Hotel Sofitel, Montreal, Canada

Parked glanced around the hotel bar, readjusted the tablet on the small table, and leaned into the comfortable leather chair. She casually leafed through the thick document she held, and frowned, grabbed a pen off the table, and made a mark on one of the pages.

"Hey, boss, you do know you're only supposed to pretend to work?"

She peeked over the rim of her glasses. "Zeke. Did you get this report from a first grader? The spelling is diabolical."

Laughter echoed through her earbuds, then what she could have sworn was Zeke muttering about grammar police.

"The documents and reports are from one of the keynote speakers at an Agricultural and Fisheries Symposium in Florida, boss."

Parker crossed her legs and jiggled her foot as she continued to leaf through the document. "How's the feed? Is it clear?"

To the casual observer, she looked as though she were talking on her phone, or listening to music and working on her tablet. If anyone had walked by, they would have noticed the screen was filled with graphs and charts.

She was actually kitted out with the latest surveillance equipment, and in two-way communication with the rest of the team at their base of operations in a suite at another hotel a short distance away. Both audio and video were transmitted directly to the team monitoring the goings on in the bar.

"We had a bit of interference, but it seems to have cleared up. We've control of both front and rear cameras."

"What about the hotel's video feeds?"

"Not having much luck at the moment."

"And how is the audio?"

"You're coming through loud and clear."

Out of the corner of her eye, Parker spied a waitress heading in her direction.

"Bonsoir, bienvenue au le Bar. Voudriez-vous commander quelque chose?"

She looked up at the young woman and smiled apologetically. "Peut-on parler en anglais, s'il vous plaît, mon français est terrible."

The woman smiled and nodded. "Certainly, madam, welcome to Le Bar. Can I get you something to drink?"

She ordered the cocktail of the day, and resumed assessing the other patrons in the room. A few minutes later, she heard a commotion through her earpiece. Daniel had put all his men in place and returned to the hotel suite. His voice, curt and business-like, came through her earbuds. "Any sign of him?"

Parker glanced around the room. "No, but it's early yet."

"I still don't like this," he said. "At the first sign of trouble, I want you out of there. Are we clear?"

Rather than answer him, she rolled her eyes. They were receiving a video feed from both front and rear cameras, so he would have seen her. She held back a smile as she imagined him glowering at the monitor.

It wasn't the first time they'd had this conversation.

When Clara mentioned the name Sandulf, Parker's mind rocketed straight to the account they had tracked the money to. The one that had them chasing ghosts in order to discover who ultimately owned the account, and who was responsible for the carnage.

The shell company that owned the account was Sandulf GmbH. They needed to get back into that account and find anything that could lead them to Elise.

She had grabbed her laptop and quickly returned to the alphas, who were impatient to understand what had gotten her so excited. She explained what she had discovered, and the room went silent. Her evidence confirmed that Elise was behind the manufacturing and distribution of the drug. They just needed to prove the direct link to her and see if the trail would lead them to her.

Now that she had a few more details to go on, she set up her gear at the dining table and began a search of the data they had collected.

Daniel floated close behind her. "You know, hovering behind me won't make it go any faster."

He grunted and muttered something unintelligible as he straightened up and cleared the dishes away to give her more workspace.

Parker caught the look shared between Morgan and Clara. She squirmed in her chair, worried they may have picked up on what had happened at the lake.

Without saying anything, Morgan rose from the table and followed Daniel into the kitchen, leaving the two women alone.

"Bring Parker something to eat," Clara said, "and make sure there are a lot of calories in it."

Parker groaned. She loved the older woman to bits, but her concern for her nutritional intake was exhausting.

Clara got straight to the point once Morgan had left the room. "How are they treating you here? You've been vague over the phone."

She squirmed in her chair and kept her eyes focused on her monitor, sure that Clara would see through her if she looked up. "Everyone has been welcoming, and I've even made new friends."

"And how are you getting on with Daniel?"

Her nerves, already wound tight, were now at fever pitch. Surely Clara couldn't scent Daniel on her. She'd showered. Twice. Did she give something away in her actions? Was it something she'd said? She'd been careful to remain as normal as possible. A bead of sweat broke out just above her eyebrow, but she forced a neutral smile and looked up at Clara. "Fine. Why?"

Clara picked at a nonexistent piece of lint and avoided eye contact. "Nothing dear, no reason."

She let out the breath she'd been holding and refocused on the monitor. Thank God, she's not going to push the subject.

Daniel and Morgan returned, but remained quiet as she worked. Morgan settled into an overstuffed armchair and scanned through one of the newspapers that had been left on a side table. Clara, after disappearing for a few minutes, returned and buried her nose in a book, every once in awhile encouraging her to eat something.

As expected, her search revealed no instant results.

"This could take a while," she said. "I suggest you all get some sleep. I'll wake you if I get anywhere."

Daniel dismissed her suggestion. "I'm staying, I've nowhere else to be."

He looked toward Clara and Morgan questioningly.

Morgan looked up from the newspaper he was reading. "I'm good. What about you, my love?"

"Shhh," Clara snapped. "It's getting to the good bit."

Parker, who hadn't paid much attention to what the others were up to, looked over to the book Clara held in her hands and balked. "Jesus Christ, Clara, you aren't reading that, are you?"

Clara glanced up and blinked innocently. "What? I picked it up at the airport. I just wanted to see what the fuss was all about."

"And?"

Clara turned the book to the back cover and scanned the contents. "I don't suppose you have a copy of the sequels, Darker, and Freed, do you?"

She rolled her eyes and returned to her computer.

Parker stumbled onto the final clue a few hours later. "Yes! I knew I had seen the names somewhere."

Three sets of eyes turned to her.

A wide grin spread across her face. "I remembered one of the accounts we traced had credit cards attached."

She peered at the screen as a measure of triumph lifted her spirits. "The name on one of the cards is Matheo Bernard. Different last name, but same first."

Clara and Morgan looked at each other.

"And..." She quickly accessed the transaction details for the account. "Mr. Bernard's card has been used recently." She opened another terminal window and followed the merchant code. "According to this, he is in Montreal... at the Sofitel."

Daniel frowned. "What about Elise? Any information on her?"

She shook her head. "Nothing at this stage, but that doesn't mean it's not there. I just haven't found anything—yet."

Daniel strode over to the large window and stared into the darkness. "Matheo is just a pawn. Taking him down won't get us any closer to where the rest of the pack is. He would die before he gave them up. We need to find Elise."

Morgan let out a deep sigh. "I'm afraid he's right."

From Clara's pensive expression, she echoed Morgan's assessment.

"We'll need to find him and put a surveillance team on him. He'll eventually lead us back to her." Daniel paused and turned to Morgan. "I'll need your best trackers to supplement mine."

Morgan reached for his phone. "They're yours."

Daniel continued with his hastily devised plan. "I have vehicles and weapons stored in Vermont. We can fly there and drive across the border."

Parker frowned and shook her head. How these normally intelligent men had missed a key factor in all this was beyond her. "You know it's not going to work, don't you?"

All three alphas halted their conversation and looked blankly at her.

"Matheo is staying at a five-star hotel in the middle of a large city. Don't you think a bunch of burly men running around is going to be noticed?" She paused and crossed her arms over her chest. "Let's face it, your teams won't blend in with their surroundings. In a building full of Humans, I think he might notice if it's all of a sudden overrun with Werewolves."

Daniel and Morgan glanced at each other.

Morgan sighed. "She's right. He'll detect our scent a mile away."

"I have a better idea," she said. "I can go in. He's not going to take any notice of an additional Human and—"

"No, absolutely not!" Daniel cut in before she could finish. "He is ruthless. I won't run the risk of him learning of your existence."

She flew out of her chair. "You can't dictate what I can and can't do, Daniel Locke. This is the best option for getting in there, confirming it's him, and getting your team to track him once he leaves. And you damn well know it."

Daniel rose to his full height. "I've already said no. He won't hesitate to kill you if he finds out you know about us. It's a risk I am not willing to take."

His eyes locked with hers, his expression icy and determined against her defiance.

The room grew uncomfortably silent.

Morgan broke the standoff with a sigh. "You know she's right, Daniel. None of us will get close, and we don't have anyone else. We need someone on the inside to tell us if he's there." He placed a firm hand on Daniel's shoulder. "We can't lose this opportunity."

From the silent way in which Daniel and Morgan continued to look at each other, they'd continued their conversation telepathically.

"Fine," Daniel said, "but we are taking every security measure." He looked at Parker. "And you are to listen and carry out my every command. Are. We. Clear?" He did not blink once, as his eyes pierced hers.

Daniel broke into her thoughts, bringing Parker back to the present. "I said, are we clear?"

"Don't get your pants in a knot," she said. "Nothing is going to happen to me. This is a busy hotel, and you have a team outside if anything goes wrong."

By the time she was on her second Atomic Champagne cocktail, two hours later, the room was noisy. She, along with Zeke, Jay, Daniel, and Simon—on video, regularly scanned the crowd for any signs of their target.

"Parker, move the camera to the right." Daniel's tone was urgent, and her pulse quickened. Careful not to attract too much attention, she reached down and nudged the tablet to the right. She leaned over and pretended to read something on the screen.

Her brows furrowed. No one stood out as she again scanned the crowd around the bar. "What do you see?"

The bar area was full, all the chairs were occupied, and people were milling around, talking and laughing. Happy hour was almost over, and the patrons vied for the bartender's attention. Servers were busy collecting orders for customers at the small tables scattered around the room. It was chaos.

Parker spotted their target at the same moment she heard Daniel's sharp intake of breath. She froze. "He's here."

She forgot to breathe. It was one thing to watch the vile man through the safety of a computer monitor with miles between them, it was quite another to be in the same room.

Matheo was casually leaning against the bar, openly surveying all the women near him. He reminded her of a predator, his expression turning salacious and lecherous as he raked his gaze up and down their bodies. She felt contaminated just watching him from her safe vantage point across the room.

Gail had been correct. He was an attractive man, used to second looks. There was not an ounce of fat on him, and his body filled out the dark Armani suit in all the right places. His thick, wavy hair was slicked back with copious hair product. When the light caught on a gold chain around his neck she was reminded of her initial impression of his sleazy nature. The top three buttons of his expensive shirt were undone, and an oversized gold necklace was visible, the bottom of the chain resting on a thick mat of dark chest hair.

Jesus, he looks like he stepped out of a Mafia movie.

Between his perusals of the women around the bar, he checked his watch and glanced at the door.

"Guys," she said into her earpiece. "I think he's waiting for someone. I'm going to move closer."

"Don't you dare." Daniel's voice was loud and clear through her earpiece. "The plan was for you to confirm he was there and let us know when he leaves. That's it. Change any part of the plan and I'll come in and get you myself."

"No. I need to stay. He might be waiting for Elise."

"Then stay where you are." He was practically shouting at her.

She shrunk lower in her seat. "Keep your voice down. I don't have a goddamn death wish. Humans won't hear you, but he might."

Her earpiece went quiet for a moment. She jumped when the sound of wood splintering erupted through her receiver. She cringed as Daniel's voice boomed into her ear as though he were now in the room, directly beside her. She guessed that he had taken her off loudspeaker, and they were the only ones now privy to the conversation.

"We agreed that you would follow my orders." His voice was icy, low, and with a hint of danger. "All of them."

She tried to reason with him. "I am not a child, and you know we may not get this chance again."

"Parker, I need you to understand the danger you are in. If he figures out you know who, and what, he is—" He paused and drew in a shaky breath. "He won't be merciful."

Parker sneaked another glance at Matheo, who was still leaning against the bar. She scrutinized him and weighed her options. When she made her choice, she let out a breath. "I trust you, and I have faith you've put in place enough measures to get me out of here at a moment's notice if need be."

Daniel swore under his breath and exhaled. "Are you ever going to listen to a word I say?"

She grinned. "Now, where would be the fun in that?"

"This isn't a game." Daniel's voice bellowed. "You are in very real danger with that lunatic."

Parker nearly jumped out of her skin at his angry outburst, and her eyes darted around the bar to make sure no one else heard. "Jesus, are you trying to paint a target on me? I'm here to observe and stay in the background. Nothing more."

A typical male grunt was the only reply she received. She returned to her paperwork but kept an eye on the bar. This could take a while.

Her heart leaped when a woman approached Matheo. "Blond, in a body-hugging white dress, with a red Prada Ostrich tote bag," she whispered. "Is that her? Is that Elise?"

There was a pause as she watched Matheo and the woman shake hands, then move to one of the tables located between her and the entrance to the bar. Her shoulders tensed as she watched the interaction. From the way he greeted the woman, she was almost sure this wasn't his alpha. "Is it?"

Her shoulders slumped when Daniel said, "No."

Not wanting to risk looking out of place in a bar without ordering regularly, she emptied her drink into the plant beside her chair, ordered another Atomic Champagne cocktail, and settled back for the duration.

"Do we know who she is?" Parker said. "Is she Human or Were?"

The lack of reply spoke volumes.

After what seemed like an eternity, Matheo and his guest exited the bar and headed toward the main entrance to the hotel. She breathed a sigh of relief and swallowed her anxiety. Something about the man made her skin crawl. "They're leaving through the main door. Be ready."

Daniel barked out orders for his teams to follow both targets from a distance.

Parker tossed her papers and tablet into her briefcase. Thank God, we're one step closer to tracking down Elise's whereabouts.

She left money on the table and headed out the entrance. "I'm on my way back."

Distracted, she ran into a large and rigid object and stumbled backward, dropping her bag. She bent down and retrieved the contents strewn across the plush hotel carpet.

"I'm so sorry," she said without looking up, "I wasn't watching where I was going."

It only took a moment for her to throw everything into her bag and rise to her feet, an apologetic smile on her face.

"I hope I didn't hurt—" Her smile froze as she came face-to-face with Matheo Dumas. "—you," she managed to force out. Shit, shit, shit, shit.

Matheo smirked as he swept a hungry gaze up and down the length of her body. "Not at all, but you could make up for it by having a drink with me."

His voice was smooth and deliberately honeyed with a distinct European accent.

Her chest tightened, and she found it hard to breathe. Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. What the hell am I going to do?

She forced down her escalating panic, composed a neutral face, and hoped her voice wouldn't fail her. "I would love to, but I have a conference call in ten minutes that I can't miss."

Parker made a motion to step around him. Matheo anticipated the move and grabbed her firmly by her elbow. "Why don't you give it a miss, Bella? I'm sure our conversation will be beneficial to both of us."

He did not just call me Bella, did he?

Her pulse raced, and she tightened her grip on her bag to stop shaking. "Unfortunately, it's with my boss, so I don't have a choice." She gave him what she hoped was a smile, though she couldn't be sure. She prayed that Daniel or one of the boys would not start speaking through her earpiece. Matheo would hear it as clear as day. "Next time, maybe?"

Matheo stared at her in a cold, calculating manner. She made the mistake of looking directly at him. She hadn't seen eyes so devoid of compassion, so filled with pure evil, since the night Bobby was attacked. It chilled her to her core and brought up emotions she had long kept suppressed. She needed to tread carefully. Very, very carefully.

He took a step closer and looked down her cleavage. Even with her heels, he was a good foot taller than her. "So, Bella, how long are you in Montreal?"

"Until the end of the week."

"Well, how about you make it up to me tomorrow night?" He pushed for her answer as he ran his hand up and down her arm.

Her stomach churned.

"Sounds like a plan. How about I meet you here at eight?" She tried to appear eager. "And we can grab a bite to eat afterward."

That seemed to appease him. He grabbed her hand and brought the back of it to his lips in an overtly sensual manner.

"Till then." He released her hand, but not before raking his gaze up and down her body.

She shivered with repulsion. Matheo's expression left her in no doubt what was running through his depraved mind. A smile was all she could muster before she fled the room. It took effort not to run, but even if she wanted to, her legs were like jello, and she'd probably trip over her own feet.

She wasn't safe yet. He might be watching her every move, so she went directly to the lift lobby, and pressed the up button. After what seemed an eternity, the doors swished open and she rushed in and pressed the button for the third floor, where, if anyone were to check, she was registered. Unable to stand, she held onto the railing and her shaking body broke out in a sweat.

Her mind had kicked into survival mode. She was afraid Matheo might decide he couldn't wait for the following evening and follow her up to her room. There was no protection for her in the building—Daniel and Morgan's trackers were all posted at the exits, far enough away that their scent wouldn't carry to Matheo.

As soon as the lift opened on the third floor, she headed to the stairwell. She looked up and down the corridor to ensure it was deserted and took a deep breath to release the one she had held since bumping into Matheo. Before her legs gave way, she leaned against the door to the stairwell and struggled to get her emotions in check "I'm on the third floor, about to head down to the basement."

She nearly lost her hearing when loud, panicked voices broke loose in her earpiece. She was unable to distinguish one voice from the other.

A moment later, the door behind her was yanked open, and she unceremoniously fell backward into the stairwell. Her body was caught before she hit the concrete floor, and a hand reached around and covered her mouth before she could scream out. She struggled to break free, immobilized against a solid body with inhuman strength.

Oh God, he followed me.

She gagged, then her fight instinct kicked in. She lifted her foot up and brought her stiletto heel down as hard as she could. It made contact with its target, and she grinned.

"Ow, Parks. That was uncalled for."

Relief spread through her, and her body relaxed. It was Bobby.

"I have her. We are heading back now." Bobby ended the call and grunted as he removed his hand from her mouth, straightened her up, and looked down at his sore foot. "These are my best Chuck Taylors, and you put a hole in them."

She took a deep breath to calm her nerves. "I should have put a hole in your foot, too, for scaring me like that."

Bobby opened his mouth to speak, but instead let out a series of coughs.

She looked closer at him. "Are you okay?"

He nodded and waved his hand dismissively. "Just a scratchy throat, that's all." He headed down the stairs toward the parking garage. "I'd better get you back to Alpha Locke, something tells me you're in trouble. Big time."

She pursed her lips and followed him. Her heart was still racing from the scare.

Bobby grinned. "What the hell is that smell?"

When she poked him in theback, Bobby broke out in another fit of coughing, mixed with laughter. "And youneed a shower. That perfume is overdone,if you ask me. It's getting right up my nose."