Chapter 23

They had a slow day. Actually, it had been a slow couple of days. Days like that were popular at the diner, they were in a shitty neighborhood, with about seventy percent old people and a retirement home nearby, it was a wonder they got any customers at all.

Finding help had also been very hard, the teenagers didn't like to stay too long, they found the job boring, plus the pay wasn't even that good. Ever since Lori left Birdie was having a hard time dealing with the new hire Yvette. The girl was nineteen and she had a really loud mouth. She questioned everything Birdie, or asked her to do. And she always came to work late.

Birdie was sick of her.

She honestly missed Lori, and even felt bad for the way she had treated her. Maybe if she had treated her better she wouldn't have left work.

Well, who was she kidding? Lori wasn't really going to work at the diner for years like her, she didn't look like she was that kind of person. But the way she had left truly baffled her sometimes. She left a day after that strange tall and handsome stranger had come to see her in a fancy car. She wondered if the man asked Lori to be his escort or something. Because she couldn't imagine what such a rich and powerful man would be doing with Lori.

Someone stepped into the diner, their fifth customer for that day and probably the last one they would have before sunset.

The man looked vaguely familiar. He was short, spiky dyed blond hair with black roots, he was dressed casual enough, but something about him looked sinister and creepy. Birdie had a weird feeling that she had seen him before. He walked up to the counter with a frown on his face, he had dark broody eyes, the kind that looked unsettling, a sharp jaw and thin busted lips.

He looked like he had just gotten out a fight, Birdie noted with the purple bruise forming alongside his temple.

"Welcome to Jay's. What can I get you?"

She said as she fished out her notepad from her breast pocket and the man shook his head.

"Nothing. I'm looking for someone who works here. Loretta Wyatt."

He answered and Birdie's ears perked up. Of course, that's why he was familiar, she had seen him with Lori before.

"She doesn't work here anymore."

She answered and the man’s frown deepened.

"Since when?!"

Birdie shrugged.

"A few weeks ago."

"Know why she left?!"

He asked and Birdie shrugged.

"I don't know."

The man sighed. He muttered some curse words and paused for a while before turning to Birdie again.

Then he dipped his hand in his pocket and brought out a hundred dollar bill.

"I'll add a hundred more if you can tell me anything you know about her."

Birdie raised her eyebrows. Okay, now she was interested. What could he possibly want from Lori.

She glanced around the diner, but no one else was with them except for Mr Foe who was already dozing off in his seat.

"Make it three hundred and I'll even give you her address."

The man didn't look impressed, but he smiled slyly.

"Three hundred and you give me her contact, any information you have on her and who you think she might be hanging out around with."

"I don't need her address."

He added and Birdie shrugged.

"Deal."

"Money first."

She quickly added and the man scoffed as he dropped the money on the table.

Three hundred dollars just to find out about Lori, whew! She would sing like a canary!

She thought as she shook her head slightly.

"Lori was pregnant yea? What happened to the baby?"

"The baby died. Premature labor or something."

Birdie said as she shrugged. She never really cared about that anyways, Lori was stupid enough to get pregnant and besides she was planning to give the baby away anyway so she must be ecstatic that the baby died.

The man seemed quiet for a while and Birdie’s eyes widened.

"Wait. Are you the father?!"

"No! Are you fucking crazy?! I'm her brother."

The man answered defensively.

"Oh!!”

"Lori never mentioned family."

The man shrugged.

"Yea she's weird like that. My name's Jared Wyatt."

Birdie nodded. He could be lying for all she knew, but she didn't really care.

"Did you notice anything unusual before she left work?"

"Anyone come to see her or something?!"

He asked nervously and Birdie nodded.

"Yes. There was this man. He came to see her before the end of her shift."

"Really?! Describe him, how did he look like?!"

He persisted.

"He was tall, very handsome to be quite honest, he was wearing a suit and he had a really nice ride."

Jared's face morphed into confusion.

"A suit? Are you completely sure?"

"I am. He looked sophisticated and very rich. You don't forget that kind of person."

Jared was now very confused. He thought it was Asher, he thought Asher was the one who had come to see her, because that seemed to be the only logical explanation.

Even though he and Asher had fallen out, he still talked with Asher's men and they had told him Asher was trying to reach out to Lori since she was pregnant.

When he had visited Lori's apartment and heard from her neighbor that she had not been home in weeks, he thought it was because of Asher. He thought Asher had taken her back with him, but now, he didn't even know what to think, because he was more confused than he had ever been.

Did Lori have another man in her life?!

And who was he?

"Give me her number."

He said and Birdie nodded.

"Give me a second."

She said as she walked into the inner room.

She came back out a few minutes later with a piece of paper with a number written on it.

"That's the contact number she put down in her application."

Jared nodded.

He left the diner.




"It's funny you picked this place for our meeting."

It was a sushi restaurant. It was light and airy, with soft leather couches and plush cushions. He had been there once.

Sabine said as she laughed.

Draco had managed to close down the entire restaurant for them. They had met on neutral ground, far away from their territories.

To be honest, Gabriel was surprised by how fast she had responded to his message. It was almost as if she had been eager to meet him and help.

It was also very suspicious, given how angry she had been by the Council’s decision after they found her guilty of misconduct.

Gabriel looked around. Of course he remembered the restaurant. They once had a date in it, their first date.

He cringed inwardly as he remembered that he had once gone out with Sabine.

Gabriel shrugged.

“Mere coincidence.”

It was not. He had picked it exactly for the sentimental value that Sabine might attach to it. It was merely a ploy to tug at her heart strings. Nothing more.

“I assume this is about Suzie?”

She asked and Gabriel nodded.

Vara stood at the opposite end of the room, sharpening her claws with a knife. He found it distasteful that she would leave them out like that, but for some reason she seemed to think they looked intimidating, as if the scar on her face wasn’t intimidating enough.

“You guessed right.”

“You mentioned you knew about her family. Well, I’d like to know what you know. Suzie never shared anything about her family with me.”

Sabine nodded, a smile playing on her red lips.

“And why the sudden interest? You certainly didn’t care to find out about them when she died.”

Ouch.
That was true, he previously didn’t care.

In fact, he had done very little to find out her family, he just assumed they didn’t exist.

“It’s very important I do. I want my daughter to be close to them.”

Sabine scoffed.

“They’re not the kind of crowd to get close to.”

“Why?”

He asked and she shrugged as she settled back in her seat, adjusting the front of her blouse in a way that allowed more of her cleavage to show.

Gabriel resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

“What’s in it for me?”

“I mean, up until a few days ago you wanted to throttle me.”

She added and he ignored her question.

“What do you want in return? Money? Land?”

He asked and she glanced at Vara who was smirking at him.

“You’re really that desperate?”

She asked and Gabriel sighed.

“Will you help me or not?”

“Fine. I’ll help. I only ask for one thing in return.”

“What is it?”

Sabine leaned towards him, her hands on the table in between them, her eyes staring at him slyly.

“Give me your word.”

“My word?!”

Gabriel asked as he turned to Draco who quickly shook his head.

“My word that what?”

He asked and she shrugged.

“Just give me your word. A time will come when I ask a favor from you, I need to be sure that you’ll do it, no matter what it is.”

“Stop playing games Sabine.”

He warned and Sabine shrugged.

“I’m not. But that’s all I want in return and if you cannot give me your word, then I have nothing else to do here...”

She said as she stood up, picking her purse from the table and she started walking away, her steps slow, calculated.

Gabriel groaned as he massaged his temple, examining his choices. Making a deal with Sabine was stupid, very stupid, especially since she could demand for anything in return.

But his daughter needed the help and there was no other way, at least no other way that he could see.

If he refused her offer and Emilia fell sick again he wouldn’t be able to forgive himself.

“Wait.”

He called out and he could hear Draco hesitating behind him.

“Alphas…”

Gabriel silenced him with a look.

Sabine stopped, then slowly turned and walked back to her seat.

“Deal?”

She asked and he nodded.

“Deal.”

She practically beamed, excitment showing in her features.

“Now say it. Give me your word.”

Words were bonds. A spoken agreement in their culture was as strong as a written one or a legal one, it held weight. Whatever Sabine’s favor was, he would have no choice but oblige to give into her wishes or go to war with her pack.

“I give you my word.”