Page 20 of Corbin (Wild Wolf Pack from the world of Gallize Shifters #2)

Vlad cut his eyes at the two broad-shouldered Romanians he’d brought in for this hunt.

They stood near him with their backs to the wall in a small Mediterranean restaurant a short distance from Chicago O’Hare International Airport.

He needed more than someone from his country.

He required powerful humans who had dealt with keeping shifters in line.

They carried wicked tools of the trade that some shifters had never encountered.

Corbin should recall how Vlad punished dogs that misbehaved. This time, that wolf shifter would curse the day he had been born.

Once his food arrived, he waited for privacy to insert his earpiece and called Mitch, who answered with an abrupt, “ What? ”

“Vlad here.” He placed his temporary mobile phone on the table and cut into his lamb chops. Not Romanian food, but very tasty.

“ Oh .” The jackal shifter’s dark tone immediately smoothed. “ I have some news to report. I would have called you, but I do not have my hands on the wolf shifter yet .”

Vlad took his time before replying. “I do not pay money for a jackal to do nothing.” He chewed slowly.

“ I’ve been busy. Your money is not wasted .” That came out terse, worried. Mitch calmed his voice and continued, “ I received an unexpected break today, which may end with finding him .”

Sometimes no response was best for motivating an underling to step up his efforts. Though officially employed by the American SCIS organization, this jackal shifter freelanced for black money. Vlad’s favorite kind, but Mitch had an addiction in the form of two dice. He owed bone breakers.

Once the silence had stretched too far, Mitch started talking faster.

“ I will give you what you want. I could not find the wolf shifter until he was caught with that famous female shifter celebrity. The one that sings. The paparazzi photographed the two of them as local police detained your wolf shifter .”

That stilled Vlad’s hand. He carefully placed his fork and knife in their appropriate location on the linen-covered table. Servers moved silently through whispered conversations in the modestly sized restaurant.

After months of hunting, Corbin had made a mistake.

Vlad said, “Tell me all you have discovered.”

Mitch launched into how he’d had inquiries across the Eastern states for a dangerous wolf shifter of Corbin’s description.

“ I have a very select group of investigative snitches who only share information with the person paying them. There had been no traffic cam videos or sightings of a male even close to his description ... until today, when I saw the online photo with my own eyes .”

Mitch sounded excited. Very proud of himself.

Wasting no more time on the call, Vlad gave Mitch an opportunity to receive return business. “I want the wolf shifter found yesterday.”

“ I understand. I’m ready to do whatever you want, even kill that wolf bastard .”

“ No! ” Vlad had lifted his hand to slam down on the table but stopped. He did not want to draw attention to himself. These Americans tended to be ridiculously upset about someone shouting around them.

“ Sir? ” Mitch sounded concerned Vlad might have terminated the call.

Vlad ordered, “You will find him and contact me. I want him alive, or you will not be.”