Mating the Alpha Read Online Free Page B

me,” I said.
    “Oh, that’s right. I heard your new fiancé likes her gin,” Billy said.
    “Have you seen Maren?” As much as I hated bringing attention to the biggest source of tension between us, Billy was running the security detail at the event. He had eyes and ears everywhere.
    “You mean after she hightailed it out of here right after the announcement of your exciting news? No, I haven’t.”
    I felt my bear growling at the man’s tone, and while I wholeheartedly agreed, I needed to keep my cool. “That’s not like her,” I said, sidestepping his insinuation. I couldn’t out and out tell him to keep his paws off Maren because she was mine. Part of that was because she wasn’t mine yet, and the other being it put both of us in a dangerous predicament if I did. “She’s working this story. It just seems odd that she wouldn’t have come back yet.”
    “Her car is still out in the parking lot,” Billy said. He took a long sip of his drink. “She probably just needed to cool off. I think she’s been under a lot of pressure the last week or so.”
    I turned toward the man. I was losing patience being nice. “You have something to say?”
    Billy looked away from me shaking his head. “I’m not saying a word.”
    “That’s not what it sounds like on this end.”
    “Need I remind you that we’re standing in the middle of the opening event of the biggest shifter Summit in history?” Billy asked with a grim smile on his face. “You better keep your cool too.”
    He was goading me on purpose when he knew that I couldn’t do anything about it. He thought he was being clever. I think I’d have a lesson or two for ole’ Billy Miller soon.
    One of the security guards appeared next to Billy’s shoulder. Billy stood up straighter as the guard whispered something in his ear. He frowned at an envelope in the man’s hand. I didn’t catch the exchange, but my name was scrawled across the top of the envelope.
    “What’s that?” I asked, reaching for it.
    Billy put his hand up blocking mine. “Murray had this shoved into his hands a few minutes ago. The guy who gave it to him said somebody else paid him twenty bucks to give it to you. We don’t know where it came from.”
    “It’s got my name on it, so obviously it’s meant for me.”
    “Which also means that it could have something in it that would do harm,” Billy argued.
    “How about we take this outside?” I said.
    I could tell that Billy wanted to resist, but I wasn’t about to back down. It was time that the council members started figuring out that I wasn’t my brother. Things were going to change.
    I gestured toward a flap that I saw off to the side to a small alcove that I knew the staff was using for their breaks. Once inside, I gave a gesture to the few staff members gathered there, and they scattered. It was nice having somebody listen to me for once without any questions.
    I stuck out my hand for the envelope again. Billy shook his head. “I’ll open it. If it’s safe, I’ll give it to you then. Did you know that Markus had three separate attempts on his life in the last twelve months? There’s a protocol here, Lukas. Let me do my job.”
    It was a low blow bringing my dead brother into it. Grudgingly, I nodded.
    From somewhere in his pockets, Billy produced a pair of latex gloves. That seemed strange to me, but I guess that was part of the job description. Always carry latex gloves. After putting them on, he took the envelope from Murray. The larger man stepped back next to the flap’s opening to block anyone else from seeing inside or trying to come in.
    Billy gingerly pulled on the envelope’s flap, and it opened with barely any protest. He squeezed on it so that it filled with air, and he looked inside. I saw his frown again.
    “What’s inside?”
    Billy reached in and removed a single item. It was a small, torn piece of shiny, red fabric. I had seen something exactly like it, not more than a couple of hours