Izzy pursed her lips up in thought as she looked back at the database. After a moment, she added another category, “Special Notes.”

“What’s that for?” Kale asked, taking her orange juice back so that he could open it for her.

“We might be able to cut the list down further if we get clues that will help us sort through the rest of the list.”

“Good idea,” Kale agreed with an approving nod.

“I’m going to break into the message center and send out a general message requesting the deliverers to identify the species of their customers and take note of anything unusual about the customer,” she explained even as she did it.

“We don’t want them cluing anyone in on our plans,” Kale warned.

She shook her head. “I’m going to make sure that they know that this is observation only, no questions asked.”

“What if they don’t comply?” Kale asked, but she could tell by his tone that he already had an idea or two to make sure that they complied.

“I’m going to give them some bullshit administrative excuse to get the job done. If I offer them information, an incentive or make a big deal out of this in any way, it will tip them off and make them curious.”

“Curious is bad,” Kale agreed with a nod.

“Exactly.”

“Are you going to be able to filter out Pyte abilities?” he asked, getting to his feet.

“I should be able to as long as I get decent information,” she said, wondering if perhaps she should set up a form for the deliverers to check off for each customer, something mixed with Pyte and demon abilities so that the deliverers were kept in the dark about their real intentions.

“Let me know when you have something concrete,” he said, heading to the door.

“Where are you going?” she asked, keeping her attention on her monitor as she readjusted the database.

“To get my team together.”

*-*-*-*-*

Orlando, Florida

“She’s definitely left the state,” Brock, his beta, said in way of greeting as he stepped into the office and shut the door behind him, blocking out the noise from the busy kitchen.

“Where is she?” Aidan asked, not bothering to look away from his computer as he double-checked last night’s figures.

“We’re not sure yet,” Brock admitted on a heavy sigh as he walked around the large mahogany desk that they shared. “Did your balance match mine?” Brock asked, nodding towards the computer screen.

“Yes, but we’ll handle that in a minute,” Aidan said, pushing back from the desk and turning the chair around so that he could face his beta. “Were you able to cut off her support?”

Brock nodded, not looking particularly happy about it. Then again, none of his pack was happy about this, but he didn’t care. He wanted his property back and until he got it, they would continue to do whatever was necessary to ensure that happened.

Of course this time he wasn’t demanding that his pack uproot their lives again and move across country. This time he was done chasing after his property, watching her from afar, especially after he’d so freely been allowed to taste her. This would be the very last time that she would run away from him.

“We’ve hacked into her bank accounts and froze them. We also have someone trying to get information from the nursing company that she works for. We should have something within the week if not sooner,” Brock explained, making Aidan smile for the first time in a week since he’d discovered that the bitch that he’d claimed as his own had taken off sometime during the night.

“Good,” Aidan said, nodding approvingly as he looked back at the computer screen and the small problem that needed his attention. “Are you keeping track of her bank and credit card activity?” he asked as he opened up the file for last week’s sales figures.

“So far she hasn’t tried to use her ATM card or credit cards. According to her bank records, she took out a thousand dollars the morning that she left. So-”

“It’s only a matter of time before she tries to use her bankcard,” Aidan finished for him as he headed towards the thick black door that he’d had specially installed two years ago when he bought the restaurant.

“What if she calls someone to ask for money or a place to stay?” Brock asked as he waited for Aidan to unlock the door and open it.

Aidan, smiling more than he had in years, simply shook his head. “She cuts everyone out of her life as soon as she moves on. When she realizes that she has no income or money in the bank, she’ll have no choice but to accept what I’m willing to offer her.”

Her place in his Pack and in his bed.

His c**k hardened painfully at the memory of the last time that he’d had her. Her wet, willing pu**y clenching tightly around him as he took her from behind while he’d licked the marks that he’d left on her all those years ago. He’d waited a long time for her to ripen and it had been worth it.

The only thing that he regretted was not being the one who’d taken her virginity, but he’d known then that if he had, he wouldn’t have been able to hold back. He would have marked her again as he forced his blood down her throat, forcing her into his Pack and making her able to take him without the risk of breaking her fragile human body before she was ready. She’d been too young then and would have fought him, and as much as he loved a good fight, he didn’t want to take the risk of ruining that beautiful body of hers any more than was necessary.

Soon she’d be able to take him, all of him, and he would finally be able to let go and enjoy her without holding back, he promised himself as he opened the door and headed down the dimly lit staircase, absently adjusting the tent in his pants as he went. The sounds of muttered whimpering met his ears as he stepped into the large room that he’d had specially made for those nights when his Pack couldn’t get out of the city and away from the watchful eyes of the Sentinels.

“Please!” the young woman he’d had his men chain to the wall only a few hours ago pleaded around her gag.

Sighing in annoyance, Aidan reached over and yanked the gag out the woman’s mouth since the muttered noises would only irritate him. True, his men could have removed the gag and allowed the woman to scream her head off without worry that she would alert the customers dining above them, but then they would have chanced her screaming until her throat was raw and she was unable to answer his questions.

Not that he had many, not after he’d gone through his records for the past three weeks since she’d been hired to wait tables. The only thing that he didn’t know, and cared about, was where his money was. He wasn’t poor, far from it, but that didn’t mean that he was willing to look the other way when someone stole from him.

He couldn’t afford to show weakness, not with his Pack watching his every move, looking for a sign of weakness. Like most Alphas, he was very strict with his Pack. He didn’t tolerate defiance on any level, because that would only lead to chaos among his Pack. It would give them ideas that they didn’t need him, could ignore his commands, or worse, that they should get rid of him and welcome another Alpha to lead his Pack.

Since he had a low tolerance for bullshit and had no intentions of allowing another shifter to take over his Pack, he ruled with an iron fist. He had a three-strike system, one that his Pack understood and followed. Unless they severely pissed him off, he gave them three chances to stay on his good side.