*Maddox*
We arrive in the village less than twenty minutes after we left the castle. I see the dive shop I’ve been told about pretty quickly and ask Beta Seth to pull into a parking spot not far from the front door. It’s still fairly early in the morning, and most of the activity around the shops is centered around the coffeehouse and the bakery—not the dive shop, which doesn’t even look to be open.
I will not let that deter me.
Hopping out of the car, I make my way to the door and try it. I’m relieved that it is unlocked, despite the fact that the lights are not in, and there being no sign in the window that says, “Open.”
In fairness, and in my defense, there’s no “Closed” sign either.
When the chime above the door dings, I hear an aggravated sigh from the back of the shop and have to assume that whoever is working this morning would prefer not to have any customers.
That makes me glad I’m not intending to give them any money.
Despite the humor I would find in making Beta Seth dive down into the river to have a look around, I wasn’t planning on doing that to him or anyone else from the castle when he’d declared it wasn’t going to happen.
My theory is, they aren’t still down there with the same oxygen tanks, and while I’d considered seeing if there were any tracks down there, I figure it would have to be pretty specialized divers who would be capable of finding any tracks that might be left behind.
That isn’t Seth….
And if I need the help of specialized divers, well, I have to assume they will have their own equipment.
This shop doesn’t seem to have much for diving anyway, which makes sense to me since the river is the only major body of water anywhere near here, and most people go diving in the ocean, I imagine. That is several hours’ drive away from us.
The walls are lined with surfboards, many of them covered with dust. A few wetsuits hang on racks throughout the store, but mostly I see bathing suits and boogie boards, the sorts of things people might use in a lake or in a pool.
If people go diving in a lake, they probably aren’t doing it recreationally.
As Seth and I look around, an older man with a scowl on his face comes from the back. His tan skin tells me that he seems to like the beach himself. His mostly gray hair is in sharp contrast to his dark, lined skin, and the frown he wears makes him look a bit ruthless.
Not that I am scared.
“Oh, great, more suits,” he mumbled under his breath as he approached us. “My shop keep ain’t here yet, so if you need something, it’s best you come back later. I ain’t got the time or the patience to answer a bunch of stupid-ass questions.”
Beta Seth and I exchange a questioning glance. I can tell my friend is about to put this guy in his place, but I am amused and decide to let this go on for a bit. Obviously, he doesn’t recognize me, and that is twice in less than twenty-four hours someone older than me has decided to try to put me in my place.
I sort of enjoy it.
“We’re not actually here to buy anything,” I begin.
He cuts me off really quickly. “Well, then get the hell out. I don’t have a public restroom, I don’t give directions, and if you want advice about how to dive, look it up in a book!”
He waves his hand at us dismissively, but when he sees we aren’t leaving, he only gets angrier.
Before he could open his mouth again, I say, “We’re here on official business from the crown.”
His eyebrows arch for a second before he says, “What? The wetsuits your friends bought the king didn’t work out so well? That ain’t my fault. Take it up with the manufacturer.”
“What wetsuits for the king?” Seth asks before I can say anything at all.
“The ones I sold those guys in suits yesterday afternoon, right around closing. Some guard from the palace came in yesterday morning, sent his friends back yesterday afternoon to get the suits. Three of ‘em. Three tanks, and a waterproof bag. Isn’t that what you’re here to ask about?” He rubs his chin thoughtfully.
“Yes, that is what we’re here to ask about,” I confirm, “but we weren’t part of the party that bought them yesterday. We are following up to see exactly what they bought and if you know what they look like.”
“Yeah. You deaf or somethin’? I just told you what they bought, dumbass,” he says to me.
Seth is angry again, wanting to step forward and punch the guy. I stifle a laugh. It’s funny to me to have this man call me names, though I’m not sure why.
“I heard that,” I tell him. “But I was explaining to you why we had come here to begin with. Now, we have half of the information we need. I know what they bought, but I still don’t know exactly who bought it. Can you describe them for me? How many of them were there?”
“Hell, I don’t know. Three guys in suits. Said they need them for a date the king was taking some stupid bitch on last night. I hear he has a breeder now, so maybe it was her. Fuck if I know. Anyway, that’s what they bought. Paid me extra for it, so I didn’t give ‘em a hard time, but they were all a bunch of stuck-up assholes, just like you guys. Pretty boys with their nails buffed and their hair styled, nice sunglasses, shiny shoes.”
I look at Seth again. He has to be talking about three of Alpha Jordan’s guards because my soldiers don’t wear suits. They were uniforms in the color of the crown.
“All right,” I say. “Thank you.”
“Whatever,” he says, waving his hand at us again. “Now, get the hell out of here.”
“Of course,” I tell him, but then I give Seth the gesture I always make whenever I secretly want him to pay someone off
Seth’s eyes widen as he scoffs. “You want me to do what?” he asks using the mind-link.
“Give the guy a couple hundred. We may need him again. He’s been helpful.”
“He’s been a downright fucking asshole!” Seth tells me, but as I move toward the door, I see Seth is doing what I said.
“Gee, what’s this,” the guy says. “Couple bucks?”
“Why don’t you look at it before you make snide remarks?” I hear Seth say.
“Holy shit!” the guy exclaims. “Anything else you two need to know?”
“We’re good for now.” I look back at him from the door.
“Well, if you do need anything, let me know. If I’m not here when you come, ask for Bud. Don’t be paying those asshole kids who work here who are always late, now. They don’t deserve one fucking dime!”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” I tell him. “Oh, one more thing. How many gallons of oxygen did those tanks they bought hold?”
“Uh, eleven liters,” he tells us.
“So.. in the river, how long would that last?” I want to know.
“Great Wolf River? Probably about an hour, maybe an hour and a half. You got folks diving in that river? There’s a real choppy undercurrent. It’ll take you right downstream, real quick, especially if you don’t know how to handle it.” He looks concerned.
“Yeah, I do have divers in there. Where do you think they’d end up if they left Crescent City, near the water bottling facility?” Maybe he is more help than I thought he would be.
“Fuck, I think they’d end up about twenty miles downstream,” he tells me. “Probably near Hill Country pack.”
“Hill Country pack?” I repeat. That’s one of the packs that Alpha Jordan considers his ally. Won’t that be convenient for him? “Thanks,” I say again.
He nods and wishes us a good day, and I tell him the same before we are out on the sidewalk, heading toward the car.
“You never tell them who you are,” Seth mutters. “You need to get that mug of yours out there more. Put your face on the currency or something so they know who you are and don’t act like such assholes.”
I laugh a little as I get into the car, but I am lost in my thoughts. I’m definitely not putting my face on the currency.
“Where am I going?” Seth asks as he backs out of the parking spot.
“Uh… Hill Country pack, I guess,” I tell him.
“How did I know you were going to say that?” Seth mumbles. “Did you finish your protein shake? We should stop at the bakery and get some real food.”
“I’m good,” I tell him. “But if you insist, run on in like a good little boy, and be quick about it.”
He grumbles at me and pulls in next to the bakery, leaving me to finish my half-consumed protein shake and think about what Alpha Bryant of Hill Country pack will do if he has a turd wash up on his shores. Will he help Alpha Jordan out or let me know he’s there? By now, every pack in my kingdom should know I’m looking for Alpha Jordan, his wife, and his daughter, though I’m not too worried about the Luna. I’m guessing she’s on her way home in a vehicle. I don’t have the manpower to look for her right now, and I’m guessing she won’t be of any help. I’m not going to torture her….
A few minutes later, Seth returns with a coffee in his hand and a glazed donut hanging out of his mouth. He gets in, puts his coffee in the cupholder, and removes the donut saying, “I really wish you would’ve gone with me. I wouldn’t have had to pay.”
“Why didn’t you tell them you were the Beta?” I ask him as he is heading back onto the road again.
“I did, but they said they didn’t care. They said if I was an Alpha, they’d care.” He looks injured, like they’ve wounded his sensitive soul, and I have to try not to laugh.
“Well, they probably wouldn’t have recognized me anyway,” I remind him.
We sit in silence as Seth eats his donut and sips his coffee, and I think about Isla. I hope she’s all right, and I didn’t offend her with my hasty comment about falling for me being dangerous.
We are nearly to Hill Country pack when I hear a voice in my head. “Alpha King Maddox, this is Alpha Bryant. I hear you’re on your way to see me.”
“How the hell do you know that?” I ask him.
He chuckles. “I have my ways. Listen, I think I know what this is about, and I think I can help you.”
My gut clenches at both of his remarks. Does he have spies around my castle? In the village? A connection with the shop owner I just paid for his help? And… how could he possibly be able to help me?
“I’m listening,” I tell him. “What is it?”
He is quiet for a moment before he says, in a measured voice, “I think I have something you want.”
I feel my heart start to race as I imagine what he’s about to tell me. “What is it?” I ask him.
“Not what,” he begins. “But who.”