Evidence

I didn't see Drake for the rest of the week. He wasn't in the office and he didn't contact me. Each day put Sky and myself more and more on edge. We had no idea where he was or if he was okay. My aggression was rising and everyone was making it a point to stay away from me. I was snapping at anyone and everything. I went back to work on Monday and things did not improve. The days slowly ticked down and my mood continued to bottom out.

It's Wednesday and it has been a week since I last heard from or seen Drake. I'm not how much longer I can go on enduring his absence.

'Had you let me take over, I'd have marked him and we would be able to find him.'

I don't respond, but Sky is right. Had we marked Drake, we would have more information than we do right now. I can only hope he is okay and I see him soon. My thoughts are interrupted when my phone beeped and Katie's voice came on the line. "Ms. James, you have a visitor." I check my calendar, but see nothing on schedule. I did miss the week last week, so maybe this is a rescheduled meeting from then.

"Send them in." I stand up from my chair and start to walk to my door. The door opens and in walks the last face I really want to see….ever.

"My, my, my...don't you look lovely this morning." Alpha Jasper fucking Kent. I try to keep my growl down and suppress my eye roll. I swear I can't get rid of this man to save my life. Rather than greet him like I would anyone else, I turn back and around and have a seat at my desk.

"Alph-, excuse me. Mr. Kent…..what can I do for you today?" The anger can be seen in his eyes, but it disappears as suddenly as it appeared. I know he hates the formalities which is exactly why I keep it up. Kent decides not to dwell on that and clears his throat.

"I came to see you of course," he responds with a sick grin on his face. I swear I would love nothing more than to make sure, permanently, that he can not ever grin again. I can hear Sky huff her agreement in my head.

"Well, I don't have any meeting with you on my schedule. If this is a social call, well, seeing as how this is my place of business that would be very inappropriate." I pick up my pen and lean back in my chair, clicking it again and again.

"You are in the security business. Maybe I am looking for improved security for my businesses and pack," Kent says while leaning onto my desk. I slightly push my chair back in an attempt to get as far away from him as possible.

"Why don't we cut the crap. You and I both know that you have no interest in getting any security from my company. You are here for another reason, so why don't you just come out with it and we can go about our day." My eyes never leave Kent and I see him smirk.

"I love how feisty you can be. That would be a good addition to my pack. They would love to have a Luna like you."

"I am no Luna. I'm an Alpha and the sooner you recognize that, the better off you will be." I put the pen down and scoot closer to my desk. "What. Do. You. Want?" Kent sits back in his chair and places a leg over the other. He looks way too relaxed and I'm starting to think this may not be good.

"I know that as a woman Alpha, you encounter a lot of opposition. I can help with that. If you would just choose me, I can make sure that no one disrespects you. You don't have to call yourself 'Luna' per say, but it will be beneficial for both of us to join together." I chuckle. I'm not sure who he is used to dealing with, but I'm definitely not like them at all.

"I swear I remember having a similar conversation with you. I will tell you now what I told you then…..YOU are not my mate." I give Kent a little smile and pick up my pen. "Please see yourself out." I start to sign paperwork waiting for him to leave. The air shifts and I can feel Kent's Alpha aura all around me. I see his fist come down on my desk, hard. A crack spreads across my desk and my items fly up for a moment and drop back down.

"YOU WILL ACCEPT THAT HUMAN OVER ME?!" Kent is standing and yelling. His face is looking red and veins are easily visible along his neck. I swear this man better not shift in my office. I'd hate to have to murder him in the vicinity of so many humans. At that moment his words struck me. How the hell did he know that my mate is human? I slowly stand up straight and clasp my hands behind my back.

"Who I do or do not accept is none of your damn business. You need to leave my office, NOW!" I'm looking Kent dead in the eyes with no expression on my face. We seem to be having some type of staring contest and I have no plans on losing. Kent stalks towards me and grabs me by my neck. I don't flinch and I don't move my hands. He pulls me in so close that our noses are touching.

"You WILL be mine. The sooner YOU recognize THAT, the better off you will be." I swear if he tries to kiss me, all hell will break loose. My door flies open and I can tell it's Gemma.

"You better unhand my Alpha," she growls out. Kent doesn't look at her nor do I. From the corner of my eye, I can see Gemma taking off her suit jacket. This will get ugly fast if I don't defuse the situation.

"You have two warriors in this room. If you want to make it out alive, I suggest you do as my Gamma requests." I can feel Kent's grip on my neck loosening. Kent lets me go and steps back. He turns towards the door and Gemma steps to the side to let him out.

"This isn't over," he says and slams the door behind himself. I plop back into my chair and take a deep breath. That was insane and I was so close to exposing myself to humans. If I had lost control and attacked him in this building, that would have destroyed my company as well as my pack.

"Gemma, he knows about Drake." I filled the girls in on what happened over the weekend. They were shocked that he was living this double life.

"How could he-..... No. 'Nessa, no." I look at Gemma and give her a slight nod. There is no way it was not my mother who told Kent about my mate. That isn't a punishable offense, but I have a feeling that she is also how he found out about my money issues. If I find evidence confirming my suspensions, I will have to punish her. She IS my mother though and I'm not sure I can truly impose the maximum punishment on her.

Gemma and I sat in silence for a while before Katie beeped in again. "Ms. James, you have a package out front."

"Please send it in." A few moments later, Katie walks into my office with a big envelope in her hand. She hands it to me and exits my office. I notice that the package has my name on the front. On the back flap it says 'Leon'. This could either be the surveillance information regarding my mother or this is the information on the Reese Corporation. I open the envelope and pull out papers. There are two packets, one being about Reese and the other my mother. I put the packet about the Reese Corporation back in the envelope and read over the packet about my mother.

"Well? Is that from Leon? Do you have proof?" I look at Gemma and say nothing. It must be written on my face because she sighs and hangs her head. What am I going to do with my mother?

~Tasha~

I hear a phone ring. I look at the phone in my hand and see that it isn't that one. I have another one, a burner. I check the living room to make sure I'm alone and reach into my draw to get the burner out. I learned long ago that some things need to be taken care of without the Alpha's knowledge and I like to keep burner phones for just those occasions.

"Hello?"

"Your damn daughter!!!" Damn, what did Janessa do now? I only communicate with Jasper on the burner phone right now so there was no need to ask who it was. I sigh.

"What has she done now?"

"She chose that…..that filthy human over me!" Jasper proceeds to tell me about their conversation from earlier.

"Just give me some time. I promise that we will get this worked out and we will both be where we want to be. Just have a little patience." I hang up and walk to the kitchen to get a drink. That damn child is going to be the death of me. I don't know where I went wrong with her that she is so damn stubborn. I shouldn't have allowed Herbert to have so much influence over her. He could never say no to her and he gave her false hope. Women are meant to stand behind their men, not in front of. They are not meant to be visible nor were they created to run a pack. No matter how many times I tell her that, she doesn't take heed. This joining with the Crystal Lake Pack will be beneficial for them as well as for us. I wish my son had made it. If he had survived, the title of Alpha would have definitely gone to him. My grip on the glass in my hand tightens and before I realize it, the glass shatters.

My actual phone rings this time. I go to pick it up and notice Janessa's name on the caller ID. "Yes, Janessa."

"Mother, I need to meet with you in my office at 7:30pm. Can you make that?" Maybe this will go easier. Maybe she wants to make a different choice and go with Jasper.

"Yes, I can meet you then." There is no response, just dial tone. I will let that go this time. I'm sure her news will more than make up for it.