“Who sent it?” Beau’s voice is rough, dangerous.
“That is… unknown. We’re looking into it, but that’s not the immediate concern.” Marshal leans forward, folding his hands on the table. “The immediate concern is that this is a clear breach of contract. Miss James signed an agreement stating she would maintain professional boundaries with all stock contractors, riders, and APBRA personnel. This video shows a clear violation of that agreement.”
“That’s bullshit,” Jake says flatly. “She didn’t do anything wrong.”
“The contract?—”
“The contract is designed to protect Omegas from being harassed or coerced by Alphas in positions of power,” I interrupt, my voice hard. “Not to punish them for having a private, consensual moment that someone illegally filmed.”
Marshal’s expression softens slightly. “I agree with you, Charlie. I do. But the board is concerned about optics. About precedent. The fear is that if we allow this to slide, it opens the door for?—"
“For what?” Beau leans forward, his Alpha rising to the surface. “For Omegas to be treated like people? For them to have relationships without needing permission from a bunch of old men in a boardroom?”
One of the people next to Marshal clears their throat. “Mr. McCrae, I understand you’re upset, but the reality is that MissJames knew the terms of her contract when she signed it. The video clearly documents the violation of those terms. In addition, Mr. McCrae, it also documents a violation of your contract as well?—”
At that, Willa shoots up. “Then fire me.”
Everyone turns to look at her. She’s still not meeting any of our eyes, but she stares Marshal Lane and his legal team down with fire burning in her gaze.
“I violated the contract. You need someone to take the fall. Fine. Fire me. But leave them out of it.” The resignation in her eyes makes my Alpha instincts surge with pride and an almost overwhelming urge to wrap her in my arms and give all of APBRA the finger. “This is my fault.”
“Miss James—” Marshal starts, but I’m already standing.
“No.” My voice comes out harder than I intend, but I don’t care. “There has to be another solution here. It isn’t her fault. This should be about whatever asshole decided that creeping on them was okay and then intentionally stirring up trouble. Since when are relationships regulated?”
Willa’s head snaps toward me, her eyes wide. “Charlie?—“
It’s then that I realize the implications of what I said. “Relationships.” That implies a lot more. We have no idea if Willa is even interested in more.
Marshal takes a long look at me, our pack, and Willa.
“Can you guys excuse us, please?” he says to the legal team. They grumble but make their way out of the conference room. When it’s just us, he sighs and rubs a large hand over his face.
“I’m too old for this shit,” he says. “Willa, I’ve known you for as long as Josie has been dragging you after her. And I knew your father even longer.” That last bit is said with weight. He reaches out and pats the table in front of her. “Please take a seat.”
Willa visibly relaxes and slowly sinks into her chair.
“There’s another option,” Marshal says. He looks between us and Willa, his expression considering. “The contract allows for Omegas and Alphas to fraternize if they are part of an established pack or are officially recognized as being in a courtship agreement.”
The words hang in the air, heavy.
“What are you saying?” Jake asks slowly.
“I’m saying,” Marshal continues, his gaze steady, “that if Pack McCrae formally states that you have been courting Miss James, this becomes a non-issue. The contract has provisions for pack bonds and courtship. As Charlie said, it’s designed to protect Omegas, not punish them for finding compatible partners.”
My heart is pounding so hard I can barely hear over it. This is it. The moment where we either step up or watch her walk away.
I look at Willa, trying to read her expression, a myriad of emotions flickering across it too fast to name. Fear. Hope. Panic. Longing. Resignation.
A sudden realization born of all the years we’ve shared hits me hard. She thinks we’re going to say no. Thinks we’re going to let her take the fall to protect ourselves. It’s what her father would have done.
“We’ve been courting her,” I say, my voice clear and certain. “Pack McCrae has been courting Willa James.”
Beau and Jake are nodding before I even finish speaking, standing to flank me like the pack we are.
“It’s true,” Beau adds. “We’ve been courting her since she started working with us.”
I see her small frame shoot out of her chair for the second time. Willa makes a sound—I know she’s going to protest. She’s never liked people taking her licks, as she’d call it. But I don’t look away from Marshal.
