Chapter 60

Sarah POV

I answered the phone. “Hello?”

“Sarah Astor?” asked a somewhat husky voice that could be male or female but I assumed was a werewolf. There was just something imperious in the tone.

“Yes. Who is this?”

“Alpha Zane needs you to join him at the VIP after-party. It’s on the top floor of the club. Any attendant will be able to show you the way.”

“I do not believe Alpha Zane would want me to leave his children,” I said, “or that he would not call himself to ask me. No offense, but I have no idea who you are.”

“The Alpha is currently being pressured by several members of his pack to take a course of action he dislikes. I’m not sure what a human knows about pack challenges, but I fear for his safety.”

“I know enough about pack challenges to know they’re not usually held at the Rotary Club,” I snapped. “I’m becoming more and more convinced this is some sort of prank.”

“I’m going to send you a video,” the voice said next, and a small chime on my phone signaled the digital file’s arrival.

I tapped the icon and was soon watching a poorly shot video of a group of werewolves, mostly males, standing in a sort of circle around Zane, though his face was in shadow. They were all wearing the type of clothing I had seen at the party, though I didn’t recognize any particular gown, and they weren’t wearing their masks.

“This is intolerable,” one of the men was saying, though I couldn’t see which. “Your primary function is to uphold the traditions and the interests of the pack.”

My heart sank. Were they arguing about me? Was my presence in Zane’s household getting him into trouble with the pack?

“It’s a good investment,” another male said, which made me think they weren’t talking about me after all. “You’re a fool not to see that.”

“It’s too good,” Zane said, though it was hard to hear his voice clearly. “That’s the problem with it, and I’m not saying no. I’m saying I want to investigate things further before taking acting.”

I realized the girls had come out of their room, drawn by the sound of the voices. I debated whether to let them watch, but then sat down on the floor so they could see over my shoulder. If this were a pack matter, it concerned them, as young as they were.

“We need leadership that isn’t afraid to take a few risks,” a woman was saying now. “And we’re hardly risking the pack’s ruination if the preliminary report is a little rosy. If you can’t make the hard choices, perhaps it’s not a good idea to continue to recognize you as Alpha.”

“Are you challenging me to a death match, Christine?” Zane asked wryly. “Do you want to change out of your party dress first?”

“This is no time for levity,” the first man said. “If you can’t handle the job, it’s time it went to someone else.”

The video ended, and I put the phone back to my ear.

“Still think this is a prank?”

“I’ll be there in just a few minutes,” I said. The caller hung up.

I stood up, put the phone back in my purse, and looked at the girls. “There’s no need to be worried,” I said.

“Why are they being mean to Daddy?” Grace asked, her eyes filling with tears.

I went to one knee and hugged her. “Your daddy is very tough and very smart. He can handle them.”

“Then why are you leaving?” Chloe demanded.

“Because I want to help him. Now, I need you two to stay in the room with the door locked.” I walked them over to the door and unlocked the deadbolt and relocked it. “See? I want you to lock this part, and then I want you to use this lock here.”

“It’s too high up,” Chloe said, sounding mad.

I got a chair and put it by the door. “Be careful, and be listening for us. Your daddy and I will be back very soon.”

“I don’t want you to go,” Grace whispered.

“Now, if I don’t go and it turns out I could have helped your father, we’ll all be mad at me.”

“I wouldn’t be mad,” Grace said. Chloe nodded.

“OK, not mad, but it’s not nice not to help. I promise, I’ll be back soon with your father, and then we’ll sleep, and in the morning we’ll go home.”

“But—”

“Please, Chloe. Watch after your sister, and don’t let anyone in but me or your father.” I unlocked the deadbolt.

“Remember to lock this behind me,” I said, then opened the door, walked out, and let it close. I waited to hear the thunk of the deadbolt sliding into place, then walked to the elevators.

I looked for an attendant but didn’t find one in the hallway. One was waiting inside the elevator, as though he knew I was coming.

“Top floor,” I instructed.

He smiled somewhat smugly and took a key from his belt that he used on the elevator panel. We rode to the top floor, though I didn’t see any button light up before we stopped. The doors opened to a red-and-gold hallway.

“Have fun,” he said as the doors closed behind me.

I won’t lie. I had no desire to walk down the hallway, but I heard a buzzing like people talking behind the wall and turned left. I had thought the ballroom was something, but this hallway was insanely opulent. Golden chandeliers, plush red carpeting the exact color of the red-gold flocked wallpaper in the shapes of blooming orchids, and security cameras every few feet.

I passed several antique-looking tables holding up golden vases of red roses, and their smell almost made me want to gag, it was so strong and sweet.

In fact, for all that it must have cost a fortune, there was something sickly and cloying about the hallway, as though if I scratched at the gold plating I would find rotten wood underneath.

A set of double doors opened as I approached the end of the hallway, and I walked through to find a spacious room filled with people. But there was no one dancing or eating hors d’oeuvres here.

Instead, about two dozen women and children, all human, were standing there, though I noticed a couple were sitting on the floor, all of them staring at me and looking terrified.

As well they should. Not only were they all half-naked, including two children who looked to be under five years old, but they were also all wearing leather collars and metal handcuffs.

At a noise behind me, I twirled around, but the doors had slammed shut. Whoever these people were, I was trapped with them.