"Kid, I'd take you to my parents in a heartbeat if I had my way," Trace said softly and walked out of Ashe's bedroom.
"Yeah." Ashe wiped away a bit of wetness from his cheeks.
* * *
"We will wait until after the full moon and demand that he be brought to us," Wlodek informed Aedan Evans, who sat before his desk, next to Anthony Hancock. Gavin Montegue, Anthony's surrogate sire and also an Assassin for the Council, stood nearby, examining a few titles written in Latin on Wlodek's bookshelves.
"These rogues are multiplying, and we must deal with them swiftly before they recruit others to their cause. It cannot be helped that they lost most of their holdings in this financial crisis. Instead of working to regain their wealth, they are looking to take it, instead." Wlodek sighed at the financial state of affairs across the globe. He and many others had sunk a large portion of their holdings into gold bullion and had not suffered. Others had chosen to invest their wealth in other things. Fortunes had been lost—Wlodek knew this. Old vampires, being proud, would not ask for assistance. Instead, a few had decided to go rogue and take what they could from humans.
"And what do you believe Ashe might be able to do for you?" Aedan asked coldly. His face betrayed no emotion, but inside he was terrified. Terrified that Wlodek would take his child and break the rules, making him a vampire at age sixteen. That age was much too early, and Aedan had no desire for his child to be turned without his fully informed consent. Charles, Wlodek's assistant, sat quietly in a corner, typing the details of the meeting into his laptop.
"Perhaps you have not been privy to recent events," Wlodek said, just as coldly. "You have separated yourself from your family. While I fail to understand your motives, I have my contacts inside the community now and have heard much. Perhaps it is time for you to renew your acquaintance with your child. In fact, I instruct you to contact him. Tell him that the Council's jet will be in Corpus Christi in four night's time to bring him to London. He will help us capture these elusive rogues."
"It will be as you say, Honored One."
"Of course it will. Go now. Contact him at your earliest convenience. Anthony, Gavin, stay. I wish to speak with both of you."
Aedan walked out of Wlodek's office. Wlodek waited patiently until Aedan was out of hearing before informing Tony Hancock and Gavin Montegue that they would be working soon with Ashe Evans.
Chapter 3
"Hey, Wayne. Wynter," Ashe nodded when Winkler's twins walked into the media room. The largest flat-screen money could buy hung on a wall, with theater seating in front of it. A bar and barstools were off to the side, with another wall built with floor-to-ceiling plate glass to view the gulf. Heavy curtains could be pulled if necessary to block the light. Ashe was sipping a soda and watching a baseball game with Trajan and Trace when Winkler arrived from the airport with his children and Ace, who'd gone along as bodyguard.
"Heard you were a member of the family," Wayne slapped Ashe on the back when he stood.
"Just a step-member," Ashe replied. "Inadvertently, since I'm an orphan and all." Being snubbed by his mother earlier still stung. Surely there was something left of him in her memory. Surely. Ashe was angry with his father as well—how could Aedan do that? It wasn't that long ago he'd said that Ashe was his boy and to never forget that. Aedan and his mother had done the forgetting.
"Kid, don't dwell on that," Trajan said softly.
"Well, sometimes it's unavoidable. I'm going to bed, Mr. Winkler. Nice to see you again, Wayne. Wynter." Ashe didn't bother walking out of the room—he relocated.
"That's just unsettling," Ace grumbled at Ashe's sudden disappearance.
* * *
"I've heard a few interesting things about you." Thomas Williams, Jr. was introduced to Ashe over lunch the following day. Weldon Harper, the Grand Master, had flown into Corpus Christi with Thomas, and Winkler had gathered everyone at his favorite sushi restaurant afterward.
"All exaggerated," Ashe smiled and shook hands with the Sacramento Packmaster. Ashe liked Thomas Williams immediately.
"Doubt it," the Grand Master broke his chopsticks apart and set about eating his appetizer. "Kid, we're among friends, here. You say we'll catch one of Zeke Tanner's tomorrow night?"
"I hope so. But things are wavering a little," Ashe breathed a sigh and stared at his empty plate. Just the thought of what might go wrong had his stomach tied in knots.
"Ashe, I'm not sure I want to hear about things wavering," Winkler was already dipping into tempura shrimp.
"No, that's not really it, Mr. Winkler. I mean, there's still somebody out there who's feeding him information, and now we might not get them, too." Winkler was worried, he knew. Ashe had informed the Dallas Packmaster that Tanner was targeting him, through a third party. Tanner wanted Winkler dead and Ashe knew that. Winkler didn't even question—he'd had rumblings to that effect himself, being in the security business. The Grand Master didn't doubt it, either. Winkler had been instrumental in the capturing and killing of Zeke's brother, Obediah. It was logical that Zeke would come after Winkler in some way.
"The good news is that the Assassin doesn't know the Grand Master and I are here," Thomas used a fork to spear shrimp. "We can help. All we need is to coordinate with the shapeshifter. I hope we can come from behind and downwind, so he won't know until we're on him."
"He won't know; I'll have you shielded," Ashe grumbled.
"Kid, eat," Trajan jerked his head toward one of the heaping plates of appetizers. Sighing softly, Ashe picked up his chopsticks.
* * *
Ashe couldn't help but slyly watch as Thomas and Wynter were talking out on Winkler's huge deck later. Dressed in shorts and a halter-top, Wynter was sitting in the sun, a pair of designer shades hiding her eyes as she talked and laughed with the Sacramento Packmaster. She had no suspicions—she believed Thomas had come to help her father and the Grand Master take down a rogue werewolf. Thomas was smiling and laughing with Winkler's daughter. Wayne, too, was sitting nearby and talking easily with the newcomer. Ashe lifted himself off the deck chair he'd occupied and walked into the beach house.
More spacious and secure than the last one, Winkler had hired more help to keep this beach house up and running. Ashe knew they were werewolves, from the Dallas Pack. One of the two doubled as Andy's assistant. Loren Bennett was short for a werewolf—only slightly taller than Jimmy, Winkler's former cook who'd died earlier in the summer. Loren was an omega wolf. Ashe liked him. Loren offered Ashe another soda as he closed the French doors leading into the house.