Chapter 41

"But why does it have to be now?" Lori asked as she folded Emilia's clothes. God she was so exhausted.

Elliot shrugged.

"Will you go with me or not? You seem pretty hesitant."

Lori sighed. Well she was hesitant! Because he was pressuring her to go out with him while she had mentally checked out for the day.

"I want to! But I'm tired, besides who's going to watch the baby? Gabriel's not home and Grace just left."

She said and Elliot sighed.

"Jenny can watch her. Or Sylvia. Please, just do this for me! Once."

Lori paused as she massaged her temple.

Ugh. He could be so persistent when he wanted to. She was tired and it had been a very long day, especially with Emilia's appointment at the doctor's place. Now Elliot wanted to drag her with him to get a birthday present for this new girl he claimed to be seeing.

"Okay. Okay."

She said as she dropped the yellow onesie with ducks she was holding back into the basket.

Elliot sighed in relief.

"Good. Go get changed, I'll bring the car around."

Lori looked at her leggings and large black T-shirt.

"What's wrong with what I'm wearing?"

She asked and Elliot laughed.

"Everything! You're not going out with me looking like that. Put some nice clothes on."

"Rude." 

Lori murmured as she grabbed the basket and went back upstairs.

Emilia's doctor's appointment had gone very well, but for some reason Dr Calloway seemed to have taken more tests than usual so they spent a while in the hospital. Lori asked her what it was for but the woman ignored her as usual. She didn't even talk to her, she only spoke to Grace.

Lori was starting to think the doctor had a personal grudge against her. Which didn’t really make sense to her. She was Emilia's nanny. She was supposed to talk to her.

Besides the doctor is supposed to conduct herself in a professional manner.

She had once talked to Gabriel about changing her pediatrician, she would probably have to bring it up again.

In the nursery she gave the baby a diaper change and took her downstairs to the crib while she talked to Jenny about briefly leaving.

Jenny agreed to watch her while she was gone and Lori went back upstairs to change.

She picked a black floral summer dress that was just above her knees and paired it with sandals. She sprayed some perfume and put on some lipgloss and then texted Gabriel that she was stepping out with Elliot.

He replied seconds later with a thumbs up and a 'ok' and Lori found it weird that he didn't ask her about where they were going, especially since it had to do with Elliot.


Just like Elliot had mentioned the car was parked in front of the house with Elliot inside and waiting.

He was in the driver’s seat and he put on some sunshades. He watched Lori step out the house and looked at the time again. They had to be out in the next ten minutes. At least before his Grandfather arrived.

The old man had taken an early flight and Gabriel's men had managed to meet him at the airport. Then from what he had been told, Gabriel had taken him to the company where he did an inspection. He had also managed to keep him company all afternoon but the old man had still insisted on having dinner with Gabriel at his place.

Gabriel agreed and they were on their way. He texted Elliot just in time so he could get Lori out of the house and it had taken a while to convince Lori to leave with him.

He came up with a lie about him buying a girl he had a crush on a birthday present and at first Lori was not buying it, because he never mentioned any girl to her.

True, she was right to be skeptical, he had no woman in his life at the moment so he had to convince her, so he had showed her pictures of he and a girl he once dated. That seemed to do the trick.

That and a lot more convincing.

"Okay. We have to be quick."

Lori said as she entered the car and Elliot shrugged.

"Why? Don't you want to leave the house?"

"Aren't you tired of being holed up here all day?"

He asked and Lori sighed.

"Well.. you're right but..."

"But what? You need to live more! Go out more!"

He said as he started the car.

"By the way I'm meeting up a friend at a bar before we go shopping for a present."

He finally said and Lori's eyes widened.

"Oh no we're not!! You told me we were going to get a present and we'll be back in a jiffy!"

"Relax!!"

Elliot exclaimed.

"We'll be there like for like ten minutes. I promise."


They arrived at a bar and Elliot made Lori order a drink. She was hesitant too, but one drink wouldn’t hurt would it?

Ten minutes later, Elliot’s friend had still not arrived and she was getting impatient.

“I’m starting to think this was all a ploy to bring me here. Were you lying to me Elliot?”

She asked and he shook his head.

“Now why would I lie to you?!”

“I just texted him, he’ll be here in a few minutes.”

“While we wait let’s play a game.”

He said as he rubbed his palms together. Lori narrowed her eyes at him.

“What game?“

“It’s a drinking game. Trust me, you’ll love it.”

He assured her as he called over the bartender.



**********


"And what exactly brings you here Lyle?"

Sabine asked as she relaxed in her seat.

Lyle smiled.

"Like I said. We have the same interests."

"But that still doesn't explain why you're here."

She retorted.

"If you think I'm going to help you... then you better have something valuable to offer me in return."

Lyle smiled.

"Oh I've heard about you. I've heard a whole lot about you."

Sabine eyed him. He was a sexy man, with a deep voice. In some ways he reminded her of Gabriel, but she knew they were different people.

He was confident, she would give him that, confident enough to seek her out. But did she think he had anything tangible to offer her?

No. Lyle Caine had been in hiding for years. He had no followers, no alliances and certainly no money to his name.

He was useless to her. To her cause.

What she wanted was Gabriel. Not Lyle.

But she would pretend to hear him out, see if he really had something to offer her and ponder on his words.

"Really? What have you heard."

"That you are a ruthless woman."

"Strong enough to go after Gabriel."

"I heard about your case with the Invito. You must be angry that my cousin won."

Sabine shrugged.

"You win some you lose some."

Lyle leaned forward to her.

"What if I can help you win some more? You and me?"

He asked and Sabine chuckled.

He raised his eyebrows, wondering what was so funny.

Sabine shared a look with Vara and laughed some more.

"I'm struggling to see how you can help me win. You have no pack, no money, no alliance.”

Lyle didn’t even flinch.

“How do you know that? Do you think all my years in hiding were spent wallowing in a cave of self pity?”

He asked and Sabine shrugged.

“Oh I wouldn’t know… if you were actually doing something tangible all those years I believe I would have heard rumors of you.”

Lyle nodded.

“That’s fair.”

“But are you really going to miss out on this opportunity to get everything you ever wanted?”

Sabine laughed.

“You have no idea what I want.”

Lyle folded his arms. Oh of course he knew what she wanted. Sabine Reinhardt had been bitter ever since Gabriel had rejected her and half of the werewolf population knew about the rejection and saw how much it stung her. She had been going after Gabriel ever since, attacking his wolves, trying to sabotage him.

“I know you want to bring my cousin down. And you’re the only alpha I’ve met with enough balls to do it.”

He said and Sabine smiled. She didn’t say a word.

“Oh well. And what do you want Lyle?”

Lyle sighed.

“Nothing much really. Bringing Gabriel down and reclaiming my throne.”

“And what will you give me if I help you reclaim your throne?”

Sabine asked and Lyle nodded.

“A third of the Caine family properties and the pleasure of seeing Gabriel beg you for his life before I end him.”

“And that is simply me being very generous.”

He added and Sabine shared a look with Vara who shook her head.

They didn’t know the man. He literally just came out of nowhere and now he was making demands. For the sake of everything good and sane Vara hoped that Sabine wasn’t actually considering the offer.

Because she truly and genuinely believed that they could end Gabriel without his help.

But the look on Sabine’s showed something different.

She was actually considering his offer.

“I have a better offer.”

She finally said and Lyle’s ears perked up.

“What is it?”

He finally asked and she smiled.

“I don’t want a third of the Caine family inheritance. I want it all.”

“All?!”

Lyle scoffed and Sabine nodded.

“Marriage. Our alliance would be best sealed with marriage. If you marry me and I marry you, all that I own is yours and all that you own is mine.”

Sabine finally said.

“Alpha…”

Vara interrupted. Sabine silenced her with a look.

Lyle was dumbstruck.

Marriage?!

“If you want us to join hands that is my only condition. That is what I want. We shall seal our agreement with a blood oath underneath a full moon with the elders in my pack.”

She added.

Lyle sighed.

Then nodded.

“I agree. A marriage alliance will seal the deal.”

He finally said and Vara froze.

What?

What is this madness? She thought as she looked at Sabine smiling.

“But first, you have to do something for me.”

Lyle chuckled.

“What? What is that?”

“You have to prove to me how loyal and useful you would be to me.”

Lyle nodded.

“Whatever you ask of me I will do it as long as it seals our agreement.”

Sabine nodded.

“There’s a woman in Gabriel’s life. We have been trying hard to find out who she is, but all our efforts have been fruitless.”

“Gabriel’s pack members are loyal to him. Loyal to the point of death and they won’t provide information on her.”


“Why is she so important?”

Lyle asked and Sabine shrugged.

“I don’t know. I just know that I need to know who she is and what she means to him.”

She turned to Lyle and stared right through him.

“And you. You are going to help me with that.”