@200wpm)___ 379(@250wpm)___ 316(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94820 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 474(@200wpm)___ 379(@250wpm)___ 316(@300wpm)
It ends now.
I enter the lobby of the Four Seasons and head to the help desk. “I’m staying in the residences, but I’ve left my key card upstairs. William White,” I flash my ID, and turn on the charm, so they won’t notice that I’m not the William White they checked in.
With my new keycard, I stroll down the hallway of the fancy hotel like I own the place. When I get to my father’s residence, I knock, and when someone comes to the door, I kick it in before they can open it fully.
The wolf behind the door grunts, knocked backwards as I rush him. It’s one of my dad’s enforcers, probably here acting as a bodyguard. “Hiya, Chip.” I hit him hard enough to send him crashing to the floor. “Where’s Dale?”
Dale rounds the corner, sees his fallen partner, and rushes me. With a swift jab to the throat, I take him out, too. A crushed windpipe won’t kill a shifter, but it’ll incapacitate him for a while.
My attack was brutal and efficient, just the way my father taught me.
My father peers around the corner and sees his enforcers laid out on the ground, groaning.
“What is the meaning of this?” He wasn’t expecting a surprise attack from his favored son.
“You brought Chip and Dale,” I jerk my thumb towards the half conscious enforcers.
“Their names aren’t–”
“I don’t care. Why did you bring them? Expecting trouble? From the Adalwulfs perhaps? I know you’re probably trying to do a deal with them, but they’re known for stabbing their business partners in the back.”
He recoils, and I add, “Oh yes. I know you met with the Adalwulfs. Now you’re going to tell me why?”
“Are you questioning me?” His nostrils flare, and he leans forward, transforming into a disapproving father figure before my very eyes.
But he lost the right to parent me a long time ago. “I am. On behalf of my pack. Tell me why you met with the Adalwulfs.” He hesitates, and I bark, “Now, goddammit.”
“I wanted to make a deal,” my father speaks through gritted teeth, as if my order forced him to talk. “I tried to trade information about you to Aiden.”
I thought I’d reached the depths of disappointment with my dad, but we’re reaching a new lower limit. “In exchange for what?”
“A partnership. Investment into our pack–”
“You tried to sell my pack out for money. Let me guess, Aiden refused to deal.” My dad presses his lips together, remaining silent, which tells me all I need to know. “You gave him all the information you had, which is not much, and then he said it wasn’t enough and asked for more. Keeping you on the hook, seeing how far you’re willing to go in betraying your own son. That’s why you came to me asking for a wedding invite.” I don’t need him to confirm or deny. I know that’s the play Aiden made. It’s what I’d do. I don’t blame the Adalwulfs for being snakes. The real traitor is my father.
As a pup, I almost killed myself trying to earn his approval. Be strong like him. But now, I see him clearly. He’s weak. That’s why he hates humans so much–he can’t stand up to other wolves, so he punches down.
For some reason, Aubrey’s face flashes in my mind. The thought of him ever turning his abusive gaze on her makes my wolf bristle. I don’t even want him to know she exists in the world.
“You disgust me.”
My dad’s eyes flare bright. His wolf is showing. He wants to fight me, but he knows he can’t. He’s not strong enough to fight me and win. It’s time I remembered that.
Still he blusters, “You dare come here–”
“No, I’m talking now.” My father would love the story of how I breached my opponent’s safe house and gained the upper hand even when outnumbered, except that in this case, he’s the opponent. I’m using his own tactics against him. Not only that, but I’m doing it better than he ever did. The student has become the teacher, and it’s time my dad learned this lesson. “You came to my city and met with my pack’s enemies before knocking on my door. You’re a weak alpha, leading an unimportant pack. You can’t do much more than sniff around under our table for scraps, but I don’t appreciate you trying to forge an alliance with the Adalwulfs before coming to me with your hand out.”
“Unbelievable.” Spittle flies from my father’s mouth. “You cannot talk to me that way.”
“I just did.” It was a long time coming too. I feel fucking fantastic. “And now I’m telling you to pack your things and go back to Maine. Leave the underhanded deals to the pros.”
William White II sputters. He’s in full charlatan mode, shaking his finger at me while he stands on an imaginary soap box. I’m old enough to see him for what he truly is: a bullshitter to the end. He’s got nothing: a pack he weakened with his own tyranny, a bunch of sycophants who can’t even hold a hotel room against an intruder. All he can do is bluster. “The day is coming when you’re going to need to choose a side.”