"Keep your voice down," Gabriel said, stepping back to let Theo in. He had thrown on some jeans when he received his cousin's message that he was coming up to the room. It was coming to midnight so this had to be important. Running a hand through his tussled hair he moved over to the kitchenette and turned on the espresso machine.

Theo looked towards the closed bedroom door, then pushed the papers in his hand towards Gabriel. "Korovic pulled a fast one this time. The wireless charging company has called off last second."

"You're kidding," Gabriel frowned reaching for the papers. The message in the copies of the legal papers and emails in front of him were clear as day. "They would have to pay through the nose for breaking the contract! What the hell does Ivan have on these guys?"

"That's what we've been trying to work out. My team spent the last five hours on the phone with their California headquarters. The CEO is refusing to take calls and his assistants are saying he took a sudden vacation." Theo's eyes looked tired as he checked his phone and shook his head. "Still no news. Our guys on the ground haven't been able to find him and at this point even if we do, how do we get him to change his mind in time for the launch announcement in two days?"

Gabriel grimaced as the play fell into place in his mind. Ivan really had outdone himself this time. "This is a short-term game. They say they are dropping out, we are made to look incompetent right before the vote, then after the election the CEO comes back from vacation and says there's been a misunderstanding."

Theo nodded, agreeing with Gabriel's summation. "What do you want us to do?"

"We cancel the agreement as per their request. Do it fast and make their request to pullout permanent so that they can't protest later." No matter what the reasoning, there was no way Gabriel would work with a company that could be manipulated into reneging on an agreement two days before the launch of a product. "Get the legal team on board, but don't push for the penalty fee until after we have secured a new partner."

"On it," Theo went back to writing messages on his phone.

"We need to prepare to push the press-conference as a plan B. Plan A is to rush a new partner. Who were the other suppliers we considered when we first started?" Gabriel drank the espresso and put a fresh cup under the machine.

"Blake Tech was the only other company you liked, they were actually our first choice." Theo kept typing on his phone, "But we didn't get far in discussions - they backed off when they realised a big portion of their capacity would be taken up by the project."

Gabriel understood their hesitation, "If things didn't work out they would be in hot water. They didn't trust us."

Taking the coffee Gabriel offered him, Theo nodded, "Their CEO, James Blake, is known to value personal relationships. We had an alternative at the time so we didn't feel the need to do the legwork. We need to

earn their trust."

James Blake. He remembered seeing the man briefly in New York when Blake mistook Alex for someone else. "Get in touch with Mr Blake. Wherever he is, whatever time he says, I will fly out to meet him tomorrow."

"I'll handle it," Theo sent another text. Then he put his phone into his blazer pocket and looked towards the bedroom door once more. "Has Luna agreed to being turned?"

Luna. Theo had already accepted Alex has his Alpha's mate, the second most powerful werewolf in their pack. If only she would do the same.

"She was going to leave," Gabriel rubbed the back of his neck, the tattoos on his arm rippling with the movement. "Alex wants me, but she doesn't want to turn. Her first two experiences of our wolf forms have been bad - really bad. I need to show her what we really are, but for that I need a way to convince her to stay."

Theo patted Gabriel's shoulder, "I can't read her, but I can tell from the way she looks at you that she has feelings for you, cuz."

"She wants me," Gabriel acknowledged. After the time they just spent in bed, he was sure of at least that much. But Alex was not the kind to be controlled by her lust. Even in the throws of passion she would not accept that she belonged to him. She was stubborn, innocent, strong and fiercely independent; pride warred with worry when he thought of how she had managed to handle being half-turned for a decade. She didn't need him. "I should buy her a restaurant."

"Ahaha," Theo laughed, then seeing Gabriel's serious expression his brows shot up. "Did you meet chef Turner. If ever there was a woman who didn't care about money, it's her." His eyes growing serious Theo cast another glance in the direction of the closed door. "To be honest, I found it strange at first. How she doesn't seem surprised by anything. But after learning about the pain she must have had to endure all this time, I guess she would be more impressed with a good pain killer than a private plane."

Gabriel knew he was right, but he didn't want to accept that she was un-bribable. "If a restaurant won't work, I'll give her a mansion, a hotel, diamonds... there has to be something she wants."

"I think you'll be better off tempting her with pleasure," Theo grinned, amused by the lost look on his cousin's face.

Gabriel arched a brow, "You think you can speak to your Alpha like that?"

"Yes, exactly. Use that overbearing Alpha confidence and convince our Luna she won't be happy without you."

Gabriel narrowed his eyes, then turned back towards the bedroom. Tempt her with pleasure? He was the one who couldn't seem to keep his hands off her. "Go arrange that meeting and send me the place and time."

"Yes sir," came the amused reply.