Chapter 23 Temporary

*Athena*

"What do you want, Chase?" My brother has never once knocked on the door to my office. I can always sniff him out though, he always smelled like he was 90 proof. If I had matches, I'd light him up and watch him burn in the flames.

"Baby sister, I see you are you're usual cheery self today." He sits on the sofa of my office, his legs strewn in front of him. His disheveled appearance and untidy clothes meant he was out partying again. Middle aged and still partied like a teenager. In a couple of years, I can start calling him a dirty old man.

"What do you want? Can't you see I'm busy?" I had to manage all the businesses of the family making sure we wouldn't go bankrupt. Lucas used to this when he was Alpha, fortunately for him he had Michael who was really good with numbers. I had my mate who served as my accountant, but things would be different if Luke was here.

"Can't you show some respect to your Alpha?" Chase hiccupped. I put down the papers I was going through and looked at him with utter disgust.

"I would like to remind you, since you always end up so drunk that you suffer selective amnesia, you are ACTING Alpha. Temporary. You aren't MY Alpha. Get that through your numb head."

"Athena, Lucas is dead. If he isn't dead, banished." He gets up and pours himself a glass of scotch from the minibar.

"Without a body, he IS presumed alive and the only person who can banish someone from the pack is the Alpha. You and Father were neither at the time. So please spare me from your delusions. Now, what do you want?" My brother was getting on my nerves again. When I was younger, I didn't have the courage to speak at him this way, but now that I am CEO of Lockwood Enterprises, I make sure he hears a mouthful from me everytime he comes to see me.

"I'm here for my allowance and oh, I need the title of our property in upstate New York." He says before finishing his scotch.

"Does Father know?" I ask him.

"Does Father know what?" Obviously, he was toying with me.

"The property, Chase." I pick up my phone and dial. " Get me my father on the phone, please."

"Woah, woah. You can put down the phone Athena. Just give me my allowance." I look at him, the phone receiver still pressed on my ear. I hear a click and I was transferred to my father.

"Athena, darling, you called. It's nice to hear from you." My father, up to this day, has been trying to make it up to me for Luke. He knows I only call when I need to discuss business.

"Father, Chase is here. I already gave him his allowance last week and here he is again, asking for more. He's also asking for the title of the property in upstate New York. Why? I don't want to ask." We agreed to give Chase a monthly stipend to deal with his gambling, partying, and drinking issues. However, it seems Chase didn't get the memo or his amnesia has kicked in again.

"Tell him to come see me and no, don't give him the title of the property." I hear my father sigh. "We should have lunch together, darling. Why don't you come visit me?"

"I'm swamped with work, Father. I'll just see you at the Christmas Party of the Council." My voice was always cold when I spoke to my father after Lucas left. I have never forgiven him.

"Alright, sweetheart. I'll see you then." I hang up and look at Chase who was busy looking at himself in the mirror.

"When did I become so old?" I heard him say. I rolled my eyes.

"Father says you should go to him for money and no, you aren't getting the title of the property." I tell him. He turned around and looked at me, anger in his eyes.

"As Alpha, I demand you give me my allowance or I'll..."

"Or you'll what Chase? Kill me?" I get up from my chair and walk around from behind my desk towards him. "Go ahead. Kill me. Then you can say goodbye to all this because once I'm dead, Father will sell all of this and keep the money all to himself. You think Father will give you a piece of the pie? After you've squandered so much of it?" I advance towards him and he falls back on the sofa. "You need me, Chase because without me, you have nothing. I suggest you stop drinking and whoring. Then maybe, just maybe, you'll become just a teeny bit like Luke."

"Who would want to be like Lucas? He's in hiding." He scoffs.

"He's in hiding to protect MY niece. The 21st marks her 18th birthday. She is now of age." I walk back to my desk. "You should expect Luke to walk through the doors of the mansion any time soon, Brother." I sit down and start rummaging through the documents on my desk. "Now, if you have nothing else to say to me, please leave. I have work to do."

"You don't think he'll come back, do you?" I hear the fear in his voice. I looked up at him through my glasses and saw a poor old man, not wanting to face his demons.

"He'll be back, Chase. Not to claim Alpha for himself. No. To claim it for his daughter." I saw his face pale at the mention of Luke's daughter. "Why so scared, Brother?" I lean back on my chair and stare at him. "You didn't notice time fly by? You didn't notice the wrinkles on your face, my face, how our father now has silver hair? Luke's daughter will soon be 18 while my children are now all in school." I shake my head at him. "Tsk, tsk, tsk. As for you, dear brother, you have nothing to show. No children, no heir. No one to mourn for you when you die." I shake my head at him in pity.

"Everyone grew up except for you, Chase. Now go. You have wasted much of my time." I felt relieved when he finally left my office. His scent was beginning to suffocate me. He was in dire need of a shower.

Diana will be 18 on the 21st. I should expect Luke to be here on Christmas Eve.

Christmas is definitely the most wonderful time of the year.

_______________________

*Eric Lockwood*

"Father, Father!" Chase comes barging in my office, my secretary behind him.

"Sir, I'm so sorry. I tried to stop him." My secretary tries to explain, panic in her voice for allowing Chase to enter without consulting with me first.

"It's quite alright, Kate. I was expecting him. Just close the door behind you." She nods her head and leaves, closing the door.

"Here's your money." I threw an envelope with cash on my desk in front of him. "Stop bothering Athena. She's doing the work you're suppose to be doing." I warn him.

"I prefer to deal with Athena. She never calls me an idiot." Chase picks up the envelope and opens it to see how much was inside. "Thank you." He places the envelope of money in his coat pocket.

"Not directly, yes, but she insinuates your stupidity all the time. Have you taken a shower yet? You stink." Chase sits down in one of the chairs in front of my desk. He takes of his tie and unbutton his shirt.

"No. I'll be heading home to the mansion after our conversation. Lucas's daughter will be 18 soon, during the Blood Moon. Athena assumes Lucas will come to claim his daughter's birthright," he tells me.

"I doubt it. He has been banished from the pack." I tell Chase.

"Athena insists Lucas is not banished, only in hiding."

"And why has she come to that conclusion?"

"You and I had no authority to banish him. Neither of us were Alpha." My youngest has gone through the bylaws. She knows what she's talking about.

"Only Athena knows this. The rest of the pack, doesn't. We need to kill them both Lucas and his daughter before they show up. What has happened to your search? Any information?" I ask Chase.

"None, Father. After the massacre 18 years ago, my men who followed them out of New Jersey was caught in a blizzard. Since then, they have no idea where they could have gone. None of the packs across the country have ever come across Lucas. He has hidden himself away from wolves and has blended with the humans. We also tracked his credit cards and bank account. He has not made one single purchase using his credit cards nor has he tried to withdraw from his bank account. As for the plates of the car they used to escape, nothing. It just vanished."

"Your brother is very smart. This is why Athena and him are close. Any phone records from Athena ever calling someone regularly outside New York or Jersey?"

"Nothing. Not even mail nor email. I pay her secretary to tell me."

"Athena knows something, but she knows how to hide it. She must have another phone. Have the staff search for it when she is not home."

"I can't, Father. I did that before and she sniffed it out. She threatened to leave the mansion if I ever do it again." Chase is so stupid. They live together and he can't even find information regarding his brother from his sister.

"Then make sure all borders entering our territory are guarded at all times. As for you, go home, take a shower and stay sober. If Lucas does come, you will need a clear mind." Chase nods his head and stands up to leave.

"And Chase, tell the wolves guarding our boundaries, kill anyone who resembles him. Anyone. Including the people who are with him. Just to make sure."

Lucas, you can't hide forever.