“Save the indignation. I’ve been listening to your blustering for years, Caleb. You know the rules, and lower members mustn’t outshine those of a higher rank,” William said.
“So this is the excitement I miss out on when I’ve retired to my quarters,” Lorenzo said with a dark chuckle. “I’m afraid William is right, Caleb. With rank comes privilege, otherwise there’s no reason to aspire to a higher position. If the car is more important, you’re free to leave the pack and purchase a Jaguar. I prefer men under my command who quarrel over respect, not money.”
Caleb’s face hardened and he stormed off, slamming the front door behind him. A gust of wind blew Lorenzo’s long hair forward, and an ominous feeling crept up his spine. Several years ago, he’d had the same unshakable foreboding one evening, and it had come without explanation. Perhaps they were merely his fears trying to creep up on him.
Nothing good ever came of a full moon.
William clasped his hands behind his back, taking a leisurely stride toward Lorenzo. He was the second-in-command and one of Lorenzo’s most trusted men. William stood an inch shorter with a wild mess of long black curls all over his head. His brows were wolfish, his stature strong, his expression unsparing. The women were attracted to him because, according to Rebecca, he smiled with his eyes. It didn’t go unnoticed that he often mirrored Lorenzo’s body language, acquiring habits that conveyed more authority to the other men. It was one of the subtle traits Lorenzo admired.
Lorenzo unclasped his own hands from behind his back and let them hang free at his sides. “Keeping the peace?”
“A few scuffles,” William said, arching his left brow. “You know what they say about the full moon.”
“Yes,” Lorenzo murmured. “It brings out the beast in us.”
“Indeed. All the men are accounted for and on the property. Everything’s under control. Caleb won’t get far if he tries to run, and he sure won’t get anywhere in his Kia.”
A laugh rolled through Lorenzo and they distanced themselves from the pack, taking a stroll to a private room on the other side of the house. Everything in this room had Native American décor, from the paintings and baskets to the handwoven carpet below their feet.
Lorenzo kept a cool composure, not wanting to give William any indication that he was feeling on edge. Once they were in the room, he switched on a light affixed to the wall. “Close the door,” he said, taking a seat in a large chair with high armrests. The cool wood against his bare back reminded him of winter’s approach.
“What’s on your mind?” William asked, the heels of his shoes clicking on the floor as he walked toward the window across the room.
“This has to do with the Weston pack,” Lorenzo said in a voice low and thick like molasses. “Cole has a bitch who goes by Ivy. See what you can find out about her.”
William glanced over his shoulder, light glittering in his eyes. “Is this a personal request or are you looking to do some trading?”
Lorenzo’s hands tightened on the armrest. “Her father is a Packmaster, but I don’t know where he’s settled. Her last name is Kizer, so unless that name was already taken, that might be the name of her father’s pack. Work stealthily. I don’t want word to get out.”
William leaned forward and blew out a hot breath, leaving a thin film of fog on the windowpane. He drew a W and finally spun around, hands in his pockets. “You won’t have to tell me twice. Say, is she pretty?”
Lorenzo’s jaw set.
“I just think it’s worth mentioning this is the first woman you’ve asked about, Enzo. The others were favor trades. Maybe you should introduce her to the pack and see if she takes a shine to anyone,” William said, gripping the lapels of his scruffy black jacket. “I don’t think another single woman is what the men in this pack need. Maybe we should match her up with one of ’em, don’t you think?”
“Keep moving the hinges on that jaw, William, and you might get it wide enough to fit your foot in there.”
William gave a tight smile as he always did, not showing his teeth. Perhaps it made him look too sinister. “I’d rather put my foot in Caleb’s backside.”
Lorenzo reached for the cigarettes on his table and lit one up. “You’re a wily dog. Tell me, why is it you haven’t taken a mate?”
William crossed his arms and his eyes danced with amusement. “Oh, I suppose I could ask that same question to… other men in our pack. Wouldn’t you agree?”
“So much room in this house, and yet few of the men will mate.”
“Well, you chose ’em. This is more of a pirate ship than a love boat.”
Lorenzo sighed and smashed out his cigarette. He’d chosen each packmate because of their strengths, not because they mixed well with the others in his house. It’s why there were incidents of dissension, and every so often, he had to put one out.
“Yes, you make a valid point,” Lorenzo murmured, lost in thought.
“I think a couple of them need to walk the plank. Just say the word and I’ll give ’em a shove.”