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Chapter 13
Evan
The heat of Mariah’s resentment still sat with me an hour later while I waited for my next appointment. I paced the length of the main security building, unable to be still as the sensation echoed in my chest, right alongside the sharp hurt that was my own.
I knew Mariah was dealing with a lot of emotions right now, and the pressure must be overwhelming at times. She’d been thrust into my world, her very nature changed while we tried to stop a madman who wanted her blood. Of course, she was feeling a lot. She didn’t ask for any of this. I didn’t even blame her for feeling angry toward me and what my world had done to her.
That didn’t mean it wasn’t tearing me to shreds.
I heard tires and turned to see a sleek, black vehicle approaching the security building. The shadows were growing long, but it could only be Kyle McKenna. He’d been kind enough to bump our appointment up. I needed to fit a lot in, including a talk with my mate, before we left for New York, and Kyle was one that couldn’t wait.
According to Sebastian’s files, and as confirmed by Lucas, Kyle was an old friend of my father’s. A security specialist, it seemed they’d worked together on more than one occasion, and judging by the project fees on some of the project files Lucas found, Sebastian paid him well and seemed to consider him the best.
I watched as the man climbed from his car and started toward me. As a human, he was taller than I'd expected, with silver hair and eyes that caught everything.
“Evan?”
“Kyle,” I said, stepping forward and extending my hand. “Thanks for coming on such short notice.” We’d agreed to meet here so he could take a look at the command center, the heart of our security system.
His grip was firm, his eyes steady on mine. “Sebastian was a good friend. A good man. It’s an honor to work with his son.”
I nodded, immediately liking this man’s straightforward demeanor. “Like I said on the call earlier, I’m going to New York in a couple days, and my mate Mariah is coming with me.”
I’d given him a brief rundown of our predicament, letting him know an old enemy was out for revenge. While he didn’t press for details I wouldn’t have given anyway, when he agreed to do anything to thwart Tomas Hawthorne, it confirmed Kyle was the right man for the job.
“Our best guess is that Hawthorne will try to come here,” I said as I led him inside. “He’s after my mate, and he believes she’s here.”
We walked down a hall and stopped at a door that required a code along with my biometrics. “Sebastian already had incredible security systems in place.” I punched in the code and scanned my eyes, then was granted access. “Thanks to you, it seems, but I want increased protection at all entrances into town.”
Walking into the room, I flipped on the light and turned on a monitor. A map of the clan lands blinked to life. Pointing to several different spots around the map, I said, “Here are our potential weaknesses.”
The alpha’s mansion and few surrounding buildings and homes stood on the outskirts of the vast acres comprising the Carey Clan Lands. Some of the clan members chose to live out in the woods in cabins where they had more solitude, but most of them lived within the small town, which doubled as a gated community. Sebastian, as well as Kyle, had created an advanced security system for the town, but I wanted an upgrade.
“All the little turnoffs along the road from town need to be covered, and if someone manages to get through one of the main gates, there needs to be backup. Guards will be stationed all around town, along the roads, and there’ll be increased patrols throughout the woods. Lucas will stand in for me, acting as alpha in my absence.”
“I agree with all of those measures.” Kyle’s swift response felt reassuring. “Honestly, I’m not surprised. Your father took abundant precautions. They didn’t fail him, and I won’t let them fail you. In fact…”
Kyle moved to a desk, tapped at a keyboard, and then the image on the screen changed. It was a schematic with blueprints for what looked like a…bunker?
“Your father and I were discussing plans for an underground bunker for the town, just for emergencies, in the rare event the clan was to be under attack. I’d always hoped it was merely another of Sebastian’s added precautions.” Kyle shook his head. “But I think the man was always one step ahead of us all.” My throat constricted at the truth of those words, and I swallowed hard when Kyle said, “The project was never started, but it remains fully funded.”
I shook my head and murmured, “Sebastian.” The pain that cropped up was as sharp as the day I lost him. I ran a hand through my hair and tried to pull it together. “I’m sorry. It just comes out of nowhere sometimes. I…I wasn’t close to my father for a large portion of my life, but he came through for me before he died. I’m still trying to figure it all out. How to be an alpha that would make him proud.”
“Evan.” Kyle returned to where I stood. “We all lost a good man when Sebastian Carey left this world. I’d known your father for years. It makes me glad to know the two of you were able to reconcile. Trust me when I say he couldn’t have left his clan in more capable hands.”
“I appreciate that.”
“I mean it. That’s not a platitude. Your father confided in me once, after a few too many drinks. He had plenty of demons surrounding your banishment,” Kyle said softly. “He carried a lot of guilt, but one thing I know for sure is that he loved you.”
My breath rushed out. Kyle really was someone Sebastian had trusted then. “Thank you for telling me.”
It was always heavy to talk about my father, but this bit of comfort was what I needed to strengthen my resolve. Tomas was going to pay for everything and everyone he’d ever taken from me.
“Let’s move forward with the plans for the bunker,” I told Kyle.
Back at home after nailing down the details with Kyle, I found Mariah upstairs, already packing a suitcase for our trip.
“You know we aren’t leaving for two days, right?” I said, choosing humor with the hope I could put things on an even keel with us after the uncomfortable moment in the office this afternoon. I still wasn’t sure how to bring that up.
