Part B: Chapter 36

***Carter’s POV***

Aidan was pacing back and forth in his office when I entered and I quietly shut the door. I should have listened to Ivana when she warned me that he was in a bad mood.

“Hey boss,” I said, cautiously walking to take the chair opposite his unoccupied one.

Aidan threw me one glance and walked over to me, his posture rigid but his face not giving anything away. Crap, did I do something without even knowing it? I tried to think back to the last twenty-four hours and what I could have done but I couldn’t think of anything.

“Why do you always have to put me in such tough positions?” he asked with a sigh as he ran his fingers through his hair. Now that he was close, I could see how hollow his eyes looked and his suit looked wrinkled with the tie hanging loose around his neck. “I’m trying to run a company, not take care of a bunch of babies.”

“What? You lost me there man,” I replied, leaning back in my chair casually, crossing one leg over the other. “You have to spell it for me if you want me to know what you are talking about.”

Sighing, Aidan sat on the edge of his desk facing me. “I’m talking about what happened during what was supposed to be Jemila’s training evaluation,” he said and everything clicked. I smiled as I thought back to the pissed expression on both Shelly and Gerald’s faces, priceless.

“That was really something, you should have seen the look on his face,” I said with a smile. “I wasn’t going to stand by and watch him insult Jemila like that, she is now a big part of the family and they both need to accept it for peace to rain.”

“I know, but now he’s called for your position to be evaluated based on the premise of misconduct and misrepresentation of the company,” he said, looking more tired than ever. “And the board agrees with him.”

I sat up straight, anger flaring inside me. “What the hell? He can’t really bring home issues to the office like that and the board agrees with him. I love my job and I can’t let him win this. I’m going to talk to the board and make them see the reason.” I was furious and I was going to make him pay for it. Just because he raised me didn’t give him power over me, I could make my own decisions for myself without him and Shelly interfering with them.

“No need, I already talked to them and made them see reason,” Aidan replied and then walked over to the glass cabinet where he pulled out a bottle of bourbon and two glasses then he walked over to the couch and sat down. “Join me.”

I was so angry that I got up and joined him on the couch where he handed me a glass and poured the rich liquid in it. “Gerald is going to pay for this and I don’t care that he is your family.”

Aidan laughed but it was a humourless one. “Trust me, I would have killed him a long time ago but tradition and all that crap,” he said as he looked intently at the contents in his glass. “Everyday I wonder why I didn’t do it when I had the chance.”

“Don’t think much about it, he’s still your father and the former Alpha, that means something.”
“Sadly, I know.”

I took a sip of the bourbon, not caring that we were day drinking at work. I needed to get my head straight and clear and alcohol usually helped once in a while especially when I had my best friend next to me. Though I would never admit that to him.

“Thanks for looking out for her and keeping her company when I couldn’t.”

I turned to look at Aidan and he was looking straight ahead. I could tell he had a lot on his mind and he just needed someone, kind of like how I felt right now. We didn’t have to talk about our problems, we could just simply sit and drink and somehow, it would feel better afterwards.

“Anytime, I actually like,” I replied after a long pause of silence. “She’s really cool but I regret telling her that information about her parents because she seems always lost in thought these days and I know it’s my fault.”

“Don’t blame yourself, she would have found out and who better to tell her than you,” Aidan said, refilling his glass and asked if I wanted mine refilled as well. “There is nothing you or me can do. The best thing we can do is just be there whenever she wants to talk, get drunk or whatever, but no sex because she’s mine and I will kill you if you laid an appropriate finger on her.”

We looked at each other and smiled, just like that, the mood was back to normal. “I like all my body parts so I will stay in my lane. But if she needs a drinking buddy, I’m her man.”

Aidan rolled his eyes, “don’t get over yourself. I don’t want you turning her into an avid alcoholic like yourself and that reminds me. Who told you it was okay to get her drunk like that?” He was looking at me expectantly.

I moved an inch away from him, raising my glass out and pointing at him accusingly. “If you hadn’t been such a jerk to her then none of that would have happened so blame yourself for your actions.” I knew I was hanging by a thread but whatever. It wasn’t my fault. “She needed comforting and something to help numb the pain, that was all I could think of at that moment. Plus, you owe me for almost trying to kill me and her.”

“I would never have killed her, my wolf wouldn’t have allowed that to happen.”

“But he almost allowed you to mark her against her will, so tough luck.”

Aidan gulped down his bourbon and placed the glass roughly on the table. “I know and every time I think about it, I hate myself that much.” Then he stood up and walked behind his desk, pulled out a folder and tossed it on the table. “If I do someone that stupid again, this document states everything that I need you to do.”

I finished up my glass and stood up. I walked over to his desk and picked up the folder, going through the contents. I stared at him in disbelief once I had read enough. “You have got to be kidding me, hell no.”

“You have to, it’s for the pack and everyone else,” he replied casually as if what he had asked of me was as simple as handing him a pen. “Precautions have to be made for the betterment of everyone.”

“And I refuse to do it no matter what happens. Find someone else to do it.” I tossed the folder back in front of him with narrowed eyes. “I would never do something like that and it doesn’t matter if you command me to do it, I won’t.”

“Carter, listen to me,” Aidan began but there was a knock and Ivana entered.

“Mr. Carmichael, someone is here to see you,” she said, looking nervous as she looked between us. I could smell the fear off of her. “Should I tell them to come back later?”

“Tell them to come in,” I responded instead, my voice coming out more calmer than I actually was. “What did they say they wanted?”

Ivana looked at me and then at Aidan. “They said it’s something to do with a certain Jemila, I think that was what he said.”

Aidan stiffened. “Let them in.”

Ivana nodded and moments later, a man with the whitest hair entered, he looked not much older than Aidan or me but he carried himself with an air of authority.

I ushered him to the seat next to the one I had sat and took my place. I needed to know what this was all about.

“You must be Mr. Carmichael,” he began, his eyes looking bored. “I’ll go straight to the reason I’m here. I’m Julius, Jemila’s uncle and I want my niece back.”