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4
“The authorities are going to find and seize anything they can prove was related to illegal activities, that cannot be stopped. Yevgheny knew this, we suspect much of his actual wealth is overseas and out of their reach. His younger brother Yuri is the only known relative, he runs a crew out of St. Petersberg and was a rival mob boss of Yevgheny. If his will contains the information needed to find and transfer the money, Yuri is going to become one of the most powerful Russian Mobsters around.”
Yuri wasn’t here, he was one of a dozen Alphas around the world who didn’t show up. “Nothing we can do except watch,” my Alpha said. “I thank those who are taking in the refugees, but other than that help, I don’t see anything else we can do until the investigation winds down and the will is read.”
“You are correct, Alpha Esca. We will continue to monitor things closely to ensure we are not exposed,” Alpha Victor said. “We and other Alphas have people inside the police, we will do what is needed to keep our existence secret.”
The meeting went long into the night, and by the time we returned to our rooms I was beat. “It will be better tomorrow,” Esca said as he put his hand on my shoulder. “I know you are disappointed, but you must have faith in Luna. It will happen when it does.”
I bowed my head to my Alpha, he was a kind man, wise and respected. His hair was becoming gray now, he was in his early fifties now, having found his mate when he was older than my twenty-eight years. “Thank you, Alpha,” I said as I bowed my head.
“Be here at eight and we will all go to breakfast,” he said as we reached his door. “Fewer problems, more fun.” After a morning of presentations of new developments and ideas, the entire Conference was taking buses to a nearby Pack in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin. There would be a combined Run, followed by a feast and bonfire. Too much city life wasn’t good for any of us.
“It will feel good to run with you, Alpha. Thank you.” I bowed my head as the Luna opened the door and smiled at me before pulling him into the room with her. I smiled at them before turning to my room across the hallway. Taking a shower, I went to bed dreaming of my mate.
Soon, my wolf told me.
Jessie’s POV
The past two days had been a whirlwind. I prepared all the paperwork for the State, waiting for her death certificate which should arrive in a few days. Her body had been released to me, and per her wishes I had her cremated. Her remains were in a cardboard box sitting in the passenger seat of my old Ford Focus as I drove back home.
I had thirty days to vacate the home, the terms of the reverse mortgage she had taken out on it to pay her bills. Tomorrow at work, I would see if anyone wanted to share an apartment. I didn’t have much money; I didn’t finish my degree, and I had no skills. My current job didn’t require a lot of training, I just had to employ my ‘assets’ which were heavy on the ass. I worked at the Mall of America in a Hooters, mainly because the horny males who frequented the place tipped well. I didn’t have a huge rack, but they were high and firm, allowing me to go without a bra. My long legs and tight butt attracted men who liked that kind of thing. I hated the groping and unwanted advances, but I needed the money, so I did it.
I had bought a simple phone with basic services, I had to have my own phone to deal with the estate and finding an apartment. I called the manager, informing him that I needed to take more shifts now that I wasn’t caring for my mother. He said he would see what he could do, but the schedule was already filled for the next month. I might have to take on another job.
Meanwhile, I had a wish to fulfill. Pulling the car onto I-35 North, I started the drive to Lake Superior and the overlook where I would say my final goodbye to her and reunite her with her husband.
I wiped the tears away as I drove.
Jessie’s POV
It took me five hours to drive to Split Rock Point Lighthouse State Park, north of Duluth along the western shore of Lake Superior. Parking in the back of the crowded lot, I opened my backpack and placed the plastic bag containing my mother’s ashes inside with a bottle of water and a Milky Way bar before zipping it up.Content (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.
The weather was nice, if you were a few miles inland. The wind was off the lake, and it was cold, in the fifties, but at least the sun was shining. I pulled a windbreaker out, putting it over my sweater, and made sure my jeans had my wallet and keys. I joined the other tourists, heading up the hill towards the cliff trail. It went half a mile, switching back on the way down to the lakeshore below the old lighthouse. The spot I was headed for was near the top, looking down seventy feet or so to the rock below, as the trail switched back the other way.
I found the spot and sat on the bench, there were too many people around and the wind was blowing in my face. I took out the candy bar, eating it quietly and smiling at the tourists as they walked back up from the bottom of the trail. I had to wait almost an hour, and it was starting to get dark when I was finally alone, and the wind had died down.
I took one last look, then removed the bag of ashes from my backpack. I went to the railing where it was close to the edge of the cliff, and removed the twist tie. “Goodbye, Mom. I miss you so. I love you.” I poured the ashes over the edge, the cloud of grey and white swirling in the light breeze as it floated down the cliff face. When it was all gone, I crumpled the bag up and stuffed it in my jacket pocket while the tears ran down my face.
I don’t know how long I stood there, but the voice startled me. “Ma’am? You all right?”
I turned to see a Park Ranger looking at me. “I’m all right,” I said. I didn’t look it, my face was tear stained, my nose was running, and I must have looked a moment from a complete breakdown.
“The park is closing, Ma’am. You need to return to your car.” I nodded and moved away from the fence. My car was alone in the lot when I returned, and I made good time returning home. I didn’t get there until three in the morning, but I was used to being up late with my job. I took a quick shower, fell into bed and was soon in a restless sleep.
I raised my head up, I was on a hillside, surrounded by tall grass. I looked off in the distance, I could see the ocean, smell its salt. It wasn’t scary, it was comforting. I smelled him before I saw him, he smelled masculine. I closed my eyes and breathed in his scent, it washed over my mind and relaxed me. I tried to focus on the scent, turning my head towards the wind, and listening for his approach.
I could hear footfalls, not of boots, they were much softer than that. I could hear them hitting the ground, a low rumble that slowed as it approached. I felt something wet touch my face, I opened my eyes, and a huge wolf was standing in front of me, and I wasn’t scared at all…
I opened my eyes, the afternoon sun peeking through the gap between the window and the blind to catch me just right. I grabbed my phone, seeing it was almost three in the afternoon. I set it down and groaned; yesterday was a long day, and I had work tonight from four to closing. Eight hours of running around, dealing with horny college kids and lonely businessmen, among others.
I quickly got dressed and put my makeup on. I was one of the few Hooters Girls who was allowed to wear a crop top, which gave me an edge over all the other girls in the place. I had a regular shirt in my locker, as to wear it I had to have a flat stomach and no muffin top over the short shorts we wore. The other girls hated that I looked like this without extreme diets or constant exercise; I was naturally athletic and thin. I pulled a pair of long khaki shorts and an Aussie Pink Floyd T-shirt over my uniform, since it was against the rules to wear the uniform outside work. I grabbed my phone and purse and ran out to the car, knowing I had a short time before the traffic would double the length of my drive to the Mall.
Beta John’s POV
As we loaded back onto the buses just before nine at night, I was glad it was all over. The host Pack had done a good job; the run was fun, especially since the area was full of whitetail deer and three were taken by our group. It was meant to be social, and it was to the extent possible; Alpha Esca wouldn’t leave the side of his mate Eleanor, and that meant Jack and Sara were with me right behind them. It was the younger groups that mixed more; Alpha Heir Sean and some of the other unmated had spent time during the run and at the post-run meal getting to know others who might someday be in power.
I looked across the aisle at my Alpha, he looked exhausted. The meetings, the jet lag and the run had all taken his energy from him, and Luna was already sleeping on his shoulder before the bus started moving. “It looks like a quiet night when we get back to the hotel, they look like they need a good night’s sleep,” I sent to the other Pack members. All of us were gathered in the middle seats of the bus.
“I’m glad, I’m pretty tired myself,” Sara added.
“Actually, I was talking to some of the other younger unmated, we are going out tonight. Patrick told us he’d show us some of the hot clubs, maybe find some human companionship for the night,” Sean said. The single wolves at the gathering were fun to talk to, but that was all you’d get from them. Promiscuity among the ranked just didn’t happen, so much was expected from them. Humans were fair game for the males, though, as long as you used protection.
“Not without protection you aren’t,” Alpha Esca said. “Take John with you, he needs to blow off some steam.” I glared at him, I had no interest in cavorting with human females. “Don’t look at me like that, go have a few beers and relax, it’s an order.”