Chapter 18

Grace

His words hit me like a blow, and I felt anger and betrayal surge within me. How could Devin have sunk so low, profiting off the company's resources while leaving it to suffer? Leaving his children to suffer. It was a vile betrayal, not only to me but to the entire pack and all the employees who had put their trust in him—in all the trust I had put in him.

I still remember the day I turned everything over and how he promised to work hard to maintain the pack and the company the way my father had.

Lies. Everything had all been lies.

How much more would I discover? I couldn’t help but wonder if Devin’s betrayal ever ended.

"This is despicable," I said, my voice filled with anger and disgust. "He has no regard for anyone but himself."

“I am terribly sorry, Grace. I can’t make it untrue, but I can help you to make it as right as it can be.”

The anger burned within me, but I knew I had to focus on gathering evidence to expose his embezzlement. I took a deep breath, trying to calm the storm of emotions inside me.

“How do I prove it was him?”

“You would report it to the Inter-Pack Police. They’d carry it up to the federal level and open an investigation. It may take a while, but they have the best chance to figure out who all might be involved and how far this has gotten. I’ll tell you how, but know that taking such action might freeze any accounts of mine that Devin had control over.”

A bitter laugh escaped me as I replied, "They're all empty anyway. He's already taken everything."

My home, my sanity—hell, I was lucky that I still had running water and lights—

I hissed as I remembered. I didn’t have lights, and I might not have water either or gas. I bit my lip, trying to think of a way to break this to Charles. My heart sank. Was Kelly back with the kids yet? Had she called Eason instead of me?

“What’s wrong?”

I hesitated at first, not wanting to burden him with my personal problems when we had so much on our plate already.

He narrowed his eyes and leaned forward. “You have my support, Grace. Just tell me. I want to help.”

I bit my lip, eyeing him. My pride burned, but there was no real way around it.

Finally, I finally caved.

"The electricity in my house got turned off," I confessed, feeling a mix of frustration and embarrassment. My face was on fire. "It was one of the bills that Devin conveniently forgot to pay, and… they turned it off earlier.”

He nodded. “Does Mooncrest have same-day service?”

I nodded. “But it’s… expensive.”

I winced. “I shouldn’t have told you to cancel—“

“Call the electric company.”

“What?”

“Call the company so it can be turned back on.”

“Oh, but—“

“Grace,” he said gently. “You have two young children. What are you going to do without power? While I would gladly put you up in a hotel, don’t you think you and the kids would be more comfortable at home?”

I bit my lip and nodded. Even if it made me uncomfortable, I could let my children be cold and hungry for the night. As I dialed the number for the utility company, my mind was still preoccupied with the whirlwind of events that had unfolded throughout the day. The phone rang several times before a clerk answered, sounding bored and tired.

"Thank you for calling Mooncrest Utilities. My name is Lisa. How can I assist you today?"

"Hi, Lisa. This is Grace Wolfe. I believe my electricity got turned off earlier, and I'm calling to resolve the issue and get it turned back on as soon as possible," I explained, trying to maintain a composed demeanor despite my exhaustion.

"I'm sorry to hear that, Ms. Wolfe. Let me check the status of your account," Lisa replied, her tone becoming more professional. “Could I have your account number or address?”

I rattled off my address since I didn’t know my account number.

While I waited on hold, Charles remained silent on the other side of the desk. His presence was oddly comforting, and it helped steady my nerves a little.

After what felt like an eternity, Lisa returned to the line. "I've located your account, Ms. Wolfe. It seems that your electricity was indeed disconnected due to missed payments.”

"Thank you, Lisa. I appreciate your help," I said sincerely, feeling a glimmer of hope that the situation could be resolved quickly. “How many missed payments?”

“You’re delinquent by six months.” As she rattled off the incurred fees for my electricity, my blood ran cold.

“Are you planning to pay on all your accounts today?”

“All?” I asked, cringing as I braced myself.

“Your gas and water have also been cut off.”

I let out a shuddering breath, and Charles offered his hand.

“Give it to me.”

I hesitated, but I gave it to him. He leaned back in his chair.

“Yes, I’ll be paying the accounts in full, and I’ll need all the services turned back on within the hour,” he said. “Which would be easier?”

I stared at him, stunned, as he rattled off two sets of numbers. A few minutes later, my phone chimed in his hand.

“And it will be restored within the hour?... Perfect. Yes, we’ll call back if anything is amiss.”

He hung up and handed the phone back to me.

“You should have a receipt in your email.”

I was touched by his kindness and understanding. Despite the chaos we were facing with the company, he took the time to help me more than he had to. I would never tell him this, but I was shocked and a little turned on. It was all the hormones, the stress, and his general presence. The memories of that night we would have spent together, and his genuine care when I pretended to have an emergency flickered through my mind.

I couldn’t imagine a man who would do all this for me would be unfaithful to his mate. Maybe there was something else at work. I bit my lip, but maybe that was just wishful thinking.

I took a deep breath. I was getting drawn in by how dependable he was, how quick to action, and reliable he was, and I couldn’t afford that. I had fallen for Devin for similar reasons. Sure, it wasn’t exactly the same, but I couldn’t turn a blind eye to the fact that Charles had a lot to gain from our arrangement.

He might want me, but that wasn’t all he wanted.

"Thank you," I said, feeling a sense of relief. "You didn't have to do that, but I appreciate it."

Charles gave me a warm smile, his gaze unwavering. "It’s no trouble at all, Grace. We’re in this together, remember?”

He sat closer. “Now, let’s talk about what’s to be done about these clinics, hm?”

I nodded. “Right.”

As we started the process of shutting down the extra clinics and safeguarding the remaining products, I was a little at a loss. I submitted the report to the Werewolf Inter-Pack Police.

“You’ll need to secure the werewolves until you can do a full audit. I can lend a unit of Enforcers.”

My eyes widened. “That’s really not necessary. Mooncrest's Police Force's endowment was one of the most protected assets in the entire pack's city, making it nearly untouchable. It was a safeguard that ensured the police force remained loyal and wouldn't be easily manipulated or coerced. Even if Devin wanted to mess with it, he couldn’t.”

Charles nodded slowly. “Perhaps.”

I stiffened. “You don’t believe me?”

“I believe that you believe it.”

I set my jaw. It was obvious that Charles wasn't entirely convinced.

“Don’t be shy about it. What is it?”

His lips twitched. “Your father was a great man, but even great men, great leaders have limitations. He couldn’t have anticipated an acting alpha like Devin. He was essentially unchecked. It’s how Wolfe Medical got to be in the state that it was. Between the clinics and everything else in the pack finances, it would be prudent not to rely on your previous understanding of the pack and to verify everything you can.”

It stung to hear that as if he was subtly critiquing my leadership and the way things had been handled in the past.

“You can’t build a house on sand,” he said. “You definitely can’t rebuild a house on sand either.”

I sighed. Feeling a mix of defensiveness and frustration, I packed up for the day, knowing that we had a long road ahead of us to rebuild the company's reputation and regain control.

“Let’s worry about that later. I’m beat, and it’ll take some time to find some sheets for you.”

Charles nodded, letting me lead the way.

As we made our way out, I received a notification about the resumption of the power service.