Auctioned Mates Revenge
Chapter 52

Warhammer.

The words resonated through me. I felt Grace go stiff beside me and knew she was just as shocked. Midnight wasn't just a little pack like Fluorite. It was second only to Warhammer. Taking Midnight down would be near impossible because of its allegiance with Matt's lips twitched, "You two look like you might faint."

"That's... a very large undertaking," Grace said. "Why?"

He glanced at me then down to my arm before his gaze turned hard, "Let's just say Mordecai pissed me off enough and his relationship with Ben only pisses me off more."

"And... if you managed to take down Midnight, what then?"

He looked at me, "Would that complete your revenge?"

I blinked at him. I didn't want to answer, but the words came anyway.

"I don't know."

His lips twitched, "Then, the plan after that hasn't changed."

Grace hummed, "You sound like you've given it some thought."

"Midnight is a bevy of pleasure," Matt said, "I don't need to destroy it. It's a great asset. I just need to... replace it."

I frowned looking at Grace who stared down at her plate. What would replacing it even look like?

"For one, I don't want you and Mordecai alone in any fashion ever again," Matt said, "If I thought killing him outright would solve the problem and get me somewhere, I would do so."

I glanced at him, shivering a bit at the growl in his voice.

"He didn't do anything to me... Though I agree."

"He wanted to. It wasn't even the crowd that stopped him," Matt growled. "That bastard would have done much worse than just grabbing you if he didn't need me to fix his money problems."

I looked at him, "I got a lot of information out of that-"

"It wasn't worth the risk."

I scoffed, "Risk? You think that's the biggest risk I'm willing to take?"

His eyes narrowed, "It's the biggest risk I'm willing to take."

Protective. Alyssa growled, low and pleased. Glenda, why can't we just give in?

I pushed her pleased rumble to the back of my mind as I met his gaze, "You're going to have to get a stronger stomach, Matt."

Grace sputtered. I looked at her and I knew Matt had as well as she started laughing, throwing her head back. Her eyes were watery with happy tears.

"You two are hilarious!" Grace shook her head, "You're both going to need stronger stomachs if you want to take down Midnight."

I looked back at Matt who was flushing, "You think I couldn't kill him?"

Grace gave him a saucy look, "Now, now, alpha, I would never doubt that you could take Mordecai in a fight."

I looked between the two of them as her eyes flashed with a light I hadn't seen in years.

I had been right in that her wolf was still active. The thought made me a bit uncomfortable. Was her wolf thinking the same thing Alyssa was? Alyssa growled, We can take her if we need to.

I pushed that thought away. I wasn't going to fight Grace. That's ridiculous.

"Your wolf is still... healthy?" Matt asked, his voice calm.

Grace looked down, "Northern wolves are hearty. You don't survive on the tundra without it."

I nodded thinking about the paper in my room. The card from Sean, the note from Chloe, and my phone were burning in the back of my mind.

"... I can only imagine that's part of the reason Mordecai is so obsessed with you."

She went pale, "What does that mean?"

"Mordecai is obsessed with his strength. He prides himself on it. He comes from a long line of werewolf warriors. He's probably relished... breaking werewolves. Letting you escape with your connection still intact means he's been itching to get you back in a position where he can try again."

She shuddered, and I growled, "He won't come near you."

Grace's eyes widened, and she smiled, glancing at Matt before her eyes twinkled, "Thank you."

I nodded.

"But that's just not possible."

"What?"

Grace shook her head, pointing at us both, "We'll get back to the playboy cover, but if you're sure about it, he needs to know that there's still a challenge, doesn't he?"

She trailed a hand through her hair, "I was only... given to Mordecai once. I-I don't remember much of it, and I have no wish to experience it again, but he was also my last client. He knows that. Everyone knows that."

"What about Felix?" I asked.

Glenda scoffed and Matt laughed, "Mordecai was never concerned about Felix. In his mind, after he got his hands on Grace, Felix was more of a caretaker. I wouldn't be surprised if you were taken out of service because Mordecai made it clear that he wanted you." Grace nodded, "He... didn't say that, but I suspected as much."

I looked back at Matt who seemed to be considering her words.

"You're right," Matt said, "He'll likely be devising a way to see you again soon. Something that you would be expected to be reasonably undressed."

I shook my head, "You can't be serious."

"It's a bit too late in the year this far north for a pool or a lake party, but a s*x party or something to that effect wouldn't be outside of the realm of possibility. We should be planning for that as well."

"Your playboy reputation," I said, "What is the purpose of it?"

Matt sighed, "You've done some research on me, haven't you?"

I nodded and he smirked, "Three guesses."

I glowered at him, "This isn't really the time to play guessing games."

Matt lifted a shoulder, "I think it's perfect."

I huffed, "Because you're facetious."

"True, but not the core reason."

I huffed. That wasn't a guess, but a complaint. His eyes twinkled as if he knew I was complaining about his strangely playful turn.

"You said you were spiting Ben, but you make his pack so much money, so are you trying to tank your company?"

His lips twitched, "What sort of research did you do, Renda?"

My face burned, but I didn't answer. That clearly wasn't the answer.

"If you're worried about how many translucent pink gowns I can buy you, I have plenty of money for it."

I scowled at him.

"Golden nude dresses for Grace too."

Grace chuckled, "You don't want to be the alpha of Warhammer, do you?"

He smiled, "Amazing Grace wins the game."

I frowned looking at Matt. Was he crazy? He was the eldest. No matter what the other heads of packs and the news said, there was no way that there was anyone else who would be alpha. He made so much money for the pack. If they didn't make him alpha, then the economics of the Warhammer pack would be in danger.

He chuckled, "You look so surprised. Should I explain it?"

I nodded.

He smiled and sighed, "I didn't expect to tell you this so soon, but Grace is right. This, at least, is something you both need to know so we are all on the same page."

He grinned, "The truth of Warhammer that Ben reports to the Interpack Authorities, the news, and the truth are all very different realities."

The Interpack Authorities were divided. The North American branch was mostly bought off by the larger packs. The branches from abroad and related to international oversight were all kept blind by the North American branch for everything that Warhammer, Midnight, and Black Wind, the main pack centered in the middle of the country needed.

I had heard of Black Wind, but not much. I didn't know they were that big.

"I have my suspicions that Black Wind has the biggest foothold in the underground, but that's another conversation," he said. "They like to play neutral between Midnight and Warhammer. The news broadcasts, loud and clear that Warhammer is the biggest, most powerful pack. It's true to a degree. But it's not the whole truth."

"A degree?"

"Neither Mordecai nor Uriel have enough charisma to pull enough packs willingly under their banners, so they will never manage to grow their land stake enough to beat out Warhammer in size."

That made sense. Warhammer ruled over most of the east coast from end to end these days and a few other pockets of control beyond the coast including where Fluorite was and Skyfall. If I factored in Frost Melt's region to the north, Warhammer owned or controlled territory enough coast to coast.

"All three of them have each other under so much blackmail after trading dirty favors over the years that to expose one of them is to expose all of them. Ben happens to have the most blackmail on the others."

"Not surprising," Grace said. "And what else?"

"Well, Ben is the only alpha of a pack that his family didn't found, so they get to snicker about that often." He grinned, "And none of them have any real industry."

I frowned looking at Matt, "What does that mean?"

Grace gasped, "No... That's not possible."

"Ben is more of the type to... smash and grab. He doesn't know how to build anything, but the Interpack agreements allow him to tax and obscure financial records enough to make it seem like Warhammer has enough industry on its own. Save a handful of companies, everything from technology, fuel, luxury, investments, and beyond are businesses that are based in Warhammer but are not owned by the pack."

I gasped staring at him in shock as he looked at me.

He winked, "Hence, you never have to worry about how much money it's going to take."