Page 86 of Crossed Fates

Beta Mavi was providing a report on the Elk Neck Pack count, just as all the others had. “No one is missing,” he concluded. “And we’ve enforced a strict curfew and lockdown.”

“Good,” my father said, his tone conveying full alpha authority. “Unfortunately, Silver Lake wasn’t as fortunate. We’re missing one of our own, Tyler’s former consort—Savannah.”

Consortwas a fancy term for a non-mate lover. Not all that uncommon for an alpha because not all of us found our mates.

A few low murmurs came through the speakers. None of the others had been impacted yet, but Savi’s disappearance suggested they could be at any moment.

“We’ve enacted security protocols,” I began, only to be interrupted by a knock at the office door.

I shared a look with my father, who merely called out, “Come in.”

And in waltzed my boss.

Jude Reyes.

Director of Eliminate Vampiric Influences Everywhere.

“What the hell?” I muttered under my breath.

As usual, he was impeccably dressed in a perfectly fitted suit and Italian loafers. Not a strand of his dark hair was out of place, and his Van Dyke–style beard was close-cropped and tidy. The only things about his appearance that kept him from looking like an airbrushed model on a magazine cover were the wrinkles on his forehead and around his lips from pursing them when he was stressed.

Violet often described him as deceptively debonair. I called him ruthless, but fair… to a degree. He might’ve looked the part of a gentleman, but he had worked his way up the ranks in E.V.I.E., and he was as deadly as the rest of us.

As he approached the desk, he greeted each alpha by name, cluing me in that he knew more about shifter life than he’d let on. Particularly, because most of those alphas were brand new or temporary. Yet he knew every single one of their identities, which implied that he understood the pack hierarchies and who would be next in line to lead.

“Alpha Alaric,” he greeted me last, pulling up a chair to join my father and me at the desk. Then he bowed his head in subtle reverence as though I’d already ascended. Which explained why he hadn’t called me Successor Alaric or Heir Alaric, but Alpha Alaric.

It sounded weird coming from him. However, I didn’t correct him. He was still my boss, right?

He turned to my father, and they shook hands. “It’s been a while since we spoke in person.”

“Twelve years, give or take,” my father responded. “Still playing chess?”

Jude smiled, an expression I’d rarely seen on his face, so it stunned me for a minute. “Frequently, but as for the opponent I suspect you are referring to, we started a new game recently. One of my slayers mated a wolf in his pack.”

My head popped up at that. “What? Who? In a Bitten pack?” I knew just about every slayer who worked for E.V.I.E., and I hadn’t heard a word about another fated mate among our ranks. Although, very few of them knew I was a wolf. So maybe they hadn’t thought to tell me.

“Rowan Sokolov,” my boss replied.

“Violet’s best friend?” I asked, picturing the little pixie slayer with long, silvery lavender hair.

My boss arched a knowing brow. “Yes. She’s mated to one of Nathan’s wolves.”

Nathan?I blinked.

His expression and tone strongly suggested that he meant Makayla’s Alpha Nathan. Which confirmed that Jude was how my father knew about KBO. But, of course, I couldn’t ask for clarification with the horde of other pack alphas and heirs watching. As it was, we’d completely derailed from the topic at hand and had ventured into unrelated territory.

My Nathan?Makayla’s voice piped up, clearly having overheard my thoughts.

I growled in my mind, just barely managing to keep the sound inward.No, notyourNathan, Makayla.

Chill, dude. Or don’t, because it’s kinda hot. But save it for later.

I chuckled, but I was still lost to the revelation Jude had just confirmed with a few choice words.

Twelve years,I marveled. When I first started at E.V.I.E. Because of course my father had had something to do with that.Is there anyone I know who isn’t living a double life?

I prefer to think of it as my best life,a soft voice replied.