Chapter 3 GRANT
GRANT
Leena clears her throat. “What do I need to know about this job?”
She doesn't even know about the job?
“Leena, could you wait outside for a bit?” I ask. “I'd like to talk with Graham and Nate for a few minutes.”
“Certainly.”
“I'll have someone bring food for you. Before you say no, I can tell that you're hungry.”
Leena opens her mouth but stops herself from protesting. She walks out of the office, giving me some privacy. I turn to both men and sigh.
“What is this?” I ask.
“I'm not sure what you mean,” Nate says.
“Why her? I'm guessing you didn't pick a wolf at random. There has to be a reason.”
Graham and Nate exchange looks again. “We're not keeping this from you,” Graham starts. “We were going to tell you about her eventually.”
“Well, I'm all ears now.”
“She was bitten and transformed not too long ago,” Graham explains.
“Since then, she's been having a bit of trouble fitting in.
Leena was in Tom's pack, but they felt they couldn't give her the help she needs.
You'll be able to do much more for her and they know this.
Wolves that get turned are extremely strong, but they're also unpredictable.
She's going to be a danger to herself and others if she's not watched by a strong wolf like you.”
“So what, I'm supposed to be a babysitter?”
“No, but there's literally no one who's better suited to help her than you. The plus side is that you get a new assistant. According to Tom, Leena is very capable.”
“I see,” I muse. I pick up my phone and send a text to one of the secretaries on the bottom floor to make arrangements for a meal to be sent up. Before long, the smell of food tells me that my request has already been granted.
“I know this is a little unorthodox,” Nate starts, “but I truly think this will be a good idea.”
“That remains to be seen, but I can't turn her away now,” I reply. “I'll make arrangements for her to come with me.”
They smile at me happily as I pick up my phone again and call one of the people back at the pack house. “Jackson?”
“Yes, boss?” The man's voice says very clearly.
“I'll be back at the house tomorrow, but I need you to do something for me.”
“For sure,” Jackson says. “What do you need?”
“The room beside my office, I want you to prepare it. Someone's coming with me, and it's going to be for a long stay.”
“Yes, sir, I'll get on it right away.”
The call ends and I place my phone back in my pocket. “Now that that's settled, we can get back to business. There's rumblings of the hunters closing in on one of the Southern packs. The woods near Burdshire is a possibility, but we can't be sure until we investigate.”
“This is such a problem,” Nate sighs. “With how much work we already have to do, we may be starting to wear ourselves thin. There haven't been any major attacks, though, right?”
“Nothing to worry about,” I reply.
“You said you're going to sleep in town tonight,” Graham chips in. “I hope that's not because you want to crash in this office.”
“I want to get as much work done as I can before going back home.”
Graham shakes his head. “I'm even more glad we've gotten you an assistant now before you work yourself to death. Grant, you have a house here.”
“A really nice one, if I might add,” Nate interjects. “I've stayed in it. It's gorgeous.”
“Yes, but you know that place really isn't my style.”
“I know,” Nate replies. “Still, go and stay there for tonight and forget about work. Whatever you need, we'll handle it.”
“I'm not the sort to lie to you, so I'll tell you now that I'm definitely not going to forget work. However, I'll take your advice and sleep at my house tonight.”
Graham pumps his fist in the air. “A win is a win,” the man says.
I walk to the window, peering at the city below me. “How have things been here?” I ask. “I've been so busy with outside threats that we've almost missed hunters here, right under our noses.”
“None of that is your fault,” Nate says, stepping forward. “Without your guidance, we may not have made it out of those situations alive. We are lucky to have you as our Alpha.”
I shake my head. “You guys are more competent than you may think. I'm not kidding when I say I can rely on you both, and that's why I'm entertaining this idea of an assistant. Still, if this doesn't work out, I'll put an end to the arrangement.”
“Deal,” they chorus.
I realize that I no longer perceive the aroma of food. “Alright, tell Leena to come back in and explain what her job will be.”
I need to hear this, too.
Graham goes to fetch her. She looks better this time, even in her sweats and oversized shirt. I can tell she's less tired, too. Leena looks between the three of us, waiting for what we have to say.
“Leena,” Nate addresses her. “You're being given a very important job. It's perhaps one of the most important jobs in this pack because it involves our Alpha. You understand that, right?”
She nods in response. “I do.”
“Good. Your duties are not going to be difficult, but they will need to be taken as seriously as possible. You'll be Grant's assistant more than anything else. You'll help him with organizing his schedule and sorting out his work. I'm sure you'll be able to get used to this after a while.”
“Yeah, I'm a quick learner.”
“You'll also be in charge of his house staff, acting as their coordinator. That will give Grant something less to worry about.”
That's new.
I choose to stay quiet, waiting to see what else Leena is going to be in charge of. Nate continues his explanation. “You’ll need to help the alpha stay on track. He runs through a lot of projects and juggles them. With you helping with the workload, he'll be able to stay on one project at a time.”
That's fair, I guess.
“I can do that,” Leena assures us. “What else?”
Graham nods approvingly before taking over. “You need to ensure that Grant sleeps and eats regularly.”
“No offense,” Leena says, turning to me. “I hear everything you've said and I can do them, I promise, but I don't know how I feel about telling the alpha what to do.”
Graham and Nate chuckle to themselves. “You can't tell the alpha what to do,” Nate says, “but you can definitely suggest. Grant isn't like other leaders. He actually listens to us, and that's why we will follow him to the ends of the earth.”
“That's right,” Graham agrees.
I'm not worried about being told what to do, but it's cute that Leena thinks so. The situation I'm trying to avoid is having a female wolf so close to me and in my space all the time.
I have even more reservations now, knowing that Leena is the girl that I had seen on the street.
I had felt something then that I was worried about feeling all the time. Even now, there's an urge that's pulling me toward her. After my ex-wife, I'm not sure I want any woman in my life or in my space this much.
Still, I've already agreed to look out for her, and that's arguably more important than how I feel at the moment.
“Okay then,” Leena says. “You can count on me.”
“Graham, Nate, thank you. I'll take it from here.”
“Alright then,” Graham says before turning to Leena. “Good luck.”
She smiles in return. Nate and Graham walk out of the office, leaving Leena and me alone. A quiet moment passes before she chooses to break the silence.
“You're the person who saved me today,” she says.
“How long have you been keeping that in?”
“It was the first thing I wanted to say, but judging from your reaction, I think you may have a problem with me.”
“That's a pretty bold claim.” I fold my arms. “Have you done anything to me?”
“No, but you bolted the second you saved me. I wanted to thank you but you walked away.”
“Maybe I didn't want to be thanked.”
Leena pauses. “You're not like other alphas I've met.”
I move away from the table and walk toward her. To her credit, Leena doesn't back down, even when I get close. I only stop moving when we're mere inches apart.
I feel that urge again. It grips me, making me want to kiss the gorgeous girl in front of me. This feels like a test, and I use every bit of willpower I have to hold myself in place.
Leena starts to breathe even faster, making me see how nervous she is. Suddenly, her eyes turn deep yellow before switching back. I leave her space and go to the window. “Do you know why your eyes turned?” I inquire.
“No,” She confesses.
“Does that happen to you a lot?”
“A bunch of stuff happens to me all the time, and that's one of them,” Leena explains. “I try to control it, but sometimes, it slips out.”
I turn back in her direction. “That must be difficult to do around friends and family.”
Leena's face falls. “Let's just say it's not a problem anymore. It's not like I have friends or family to worry about.”
I let out a small sigh. “I'm sorry about that.”
“It's okay. I don't need to bore you with my personal life. I'm here to work.”
“That's good.” I move toward her again and Leena still stands her ground. After a few seconds, her eyes turn. Everything about us is heightened, including our emotions. They're hard to control but not impossible. “I want you to keep your eyes on me. Focus on my face.”
Leena does this. “What's going on?”
“Just focus on me,” I tell her. “Breathe and focus. In and out, listen to my voice.”
“Okay,” she says. I almost lose my concentration as she stares into my eyes. The gorgeous color makes my heart want to melt.
“Change.” I stare in anticipation. Her eyes turn back to normal in a flash.
Leena laughs in surprise. “Oh my God, what did you do?”
“You did that,” I reply. “I only helped with your concentration. You'll probably still have a bit of trouble, but at least now you know that control is possible. It's difficult, but it's possible.”
She touches the side of her face. “Thank you.”
“You're welcome.” I move away from her and round my desk to reach my computer. I settle into the chair and turn it on. “Come over here.”
The girl scurries to my desk. She stands by my side, leaning over so she can see the screen.
“This is the case I'm working on at the moment,” I say, going through a few files with her. “I need to be at a meeting soon and you're going to come with me.”
“Okay.”
The coolness and determination in her voice stun me. I had expected her to panic, but she seems genuinely ready for whatever I want to bring.
She leans in a little more to read something and I get a whiff of her scent when her neck gets close. I had been getting faint notes of it, but being so close is another ballgame.
Focus, man. Keep it together.
I haven't felt like this in a while and I can only hope that's the reason I'm this drawn to Leena. If not, then I'm in big trouble.
“What's the meeting going to be about?” she asks.
“You'll find out when we get there. Are you ready to go?”
“Yes, I am. Lead the way.”
I offer a small smirk. “That's what I like to hear. Come on.”
I get up from the chair and start heading toward the door. Leena silently follows me all the way to the elevator. As soon as we enter the tight space, I realize I may be in trouble after all.