The Reluctant King

Chapter 1
“Well, don’t you look fancy?” Gavin tossed a paperclip at Sam as he walked into Gavin’s office. Sam caught it in one hand, his reflexes as sharp as ever, even if he was trussed up like a penguin in a bespoke tuxedo.
“All part of the billionaire-playboy persona,” Sam griped, sinking into one of the guest chairs in front of Gavin’s desk.
“Better you than me, Alpha,” Gavin said, chuckling as he leaned back in his office chair. “What can I do for you?”
“Well, first, tell me why you’re working so late when you have a beautiful mate waiting for you at home? Am I working you too hard? Do you need another assistant?” Sam asked, truly concerned.
“While another assistant might be necessary if you keep growing the business at the rate you’re going, I’m good for now. The reason I’ve stayed late tonight is that I figured I’d get a bit of work done while Marigold is meeting with Granny Tucker and Claudia to talk about her magical education to date. I wanted to sit in, but the ladies insisted they had girl talk to conduct and that I was surplus to requirements, as our cousins in the UK would say.” Gavin punctuated his words by tossing the folder he’d been holding on his desk.
“Speaking of which, have you heard from Deidre and Miguel lately? All going well with the new operation on the North Sea?” Sam asked.
“From a security standpoint, it’s all good. Deidre’s family has been running boats for generations, and they’ve got a good handle on the expansion into oil platform service. You’ll have to talk to someone on the business end to see if they’re turning a profit yet, but my feeling is that it’s going well,” Gavin replied.
As security chief for Kinkaid Industries, Gavin knew just about everything and everyone, but Sam also knew that Gavin was becoming more focused on just the security aspects of their various locations. Sam’s expansion of the Kinkaid empire meant Gavin had less time to spend on each new acquisition or expansion. Sam made a mental note to get Gavin more help whether he requested it or not. He was too exceptional a leader for the entire Clan and their businesses to have him bogged down with trivial paperwork when he could be focusing on big picture stuff.
Sam had plans for Gavin that the younger man didn’t know about yet. Now that Gavin had found his mate and settled down, Sam wanted to give him more responsibilities within both the company and the Clan, but he needed to build a solid team under his command that he could rely on. Sam knew that Gavin already had the basic building blocks with his assistants, both at work and in the Clan, but he needed more people. He needed a bigger team before Sam could give him more to look after.
They had time yet, but Sam wanted to make sure Gavin built that team soon. He’d hand-pick a few people that he thought had potential and would complement Gavin’s style of working. He’d give them a few months to work out the kinks and get to know each other better. Then, if all worked out as he hoped, Sam would be able to pass on more responsibility to Gavin.
In the meantime, he had plans to enact to bring justice to the arms dealer, Abdul Kettering. Which was why he was dressed in his penguin suit.
“Where were you tonight that required the tux?” Gavin asked.
“A fundraiser for one of the big international relief agencies. I thought it would be a good place to get me back on the old radar for big bashes of international caliber,” Sam admitted.
“I thought you hated those things,” Gavin observed.
“I do. Which is why I stopped going to all but the most essential years ago. I still get the occasional invitation, but the really exclusive places stopped sending them when I kept declining. I need to get back on those lists so I can get into the places where Kettering might show up.” Sam knew some of his frustrations were coming through in the low growl he couldn’t quite control.
“I didn’t realize it would be so difficult for you to get invited,” Gavin said, his eyebrows rising in surprise. “I thought being a billionaire meant you never really needed an invitation to go anywhere you wanted.”
“It’s not that simple,” Sam groused, yanking his loose bowtie from around his neck and folding it before placing it in his pocket. “And you know I might be the name on the letterhead, but I’m really just the custodian of the Clan’s resources. The money isn’t really mine.”
“The world doesn’t know that. And the Clan knows that it wouldn’t have half the resources we now have if it wasn’t for you and your business acumen. You created this empire, Alpha, and we all know it and are grateful you’re such a sharing kind of leader.” Gavin grinned, and his gaze held all sorts of approval and affection for his Alpha.
It was tough to look at. Sam wasn’t the kind of man who needed his people to bow and scrape to him. On the contrary, he was happiest when he was treated as just another member of the family. He supposed losing his parents so young had caused that quirk of his personality.
There was no question he was Alpha, but he was…humble, for lack of a better word. Sam liked to think it was because he and his beast were content and secure in the knowledge of their power and position within the hierarchy. Right there at the top. That’s where he liked to be. He liked making decisions and protecting the Clan in every way.
But he didn’t really enjoy the praise that often accompanied his position. He’d much rather operate quietly, seeing to the health and well-being of everyone in his domain. He’d rather be the white-furred ghost that quietly took care of everything without a lot of fanfare.
Even though that white fur had marked him as different from the first time he’d ever shifted into his lion form. It had set him apart from everyone else and earmarked him for the role he now held. And surprisingly, it had thrust him onto the international stage well before he was ready for such things. He’d stepped up. Reluctantly.
“Anything I should know about?” Sam asked, redirecting the conversation.
“Nothing new since my report this morning. I’m still waiting on the report from my contact in Brussels. At this point, it’ll probably be tomorrow before I hear from her. I’ll let you know if there’s anything interesting in her report,” Gavin promised.
“Do that. Now, isn’t it about time you headed home? Surely, the ladies are done with their girl talk by now?” Sam asked as he stood.
“I don’t know,” Gavin said, skepticism in his tone. “When those magical women get together, they can talk.”
Sam chuckled and fished his phone out of his pocket. He scrolled through his messages and saw one from Claudia.
“Looks like Claudia left your place about fifteen minutes ago,” Sam told the other man.
“You have her checking in with you?” Gavin’s eyebrows rose again in speculation.
“Not on purpose, but she texted to remind me about a meeting we have in the morning. She said she’s showing Granny Tucker to the guest house on my property in the development, and they’ll both be staying there for the night, since it’s really too late for Granny to be driving back to her place at this hour.”
“Claudia’s still living in your guest house?” Gavin asked, though he had to already know the answer. He wouldn’t be much of a security chief if he didn’t.
Sam nodded anyway. “I’m hardly ever at the house, as you know. I usually end up staying at the condo in town. I told Claudia she could use the house, but she insists on staying in the guest house. I won’t argue with the woman. It doesn’t really matter to me where she stays as long as she’s a guest of the Clan. She’s proven herself trustworthy in all our past dealings, so she has my trust and the run of the place, as far as I’m concerned.”
“That’s a lot of trust to give a mage you only just met a short while ago,” Gavin observed.
“You of all people should recognize what she’s done to help not just your mate but the entire Clan. I trust her.”
Sam heard the finality in his own voice and had to admit Gavin probably had a point. It was his job, after all, to be cautious about every aspect of securing the Clan. Usually, Sam was a lot more guarded about accepting strangers into his confidence, but there was just something about Claudia that made his lion believe in her almost immediately. He didn’t know why that was and didn’t examine it too closely. He just knew it was so.
Weird.