“With my unit?” She couldn’t help but smile at that, and Gareth grinned back at her.
“Yes. Withyourunit.”
“So far, so good. Had my first meeting this morning.” She hesitated, not knowing whether to carry on or not. Unit meetings weren’t generally talked about outside of the unit itself—except to Cam—but it wasn’t as though they’d discussed anything confidential, and Gareth did used to be their beta, so…”
He held up a hand, saving her the decision. “I just want to know if it’s going well. I don’t need to know details.”
“Yeah, it’s going well, I think.” She gave him a pointed look. “They’re a great bunch, as you well know.”
Gareth’s smile said he did. “What about Nathan?”
“What about him?”
“Have you got a plan in place to help him become beta material?”
Rachel squirmed a little. She’d only been their beta for a little over a day. Give her a fucking chance. “Um…”
“Sorry.” Gareth waved a hand at her. “It’s your unit now, and I need to remember that.” He sighed, and Rachel’s ire trickled away. “It’s just—”
“You still worry about them; I get it. No need to apologise for that.”
“Thank you, but I need to learn to step back. I want Nathan to realise his potential, but I can’t do it for him.”
“No, you can’t. And I know I’ve not been here long, but from my perspective, if it’s any consolation, I think he’ll do fine on his own.”I hope I’m here long enough to see it.
Cam had arranged with her father that she could stay longer, but they hadn’t talked about an end date. If Sara went back to her father’s pack, would Rachel have to stay longer? And if Sara didn’t, would Rachel want to go home knowing Sara wouldn’t be there. Would she even care by then?
She absently rubbed at her chest, the ache of their potential bond a dull thrum under her ribs. It was so much a part of her now, Rachel couldn’t imagine not feeling it there. Didn’t want to.
“Rachel?”
She glanced up to find Gareth watching her, concern heavy in his eyes. “Sorry, I zoned out for a second.”
His gaze dropped to where her hand still pressed over her heart. “Everything okay?”
He knew first-hand how it felt to be in her position, so she didn’t bother to lie. “Not everything, no.” She blew out a breath and leaned back against her chair. “But the shit part is unfixable, so…” She held her hands out in a “what can you do?” gesture.
“I’m sorry.”
She shrugged and managed a small smile. “Me too.” Mentally shaking off the pain threatening to take over, she gripped the thick folder to her chest and stood. “I better leave you to get on with your day.”
To her surprise, Gareth stood too. “Actually, I’m about done for the day. Cam has some things he wants to discuss with me, so I’m finishing early. Can I offer you a lift home?”
Her smile came easier this time. “Yes, please. For an awful moment there, I thought I was going to have to catch the damn Tube.”
Laughing, Gareth scooped up his keys from the desk and ushered her out of his office. “It’s not that bad.”
Rachel shuddered at the thought of being so far below ground. Some of those escalators kept on going down and down, like you were descending into the bowels of the earth. No thanks. “I prefer seeing sky while I travel.”
LATER THAT NIGHT, Rachel’s phone rang with a familiar, yet not-wholly-welcome ringtone. She stared at the name on the screen, letting it ring out a few times before sighing and answering the call. “Hey, Dad.”
“Evening, Rachel.”
She heard a door shut and imagined him getting settled in his study. “Everything okay?” It wasn’t unusual for him to call her, but Gallen’s threats still lingered at the back of her mind, despite Cam’s reassurances that the alpha council would refuse to get involved at this stage.
“Yes, we’re all fine. And I’ve had no more trouble from Gallen if that’s what you’re referring to.”
Rachel smiled into the phone, then bit her lip. She shouldn’t ask but couldn’t stop the question from spilling out. “Has Sara come home yet?”
