Chapter 213

Darian strides down the hallways, making for the Head Beta's office, sure, he doesn't have to be there but one of the perks of rising so fast through the ranks of Warrior Werewolves meant that he could do whatever the fuck he wanted until Leon called and he chooses to spend that time helping Jaxon organize his files.

Because he's a nice person and Jaxon is his friend, yes, that's all it is. Nothing more than that, finding his hands in Jaxon's wild hair is just a work hazard, and getting lost staring at his gold-green eyes can't be helped.

Absently, he takes the next turn and bumps into the last person he wants to see. 

"D, just the person I was looking for." Leon grins without humor, placing a hand on his upper hand to stop him from continuing his journey.

Darian just barely stops himself from rolling his eyes, the dickhead was his superior and could still beat his ass to the ground two out of three times so that isn't a particularly smart thing to do.

"What's up?" He asks laconically, very uninterested.

"Cherry said I should go check out the west border of the woods, there have been sightings of wild coyotes." Leon says casually, leaning against the wall.

A vein ticks on Darian's forehead at this irritating nickname for Jaxon but he just casually stares down at the tatted Werewolf. "And this concerns me how?" 

Leon pushes himself off from the wall, lethal I've blue eyes glittering as he throws a cordial arm around the dark-haired. "You're coming along, we're just scouting so we don't need a lot of people, I linked with Luke, he'll meet us up in the parking lot." Leon ends with a pat on his back. "Come along."

Darian just crosses his huge arms and glares down at the annoying Head Warrior, wondering if anyone would notice if he offed him and hid his body in the woods.

He was easily the second in command, one of the few people able to last in a spar with Leon, he had lost, eventually but it was a close win.

So even though it burns under his skin he follows after Leon's striding gait, if it was something as unimportant as a scout, Leon had no reason to drag him along except for the reason that he didn't want him alone with Jaxon.

So it's with dead eyes that he sends a quick text to Dream, this wouldn't take long - he eyes up the back of Leon's head - so would a murder.

•~•

"You weren't even here yet?" Virgil says darkly when Dale slides into his office, a bunch of files in his arms. "And you kept blowing off my fucking phone."

"No, no, I was, I just… is that... I'm sorry, are those teeth marks on your cheek?" Dale cuts himself off, leaning over the desk to get a better look.

Virgil stares back at him with an icy expressionless look. "Sit your ass down."

Dale raises both hands in a gesture of surrender, dropping the files in his hand on Virgil's properly arranged desk, settling down on a chair opposite the authoritarian table. "I've got info on the company." He starts to say.

"Good, let me ring up Jax." Virgil interrupts, reaching for his desk phone.

Dale gives him a weird look. "You could just use the mind link." He points out.

"Jax is usually occupied, the last time I did that without warning he nearly gave himself a concussion when he got startled so I'll ring him up, thank you very much."

"Suit yourself." Dale mutters under his breath, shrugging, looking everywhere in the bright office except at the dark pink hickies littered on his friend's neck.

He had gotten the text yesterday but unfortunately couldn't make it to the little surprised party that had been planned, Selah held on like a koala for all her skittishness and he couldn't politely break away from the date till it was dark.

"Congratulations on your engagement." He says when Virgil put the phone down again.

Virgil just gives him a weird look. "You helped me pick out the rings."

"Because you're an idiot and that doesn't mean I can't congratulate you."

Virgil shrugs, picking up the files again and going through them. "New World Realtors…" He reads out in a tone of disgust. "What kind of shitty name is that?"

"Shitty name aside, they're powerful and they work with some pretty big construction companies…"

"Which wouldn't hold salt with the ace we have up our sleeve." Virgil pushes a hand through his light hair.

"Talking about aces, I've got information in the old geezer." Jaxon walks in, in sweatpants and some polka-dotted shirt, files in his arms.

The two Alphas turn to look at the Head Beta as he settles cross-legged on the chair beside Dale.

"Let's hear it."

"Some, Mr. Mason, he's an elite, a rich man who bought the woods while he was still really young for no reason other than that he could." Jaxon says. "Ironically, he stays in Reef City, has no heirs and lives with an army of dogs in his seaside mansion."

"Sounds like a nightmare come to life." Dale groans.

"We can afford to buy it back, both Pack Houses have a lot of stock in a lot of businesses and homes in Pine Creek, at this point we own most of the town but convincing Mr. Mason to agree to sell would be the major issue."

"Have you tried emailing him?" Virgil asks, tapping something onto his laptop for future purposes.

"It'll most likely get accumulated into his spam, someone as important as him would receive emails like that daily." Jaxon explains tugging on his hair. "We have to try some other way."

"We might have to pay him a visit." Virgil muses.

"That might help and also give us clear answers, I'll get Erin to do that." Dale says, already getting up.

"Ian should tag along as well." Virgil murmurs, hands flying over his keyboard. "I have to figure out a way to delay the meeting with the Realtors, at least until we have an upper hand."

"Sure." Dale throws over his shoulder, making his way out.

"I'll relay the message to Ian and also try to find out more about the old geezer." The Head Beta says, unfolding himself from the leather seat.

Virgil appraises him, noting that the dark circles under his eyes are less prominent. "Thank, Jax."

Jaxon gives him a weary smile. "It's my job, Alpha, say hi to Hayden for me." He says going out.

Virgil works out the cricks in his shoulders as he settles down to comb through his endless emails.