“Kady.” Calder’s sexy rumble makes my knees quiver. “Why would an omega who is courting be perfuming around another alpha?”
I keep my gaze fixed on the road ahead, gripping the steering wheel to ground me. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Margie paces next to the security station, barking into her walkie-talkie while a few other security guards loiter at the gates too. Her face lights up as soon as she sees me, and we crawl to a halt. I lower the window.
“Thank goodness! There you are!” Margie exhales deeply. “I stopped by Stella House to check on you and found out you’d already left. I assume you know the situation with the reporters?”
I nod grimly.
“Don’t you worry about a thing, Kady. I’ve increased patrols and security.” She gestures at the gun in her station that she’s fondly nicknamed Big Billy. “No one will get past me.” Margiepeers through the car window, noticing I’m not alone. “You know the rules. No alphas beyond this point.”
“He’ll be walking home from here,” I explain.
“But—” Calder’s mouth hangs open.
“You heard the lady!” Before he can argue, Margie yanks open the passenger door and pulls him out.
Calder’s face reddens. “But that’s my car!”
I bat my eyelashes in mock-innocence. “See? It’s not nice when people take things that were supposed to be yours. See you later, editor!”
Sweet satisfaction sweeps through me as I speed away.
Calder lunges after the car, but Margie is quicker. For an elderly lady, she moves fast. I watch in the mirror as she tackles him straight to the ground and is on top of him in seconds. The sight of Margie pinning Calder down is one of the best things I’ve seen in ages. Where’s a camera when I need it? That would make an amazing article inTheValley Voice,with the headline, “New Editor Taken Down by Sweet Old Lady.”
Leaving Calder to eat dirt is already making me feel much better, but I still have to face the consequences when my father finds out about the news breaking.
NINE
Calder
It takes the best part of ten minutes to convince the old lady pointing a Taser at my neck that I don’t mean Kady Sinclair any harm while alpha security guards stand by snickering. When Margie finally climbs off me, I brush myself off, eager to get the hell out of here.
If Ezra found out about this, I’d never live this down. Today was supposed to be about making my mark. I was the editor for my last college paper, but it didn’t have half the reach thatTheValley Voicedoes, so I’d been determined to make a strong impression. However, having my car stolen by an omega and being manhandled by a senior was not on my to-do list.
“I’ve got my eyes on you, Calder Soren!” Margie points two fingers at her eyes then back at me. She’s got surprising strength hiding beneath her crochet cardigan. “Next time I won’t be so nice.”
I stalk away, correcting my clothing while I gather together what remains of my pride. I stumble back along the path where the car—my fucking car!—drove moments before. Is this how Kady Sinclair repays me for doing her a favor? Her audacity is both infuriating and intoxicating. As is her smell, which I can’t get out of my head.
I put my phone to my ear and call Hale.
“What’s up?” He picks up on the second ring. “I didn’t think I’d hear from you until later, with it being your first day.”
“I need a change of clothes.” I look down at my dirt-covered T-shirt and jeans, which now boast Margie’s boot print. “There’s a problem with my car.” I purse my lips. “Can you give me a ride home?”
“Sure. I could do with a break from dealing with the distributors this morning anyway.” He sighs. “I can meet you at your office in thirty?”
“Thanks,” I grunt. “See you soon.”
Work has been grinding Hale down. I can’t recall the last time I saw him without his work phone in his hand or eating a full meal without dashing off to take a call. Since dropping out of veterinary school to take over his family’s business last year, he’s been on a downward spiral.
While it was a huge display of trust for his dad to sign his global distribution company over to his twenty-five-year-old son to run, it hasn’t come without its challenges. It’s worlds away from Hale’s old life, where he bounced through the door at the end of the day, regaling us with tales about how he’d saved a dog’s life or delivered a litter of kittens.
Hale had expected to take over Valen Enterprises eventually. It had always been expected of him, his father’s lifelong dream. However, his father’s multiple sclerosis diagnosis threw everything off course.
Nick had been having health problems for years but refused to seek help until he couldn’t ignore them anymore. Hale hadn’t wanted to upset his dad by refusing to take over the company, but he thought he’d have more time to finish his studies, follow his own dreams, and have a career before fulfilling his familial obligations. Hell, he doesn’t want to disappoint anyone, which is half the problem.
When I return toThe Valley Voiceoffice to wait for my ride and check that everything’s okay, I’m relieved to find that Devon has rounded up the troops. Monitoring the phones, they barely look up as I pass, repeating, “No comment” over and over again.
