In The Beginning, Chapter 99
The staff conference room was the opposite of the client ones, where they were glass, modern and sleek, the staff one was windowless, soundproofed, and doubled as a safe room in an active shooter situation. The client conference rooms had screens, or projectors, hidden wires and power sockets, whereas cell phones don’t work as well inside the staff room, and employees are encouraged to leave their computers and phones at their desks. Part of this is an oddity in the original architecture of the building, that we exploited, and part protection against corporate espionage. These features made it the perfect place to lay everything out for the Alphas. Kasa and Lander had sent men to other packs, but Lander needed his beta close, to run his pack, with Mia and Leif still recovering, but his elders found it difficult to convince anyone. Kasa’s beta, his younger cousin Kai had a little more luck, but he had a habit of accepting challenges he knew he would win, which is pretty much all of them. I had only seen the kid lose a handful of times and a loss to someone so young, he was just twenty-six, was humiliating to some Alphas when he beat their best warriors. He nearly accepted a challenge by one of the Alphas, before the Luna talked her mate out of it, but Kai was asked to leave next day, without a definitive answer to our request of allegiance. We needed the Alphas coming today to join us, or we wouldn’t have the time to warn most of the other packs, let alone form a decent defence against the vampires. Ms Michaels came in with our coffees, she was just setting them down when the door opposite opened, Steven and one of his men stepped inside. I heard Ms Michaels gasp, and the man with Steven was staring at her, but not moving, the Alpha cocked a quizzical eyebrow at the man, but said nothing when his man’s eyes couldn’t move from my Rho's face. My cousin looked down at the steaming cups in front of Charlie and myself.
“I will take a chai latte, if you are able.” He said snottily to Ms Michaels.
“I don’t remember offering.” I snarled, and Ms Michaels fled into my office, the man gave chase like his life depended on it, and I was hot on his heels before Charlie caught my arm.
“Give them a minute.” She warned, but I saw red when I heard Ms Michaels scream.
“I’m not going ANYWHERE!” She screeched, I barrelled through the door moments later, squaring up to the man threateningly, the soft click of Charlie closing the door behind her, and traces of her scent kept me from ripping his throat out, just.
“I don’t care what happens behind closed doors, as long as it is consensual.” I growled menacingly; I saw Charlie comforting a weeping Ms Michaels in my peripheral vision. “That means you don’t touch her again without her permission, or I will view that as your consent to me breaking several of your more crucial bones.”
“He gets it Daniel. I’m not sure this is what you think, anyway.” Charlie whispered; her hand gripped my shaking fist as I fought the urge to punch him in the face. “Come on, they need to talk.” Charlie insisted, pushing me towards the door. I shot a concerned look to Ms Michaels, and something about her face told me she was going to make a big mistake.
“Don’t.” I warned, I didn’t need to say more.
“He’s going to find out eventually.” She whispered, wiping a tear from her cheek. “I can’t leave my pack; I understand if you can’t accept that.” She couldn’t even look at him, and I felt a headache coming on.
“I don’t understand. You haven’t even told me your name, why are you acting like I’ll reject you?” The man asked bewildered. “I know I’m just an Eta, but I can give you a good life. I don’t-”
“I can’t leave my brother.” Ms Michaels interrupted, wincing, but that might have been in response to me.
“Louisa!” I reprimanded, warningly.
“Your brother?” The man asked.
“He’s, my twin.” She confessed and by the way he sucked air through his teeth I knew the shit hit the fan.
“Okay, okay, okay.” The man said pacing the office, I could feel Charlie’s curiosity burning through her, she had even stopped trying to shove me to the door in her intrigue. “Okay, it’s fraternal right? So, not as bad... does that mean- because that’s not an issue for me... but I have a daughter. Her mother died when she was little, in a car crash, this is going to be a lot for her. I don’t want to add moving schools and leaving her friends and the only home she’s ever known.” The man blurted, and despite herself Ms Michaels stepped towards him.
“How old is she?” She asked, and he let out a relieved sigh.
“Nine, her name’s Willow.” He smiled digging his phone out of his pocket to show her a picture.
“She’s beautiful.” Ms Michaels smiled as she looked at the phone, and Charlie resumed her shoving.
“I’m here if you need anything.” I said quietly, as I let Charlie push me backwards. “My men have instructions to remove you forcefully if she has to raise her voice again.” I snarled, opening the link to the men outside my office telling them just that.
“She won’t have to. I’m Jensen by the way.” He offered me his hand, Charlie stopped pushing me to hide behind me instead as she snickered, most people would still be wetting themselves after my threats, but he seemed unfazed. Which pissed me off.
“Just shout, and they will drag him away and beat him severely, until I get to him.” I growled, my wolf joining in made it sound demonic even to me as I looked in his eyes, letting him see the truth in mine. I was almost at my breaking point when he looked at me confused, rather than terrified.
“Why do you care so much?” He caught me off guard by asking.
“Because she’s part of my pack.” I answered honestly, not understanding how he didn’t already know. He chuckled when he read my expression.
“You see my Alpha in here checking you haven’t ripped me apart?” He asked pointedly, before turning back to Louisa. “Would you give me and my daughter permission to visit, with... Louisa’s consent?” He asked, while she looked bashful for the first time ever, a small smile fighting to grow on her lips.
“Only with her consent, and knowledge she will be responsible for you while on pack lands.” I nodded, and Charlie wrapped herself around my arm, like she always does when she wants to encourage or reassure me. “She also has about three months of vacation time saved up, I don’t-”
“You can’t run the office by yourself for that long.” Ms Michaels blurted, Jensen looked surprised, but said nothing, and Charlie was shaking as she suppressed her laughter. “I- I meant, that you can’t run the office without help for three months, there’s no other way to put it.” She shrugged awkwardly, and I couldn’t stop the chuckle, however much I wanted to.
“I’m not sure if you will be able to take it in one go, was what I was going to say. You will have to check with HR, but I’m sure I could cope with three- or four-day weeks, for a while.” I snapped a little, while I counted on her frankness usually, there was a time and a place.
“Thank you, Alpha.” She smiled, and I finally let Charlie lead me back into the conference room, where two more Alphas were now sat.
“What’s the deal with the twin thing?” Charlie squeaked through the link, like she couldn’t contain it any longer, even in her mind.
“When we are done here.” I chuckled back, which made my smile genuine when I greeted the other Alphas. “Alpha Vogel, and Alpha Bures, allow me to introduce my mate, Charlie Phillips, Luna of Applewood.” I said with pride, even if stepping aside for her felt more like shoving her into a viper’s pit, than introducing her to potential allies. “Charlie, this is Alpha Theodore Vogel of the Elmwood Pack, and Alpha Lukas Bures of the Lindenwood Pack.” I said aloud, while silently praying nothing else went wrong.
“A pleasure Luna, and such an unusual name. We have heard many rumours about you, you are quite the mystery.” Alpha Vogel smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes, which dilated, and his heartrate increased.
“Yes, I heard you are a descendant of the gods themselves.” Alpha Bures chuckled awkwardly at Vogel’s open coveting of Charlie.
“Yes, Ares is my father I guess, although I don’t remember the man, so I only have my Aunt Hera’s... and my mother’s word for it.” Charlie replied with a smile, and I thought Vogel would burst a blood vessel, restraining himself.
“That wasn’t... you know when a rumour kinda takes on a life of its own, and the real story gets lost in the crazy fantasy version people wanna believe? That’s what we are talking about here right?” Alpha Bures asked, looking at all three of us like we were nuts, while Steven seemed to be assessing Charlie with his eyes, and I once again had to swallow the urge to punch someone, or several someone's, in the face.
“Well, they did create everyone, and pretty much everything... but the mythologies are mostly fiction.” Charlie replied, she was enjoying teasing Alpha Bures, while inching herself away from Vogel.
“That’s quite a tale, I would like to hear it sometime.” Alpha Bures chuckled, and at my invitation, both men took seats at the table.
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