Chapter Eight #2
I nodded again and then started up the stairs again. I let my chin wobble a bit. “I am. I got approval to transfer out of the pack.” He gasped beside me.
“Why?” His hands tightened on me. “I know the Omegas here were looking forward to having you as our Luna. And now you’re leaving?”
I sighed and took a pause as we made it to the top of the stairs. “I can’t stay here, Jeffrey. Shannon is going to be your Luna and I can’t stay here and watch it happen.” I was laying it on thick, but I needed him to spread it around.
“When are you leaving?” His question was pained.
I blinked, forcing a tear to drop. “Tonight.” I turned to him. “Can you do me a favor?”
“Anything.” He smiled sadly at me.
“Can you tell the pack? If anyone wants to say goodbye to me, they can stop at the house. I’m having dinner with Rick and Alannah. But anyone can stop in. If you could tell the parents of the pups. I used to help with their class and I want to say goodbye to them.”
He nodded. “It would be my pleasure.” We made our way to the office. I was completely worn out by the time we got there. “Amy?” Jeffrey hesitated as I shuffled to my desk and sank into the chair.
“Yeah?” I sighed, closing my eyes to breathe for a moment.
“It’s been a pleasure to serve you.” My eyes snapped open as he bowed. He bent at the waist and almost hit his head on the corner of my desk as he came up. “I hope this move will give you everything you ever wanted.”
I felt the burn of real tears as I smiled at him.
“Thank you, Jeffrey.” He turned and left me alone in my office.
I had to force the tears away as I booted up my computer.
I pulled my laptop out and got ready. I connected my laptop to the desktop with an ethernet cord, and then once everything was ready, I started the program I created with the backdoor password.
Once it was running, I turned back to the office computer to fight off the attacks.
“Shit.” I realized I forgot to send Rowan a text. I quickly pulled out my phone and fired off a quick "I'm here" text before returning to my work.
I pushed out the attackers pretty quickly, so when the fax came in I hobbled over to the machine to grab it. I had just folded it up when I heard a smash from above. I smirked as I stumbled my way back to my desk.
I sank into my chair with a sigh and looked at the screen. The laptop had wormed its way into the mainframe, and was now copying everything. I smiled, but my victory was short-lived as another attack started.
I was bent over the keyboard when Vince stormed into the outer office. Panic bubbled below the surface as I looked at the laptop and saw that it was only about halfway done.
“Where is she?” He screamed, assuming Rick was in the office.
My eyes danced from the door to the screen. Fifty-seven percent. Fuck.
The door slammed open to Rick’s office, and he was met with silence. I moved my laptop closer to my work computer, so the screen was completely hidden from the doorway right before the door opened.
“Hello.” I called out. My eyes stayed focused on the screen, as if the attack was harder than it actually was.
Vince stared silently at me. “You’re here?”
I looked down at myself and then back up at him. He flinched when he saw my face. “Yeah…”
He watched me for a few minutes. “I thought you were in the hospital.”
I nodded. “I was, but then someone was trying to hack into our mainframe, and I needed to wrap up the tasks assigned to me.”
Vince’s eyes tightened. “Why? You should be home, healing.”
I glanced up from my computer, my eyes grazing past the laptop screen. Seventy percent. “I think we both know why I want to tie up my loose ends.” I stared at him for a minute before going back to the computer.
He coughed. “I don’t think I do.”
I snorted. A fresh attack started, but I kept my eye on Vince as he settled across from me. “You can pretend to be dumb with anyone else, Vince, but I know the truth. The king sent you my transfer request. We both know that he did.”
He stared at me for a few minutes. “I don’t know that.” He stared at me. “But let’s say that he did.” He raised his hand as I opened my mouth. “I said let’s pretend. What if I got rid of the request? What then?”
I sighed. “Honestly?” He nodded. “You want me to pretend that nothing happened?” He raised a shoulder.
“I didn’t say that.” He sighed. “Look, obviously Shannon isn’t an option as a mate. You are the girl I want for Brandon. He loves you. He is just confused.”
I stopped and turned to face him. “He’s confused?
” Vince nodded. “Vince, he made a fool out of me. I’m an Alpha and in front of our entire pack, he chose her.
” He opened his mouth, but I raised one hand, stopping him.
“You can pretend he didn’t, but he did. The rumors are already flying. ” He deflated.
Vince stared at me. “It’s not that bad Amy.”
I laughed. “Have you heard what the pack is saying? As an Alpha…could you deal with the disrespect you are asking me to deal with?” He stood up and started to pace. I glanced back at the computer screen and caught it stalled at seventy-three percent. Shit.
“If I loved my mate enough, I would be fine.” He tried to placate me, but his words just made me laugh.
“Bullshit. Don’t lie to me. If your mate picked another male in front of the entire pack-”
“He didn’t do that.” He interrupted.
I sighed. “Fine, if you asked your mate to decide between you and an unranked male that was obviously trying to take your place, and she refused to decide so she didn’t hurt the unranked male. What would you do and be honest?”
He stared at me for a second before he slunk back to the chair. “I wouldn’t be able to do it.”
“Exactly.” I sat back and sighed when I realized the download finally moved. Eight two percent. I turned back to the desktop when another alert lit the screen. There was another attack. “Fuck.”
“What?” Vince perked up.
“Nothing. Another attack.” I started typing, keeping one eye on the laptop and Vince. I started to push back the attack while not interfering with the download. It was a hard balance.
“Another attack?” He shifted in his seat.
I nodded. “I came here to finish up my work and to push back an attack that was under way when I got here.”
“Where is Rick?”
“He helped me to the hospital, but then went home to check on Abby before coming back here. She isn’t doing well.”
I saw anticipation light his eyes, but then it was gone. “Oh, that’s unfortunate.”
I nodded, then tensed when he stood up. “Is there anything I can do?”
I shook my head. I turned to face him. “No. Thankfully, it’s not hard to push them back.
” He started to walk around the desk. I looked at him and raised my eyebrow, which had him stopping with a grin on his face.
My eyes landed on the laptop screen for a second.
Ninety-three percent. Come on! “Do you know anything about coding or hackers?”
Ninety-five.
Vince knocked on my desk, bouncing from foot to foot at the corner as he thought about his answer.
“I’m not great, but I know enough.” He laughed a little as he stared at me.
I blocked another attack and glanced at Vince.
He looked like he was trying to decide if he should come closer.
“Amy…is there anything I could do or say that would get you to change your mind?” He started around the side of the desk.
Ninety-nine percent.
I growled, making him pause. “You are asking me to convince my wolf to settle for a male that doesn’t want me.” But he sighed and walked around the desk.
He glanced at my shirt, the replacement from the hospital, but turned away. “I am just trying to find a solution that doesn’t have you leaving.”
My heart wanted to race, but I had to focus on keeping my heartbeat steady.
If I allowed my body to react in any way, Vince would know something was up.
I nearly jumped to my feet when Vince started around the desk, but then the download flashed complete, and the screen reverted to the regular desktop just as he looked at it. I nearly cried in relief.
“Vince.” My voice wavered from the adrenaline coursing through me.
I clear my throat. “I have to leave. There is nothing else to do. Brandon attacked me. Nix will refuse to bend the knee, something I am sure you realize.” I swiveled in my chair and allowed the next attack to go unanswered as I focused on him.
The screen lit up the side of my face as the attacker breached a new firewall.
“We both know he landed the attack because I refused to engage.” I allowed the rage to enter my eyes.
“He attacked me without provocation. I won’t let that happen again.
” My voice was eerily calm. “The next time he tries to lay a hand on me, I will kill him. And I won’t feel an ounce of regret. ”
Vince stepped back at that. “You can’t mean that.” He tried to smile. “You love him.”
I laughed then at his absurd excuse. “I would gut him quicker than you could interfere. And I would piss on his body.” The calmness was back.
I felt my eyes shift. “Do you think I should allow a weaker wolf to abuse me? A weaker wolf to step on me?” Nix’s voice combined with mine.
“Do you think I would allow the wolves in my pack to think it is okay to abuse their mates because they got laughed at? Are you that fucking foolish? Or it is because your mate allows you to fuck around behind her back that you value the mate bond so fucking little?” Our rage was unmatched, and I was barely hanging on by a thread.
Nix and Megan raged inside of me. How fucking dare he fucking come here and demand we stay here? Nix was snarling.
Megan dug her nails into the ground. He is as stupid as his son is.
“I care about my mate.” Vince tried to fight back, but I just glared at him. “What?”
“You can pretend that the entire pack doesn’t know how you fuck anything that moves behind your mate’s back, but I’m tired of pretending.” My voice had zero inflection. All of my anger, my pain, I packed it away.
“HEY!” He stumbled forward, but I just growled, stopping him.
I pushed myself up, painfully. “Don’t fucking hey me!” I snarled. “Look at me! He broke my nose, blackened my eyes, broke my cheekbone and eye socket. I had two ribs coming out of my side. My lungs are half filled with blood and I am sure I missed something.”
“You are a wolf!” He snarled back.
“Yeah, and I’m not healing, am I?” I screamed back, and he froze.
I watched him do a slow blink, eyes dancing over my body. “Why aren’t you healing?”
“That’s an excellent question, Alpha. What could stop a wolf from healing?
” I shot back and then sank back into my chair.
“You act like you know everything that goes on in this fucking place, yet you have wolves in your pack slowly dying. You have wolves here that are bullied by unranked and ranked members. Your own Beta attacked female wolves behind your back for his unranked daughter and you had no fucking idea.”
“You are saying someone poisoned you?” His voice was soft, but he stepped back to the chairs in front of my desk as I slowly turned my chair back to my computer.
“What I am saying is that I am an Alpha wolf that would have healed all of this damage instantly yet it’s been a few hours and I still have to have my ribs wrapped so they stay where they need to be so that when Nix can heal me, she can do it properly.
” I started typing again, stopping the attack that was hitting another firewall.
“I’m saying that this isn’t the first time that my healing was stunted for random reasons.
And the only thing I’ve eaten today was from this kitchen.
And we both know the Omegas like me. So it wasn’t them.
” I cut him a look. “Your security for outside of the pack is top-notch, but inside…” I trailed off.
“You think that being who you are would keep your people in line? But,” I looked up.
“Do you think you are a good enough Alpha to be followed blindly?”
He scoffed. “No one is.”
I nodded. “If my father’s best friend can turn his back on him, being who he was, as loved as he was.
You don’t stand a chance.” I looked at him.
“I have the confirmation letter that accepts my transfer from the king myself. And I will be leaving tonight or tomorrow morning.” I turned back to my computer.
Vince stared at me for a few minutes before getting up and turning to leave.
“Oh, and Vince?” He froze. “Watch your back.”