That pulls a real laugh out of me. But before I can fire back a retort, my phone buzzes on the desk. The sharp vibration seems to rattle against the wood particularly loudly because of how quiet the rest of the office is. Derek’s phone chimes a split second later, and he fishes it out of his laptop bag with a curious frown.
He glances at the screen, and his eyebrows lift just a fraction. “It’s a work message.”
“Oh?” I reach for my phone. The notification glows brightly on the lock screen, and I tap it open immediately.
All staff required to attend. Conference Room B, 2:00 p.m. Introduction of new Head of Security.
“Excellent,” Derek says with a relieved sigh, slipping his phone back into his laptop bag. “We’ve finally got a new head of security. It’s about time. I heard there were tons of interviews for the position.”
“Yeah, I heard that, too.”
“Who knew Darius would fire George so soon after becoming alpha. Long overdue if you ask me.” Derek glances at his watch, and a playful grimace appears on his face. “I should get to my desk. Later, Anne.”
He shoots me a quick wave and a warm smile, which I return automatically, and then he’s gone.
I turn my focus to my work, and the morning passes in its usual fashion. Emails flood my inbox faster than I can respond to them. Budget reports need reviewing. There’s a scheduling conflict between two departments that requires careful negotiation and three separate phone calls to resolve.
I lose myself in the chaos. I guess it’s fair to say that I do love my job after all. I’m grateful to be able to get caught up in the hustle and bustle and let it take all my attention.
Soon enough, though, the numbers on my screen grow fuzzy as tiredness creeps up on me. I save the spreadsheet and push back from my desk, rolling my shoulders to ease the stiffness.
I need coffee.
The break room is quiet when I step inside, with only a couple of people passing through. I reach for a mug, and that’s when I hear a voice so familiar, I’d recognize it anywhere.
“There she is!”
Sienna’s cheerful call draws my eyes to her. She is perched on one of the high stools by the counter, legs swinging idly, looking effortlessly put together as always. Her dark hair falls in perfect waves past her shoulders, and for a moment I smile in wonder at how easily she makes an outfit as simple as a blouse and slacks look like it belongs on the cover of a fashion magazine.
Violet is sitting next to her, and the sight of her only broadens my smile. She’s wearing similarly business-like clothing, which makes me think back to when she worked in this building with us. She isn’t here very often anymore, which is understandable. She’s the luna of the pack now, and that comes with a whole different set of responsibilities that extend far beyond answering emails and wrangling spreadsheets.
“Hey,” I say, making my way over to them. “Plotting something?”
“Always,” Sienna grins. “Or at least I am. Currently, I’m plotting how to survive the day without dying of curiosity about this new security head.”
“Oh, you got the memo, too?”
“Everyone did,” Sienna says, amusement dancing in her eyes. “Half the office has been talking about nothing else all morning.”
I pour myself a cup of coffee, savoring the rich aroma. “Is it really that big a deal?”
“Are you kidding?” Sienna leans forward. “We haven’t had a permanent head of security in months. And apparently, Dariuswas incredibly involved with the hiring process. Personally oversaw every interview.”
Violet nods. “He wanted to make sure we got the absolute best person for the position. Security isn’t something to compromise on, so he decided to manage the decision directly.”
“Plus,” Sienna adds in a playful tone, mischief sneaking into her eyes the way I’ve seen it do hundreds of times before, “I was talking to some of the other women who happened to see a few of the candidates coming in for interviews, and according to them, at least one was extremely handsome. So, we’re all very invested in finding out who got the job.”
“Sienna!” Violet half whispers, trying to sound reproachful but failing to hide her own smile.
“What? I’m just reporting what I heard.” Sienna turns to me. “Anne, back me up here. Don’t you want to know if our new head of security is easy on the eyes?”
“I just want him to be qualified for the job,” I say, but I can’t help smiling. Sienna’s energy always gets a good grin out of me.
“Boring,” Sienna declares. “Okay, fine. Violet, do you know who it is? Come on, you’re mated to the Alpha. He must have told you.”
Violet’s expression turns thoughtful. “He did mention it, actually. But I was so busy preparing to receive that delegation from the Sunset Pack that I honestly can’t remember the name. I know he said they’re definitely qualified, though. Very experienced.” She glances at her watch, and her eyes widen slightly. “Speaking of delegations, I have a meeting in five minutes with representatives from the Lunaris Pack.”
“Another one?” Sienna asks. “How many is that this month?”
