“Hi, Alice, I have missed seeing some of the faces around here.” And a voice in my head interrupted to sayespecially one in particular.This time I couldn’t tell if it was Nalia or myself. I ignored it. After a few seconds, I found myself looking for Rafe. He was usually the first one to come out and give me a hard time when I would get to the pack lands but today he was nowhere to be found. I had to fight to keep the frown from my lips.
As if Alice could read my thoughts she smiled. “Rafe had some pack business elsewhere for the day.”
I nodded my head like that wasn’t what I was thinking but the blush spreading across my cheeks gave me away. I was about to dart away when her hand touched my elbow. “Can we speak for a moment?”
Worry ran down my insides but I tried to cool it before Nalia freaked out again. That was the last thing I needed to happen. “What’s up?”
“I was wondering if you were still looking for a job,” Alice grinned at me and the worry I felt a second ago amped up a notch. Tracey raised her hands behind Alice and shook her head before she mouthed,I had nothing to do with this.
I bit the inside of my cheek. I was but I didn’t want to admit it to her. I still had the same reasoning I had given Tracey flitting through my head. “Um,”
Alice took a step back as if she could smell my anxiety. Then it hit me, she could smell it. I just wasn’t in touch with my wolf enough to realize it.
We could smell their emotions too, if you’d let me.There she was.
“I told Tracey I didn’t want any help with that. I know you all mean well, but…” I trailed off, unsure of how to continue.
Alice frowned this time. “Tracey didn’t have anything to do with this. I’m confused. You did drop your resume off at our headquarters downtown, didn’t you?”
My eyebrows pulled together. “Did Rafe know I went downtown and intercept it?”
Alice laughed and shook her head. “No, Rafe probably wouldn’t like it very much if he knew I was offering this to you, actually.”
A bit of satisfaction flickered through me at that.
She’s telling the truth.Nalia confirmed in my head.
“We are in need of an accountant but not at our downtown location. We need someone here, at the Manor, to help with all of that.” She put her hand on my arm and led me into the Manor before us. I didn’t know what to say.
“Wait, what is your headquarters called?”
Alice opened the door for us and motioned me to follow her. Down the hall behind the stairs is a massive office. In the left corner, there was a massive dark wood desk that held two Mac monitors and a filing cabinet underneath it. There were two folders spread out on the desk. “CP Industries.” The bright red CP flash through my memory and I want to kick myself for not putting it together sooner. “That’s more of our international sector that deals with other packs in other countries. We are a lot more than we seem here, Jade.”
She opened the first folder and handed me the first page. Listed down it were businesses in bold that the Crimson Pack owns and operates. “As you can see, we need more help than what we have.”
I nodded my head as I looked over the numbers and all of the names. The library, the fire station, grocery stores, gas stations. I blinked slowly and put the paper on the desk.
“I would hate to shoot myself in the foot but I’m not sure I’m qualified for this position.”
Alice walked around the desk and sat in the plush black velvet chair there. It looked brand new. “You are more than qualified for this position. It doesn’t require much.” She slid the second folder toward me. “In this one, you will see your salary as well as an agreement for you to live here on the property.”
It's like she wrapped up all my fears and insecurities and fixed them all with a big fat bow on top. When I opened the folder, I couldn’t help but let it slip from my fingers. The number was entirely too high and they’re letting me live on the pack lands without being a pack member?This is too good to be true.
“I’m not a member of your pack.” The words tumbled out of my lips before I could stop them.
Alice only smiled. “Well, the first has to do with you being a Sigma, which I had no idea before. You won’t ever have to pledge to a pack unless your wolf needs it. There are many benefits to pledging forth but I can understand your hesitation. More than anyone else, I wish I could understand why my son does the things he does, but unfortunately, I can’t see into his mind. I trust you, as does the rest of the pack. You have a place here. A place you can run free and not have to worry about shifting, as well as enough money to pay for the rest of your degree and some extras.”
Why hadn’t anyone told me I was a Sigma? How did she even know? Was it all another guess? Did I even want to bring it up with the rest of this bizarre interview?
I swallowed thickly before I could answer. “I don’t need charity.” Something iced over in her gaze. “This isn’t charity. I know your parents have money. I know you are used to getting mostly everything you have and not having to work for it.” She leaned back in the chair and steepled her fingers together. She was a businesswoman now. “I require hard work, but I know you can provide it and the home I will provide you with, as stated in the contract, hasn’t seen a good day in ages. I do take care of my own, but I don’t do it out of the kindness of my heart. I require effort around here. Unfortunately for us but fortunately for you, we haven’t had an accountant in ages. I’ve been doing most of it around here, but I don’t have the schooling background. The kids around here don’t want to go to college and would rather leave for work or just be lazy. The last accountant was my husband and you know he is no longer with us.”
I nodded my head. This is what I wanted. I wanted to be taken seriously for my skills, for what I had to offer to a team. I blinked back the moisture in my eyes as the businesswoman in front of me melted away.
“So what do you think?”
The smile spread across my lips before I could stop it. “I think I would be stupid to say no.”
“I think you’re going to fit right in around here.”