Darius is the one who says, “They’re dotted and crossed.” He sets a hand on a manila folder resting before him on his desk. “I imagine she’s not going to take it too well. I’m already anticipating having to assign a squad to her to make sure she leaves the Dryers’ house without a fight. Until I give you the all-clear, Rourke, I’m going to have you and Jess stay in one of the units downtown.”
I think about offering up my place, but it’s good to not look a gift horse in the mouth.
Pax folds his arms across his chest and gives me a knowing look, his green eyes twinkling. “So Jessica Dryers is your scent match. I have to admit, when you first called, I thought you’d lost your damn mind.”
Behind his desk, Darius chuckles and agrees, “Me, too. Then again, Pax, I thought the same thing about you when you found yourself forming a pack of your own.”
My friend, Pax, the famous lone wolf of Alabaster Security, had ended up not only with a scent match but also with a pack—and he’d changed his last name, too, something very out of the norm when it comes to über alphas and their packs. Pax Alabaster is no more; he is now Pax Chase, head of Pack Chase. I still haven’t met Gideon, Colter, and Raeka, but from what I hear, those three are exactly what my friend needed to open up.
I know the feeling. Oh, yes, I know the feeling better than most now.
Pax whispers, “I guess we all change when the right people come along.”
“Yeah,” I agree. “We do.”
“Raeka knows Jess,” my friend says. “They went to the same school once they presented. She said Jess always hung by herself and refused to make friends. Raeka tried talking to her a few times, but Jess would shut it down.”
With everything I know about Jess, none of that is surprising.
Darius says, “If Jess is looking for something to do, I’m sure Mercedes and Raeka can find her something to do for N.O.A. We’re still looking for teachers and other aids for the academy.”
Honestly, I don’t know if Jess would like something like that, or if she’d even be good at it, but I can definitely bring it up to her. Not today, however. Today already has enough stress. The last thing I want to do is overload my omega with more.
“I appreciate it. I’ll talk to her about it later. Don’t know if she’d want to, but stranger things have happened.”
Darius harrumphs. “I’ll say. Look at where we all are now. I don’t think we’d recognize ourselves from a year ago. Times change. Things change—and they change damn fast, too.” He gives me a knowing smirk. “I bet this means you’ll start using your vacation time now, huh?”
I chuckle softly. “Hey, I built that up for a reason.”
Checking his watch, Darius stands and grabs the folder before him. “We should head over to the conference room. Cecilia Dryers is due here any moment now.”
I head to the door and hold it open for Darius and Pax, and together we walk down the hall. I’m the first inside the conference room, and I see Asher and Mason sitting on either side of Jess on the side of the table closest to the windows.
As the others funnel in behind me, I introduce them, “Jess, Asher, Mason: this is Darius Alabaster, and this is Pax Chase.”
They shake hands across the table, but Jess squints her eyes at Pax and says, “Chase? As in—”
“Chase Jewels,” my friend finishes for her with a nod. “That’s the one.”
“Huh,” she remarks.
Pax goes to stand near the windows, probably to look as menacing as possible once Cecilia gets here, while Darius takesthe seat at the head of the long table. I remain standing near him, folding my arms behind my back.
Now it’s a waiting game.
Jess sits with her back rod straight, staring at the door to the conference room, as if willing her aunt to appear. She probably just wants to get it over with, and I can’t blame her. This whole thing is stressful; I want to be done with it just so she can relax and move on.
I still can’t imagine what she went through these last ten years. Losing your parents—losing them in the same crash that put you in a coma and rattled your brain around was hard enough, but to have a guardian that doesn’t actually care about you… that’s the icing on an already-rotten cake.
She’s opened up to us the last few weeks. If I have my way, whatever walls remain will crumble into dust soon enough. I’m confident Asher, Mason, and I can handle her—it’s why I plan on going ahead with the paperwork once we get everyone situated in the unit downtown. It’ll take a few weeks, but the sooner we get it done, the better.
An indeterminate amount of time later, someone opens the door: the beta receptionist. She wears a tight smile on her face as she holds the door for what looks like an uptight middle-aged woman who is absolutely not thrilled to be here. The receptionist ducks her head out of the room the same moment Cecilia takes the seat opposing Jess.
Darius does introductions and all that, shakes the woman’s hand, but it’s clear she only has eyes for her niece. She holds her nose up in the air, like she can smell us on her—and she probably can, but we made sure not to be with each other before the long drive back, so the scent can’t be that strong.
“So,” Cecilia finally speaks, and just by the tone she uses, I can tell the woman is accustomed to getting her way, “are you going to tell me why the police aren’t here? Seems to me yourcompany has been harboring an omega that is under my care when you should have returned her to me immediately.” Though she asks it of Darius, she stares squarely at Jess the entire time.
My metaphorical hackles are up. I don’t like the look she’s giving Jess, nor do I appreciate her tone. I’m not normally one to lose my head in situations like this, but when it comes to Jess, I suppose I am more protective. It’s a damn good thing Darius is here to remain level-headed.
