#Chapter 58 Save my number, Wright
Tyler POV
Moonrise Entertainnt - Executive Level
"I think I’m making headway for your girl!"
I looked up from the contract I was going over to see my father letting himself into my office without a by-your-leave.
John Wright had never been good with boundaries. As far as my father was concerned, this would always be his company and we were all only visitors playing in his sandbox while he was willing to share.
"What are you talking about?"
I’d learned to be direct with him. Father wanted to play gas while I didn’t have the right nature for it.
"My granddaughter," he said.
There was a smugness to his tone I knew ant he was congratulating himself on finding out I was having a daughter instead of a son even though I hadn’t shared the information with him. The bastard could choke on the knowledge. I wasn’t hiding my child’s gender. He hadn’t gotten a foothold over on ; I was not about to let him make any decisions for my child.
"My daughter is none of your concern. No ’arrangents’ will be made for her."
"Don’t be ridiculous. These things take ti. Look at the contract you have there," Father waved at the paperwork I was studying, "All those details to go over because of a business arrangent with a ti limit. A marriage is ant to last a lifeti. You have to set everything up in advance or you never know what misery you’ll leave for your child to fall into."
I could imagine my mother felt her ’arrangent’ with my father had been miserable though I knew no real details about their relationship except my father had been married already when I was conceived.
Growing up with everyone knowing I was a bastard born from a rich man’s mistress had not been easy. I’d gotten in more fights than any other boy in my grade level. For a while, I had gotten so used to being injured from all my schoolboy skirmishes I forgot what it felt like to live without bruises or cuts or damage of so kind done to .
"My daughter hasn’t even been born. There’s no rush to start matchmaking for her. Besides that? I want her to have the opportunity to et her fated mate the way all wolves are ant to mate."
I’d talked too long. Father waved at again as if I were spouting nonsense he could just waft away like early morning fog. He ca from a world where Alpha Houses never left anything to fate because wolfen society needed to control every aspect of their dealings or risk being overtaken by human interlopers.
"You can always worry about a fated mate after the fact. Alpha Houses have to remain strong. Besides, if she has two mates -one arranged and one fated-, then she’s got two males who can protect her. That’s twice the safety of another female."
I was not going to listen to him make up reasons to control my child before she had a chance to take a single free breath.
"No. Now I’m busy. Get out."
"Is that any way to talk to your father?"
He seed amused by in a way I wanted to question. What if he knew I had lost my connection to Wynd? Was he even now planning to put in the sa position as my crippled older brother William?
I could wake up the next morning in a ’convalescent ho.’ I had known my father to do worse in the past. Both Rachel and I would be better off if I presented a strong front.
"You’re barely a father. I have to go through two more of these contracts today or we risk losing the clients which loses us a significant amount of money. Clear enough reason for you to get out?"
Father gave a mocking bow as he said, "I’ll leave you to it. Keep towing the company line, son. I’ll keep doing what I must for our House."
I had a sinking feeling he had chosen to give my way rather than left out of any fear of angering . There was no world in which showing weakness to John Wright was a smart move. I would have to warn Rachel we couldn’t take him for granted.
I’d barely started to read the contract over again when my personal cell phone vibrated on the desk.
Giving the phone a glare, I checked the caller ID before answering the call, "Hello? Who is this?"
The number was unfamiliar to . I didn’t like the idea of a crank call any more than I liked the idea of an unknown person having my private line at their disposal.
"Nathan. Nathan Lewis."
He clarified as if I knew too many Nathan’s to know who he was on first na alone.
"Why are you calling , Lewis? Better question: how did you get this number?"
A heartbeat passed before he sighed into the phone in a way which let know I wasn’t the only one frustrated by the conversation.
"I got the number from a PI. I’m calling you because I just ca from visiting Rachel. We’re going to be friends."
The idea of Nathan Lewis being alone with my mate made grit my teeth in a mixture of anger and irritation. I could tell he was informing he was going to maintain a friendship with Rachel rather than asking if he could befriend her. There was no question being presented in anything he was telling , only statents.
I could respect him for being direct.
"Fine. You’re friends. What has co from your friendship to lead to this call?"
"She wants to visit Moonglow Pack in their ho territory. She asked about going without an escort, but I told her she has to have an escort. They’re completely backwards. I’m talking almost dieval. You can’t let her go without an Alpha escort. Why can’t you go? Why wouldn’t she just ask you?"
Had he always been such a talker? I was exhausted by how much Nathan had spewed at in such a short span of ti.
With all he’d babbled on about, what was I supposed to address first?
I decided to respond with as much directness as I usually used with my father. It felt more useful than trying to talk to him with emotions involved.
"We’re still talking about the visit to Moonglow. I will ensure she takes an Alpha escort. Are you offering to take her?"
I knew he was as much as I knew I hated the idea of letting him have any ti alone with Rachel.
"I am. I’ve been there several tis. My family is on good terms with them. I just---Wright, I don’t like you, but I love Rachel and I know she won’t give up on this idea of going to see these people. You have to make the right decision to protect her because she doesn’t understand what she’s getting into with them."
Primitive wolfen societies were not well-known to . I had visited a reservation den once when I was twenty-years-old. I rembered females who didn’t look up from their feet and males who wandered around barefoot and shirtless as if they were always one breath away from their wolf bursting free of their skin.
I hated the idea of Rachel being in one of those territories a lot more than I hated her spending ti with Nathan Lewis.
Lewis loved her. I could hear it in his voice and I’d seen it in his face when he’d offered for her at the Alpha Council petition. His love for her would ensure he protected her with the sa degree of devotion I would myself and he still had access to his wolf.
"If you took her," I emphasized the word ’if’ because I wasn’t saying I would agree to the arrangent without further investigation, "Could you ensure it was a one-day visit or would you have to stay overnight? I know they’re remote. I doubt there’s a hotel nearby."
"No hotels. We would have to stay on their land. Their territory is massive. They have these ’cottages’ they keep open for visitors. We wouldn’t be expected to stay in their Alpha’s den."
I wasn’t sure how I felt about any of this. All I was certain of was my forr mate was going to drive insane. I decided to talk it over with my Beta and with Rachel herself before making a decision.
"I’ll think about it. Thank you. For offering to escort her and protect her. I know you have her safety in mind."
"I love her," Lewis said again, sounding helpless, "Save my number, Wright. We’re going to stay in touch even if you hate ."
I found I felt less hatred for him than I had before. I supposed knowing he loved the woman I loved made us allies more naturally than enemies.
"Fine. Save mine, Lewis. I’ll contact you when I’m ready."
I hung up before preparing to dial my Beta to get him on the task of investigating Moonglow territory.
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