Chapter 108


    Valen POV


    Tatum and I went and dropped the vial offst night. Doc split it into samples before sending it off to the


    labs, and this morning I was taking Everly to the ountant, deciding afterst night I didn’t want her


    on her own anywhere.


    Everly had been nervous all morning about something, and I could tell she wanted to ask me


    something. She was weird when I got homest night, making me wonder if she argued with her father


    or something.


    ncing at her, I decided to ask her because her weird mood was freaking me out. “What’s wrong?” I


    asked as we pulled up at a set of traffic lights.


    “I am worried about the ountant,” she answers.


    “Why?”


    “Because I wasn’t expecting you toe with me,” my brows pinch together wondering what she


    meant.


    “It‘s that bad?”


    “No. But I did something when I inherited everything, and I was hoping it remained hidden, but now you


    will find out,” she says.


    “What did you do?”


    “I got even. And also I was angry at you, so just don’t be mad. But it was a lot of money, I had this


    stupid idea, but it may piss you off.” She shakes her head.


    “You won’t tell me?” she shakes her head. “And you told no one? And how much money did my mother


    leave you?”


    “Zoe and Macey know. We had a goodugh about it, but I wasn’t expecting you or anyone to find out.”


    I was going to ask her what it was when she spoke again.


    “I also wanted to ask you about the hotel. Macey said something to mest night, but I worry it may


    upset you also,” she says.


    “Why would it upset me? It’s your hotel,” I tell her.


    “Well, legally, yes. But it was your mother‘s,”


    “You don’t want to continue the rebuild or sell it?” I ask, wondering what she is getting at.


    My mother left it to Everly. I would never interfere with the hotel. Mum wanted her to have it.


    Therefore Everly was free to do as she pleased with it. Though I hoped she wouldn’t sell it off. “No. Not


    sell it, sell it, I will still own it, but…” my brows furrow, and I elerate as the light turns green.


    “Just say it, Everly,” I tell her, and she sighs.


    “I was nning on doing it anyway before you came back into the picture. But now you are, I thought I


    should ask,” she says.


    “It‘s your Hotel. That doesn‘t change, so tell me what you want to do,”


    “I am running out of funds for the rebuild. The insurance didn‘t cover everything, and the savings set


    aside for emergencies are running out. Everything else is locked down in term deposits and trust funds


    which I don‘t want to touch unless necessary. I know you offered to help, but..”


    “But you refuse to take money from me,” I growl. We have a kid and live together, yet she never lets me


    pay for everything, she is always contributing even though I don‘t want or need her money. But hearing


    all this made me wonder how much she did have?


    “I don‘t want a handout, and I don’t want to owe anyone,” she says.


    “I‘m your mate,” I tell her.


    “I have never needed help, and I don‘t want it, but Macey and Zoe have been pooling their money to


    invest,”


    “You want to split the ce three ways? Change ownership into three titles?” I ask, and she nods,


    ncing at me before she starts nervously defending herself.


    “I know it was your mother‘s, and I will still own it. But Macey was telling mest night, she and Zoe


    were looking into buying something investment–wise to leave to their kids, and I was already going…”


    “I think it‘s a good idea,” I cut her off, and she turns in her seat to look at me.


    “You do?” she actually seemed shocked.


    “It may have been my mothers, but you three girls built that ce. But I have one condition if you go


    ahead,” I tell her, and she clicks her tongue.


    “I‘m not losing ownership, just partnering up..” she starts to say.


    “Give it to them,” I tell her, and she gapes at me.


    “I think you’re missing the point, Valen. I kind of can’t afford to unless I touch Vrian’s money which I


    don’t want to do. And I don’t know how much they have, but anything will help with the rebuild, and the


    money will only be going back into the hotel until we can open, and I would hand it back,”


    “I know that, but my condition is, either I buy it off you, or you give it to them and let me cover the rest


    of the cost.” I tell her.


    “No. I don’t want your money, and Macey and Zoe wouldn’t agree to that anyway. They would think


    they owe you,” What is with these girls and settling debts and even gifts?


    “Then split it four ways. We don’t need their money Everly, and they are like your sisters. You three built


    it. I can get contracts drawn up so they know I can’t interfere with the hotel. I will merely be an investor


    but hold no control,” I tell her.


    “Once Vrianes of age, I can transfer any title I have to his name,” I tell her.


    “Just let me ask the girls first,” she says, and I nod. I would rather she take the money, but she is too


    headstrong. Maybe I could speak to the girls and get them to convince her. The way I see it, they


    helped build it to the way it is. They should have equal shares.


    Besides, they may not believe or think it, but I owed them for being there when I wasn’t. So if this helps


    them and clears my guilty conscience, it is a win-win. Pulling up at the ountants, my father was


    there waiting already, and Everly climbed out of the car and waved to him. I grab the box of files off the


    backseat when the back door opens, and Everly snatches a pink folder off the backseat.


    “I can take it,” she shakes her head, making me confused. What had she done that she didn’t want me


    to see? She almost looked embarrassed. When she closed the door, my father hugged her, and I could


    tell he was tickled pink about her pregnancy. John also met us, and we all walked into the ountant’s


    office, along with my ountant that arrived at the same time. Not that I didn’t trust John’s ountant,


    but I wanted to be sure.


    We moved into a room with a huge oval mahogany desk, and I took a seat next to Everly, who was


    clutching the pink folder.


    The ountants start chatting among themselves and going over paperwork while my father has a silly


    smirk on his face as he stares at her. Turning slightly in my chair, Everly’s eyes go to his, and her lips


    part.


    “You know?” she asks, and he nods once.


    “Honestly, it is something Vrie would have done" he chuckles, and the room falls silent as everyone


    looks between my father and Everly.


    The door swings open, and Everly shrinks down in her seat as her ountant walks in.


    “Joseph,” my father says in acknowledgment. My eyes narrow at my father and Joseph smiles and sits


    next to Everly. He squeezes her hand. I had no idea who he was but she said he would be here.


    “Joseph, this Valen,” Everly says, and he nods.


    “Nice to meet you. Your mother was a wonderful woman,” he says.


    “You knew my mother?”


    “Yes. I was herwyer. Everly kept me on after she passed,” he says, and I swallow, trying to figure out


    what was going on.


    All the ountants talk, trying to find the best approach to deal with Alpha John’s pack, which was now


    technically mine and Everly’s. But Everly didn’t want to take control off himpletely, which shocked


    me. Instead, her father would be running things.


    “You still want me to run the pack,” John asks.


    “Yes. You’re nightshade pack, I have my Hotel and Luna stuff. You know the pack; I may be their Alpha


    now, but it’s still your home,”


    “What’s the catch?” John asks.


    “For starters, no gambling. And you don’t handle finances. Joseph will. And you answer to Valen now,”


    she says, and my eyebrows raise.


    The room falls silent, and you can hear a pin drop. It was so quiet. Everyone looks at John, waiting to


    see what he says. Our packs have been rivals for decades, and I didn’t expect him to agree.


    “Okay, but can we please see Vrian? ire has been asking every day, and Everly won‘t bring him


    to see us unless you say so,” John tells me, and Everly looks at me.


    I know she was trying to make up for not telling me of the pregnancy by letting me decide that, but I


    knew she secretly wanted her parents in her life. Despite having their differences, she still loved them.


    Everly was just no longer a child and had no problem cutting people out of her life now. She didn‘t have


    time for the bullshit.


    “You want this?” I ask her, and she nods.


    “Valen, they are her parents,” Dad mind-links. I sigh and nod.


    “Fine. But, if he doesn’t want anything to do with you, you won’t force a rtionship with my son or our


    babies,” I tell him, and he nods and lets out a breath.


    “Wait! Babies?! As in more than one?!” John blurts, and I pale. We were trying to keep that on the


    down-low for now.


    “Yes, dad. I am having triplets,” Everly admits. John gapes at her before regathering himself like he


    was doing the math in his head on the diaper changes.


    “Can I tell your mother? She is going to love this. More grandbabies, she will be so excited,” John says,


    seemingly quite happy about this information.


    “Yes! Yes. I agree to your terms,” John says, and I raise an eyebrow at his enthusiasm when my father


    mind-links me again. He probably saw the look on my face; I was about to demand the reason for his


    sudden change of heart toward his daughter.


    “Valen, leave it,” Dad says.


    “What?! He wants to pick and choose whose kid’s lives he will be in? Where was the bastard when


    Vrian was born?” I tell my father, watching John.


    “No. I get it.” Dad says.


    “Get what?!” I snapped through the link. Everly looks over at me, probably feeling my sudden anger.


    “He is trying to make up for his mistakes. He can‘t go back in time to fix things with his daughter, but he


    can with your kids. Just like I am doing with you and Everly. That is what I get, Valen. You don‘t have to


    trust him straight off, but let him. Everly is a smart girl. She isn‘t someone that will let someone hurt her


    twice,” Dad says when I feel Everly squeeze my hand under the table. I nod to my father, and he turns


    his attention back to the ountants.


    Dad brought a few of the businesses himself to get rid of the debts, those he thought would be suitable


    investments. A heap was going to be put up for sale, but Everly made it clear they were not to be pack


    bought and would sell to pack members or even sold to any of the rogues. Yet that still left the debt to


    Nixon and also a backlog of debt from pack loans. Some I would sort out, but John really buried the


    pack deep and was stupid enough to take out loans from human banks that were out of state, which


    would be the biggest issue.


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    “You should have enough to cover those debts if you sell thend off without touching the trust fund,”


    Joseph whispers to her. My father snickers to himself, and Everly nces at me nervously.


    “What trust fund? And whatnd? She owns the hotel and itsnd. She was a Rogue. She couldn‘t


    have purchasednd within the city, only inherited it,” I ask, confused.


    Rogues didn‘t own in this city once the packs took over. So my mother wouldn‘t have been able to


    purchase once the packs moved into the city and put thews in ce.


    “Correct. Everly couldn‘t buy morend within the city. And the trust fund is Vrian’s. Half the money


    your mother gave her is in that trust, Everly set it aside for him. Everything else went on thend she


    brought and into the hotel,” Joseph says, and now everyone in the room was looking at her. Joseph


    wore the same smirk my father had, and Everly looked like she wanted to run from the room.


    “I was mad at you and you…!” she said, looking at her father. Okay, now I was intrigued.


    “Spill. What have you done?” I ask her, but she presses her lips in a line.


    “It is actually pretty funny. Checkmate,” dadughs.


    “It is kind of funny. Well, Macey, Zoe, and I thought it was anyway,” Everlyughs.


    “Okay, can someone tell me what is going on?” I ask, and John also leans forward, but my father is the


    one that answers.


    “Since she was rogue, she couldn’t purchase within city limits,” he says.


    “I know that,” I tell my father.


    “Nothing says she couldn’t purchase thend outside of the city,” Dadughs. John and I look at each


    other.


    “I own all the forsakennds,” she chuckles, and dadughs.


    “You what?” I asked.


    “Remember when we initially were all looking for a treaty agreement, and we’re looking at purchasing


    outside the city limits to start mining by the mountains?” Dad asks.


    “Yes. None of the packs could purchase thend. The werewolf council said it was a forsaken habitat.”


    I answer, what aplete waste of time that was, months of nning only to not be able to purchase


    thend.


    “I checked into that, and it was already brought,” Dad says.


    “Wait! You knew thend couldn‘t be bought and didn‘t tell me?”


    “At the time, I knew it would lead you back to Everly and your mother, so no, I never said anything,” dad


    admits.


    “So you own all the vacantnd at the back of my pack to the mountains?” I ask her, and she snickers.


    “No,” she answers. “She owns all thend outside the city borders, behind every pack,” Josephughs.


    “Wait, how muchnd is that?” I asked.


    “Enough to build an entire city on. Your mother was a very wealthy woman. Before her father started


    selling it off, they owned nearly all the state, and Everly brought a sizable chunk back," Dadughs.


    “But why would you want all thend?” John asks her.


    “So no one could grow their packs,” I grit out and Everlyughs.


    “Not one of the packs could extend their border limits because I owned it. So technically, when you all


    did your border patrols, you were all trespassing on mynd,” she chuckles.


    “You cunning little….” I growl and shake my head.


    “As I said, I was angry. So I purchased all the vacantnd outside the city, spanning all around the city


    limits. All that empty farnd is mine and Valerians, with the city bing overcrowded I knew the


    packs would want to buy into thatnd, I made sure they couldn‘t,” sheughs.


    “You are why we couldn’t purchase thend for mining,” I growl at her.


    That was a big deal three years ago.


    “So that is why Nixon couldn‘t build that mall,” her fatherughs, and she nods.


    “Every pack looked into why the werewolf council wouldn’t sell thend. Said it had an anonymous


    buyer and was for the preservation of the forsaken habitat. We thought they were being jerks since


    they weren‘t part of the city,” Johnughs.


    “Wait! You stopped my skate rink idea,” her father growls, pointing an using finger at her.


    “Yeah, and the subdivision I was nning out the back of the reserve,”


    “I said I was angry,” Everly says. “Angry? You plotted behind every pack and bought out theirnd!” I


    tell her.


    “Smart,” my father says.


    “Or stupid. What if the packs found out?” I ask her.


    “They would have killed me. But at the time, I didn‘t care, and I just wanted to hit back at the packs.


    They owned the city. I just made sure they couldn‘t extend it,” she says, folding her arms across her


    chest.


    No wonder she refused to let me pay. After going over her books, in assets alone, she trumped


    everyone here. She owned morend than all of us. Had more money and worth than anyone in the


    room. It astounded me and, quite frankly it was a little intimidating.


    We were all yed by one little Rogue who outsmarted all of us. Dad was right, checkmate! She had


    us all by the balls and not one of us knew it