Page 19 of Heroes & Hitmen (Windy City Wolfpack #1)

Ares

Every time I’m here, I feel like a kid who’s been called into the principal’s office.

Alpha Gage is seated behind his desk, posture stiff and militaristic, salt-and-pepper beard freshly trimmed.

The suit he’s wearing probably cost more than my truck, dark and impeccably tailored to fit his broad frame.

Much like his daughter, the man is always perfectly put together, always carefully composed.

He’s honed his image, his power structure, his control over this city.

I’m the wildcard he never saw coming.

His gunmetal gaze is sharp and assessing, fixed squarely on me as I take a seat across from him.

“Appreciate your punctuality,” he says flatly, skipping right past greetings and pleasantries.

I lean back with an easy grin, kicking up an ankle to rest on my opposite knee. “Happy to oblige.”

His glare intensifies, the muscle in his jaw flexing with irritation. I’m obviously not winning any points with him right now, but if I came in here all polite and pandering, he’d for sure know something’s up. I don’t need him to like me, I just need him to believe the ruse.

“I’ll get straight to it,” he murmurs, setting his tablet aside and steepling his fingers.

“The press release about your fated bond went out to the pack this morning, and reception has been overwhelmingly positive. We typically hold mating ceremonies on a quarterly basis, but given the circumstances, this situation calls for an exception.”

Right. The circumstances being that once a fated bond snaps in, it must be sealed by the next full moon to stick. If the next full moon comes and goes without the bond being sealed, fate will rip it away.

“We’ll be hosting a special ceremony so the pack can witness the sealing of your fated bond,” he continues.

“Obviously, not everyone will be able to attend the actual ceremony given the size of our pack, so we’ll also be hosting a gala the evening before for everyone to celebrate.

Planning is already underway, so there’s just the matter of scheduling your extraction procedure… ”

I tilt my head like I misheard. “Extraction?”

Gage sits back in his chair, folding his arms. “Our scientists have developed a technique to extract the mating serum so bonds can be sealed with a simple injection. It’s far cleaner and more efficient than the traditional bite. Also eliminates the unpredictability of animal instincts.”

Unpredictability . That’s a creative way to dance around the concept of consent.

“I’m gonna stop you right there,” I say, lowering my foot to the floor and sitting up a little straighter. “With all due respect, that may be how you do things here, but where I come from, mate bonds are sacred. They’re sealed with a bite, not a syringe.”

His nostrils flare. “Excuse me?”

I hold his gaze unflinchingly, just like the first time I met him in this office. He didn’t intimidate me then, and he doesn’t now. “Back home, a mate bond isn’t something you synthesize in a lab,” I say, upper lip curling in disgust. “It’s earned. Felt. Fought for.”

His jaw tightens; another crack in his polished facade. “This isn’t up for debate,” he replies. He doesn’t raise his voice, but I swear the temperature in the room drops five degrees.

Still, I hold my ground. “Didn’t say it was. I’m just letting you know how I do things.”

A long beat of silence stretches between us, taut as a wire. A line drawn.

“Give it some thought,” he finally mutters, huffing out an annoyed breath. “Not everything has to be decided today, we’ve still got several weeks until the ceremony.”

“Yeah, about that,” I sigh, leaning forward to rest my elbows on my knees.

“As you know, the female traditionally joins the male’s pack once they’re bonded as mates, so having a ceremony here wouldn’t really make sense.

I’d like to take Miley home to Colorado immediately, initiate her into my pack and seal the bond on our territory. ”

There’s an eerie calm in the way Gage stares back at me, his lips curving into the kind of slick smile that tells me I’ve already lost. “I’m afraid that won’t be possible,” he murmurs. “You’re under contract here for the next year. After that, we can revisit your request.”

I frown. “But our bond–”

“Doesn’t negate the terms of your contract,” he finishes for me, deadpan. “Unless you’ve got a replacement in mind to fulfill the remainder of your term. From what I hear, your siblings have the skills required for the position.”

My jaw flexes as I give a tight shake of my head, immediately shutting down that suggestion.

The last thing I’d do is bring my brother or sister into this mess– and from the smug look on Alpha Gage’s face, he knows it.

That’s why he brought it up; the asshole wants me to know that he’s got me over a barrel.

Fuck .

My whole plan– fake the bond, snag the Alpha’s daughter, and haul ass back to Colorado– has just been shot to hell. There’s no escape clause. No lifeline. Just me, tethered to this city for the next year, with Miley now caught in the crosshairs.

I need to talk to her, figure out another way for this to work. We need to come up with a new plan, fast, or we’re both fucked.

Thankfully, a knock at the door interrupts our staring contest, both of us glancing that way as it swings open and one of Gage’s men pokes his head in.

“Burke is here, Alpha.”

Gage nods. “Send him in.”

The door opens wider, and the man who steps through makes my hackles rise instantly.

It’s not his size–I’m bigger– or the way he’s dressed like a wannabe gangster in an ill-fitting dark suit.

It’s the feral energy radiating off him as he enters the room, dark eyes snapping around like he’s looking for a fight.

“Burke, meet Ares Raines of the six-pack,” Gage says, gesturing lazily toward me. “Raines, this is Elias Burke. Alpha of the shifter pack in Detroit. ”

So this is the guy– the one they tried to force on Miley.

Elias gives me a once-over, his upper lip curling back from his teeth in a snarl. “So, you’re the one that stole my mate.”

“Is it really theft when she was never yours?” I reply calmly, arching a brow.

His eyes ignite with liquid gold as he takes a menacing step in my direction. “The deal was done.”

“And then fate made a new one.” I grin, all teeth and zero warmth.

Elias’ jaw clenches, hands curling into fists at his sides. “Fate,” he spits.

“Yeah,” I say, grinning wider. “Hard to argue with that.”

He narrows his eyes on me suspiciously. “How convenient. And interesting that after your bond supposedly snapped in, you fled rather than joining the pack on their run.”

“My mate was a little overwhelmed,” I reply coolly. “My priority was tending to her needs, not making a spectacle of our fated bond.”

He turns to Gage, gesturing wildly in my direction. “Are you really buying this shit?”

“I’m right here,” I scoff, leaning back in my chair. “If you’re looking to throw hands, just say the word.”

“Enough,” Gage barks, rapping his knuckles against the desk. “We’re not here to posture.”

Elias snaps his mouth closed, but the tension in the room doesn’t dissipate. If anything, it spikes higher when he cuts me another glare and I return it with a smug grin.

“I used to do business with Elias’ father,” Gage provides, nodding toward him as his eyes lock with mine. “He recently retired, and Elias assumed the Alpha rank. The pairing with Miles was meant to solidify business interests, but obviously, your bond changes things. Possibly for the better.”

“How so?” I ask, a sick feeling of foreboding curling in my gut.

“I control the distribution of certain… products throughout the Midwest,” he states matter-of-factly.

“The Detroit pack handles some of the imports with their access to the border crossing, and we’ve had an influx lately, more supply than demand.

Which warrants an expansion of our operation.

With the tourism in your home pack’s area and the high-end ski resort your alliance owns, this bond could open doors for all of us. ”

I know exactly what he means by products . Alpha Gage’s reputation precedes him– he deals in guns, drugs, the kind of shit that destroys lives.

“Absolutely not,” I snap, shaking my head.

Gage folds his hands calmly. “This is a mutually beneficial opportunity, Raines. Easy money for all parties involved.”

“Let me make something clear,” I growl, sitting up straighter. “The six-pack doesn’t run drugs, or guns, or anything else that can’t pass a background check. We keep things clean. “

Elias snorts a laugh. “Boy scout.”

I ignore his jab, eyes locked on Gage. “We’re not interested.”

He stares back at me, his face an unreadable mask. “That’s unfortunate.”

A dense silence hangs in the air, wrought with unspoken threats and thickening tension. Elias is the one to break it, straightening the lapels of his ill-fitted suit jacket as he turns to Gage.

“Well, what about our arrangement?” he huffs, inclining his chin. “If the original deal’s off the table…”

“We’ll discuss privately,” Gage murmurs, turning back to me with a nod of dismissal. “Raines, I’m putting you on a protection detail today. Report to Kane immediately for your briefing, he’s expecting you.”

“Sounds like a blast,” I say, carding a hand through my hair as I slowly rise to my feet and turn to exit the office.

Elias flashes me a parting smirk as I move past him– the kind that says watch your back . And because I’m an asshole, I smirk right back, fanning the flames of his disdain.

My heart pounds as I step into the hallway, but not from fear. It’s adrenaline, fury, and frustration humming through me as I make my way to the elevator, mind racing, my inner beast close to the surface.

Elias Burke is going to be a problem. So is Gage Morgan.

This whole lie just got a hell of a lot more complicated.