Isabella
“Well look at you!” Daphne grabbed my hands and spread them out so she could get a good look at me, from head to toe. “You look like a whole new woman. I think you’ve put on at least ten pounds, and you are positively glowing.”
I lowered my eyes shyly and cleared my throat. “Ehm. My appetite is greatly improved.”
She cackled with glee. “I bet it is. It can’t be easy keeping up with two men. But really, Bella, I’m so happy for you.” she pulled me in and squeezed me against her chest. “I have to be honest... I thought it would take a lot longer to get you out of your shell.”
“My wolf had other ideas,” I said quietly, following her down the hall toward the dining room. “Once I shifted, suddenly...” I blushed and ducked my head.
Daphne laughed again and put her arm around my shoulders, guiding me toward the alpha table. “Its nothing to be ashamed of, my dear. We are animals, after all, a strong libido is a sign of good health.” Seeing the brothers already seated at the table and watching me with unbridled lust in their eyes only made me blush harder. Especially when I remembered what they had done to me in the shower.
“Ah, Daphne, you are home!” Byron stood and pulled out a chair for his baby sister, giving her a smacking kiss on the cheek.
“Ha, I’m surprised you even noticed me,” she chided him good-naturedly.
“Well of course we noticed you,” Wyatt teased back, “We need your help.”
“Oh good lord,” Daphne rolled her eyes, “Now what?”
Byron pulled me into his lap and hugged me back against his chest. “It's time,” he said, nuzzling my neck.
“Time for what?” She asked absently, distracted by Hailey, who had carried in a tray of buttery hot croissants, fried eggs, bacon, sausages, slices of cheese, bowls of sliced fruit, and steaming mugs of hot cocoa. “Hot chocolate, oh bless you, Hailey.”
Hailey beamed happily, “I know it's your favorite, sweety.”
“Mmmm,” she took a sip and then brought her attention back to her brothers. “So, what is it? It's time for what?”
“A Luna ceremony.”
Daphne squealed and jumped from the table in her excitement, nearly knocking over her mug of hot chocolate in the process. “Really? Really, really? That is fabulous! I’m so excited! Oh my god, we need to plan everything! This will be the biggest party we’ve had since your Alpha ceremony.”
“See?” Wyatt sat back, looking smug. “I told you we didn’t need to hire an event planner.”
“Event planner!” Daphne was outraged. “How dare you even think of it. I’ve been waiting my whole life for this opportunity.” She sat back down and dug into the food. “Bella we need flowers, and gowns, and tuxes for the boys, and food, and music--”
I blinked and sat back. “It sounds like you are planning a wedding.”
“Oh my dear... well I guess you’ve never attended a Luna ceremony, have you? It is like a wedding, only better! Because you aren’t only pledging yourself to Wyatt and Byron, but to the whole pack. God, I’m getting teary-eyed just thinking about it.” She wiped at her eyes dramatically. “What’s wrong, Bella? You look so pale.”
I looked at the brothers, feeling panicked. “You didn’t tell me it would be so... much.”
Wyatt reached for my hand. “It doesn’t have to be that much.” He shot his sister a look, “Daphne can tone it down. Tone it way down. Right, Daffy?”
“Don’t worry about a thing, Bella. I got this.” Daphne winked at me and crammed a loaded croissant in her mouth.
Unknown
Avery drove twenty miles from the pack house and bought a pre-paid throw-away phone to make the call. His palms were sweating as he waited for someone to pick up the line.
“King’s this is Mary, how may I direct your call?” He wasn’t expecting a prim and proper-sounding secretary to answer his call.
“Uh... can I speak with someone... about uh, taking out a contract.”
“Can I have your name, Sir?”
“My name? Of course, you can’t have my name!”
“Okay, Mr. Smith. Please hold on the line.” she said without skipping a beat.
“Mr. Smith,” Avery grumbled, “right.” Boring elevator music played over the line while he waited on hold. Seriously? He thought, What kind of bad-ass assassin organization plays elevator music while you wait?
“Hello Mr. Smith,” a smooth male voice picked up the line. “I hear you would like to discuss a contract. Are you in a private location for this conversation?” Avery looked around him. There was nothing but trees and woods as far as he could see.
“Yes.”
“Good. Let's collect some initial details. Who is the target?”
“Uh, a girl. Well, a young woman.”
“You are going to have to provide us with a name, Mr. Smith.”
“Isabella. Isabella Levesque.”
There was a long, pregnant pause on the other end of the line. “You are joking, right?”
“Not joking.” Avery growled.
“So the Canuck princess is alive?”
“Unfortunately.”
“Hmmm. Location?”
“She is living in the Valiant Mountain pack.”
“Oh. Well, that complicates things, doesn’t it?”
“What do you mean?”
“Valiant Mountain has excellent security, Mr. Smith.”
“Is that a problem? I was told that Kings was the best. In fact, I was told that I should ask for a Jericho Carrole by name.”
“Well Jericho Carrole was the best,” the smooth-talking man said with a chuckle. “Unfortunately for you, he retired well over a year ago.”
“Well, get him out of retirement. I can pay.”
“Trust me, Mr. Smith, you can’t. Nobody can. Carrole is out of the business. But not to worry, we’ll assign a very special and competent agent to your contract. But you are asking for us to assassinate a princess... who is living in the Fort Knox of wolf packs. This isn’t going to be a cheap job.”
“I don’t care. As long as it's done quickly, and quietly, and no one ever finds out her true identity.”
“We always operate with the utmost discretion, Mr. Smith. Now, you will give me a few minutes to draw up your contract and contact one of my agents. I will text you back this number with the account information. The full amount must be transferred into the account before the contract will be executed.”
“The full amount? But how do I know you’ll finish the job?”
“Don’t insult me, Mr. Smith.” There was a beep, and the call was cut. Avery stared at the phone in his hand. Was it really that easy to have someone killed? He laughed nervously and went back to the car, and leaned casually against the hood. Perhaps he should make use of the King’s men more often. Imagine, a single, anonymous phone call, and you could wipe anyone off the planet. He could think of a few more people in the court that needed to go. He was assembling a list in his head when the phone vibrated with an incoming message.
Avery opened the text eagerly and then swore. He gripped the phone tightly and made as if he would throw it into the trees. But at the last moment, he tightened his grip and aborted the throw. “Fuck,” he growled in frustration. “Where am I going to come up with 7.6 million dollars?”