“I have a lot on my mind.”
“What?” She placed a hand on his arm. “You can tell me.”
“It’s nothing.” He flinched away from her touch, and he didn’t miss the hurt in her eyes. “Julianna, I swear I’m fine.”
She let out a sigh. “If you won’t talk to me, will you at least talk to Adrianna? She’s your twin, so I know there are things you’d rather talk to her about.” She held up a hand when he tried to protest. “No, it’s fine. I understand. You guys have this special bond. I just … I care about you, you know that, right?”
“I do. And I’ll talk to Adrianna.”
That seemed to satisfy her. “Good. I have to go see Mika and Aunt Alynna and report to them. I couldn’t come here and not say hi to my favorite brother.”
“I’m your only brother,” he reminded her, getting a chuckle from her, and it seemed all was right with them again.
She leaned up and kissed him on the cheek. “I’ll see you around, Lucas.”
“Take care, Julianna.”
As his sister left his office, he walked back around to his desk. Julianna was too perceptive for her own good, which is why she was so well-suited to being part of the Special Investigations unit of the Lycan Security Team. He knew she had good intentions, but this was something he had to deal with himself.
He raised his hands, turning them over to examine his palms and fingers, imagining them tipped with razor-sharp claws. His wolf was getting bolder, possibly stronger. It was all these memories and the past coming back to haunt him. Thomas Dixon. Kevin Hall. Caroline.
And it was Sofia dredging this all up. Turning his animal against him. If she really knew what he was, she would stop digging into his past. Because if he lost full control, there would be consequences.
Chapter Seven
Julianna must have returned to New Jersey that same day, because that was the only explanation as to the numerous missed calls and messages he got from Adrianna. He hated to ignore her, but he told himself it was for the best. Adrianna had her own problems to deal with. With her naturally nurturing nature, she would put all her worries aside to help him.
But, if he were to be truly honest with himself, he didn’t want to face her because he knew that she could read him like a book. They shared a womb, after all, and all his twin had to do was look at him to know what was bothering him. And frankly, he wouldn’t be able to lie to her.
So, he did his best to ignore her calls and messages. After all, he was busy with running a worldwide conglomerate. His father was still technically CEO and Alpha, but with the title coming to him soon, Lucas had already assumed many of the responsibilities of both positions. His father was traveling currently, trying to go to the various offices and partners around the world to give his final goodbyes and soothe any worries with the upcoming transition.
He thought he could continue to brush off his sister, but then her last message hit a nerve.
Mike’s Diner, 6 p.m. Be there or not, I’ll be waiting.
The words made him flinch. Adrianna was taking out the big guns. She was apparently concerned enough that she would not only defy their parent’s orders that they not be in the same place together, but she would choose a place that meant something to both of them.
He had no choice but to go there and see her. But, if any of the Lycan Security Team found out where he was going, they’d report him to Nick Vrost or his father. They were under strict orders to guard him at all times. How could he possibly get away from his shadows?
The solution to his problem came in the form of his future Beta and his best friend. Zac was the one person who understood why he couldn’t just ignore his sister. He was trying to help him find a way to go there without alerting anyone when Astrid walked in and asked what they were doing. Zac, of course, couldn’t lie to his wife.
“We’ll take you,” Astrid offered.
“We will?” Zac frowned.
“Of course,” Astrid said matter-of-factly. “It’s the only way. We can tell Nick that Lucas wants to have dinner with us in private regarding clan and Fenrir matters. The team is already working double shifts, having to protect the Alpha while he’s abroad, the Lupa while she’s going back and forth from Jersey, and trying to figure out where the mages are hiding.” As Beta-in-training, Astrid was privy to all this information. “Reyes can go home to his wife and kids, and Lucas can go see Adrianna.”
Lucas thought it was a brilliant plan. “Excellent solution. Make it happen.”
He had to admit he’d made the right choice in picking Astrid as his Beta. He meant what he said before, about her being the best person for the job because she wasn’t afraid to go against him if necessary; after all, an Alpha needed someone to balance him out, someone who would help him look at things objectively and not be afraid to do the necessary work to protect the clan. But now he saw Astrid’s craftiness and intelligence in action. He had no doubt she would be a great second-in-command in the next couple of decades.
At five that afternoon, he met them in Fenrir’s basement parking lot. He had one of his personal cars taken out and insisted on driving them, since he didn’t usually drive himself around. Besides, it was a tradition of sorts for him to drive to Mike’s Diner. When he and Adrianna first got their licenses, they had driven to Jersey by themselves and
