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"As it were...I see." I smiled, but it was not a friendly smile. "According to my information less than twenty of your clan members hold down jobs, even part-time jobs. So, out of seventy-five working age people, less than twenty are employed. Why is that?"
"I couldn't rightly say, sir. Many of them are young and—"
I slammed the tablet down on the table. "Alpha Santos, do you really expect me to give you money for your clan when they are too damn lazy to go out and get jobs to support themselves?"
"Well, uh, you're the prince."
I cocked an eyebrow. "And?"
"It's your job to help us out financially. Your duty."
"Actually, it isn't." Thank god for that. "It's my job and my duty"—I smiled even wider, showing off my sharp teeth—"to ensure idiots like you and your clan don't suck the life out of every other gryphon in the country."
I planted my hands on the table and leaned forward until Alpha Santos leaned back and turned his head. "Go home and tell your clan members that those that can work will work. If they have a legitimate reason why they cannot work, submit it in writing to my office. Otherwise, I expect them all to have jobs in the next ninety days or I will be coming down for a visit, and believe me, you do not want that."
I narrowed my eyes and growled. "Do you understand me?"
Sweat trickled down the man's temples as he gulped and gave a quick nod. "Ye-Yes, my p-prince."
I grunted and leaned back, sitting down in my chair. I casually picked up my tablet and slid my finger across the screen. As much as I would like to be just about anywhere else than here, this meeting wasn't over with.
"Let's move on to the next order of business." I glanced up. "Alpha Ramirez—"
The doors of the conference room were flung open, cutting off my words. Tashi rushed in and hurried to the head of the table. I stiffened when he leaned down to whisper in my ear.
"There's been an incident concerning your mate, sir."
"What?" I shouted as my head snapped up. "What happened?"
Tashi kept his voice low as he replied, "He was attacked, sir."
My heart lurched painfully in my chest. "Is he...?"
I couldn't even finish my words. The thought of something happening to René was hard enough. The thought that he might be gone from this world was too horrible to contemplate.
"He's alive, sir. Our men got to him before there was too much damage, but he has been taken to the local hospital."
Too much damage? What was considered too much damage?
I jumped to my feet, handed the tablet to Tashi, and started around the table. "Our meeting will have to be postponed, gentlemen. Something has come up."
I saw a smirk on Alpha Ramirez's face as I stormed passed him, but I didn't have time to deal with that now. I needed to get to René.
The SUV was waiting outside for me, no doubt arranged by Tashi.
He was good like that.
I jumped into the back, Tashi climbing in beside me. The vehicle shot forward as soon as the door closed.
"Report."
"Sato called about ten minutes ago. He and the others followed your mate as ordered. They were waiting outside his apartment when they heard him scream. When they went to investigate, they had to break down the door. They found him passed out on the floor."
My hands clenched into fists as I growled.
"It was obvious from his injuries that he'd been attacked," Tashi continued. "Sato called me while they loaded him up and drove him to the hospital. They should be arriving about now."
"Did they catch whoever attacked him?"
