Chapter Nine
Once he was gone, I sat back. I turned to my laptop and opened my conversation with Thoth and my father.
Nixthegoddess: I have the mainframe, the download just finished.
Deadmanwalking: That’s amazing! Send it once you get home. I’ll start going through it.
Thoth: Get out of there.
Nixthegoddess: Will do. I’m leaving tonight.
Thoth: Just leave now.
Deadmanwalking: Leave now.
Nixthegoddess: I have something I’ve still got to do.
Deadmanwalking: What?
Thoth: It’s not important. Whatever it is can wait, just leave. Now.
Nixthegoddess: You both know I can’t do that. Vince was draining all the pups. I can’t leave them to die. I need to remove the curse.
Thoth: Fine. Do it and then leave.
Deadmanwalking: Wait!
Nixthegoddess: What?
Deadmanwalking: Vince will know as soon as you remove the first curse. Then he will start searching for everyone. He’ll be able to move faster than you and you’ll be fucked. The removal of any curse is hard on the caster removing them, and you are already hurt.
Nixthegoddess: I can’t leave the kids to die.
Deadmanwalking: I’m not saying that either. You extended the time before, right?
Nixthegoddess: Yeah by a week.
Deadmanwalking: When is the mating ceremony?
Nixthegoddess: It’s been cancelled. Obviously.
Deadmanwalking: I don’t think so baby…My source close to Brandon said he’s agreed to mate Shannon, but Vince is against it. As far as I can see it, Vince will either cave and allow the mating ceremony to go ahead, or…
Nixthegoddess: Or what?
Deadmanwalking: He has a stand-in mate for Brandon.
I sat back in my chair and thought about it for a minute. It’s possible. Who else would be dumb enough to want to mate with Brandon? Vince wouldn’t settle for a random or unranked wolf, so there was very little chance that Shannon would get the ending she was so invested in.
Nixthegoddess: Who could be that dumb?
Thoth: Vince wouldn’t settle for just a random wolf, but with his position, and how Brandon just insulted you, he would be low on options.
I nodded. Thoth was right. Low options. Alpha, Beta, or Gamma female, that would also be out of options. I had an idea, but it was almost too ridiculous. There was no way I was right, but it would be amazing if I was.
Nixthegoddess: What about Nina, or Nadine?
Thoth: Possible. Their family is barely hanging on to any kind of standing. But both are Alphas.
Deadmanwalking: It honestly doesn’t matter. What matters right now is that we have a week to move and figure all of this out. Instead of curing them, extend their power for another week and then leave. He will just assume that Verity was wrong again and save us enough time to get into place.
He was right.
Nixthegoddess: Fine. But I’m removing Abby tonight.
Deadmanwalking: Fine, just do it after you leave.
Thoth: Can you heal yet?
The jump in topics had me furrowing my brows.
Nixthegoddess: How did you know?
Thoth:…
Thoth: Your father told me. But that doesn’t matter. What matters is that you heal yourself.
I stared at the screen for a second before I heard another door slam, and I groaned. I didn’t have time for this. I started to pack everything away. I slipped my phone into my purse and my laptop before my office door slammed open again.
Brandon was huffing in quick breaths, staring at me with intense eyes. “You.”
I turned back to my computer and started sending tasks back to the mainframe, knowing full well that none of us would be here in the morning to do anything about them. But I still had to act like I was the only one leaving. I smirked as I glanced up at him. “Me.”
He growled, but I shook my head. Stupid men. “Why are you here?”
“I’m finishing my tasks before I transfer out.”
He froze. “What?”
I sighed as I sent all the open IT tasks back to the alerting system and then I deactivated my account. I pursed my lips. “What do you mean what?”
His eyes glared back at me. “What do you mean, you are transferring out?”
I shut down my computer before I turned slowly to empty my desk. “Exactly what I said, Brandon. I am transferring out to my father’s pack.”
He threw his head back. “He’s dead.”
“And?” That stopped him.
“How are you transferring to a pack that no longer exists?”
I sighed, and I felt my eyebrows raise a little. “I don’t believe you to be stupid, Brandon. What could be the reason I would transfer back to a dead pack that I have the rights to?”
He thought for a second, and I watched the understanding explode behind his eyes. “You are going back to rebuild.”
“Ding ding, ding. We have a winner.” I zipped up my bag and I pushed on the desk to help me stand, my ribs screaming.
Brandon’s voice turned whiny. “But our mating ceremony is in a week.”
I threw my head back and laughed at that. “You are dumber than I fucking thought.” I wiped the tear that fell. “Are you serious?”
Brandon’s face fell. “Yes. We made a commitment to each other. And I intend to keep it.”
I turned to him and let my face fall. “You attacked me this morning. I’m not mating you. You broke the commitment to me as soon as you slept with Shannon. But then you decided it was okay to lay your hands on me.” I shook my head. “Did you think I was just going to forgive and forget?”
He snarled. “You deserved to be put in your place.”
I tilted my head. “So because I held you accountable for the situation you created, you thought, because what? You are an Alpha. It was okay for you to put your hands on me?” I smirked. “So, does that mean I can put my hands on you?”
He laughed. “You are weaker than me. I put you in your place because you thought you were better than me. Obviously not.”
The thread that was holding my patience and my anger was fraying. But I laughed. “You attacked me at work, because someone else laughed. And you think because I didn’t fight back that you ‘put me in my place’? But in reality, I didn’t find you worthy.”
He snarled again, but then Vince and some guards ran in. “Brandon, you need to leave.” Vince was panting. Like he just heard that Brandon was here. “Leave Amy alone.”
Brandon snarled at his father. “No! You said she was leaving, but we are mating at the end of the week.”
I laughed. “No, No we are not. You lost the privilege to ever touch me again the moment you jumped over this desk this morning.” I dropped my voice lower. “No, unless you leave me be, I will challenge you in front of everyone here.”
I watched the threat wash right over him, but Vince paled. “Let’s go Brandon. She needs to go home to pack.”
I nodded and grabbed my bag from the ground and I groaned. I was tender. Nix. I called to my wolf. You can start to slowly heal me. I’ve appeared weak enough to all the right players.
Nix growled. Finally,
But. She froze, and I felt the anger pumping off of her. Start internally, and move slowly, like the wolfsbane was finally working itself out of our system. She shook herself, but then nodded.
I don’t see the point, but fine. Megan laughed. I think she understood my plan.
We will get you healed up. She winked and then got to work. The relief wasn’t instant, but I could feel the pain ease.
“SHE’S NOT LEAVING!” Brandon screamed, freezing everyone.
I felt my body still. “Who is going to stop me?” Everyone heard the threat in my voice…everyone it seems, except Brandon.
“If you want to leave, then you have to go through me first.” He smirked. His eyes danced over my body, from my toes up to my head. “And we both know how well that went earlier.”
Vince paled. “No.” But I felt the smile bloom on my face.
I quickly glanced at the clock. It was early enough that if I was quick, I would still have time to get home before people showed up.
Vince stepped into the office and grabbed Brandon by the arm.
“No.” He shook his head as he looked at me.
“We are leaving. Forget he said anything. Brandon, let’s go.
” Vince pulled him but Brandon was staring at me.
He shook off his father’s hand. “Did you hear me? You aren’t going anywhere.”
I laughed. It was dark and low. “Fine.”
Vince started to sweat. The guards all looked at each other. But Brandon looked triumphant. “See.” He looked at his father. “The mating ceremony will go on.”
“I didn’t say that.” I shook my head as I let my mask fall off and the rage broke through.
“You said that I wasn’t going anywhere unless I ‘go through you’.
” I tilted my head as Vince started to shake his head.
“I said fine.” He smiled. “You really are that dumb.” His smile fell.
“I meant I will go through you.” I smiled, big, toothy, and dangerous. “I hope you are up for the challenge.”
Vince stepped up. “You can’t kill him.” He was almost pleading.
“She can’t kill me.” Brandon smiled. “She isn’t strong enough.” I watched Vince stagger back.
“I won’t kill him…although I have every right to call for a death battle.” Vince seemed to take a breath. “But I will invoke my right to a cath neart.”
The guards all stood straighter. Vincent winced, but Brandon just laughed. “Stop making stupid shit up.”
A guard stepped up. “I will second Alpha Amy.” I tilted my head.
“And who are you?”
“I am Gamma Corzone. You met my wife Samantha when you volunteered in the pup’s classes.” He looked at me with intense eyes.
I nodded once. “Nice to officially meet you, Gamma Corzone.”
Brandon spun. “You will second her? In what? A fake fight?” He spun again to face me.
“You are a stupid bitch, do you know that? I was giving you a chance to back down gracefully. I am the next Alpha of this pack. Do you not understand that everyone wants me? That you were LUCKY to even catch my eye.”