I’m stunned. I can’t believe he’s asking for my help. I know I’ve garnered a bit of a reputation in the underworld, but I had no idea it was as some kind of supernatural detective. “Mr. Toth—Alpha Toth…I don’t know what to say.”
“What are these powers you have? Is this something you could help me with?”
I think about it. I’d have to mentally vet the pack members somehow, which would be difficult without admitting what I can do, but not impossible. And I might be able to pick up imprints if they have some kind of accounting office.
I don’t necessarily want to get involved in pack business—that could be hazardous to my health. But it felt good last time to be able to use my gifts to help people. And Maya and Wulf, and even Rook, all seem like very good people. Wulf is a great boss, he’s loyal to Terrance, and he offered to help me, even though he hates coming home. Of course I’d want to help his pack.
“I might be able to help,” I finally say. “But it’s not a guarantee.”
“What are your gifts?” Alpha Toth asks, leaning forward in his chair. His eyes are hopeful. “What powers do you have? How can you help?”
I cringe. “I like to keep my gifts to myself as much as possible. I’d become a target if people knew what I can do, but just know that they’re a sort of psychic-based set of gifts. It’s not an exact science, but it can be helpful. If we could handle this very discreetly, I wouldn’t mind doing what I can for you. I’m talking it-can’t-leave-this-room, secret. I’m not exactly Supergirl. If your pack were to find out I was investigating them, and getting all up in their business, well, that could get ugly very quickly.”
Rook and Alpha Toth share another grim look. “Agreed, Miss Jacobs. It won’t leave this room. You have my word.”
I’m surprised he agreed to that one so quickly. Reading the suspicion on my face, Alpha Toth grimaces again. “We’d prefer discretion as well. Having a traitor in our pack is a dangerous thing. It’ll be seen as a huge weakness. Not only would that cause trouble within our own ranks that could lead to mutiny, but it would catch the attention of neighboring packs as well. Unfortunately, a hostile takeover isn’t outside the realm of possibility for something like this.”
Damn. And I thought I had problems. No wonder he was reluctant to ask for my help. He’s putting a shitload of trust in me right now. I can’t leave him hanging. “Okay. I’m in, then. I’ll do everything I can to help.”
“As far as compensation, you can have the money you recover, and if you don’t find—”
I hold up a hand. “I don’t need compensation. I don’t want to be paid for helping out a friend. I’d feel skeezy.”
Alpha Toth sits up in his chair and arches a single brow. It’s the first truly alpha-looking move I’ve seen him make. “I didn’t realize you considered us friends.”
My lips twitch, but I fight my smile. “I don’t. But Wulf is my friend, and you’re his pack.”
Surprise lights up Alpha Toth’s face, and Rook grins a huge, knowing smile that makes me groan. “Stop, dude. Stop right there. Wulf helped me get free from Henry a month ago when the vampire asshole tried to keep me as a pet. He’s also giving me self-defense lessons. I owe him. I told you there’s nothing romantic going on between us.”
Rook’s smile grows even more annoying. “So you say.”
“Ugh. I do say. You do realize that this guy right here”—I point to Alpha Toth—“and Wulf were watching you teach me those moves in the gym earlier with that same shit-eating grin, right? And that Wulf only let you take me on a tour because he thinks you’re interested in me, and he was letting you make your move?”
Rook’s smile drops into a frown as he thinks back on what I’m saying. When he realizes I’m right, he looks to his alpha to confirm it. The man gives him a sheepish shrug that makes Rook curse. “Aw, man. I really thought there was a chance. I mean, he brought you home.”
I laugh. “Yeah, he really didn’t want to do that. But, look, I swear, stop planning my wedding to your brother.”
“Mating ceremony,” Alpha Toth corrects with a smile.
I roll my eyes. “Mating ceremony, then. Whatever. It’s not happening. I don’t date. Sorry.” I think about the task I need to do and add, “I do need to snoop a little, though, so I will still take you up on that tour of the compound, especially if you have, like, a specific financial office where someone is most likely to steal the money from you.”
“We have an accounting office,” Rook offers while Alpha Toth cringes again. “I’m sorry, Miss Jacobs, that’s confidential pack informa—”
“Alpha Toth. Dude. I don’t want to learn your financial situation. I don’t even care what it is. Obviously, your pack isn’t strapped for cash. But I do my thing by touching stuff. If you want me to help, you’ll have to give me some trust.”
Alpha Toth turns his frown to Rook. “Did…she just…call me…dude?”
Rook’s lips twitch as he says, “I think so, sir.”
“Sorry. Alpha Toth, sir, whatever. Can I poke around in the accounting office or not? You can both come with me if you need to.”
Alpha Toth blinks at me several times before making the decision to trust me. “Very well, let’s take a field trip.”
Our field trip ends two doors down and across the hall at a room aptly labeled accounting. Alpha Toth raises his hand to knock, but I stop him. He pauses, watching with curiosity. “Before we barge in and make your accountant suspicious, when’s the last time someone took money?”
“There was another payment moved last night.”
“Oh, perfect.” I grin at their curious looks and grab the handle of the door.
My guess is that if someone was sneaking into this office to steal from the pack, they’d be pretty worked up while breaking in. I might be able to pick up an imprint off the handle. “Catch me if I fall,” I whisper as I’m sucked into a vision.
The only lights on in the building are the nighttime emergency lights. It’s hard to see much, but a tall, muscular man with brown hair and shifty brown eyes glances both directions down the hallway as he pushes a key into the lock on this door. When the lock turns, he wipes sweat from his brow and holds his breath as he slips into the office, immediately relocking the door behind him.
“Whoa.” I sway on my feet as I come out of the vision, and immediately Rook’s arms are around me, holding me steady.
“You okay?” he asks.
“I’m fine. Nasty side effect. It’ll get a little worse the more I use my gift, but it’s worth it.” I pull myself out of his grip and lower my voice just in case there’s a wolf with exceptionally good hearing on the other side of that door. “What does your accountant look like?”
Alpha Toth’s eyebrows raise, but he answers the question. “Short blonde woman.”
“Voluptuous curves,” Rook adds, earning a look from his alpha. He lifts his shoulders. “What? It’s hard not to notice a shape like that.”
I laugh to myself and stay on task. “Okay, not her, then. I don’t know if it was last night,” I say, so low both men have to lean in close, “but it was dark, and I never pick up clues more than two or three days in the past. Ever. So…sometime in the last couple nights, a man snuck into this office. It was dark. Everyone was gone. Place was empty. He had a key, but this guy was really nervous. Sweating, twitching, shifty eyes…the whole bit.”
“What did he look like?” Alpha Toth demanded, getting angry.
I place a finger to my lips, reminding him to be quiet. I look over my shoulder to make sure no one is coming down the hall, and both men seem to remember we’re currently sneaking. “He was tallish, had a bit of muscle. Kind of cute. Brown hair, brown eyes.”
Rook sighs. “Well, you just described half the pack.”
I shrug. “I could point him out on sight.” Both men perk up again. “But first, I need to get into that office. We don’t know what our guy was doing in there. We don’t know if he’s the man you’re looking for.”