Soul Mates

Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Elizabeth/Lizzie POV

I sat in my office looking at that e-mail.  Yes, I told Gracie it didn’t matter, that we knew it was going to happen. I finally picked up my cell phone and called my brother.

Of course, he answers on the first ring, “Hey Baby Girl! Your Birthday is coming! Party at your Pack?” Dad finally handed over the reigns to Lance the same day I became an Alpha of Lost Souls. We had a huge party with all the leaders from around the country to commemorate both of us.  Well almost every pack, I think Alpha Stones was conveniently lost in the mail.

“Oh, wow totally forgot, has it really been a year?” I said shaky.

“What’s wrong?” He says full of concern.

“Umm, I am good, well kinda, I need some advice.” I say with determination.

“Do you need me to come over? I can be there in 3 min!” Lance states as I can hear him already halfway here.

“If you want, but its just…” I don’t want to say it out load again. The phone is silent and the next thing I hear is the door to my office opening.

“What happened?” Lance is next to me kneeling looking up into my tear-filled eyes.  

I turn the computer screen. To show him the notification from the King. He reads it and his mouth falls open. “Well ok, umm, he may not come with him.”

I look at him like he has lost his mind.  “You know why he is coming, and you know he is coming with him. It was just a matter of time. Gracie and I knew it would happen eventually, but its not even been a year!”

“Well if you had LG wouldn’t have grown your pack to over 500 single women and be one of the wealthiest in the Western Hemisphere, you would go un-noticed!”  He says a matter of fact. “You have had other Alpha’s and Betas come before looking for their second chance. What is the big deal?”

“Big Deal? BIG DEAL? Kyle! KYLE is the Kings Beta! The top Beta! He is coming.”  I tell him wide eyed.

“Look you never formally accepted his rejection, so you knew this may happen.” He tells me like its news. He turns to go sit in the chair across from my desk. “Can I ask one questions?”

“Shoot!”

“Why the hell is it so pink in here! And it looks like a florist threw up!”  He says sitting in the floral print chair. The walls are a subtle pink with floral chairs behind facing my desk and a small floral loveseat behind against the wall with a coffee table in front of it. Where Gracie has a TV I have a large floral scape painting.

“Its comforting when the women walk in.” I tell him smiling.

“So, if you have to yell at someone, you what take them to LG’s office?” He says half laughing. “What do the holding cells for rogues look like, Martha Stewarts bedroom?”

“NO! We don’t have holding cells.” I say as a matter of fact.

Lance stands up, “SERIOUSLY? What the Hell, LIZ!” Lance is now a little upset. I can tell the conversation we had a few months ago about holding cells for rogues where I told him we would get right on it, is going to make another appearance. I just look at the papers for new member applicants on my desk.

“Look, we have the Barn!” I tell him pointing to the large barn looking second house.

“That is not a Barn! That is a Hotel! I’ve been in it; you could give Trump Tower a run for its money over there!” He says now out of his seat standing over me. “We agreed you need to have a place for bad rogues.”

“We do, in the Barn!” I tell him. “Look Charlie took the basement and put in 10 rooms that are not very accommodating.” Charlie is the warrior right under Sarah. The difference is Sarah is more of a bodyguard while Charlie was once a Mercenary. Charlie was contracted to kill her mate and that led her here. She gave it all up and when she refused the job, it was given to someone else that got the job done. Lance is even afraid of Charlie.

“Well if Charlie has it handled, then…” Lance says satisfied. “You could put Kyle there?” He says with a laugh. “Introduce him to Charlie, better yet have her next to you the entire time.” He says as he shakes like spiders are crawling on him.

“She’s a wonderful girl! She’s breathtakingly beautiful. And has a wonderful sense of humor.” I tell him with a slap on his arm.

“Yeah, but I think she could be the real embodiment of the Black Widow from the Avengers!” he says wide eyed. “So, you better?”

“Yeah, I just need to get the west wing set up. We are going to put them on the West side as far away from Gracie and me as possible.” I tell him. “Want to have a joint dinner in the ballroom on Saturday?”

“Yes, that’s your birthday it will be a perfect day for a party.” Lance says with a smile coming around to give me a hug.

“Well since last years didn’t pan out, maybe I can borrow mom and Betty for some preparations. I mean they will have to deal with CiCi, but they love her.  And I don’t want to deal with them all together.” I say sitting down putting my head in my hands. CiCi is our event planner, she coordinates events for almost all the packs in the region. Gracie said it’s a great outside business and added income, plus it empowers the women in the pack.

“No problem, Mom LOVES CiCi. Best thing that happened was finding CiCi, she keeps Mom and Betty so on task and scheduled.” Lance says with a smile.

“Welcome to Lost Souls, always on schedule.” I say with a giggle. “Thanks for coming, Lance.” I get up and walk around the desk to give him a hug.

“No problem, Baby Girl any time.” He says wrapping me in a strong hug. “Wait, where is LG?”

“Oh, she had some meeting in the city, she said it was some final piece. You know how it is, I just handle the people and the pack here she handles the business and finances. I don’t ask and then, suddenly we have another 10 million in the account.” I say with a sharp laugh.

Lance looks at me shaking his head. “I swear I wish I had her brain, but I honestly can say thanks to her we are much better off as well.”

“Well she said after this last piece she was going to sit back and enjoy it for a bit.” I tell him as I walk him to the door.

“Yeah, we will see how long that lasts.” He says as we walk around the corner into the parlor, Gracie comes walking in, clanking stilettos and all.

“How long what lasts?” Gracie says as she throws her black suite jacket over the back of the wingback chair and goes to hug Lance.

Lance laughs quietly, “Well, you taking time off. Did you get what you wanted in this ‘meeting’?” He says with air quotes.

“When do I not? Its done. We now have our own warehouse for the e-comm business we have so we will be totally self-sufficient from manufacturing to shipping out.”  Gracie states like she was no big deal.

“So, we can get rid of the warehouse owned by Creepy Colin?” I ask with a hopeful look. “That is one human that is worse than any beast I have ever met.  I swear he is hiding something.” I say pointing at Gracie.

She raises her eyebrows, “yeah well he was hiding about 500k of our money and when I told the authorities last week, they took him away. I went in today and bought the warehouse from the owners and settled the matter, so he is on a plea deal behind bars and we have the warehouse and don’t have to go moving anything. We own it all. Oh, and I had them take off the 500k that we are owed so it only cost us 2.5 million.” She explains as she sits down in the wingback chair and crosses her legs, acting like it was no big deal. Lance and I stand there shocked.

Picking up my jaw I look at Lance, “Oh, only 2.5 million. You hear that Lance, we saved money!” I tell him smiling.

“Don’t even act like you have any concept of how much any of this or what she just talked about costs.” Lance says with a hint a laughter. “I gotta go, YOU,” he says pointing at Gracie, “try not to take over too much of corporate America!”

Gracie puts her hands up as to say she gives in, “Hey don’t hate the player, hate those who have no game!”

“And YOU!” Lance points to me, “Call me if you need me, but it will be ok. Keep him in the Barn with Charlie if you need to, but it will be ok!”

“Thank you, Lance! I know it will be good, you are literally 5 min away.” I say with a smile as he walks out the door with the screen door shutting Gracie grabs my hand.

“Who are we putting in the Barn with Charlie?” Gracie looks up at me with questions in her eyes.