Chapter 8 Kady #3
I ignore his question as I gather up my possessions, fully prepared to march over to the Blandon Pack hovel and unleash the full wrath of my anger. “I should go.”
At that moment, a phone in the office starts ringing. It’s not often that we get people dialing in as most students prefer to email or reach out through our socials.
Calder’s closest. “Calder Soren speaking.” His expression darkens, and his knuckles whiten, clutching the receiver tightly. “We aren’t commenting on Kadence Sinclair’s pack status for the time being.” He slams down the phone.
My stomach drops with dread when my mobile starts buzzing. I almost ignore it until I see that it’s Faye.
“Faye?” I answer. “Are you okay?”
“Have you seen it?” She sounds unusually high-pitched. “The article?”
“How do you know about it?”
To my knowledge, Faye doesn’t really follow the news.
“Damon’s been called in to do an emergency security shift. I wanted to let you know straight away.” Her words come out in a breathy rush. “Are you at Stella House?”
“No, I’m at the office. Why?”
“You need to get yourself back to OV stat. Apparently, reporters are flooding onto campus because they want you to confirm the story.”
“Thanks for letting me know.” The lingering taste of coffee in my mouth sours. “I’ll talk to you soon.”
“That’s why I ran out on my very hot date—which you owe me for, by the way,” Devon says after I relay what Faye told me.
“I thought something like this might happen. I can’t believe you didn’t catch it sooner.
” He looks curiously between me and Calder, his gaze lingering appreciatively on Calder’s muscular biceps. “Obviously, you were distracted.”
“Calder almost died eating peanuts,” I state bluntly.
“I’m fine now,” Calder mutters while the office phones continue ringing off the hook.
“If reporters are already crawling over campus, it won’t be long until they stop here.” I bite my lip. “But they shouldn’t get past OV security.”
“I can drive you home?” Calder offers. “My car has tinted windows.”
“No.” I shake my head. “I’ll be fine.”
“Actually…” Devon peers out the window then grimaces. “I can already see a few reporters with cameras. It looks like security guards are blocking them from coming onto Main Street, but you’ve got to move fast. Maybe your independent, sassy ass can accept a ride this one time?”
“I owe you, remember?” Calder winks. “We can call it even?”
“Not even close to even,” I sigh. “But fine.” I hold out my open hand. “Your keys.”
“What—”
“I’m driving,” I inform him. “After the shock you’ve had, there’s no way you’re well enough to be behind the wheel.”
“Fine.” He rolls his eyes, reluctantly handing me his keys. “Let’s go.”
I click my tongue, hating how I’m having to rely on Calder jerk-face Soren to get me out of here. “If you must.”
“I’ll hold down the fort here.” Devon plops down at his desk.
“You should send an SOS to all TVV reporters in the group chat,” I suggest. “You shouldn’t be managing this alone.”
Devon salutes. “On it!”
“Shouldn’t I be the one giving orders?” Calder’s eyebrows lower. “I’m the new editor, remember?”
“And you’ve only been here a whole two minutes,” I remind him. “Or is your ego so fragile that you can’t handle taking orders from an omega?”
Devon snickers. “If you haven’t gathered, Kady’s pretty good at giving orders.”
“Yeah.” Calder slings on his coat. “I’ve figured that out already.”
“Chop, chop.” I clap my hands then lead us downstairs. “We can slip through Noodles and Chill to be discreet. I’m assuming you parked in the editor’s parking spot in the back?
Calder grins sheepishly. “Yeah, I did.”
“Figures.” I grumble as we slip into Noodles and Chill. Mei looks up mid spring roll toss. “Can we leave through the kitchen, Mei? I want to leave discreetly, if I can.”
“Of course.” Mei beckons us through. “Did you enjoy your wontons?”
In all the fuss, I realize I didn’t even get a chance to taste them. Before I have a chance to comment, she’s already placing a fresh box of food into my hands.
“Are there any peanuts in this?” I ask.
“None.” She shakes her head. “Why?”
I jab my finger in Calder’s direction. “He’s allergic.”
“I’ll remember that,” she promises.
As we exit through the kitchen, my brain is whirling.
“This is your car?” I gape at the latest Porsche. What kind of student can afford wheels like this?
“It’s new.” He hops from one foot to the other. “Do you drive often?”
For the first time since we met, he actually seems nervous.
“This will be the first time since I crashed,” I lie. Why not make him squirm? He doesn’t need to know I’m a fantastic driver. “I’m sure I’ll be fine.”
Calder’s face pales as he slides into the passenger seat next to me, watching me like a hawk.
“Most students don’t bring flashy cars to campus,” I mutter as the engine hums to life, lighting my excitement.
I slam my foot on the gas— intentionally too hard—and the car lurches forward, juddering. Calder gasps like he’s taken a bullet to the chest, making me feel a little better.
Calder hangs onto his seat. “We could call a cab.”
I pull away. “Too late.”
In my rearview mirror, I spy a flock of reporters starting to gather in front of The Valley Voice building.
As we approach a narrow bend, Calder inhales sharply, only breathing a sigh of relief after I navigate the curve expertly.
“You’re a good driver.” A tinge of panic still lingers in his voice. “You were messing with me about the crash, right?”
I roll my eyes. “Obviously.”
“Thank fuck.” He exhales deeply. “I guess I assumed the daughter of Richard Sinclair wouldn’t have had to drive herself anywhere.”
At home, Dad has a whole garage filled with cars—everything from classics to sports cars. He prefers that I use one of our chauffeurs, but sometimes a driver will let me take a spin, or I’ll hit a racecourse for fun.
“You’re a reporter,” I hurl back. “You should know better than to make assumptions.”
“So what’s the story with your pack?” He changes the subject. “For someone supposedly loved up, you don’t seem that happy about the news breaking.”
I slam on the brakes unnecessarily harshly as a light turns yellow.
I point ahead. “We’re not far from Omega Village.”
“You didn’t answer my question.”
“The situation with my pack is none of your business.”
“Maybe I want it to be my business.”
I swallow hard, trying to ignore the possibility that he’s flirting. His gravelly growl does something to me.
Am I perfuming?! Holy shit, I am. My scent fills the car despite the copious amount of scent blocker I’m wearing. Calder’s entire body tenses, making the muscles in his forearms ripple. I need out of this car. Fast.
After having sex with Ezra, my hormones have been out of whack.
Although my suppressants are top of the range, it’s been a long time since I’ve gone through a true heat.
Postponing a natural and inevitable bodily function can take its toll on your body.
Now I can understand why Sabs is so desperate to find a heat buddy.
“Kady.” Calder’s sexy rumble makes my knees quiver. “Why would an omega who is courting be perfuming around another alpha?”
I keep my gaze fixed on the road ahead, gripping the steering wheel to ground me. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Margie paces next to the security station, barking into her walkie-talkie while a few other security guards loiter at the gates too. Her face lights up as soon as she sees me, and we crawl to a halt. I lower the window.
“Thank goodness! There you are!” Margie exhales deeply. “I stopped by Stella House to check on you and found out you’d already left. I assume you know the situation with the reporters?”
I nod grimly.
“Don’t you worry about a thing, Kady. I’ve increased patrols and security.” She gestures at the gun in her station that she’s fondly nicknamed Big Billy. “No one will get past me.” Margie peers through the car window, noticing I’m not alone. “You know the rules. No alphas beyond this point.”
“He’ll be walking home from here,” I explain.
“But—” Calder’s mouth hangs open.
“You heard the lady!” Before he can argue, Margie yanks open the passenger door and pulls him out.
Calder’s face reddens. “But that’s my car!”
I bat my eyelashes in mock-innocence. “See? It’s not nice when people take things that were supposed to be yours. See you later, editor!”
Sweet satisfaction sweeps through me as I speed away.
Calder lunges after the car, but Margie is quicker.
For an elderly lady, she moves fast. I watch in the mirror as she tackles him straight to the ground and is on top of him in seconds.
The sight of Margie pinning Calder down is one of the best things I’ve seen in ages.
Where’s a camera when I need it? That would make an amazing article in The Valley Voice, with the headline, “New Editor Taken Down by Sweet Old Lady.”
Leaving Calder to eat dirt is already making me feel much better, but I still have to face the consequences when my father finds out about the news breaking.