His Unidentified & Untouchable Mate

The Call

Jacob POV

I didn’t want to call him.

Something deep down within me seethed with rage when I thought about it – and not just in a werewolf territorial sense. Had he touched her? Yes. He’d made her uncomfortable for damned sure – but the problem was that something – no, everything within me screamed to keep him away from Zahraa.

He was trouble.

Unfortunately for me, Trouble had all the answers. And I couldn’t go much longer without a lead.

I’d read her file – her real file, after pestering Rowan a lot to give it over. There were just too many unknowns. He’d mentioned he was paying another $1000 for hypnotherapy – a cost I quickly took over, charging it to my office, which (even with my small promotion) I couldn’t really afford.

But I’d be damned if I let Rowan pay it.

I got an earful from dad, as expected, about missing training, even though Alex had stepped in and stepped up. Then I got an earful about the lack of progress with Zahraa – and then several other issues I had no stakes in, but had to listen to his rant about simply because I was present. I ended up taking on a case I had no interest in just to get him to shut up, then met Zahraa in my office.

She looked unhappy, and that alone flipped my stomach. “I’m assuming it didn’t go well with your friends?” I asked, tossing the manilla folder down on my desk and pulling the chair out. I sat, bracing myself for a story about how her friends were really pushing her to reject me.

“Actually,” she said, settling into a small desk setup I’d had put in just for her, “We barely talked about you at all.”

My eyebrows shot up, “Oh, really? So, what’s got you looking so blue?”

“This phone call we’re about to make,” she sighed, getting up from her desk and moving into the chair in front of my desk. She settled her elbows on the rich mahogany and lay her head over that, looking up at me through those beautiful golden irises. “I don’t like him, Jacob.”

“I don’t either,” I sighed, resting my cheek in my palm. “But we have to handle it. Maybe he’ll be easier to handle, considering.”

“Considering?” Zahraa repeated.

I puffed my chest up a little bit and offered an expression that I hoped bordered on cocky. “Why, considering that it’s coming from the office of the esteemed High Alpha.” When she still looked unsure, I reached out and took one of her gloved hands in mine. “Hey. Don’t worry. No matter what happens, I’ll protect you.”

Her smile was daybreak, light after a long night. It flooded my office with brilliance, and I wanted nothing more than to hold her, to kiss her, to taste her.

“Thank you, Jacob,” she said, voice breathy. “I think I just needed to hear that.”

“Do you want me to do the talking, or would you rather…?”

“Please, no – talk away.” Zahraa practically recoiled at the thought, and I wondered if her dislike was something like mine. An unearthed feeling.

I already had the card out next to my landline office phone, and I made myself dial the number quickly, lest I convince myself to proceed in another way. I quickly put it on speaker so Zahraa could hear, and we both sat on the edge of our seats as the phone rang, and rang, and rang…

“Zain Delgrado,” he answered, “of Delgrado Consultations. How can I help you?”

“Hello, this is Jacob Pagiel,” I said, squaring my shoulders. Not that it mattered – not that he could see. “My… girlfriend… had a discussion with you that we would like to continue.”

There was a long pause, then: “You must be Zahraa’s mate, then. A shame – you are not the one I wanted to speak with. Have Zahraa call me when she is ready.”

“Wait,” I commanded, fist clenching. “Zahraa won’t be speaking with you alone. I’m calling to set up a meeting.”

“Oh, well, if it’s a meeting then…” I could hear the nonchalance in his voice – an act. He knew he had the answers, he had what we needed, and therefore, he could set the conditions. “I suppose I might know a thing or two that might interest your pretty little mate. I’m staying at the Fifth Season downtown. Have her come ask for me whenever she likes – I’ll make time for her.”

I grimaced. He wanted to meet at a hotel – how much sketchier could this guy get? “I’d be happy to set up a more formal meeting. I can make a reservation for the three of us at The 88.” The 88 was a fantastic steakhouse that just happened to be just beyond the edge of our territory. If anything happened, we’d be close to safety.

Well, with Zahraa’s transportation powers, we’d be close to safety no matter where we went.

I could hear him scoff – at least it sounded like he moved the receiver away from his face before he did so. “I’ve no interest in meeting with a hound dog on alert. Send Zahraa alone. I promise I will treat her kindly.”

Alone.

My blood boiled – the hound dog comment should’ve done it on its own, but asking me to send my mate alone?

Unlikely.

I inhaled, ready to tell this guy, in the most colorful language possible, what I thought of that idea. I was calmed by a gentle touch. Our eyes met, and she shook her head once. I floundered, unable to think of what to say – because it wasn’t going to be sure, sounds great, but I couldn’t afford to close the door on this opportunity entirely.

“Thank you for your time, Mister Delgrado,” Zahraa said, her voice sounding much quieter – her fear was apparent to me, but it might’ve just seemed like a calm, quiet woman to him. “I’ll need time to think on your offer.”

“Ah, I did not know I had the honor of speaking to the woman in question,” Zain’s accent might’ve sounded exotic before, but now it sounded sinister. “You must understand that our culture demands a bit of privacy on certain manners. I do not wish to involve a wild dog in our business.”

“Zahraa is my business,” I growled, but a gentle squeeze from her warned me to stand down. I took a deep breath. “She won’t meet you without me.”

“Oh,” I hated how damn sure of himself he sounded when he added, “We shall see.”

The line went dead, and as I put the receiver back in its cradle, our eyes met, each shining with new levels of uncertainty.