Chapter 114: Handing Him Ammunition

Michael’s POV

I stared at the phone in my hand after ending the call with Emerald.

Her rules were ringing in my head.

No unnecessary public displays of affection. No interference with her studies. No telling her where she could go or who she could spend time with.

And, most importantly, the arrangement would end once she repaid the money.

I smiled.

She had been so serious when she listed them that I had almost laughed during the call.

What amused me even more was the way she had waited for my reaction afterwards, clearly expecting an argument.

She had been surprised when I agreed without a single objection.

There had been no reason to argue. Rules had never meant much to me, especially rules made by a human.

If someone else had tried to place restrictions on me, I would have rejected every one of them without giving the matter a second thought.

I had lived long enough to know exactly what I was capable of, and I certainly had no intention of allowing another person to dictate my actions.

But this was Emerald.

Our situation was unusual enough without turning it into a pointless battle over boundaries she had created to make herself feel secure.

Besides, her rules could not stop me from doing what I wanted. They only restricted what she thought I would do.

That distinction amused me.

"Our mate." Draxen’s voice came through my mind.

I closed my eyes briefly. "Shouldn’t you be sleeping?"

"I have rested enough."

I sighed. "You really know how to appear at the most convenient times."

"For you, perhaps. For me, this is an excellent time. You were thinking about our mate," he said.

I brushed him off and grabbed my phone. As soon as my fingers touched it, the screen flashed with an incoming call from Alaric.

I swiped to accept the call.

"Lucien!"

His voice came through the phone with so much energy that I pulled it slightly away from my ear.

I could already tell he was in an exceptionally good mood. "What happened?"

"We really did it." He laughed.

"What are you talking about?" I asked.

"You know exactly what I’m talking about."

I let him have his moment. There was no need to rush him when I could hear the satisfaction in his voice.

"We have rendered great loss to the shapeshifters," he finally said. "They didn’t see us coming."

I smiled faintly. "Since they didn’t see this move coming, they will become more careful now."

"I agree." His voice became harder. "But it doesn’t matter how careful they become. They can possess as many people as they want and use those people, their money, their influence and their connections to try to overthrow the world. We will destroy their gatherings, their plans, and their lives along with them."

I slowly nodded. He was right.

These creatures had been given too much room for too long. No breathing space should be given to them now.

The longer they were allowed to operate, the deeper their influence would spread. They had already found their way into powerful families, corporations and circles where ordinary people would never suspect anything was wrong.

"We keep moving," I said. "No opportunity for them to regroup."

"Exactly." There was satisfaction in Alaric’s voice again. Then his tone changed. "Have you found the one responsible for Vera Hugo and her husband?"

"Not yet." I glanced at the clock.

My men were still searching, so we have yet to identify its current host.

"It must be very careful with its movements now," Alaric said. "Especially after seeing the jet crash news. It and the others may have gotten the hint that they are being hunted."

"Or they may see the crash as a coincidence."

"Possible."

I considered that for a moment.

The news had spread quickly. Fifteen people from influential families had died in a single incident. From the outside, it was simply a terrible aviation accident.

There was no reason for a shapeshifter to immediately connect it to our operation.

"But," I added, "they are too smart and cunning to believe in coincidences."

Alaric gave a low chuckle. "Exactly. And that is why we must be very brutal when handling them."

We had spent enough time studying their movements to understand that hesitation only gave them another opportunity.

Every host they acquired gave them access to another circle of influence. Every circle they entered made them harder to find.

We needed to stay ahead of them.

"When are you coming back to L.A?" Alaric inquired. "The initial arrangement was that you would fly into LA every week."

"I know."

"But it looks like you’ve changed your plans because of a certain someone."

I could already picture the wild grin on his face. I closed my eyes. "Are you done?"

He immediately understood the warning. If he continued down that road, I would end the call.

There was a brief silence, then I heard him clear his throat. "Fine. Since you aren’t coming to LA anytime soon, I have decided to come to Boston."

I frowned. "For what?"

"To rest," he said. "I’ve spent weeks running around making sure those shapeshifters are dealt with," he continued. "I’ve barely had time to sit down. I need to get away from LA for a few days."

I leaned back against the chair and stared at the ceiling. My first instinct was to tell him no.

I didn’t object to him needing rest. Alaric had been working almost continuously, and after what we had just accomplished, he deserved a break.

The problem was Boston. More specifically, my condo.

Emerald had started coming over once in a while. Sometimes for dinner, sometimes because she needed help with something, and sometimes simply because our conversations had become part of both our routines.

I had no problem with that.

But if she arrived and found Alaric there, she would probably become uncomfortable. That alone was enough to make me hesitate.

Then there was the second problem. Alaric couldn’t keep his mouth shut.

He had already teased me about Emerald over the phone. Having him inside my home, watching the two of us interact, would be like handing him ammunition and asking him to use it.

I rubbed my thumb slowly across the edge of my phone. "No."

"You didn’t even think about it," he said.

"I did," I countered.

"That was fast." He laughed. "So you’re saying I can’t come to Boston because of Miss Hugo?"

I shook my head. "I didn’t say that."

"You didn’t have to," he said.

I stared at my phone. Sometimes I wondered why I continued answering his calls. "How long?"

"Three days."

I considered it again. Three days.

If Emerald came over during that time, I would have to deal with the inevitable questions. If Alaric happened to be present, I would also have to deal with his mouth.

Neither prospect appealed to me.

But Alaric had been carrying a considerable portion of the operation in Los Angeles. A few days away from the city would probably do him good.

"Fine," I said.

His laugh came immediately. "I knew you’d agree."

"I haven’t finished."

He stopped, giving me the chance to continue.

"You will stay out of my personal business."

There was a pause, then he said, far too innocently, "Of course."

I didn’t believe him for a second. "Alaric."

"I’m serious," he quickly said.

I narrowed my gaze, though he couldn’t see me. "You’re terrible at keeping your mouth shut."

"Only when there is something interesting to talk about," he accepted.

I shook my head. "Three days."

"Agreed."

"And if you start anything with Emerald—"

"Lucien." His amusement was unmistakable. "I said I’m coming to rest."

I looked out through the window, already having the feeling that these three days were going to be anything but restful.