Werewolf CEO 2, page 18
“I’m trying to help you, asshole.”
“I don’t need your fucking help, Clementine!” he shouted as he turned to her with wild eyes. “I’m the head of this pack. Not you. Me.”
Carter turned his back and braced his hands on the table, and as soon as he was no longer looking at the two Betas, they turned to each other with a look of anger. Whatever silent message they were sending each other meant nothing good. Not for Carter, at least. He wasn’t a good leader. They knew it, and it was only a matter of time before they turned on him.
“He took something before he killed Aaron,” the greasy-haired Beta mumbled to himself, and I managed to just pick it up over the rest of the noise in the room. “I don’t know what it was, but I need it. I can be better than him. I have to be. I have to be better than him.”
The two Betas rolled their eyes at his incessant rambling before the female slinked over to his side. She rested a hand on his shoulder and turned him around so I could see his face again. His eyes were wide like saucers, and now that his face was illuminated, I could see how exhausted he looked. His whole face was gaunt and dirty, and his eyes looked sunken in from lack of sleep.
No wonder this guy stank. It looked like he’d been dragged through a hedge backward.
“Carter,” she cooed with a fake smile. “You need to keep a level head. You want to be like Drake, right? So that you can claim his territory once and for all. So… stop whining like a baby and man up.”
“What the hell did you say to me?” he demanded as he snatched her wrist in his hand. “Who the hell do you think you’re talking to, you little bitch?”
“That’s enough, Carter,” the other Beta quickly intervened and put a hand on his shoulder. “She’s just worked up. We all are. We haven’t had a proper meal in days.”
“Then go out and find some sorry bastard to feed on!” the Beta leader dismissed as he let go of the female’s hand. “It’s not my problem.”
Clementine growled under her breath before she stormed away from him and over to another group of Betas who were all making out with each other. This place was a goddamn cesspit, and the fact they were acting like this in a chapel of all places felt like the most horrendous irony ever.
I shuddered at the thought of them feasting on actual people, and I didn’t know how common that was among other were-kind, but I really hoped it wasn’t. It would make living in New York with other supernatural people like me feel all the more daunting.
Carter heaved in anger as the noise of the other Betas grew louder. This guy was on the brink of a complete mental breakdown, and his uncontrollable followers clearly weren’t helping.
“Why is it so fucking loud in here?” he shouted as he spun around to face the rest of his ‘pack.’
The room immediately fell silent, and every single Beta slowly turned their heads to face him. Carter’s burst of confidence fell the moment he realized they were all staring at him, and he took a step back subconsciously.
I couldn’t see their faces, but judging by how pale Carter looked, they weren’t sending him friendly looks.
The wannabe Alpha cleared his throat and raised his chin up in mock confidence.
The Betas didn’t say anything. They just stared for what felt like an eternity before they turned back to what they had been doing. The room flooded with noise again, and the loud chattering resumed.
Carter looked put out, and as soon as all of those beady eyes were off him, his shoulders sagged. This guy was a loose cannon, and if he knew his power over the wolves was now slipping, then he was gonna become even more reckless.
I’ve seen enough, I said to Luke, who had been watching the whole ordeal unfold right beside me. Let’s go back to the rest of the pack.
S-Sure, he stuttered. Josh… he seems… more unhinged than what he used to be.
That’s putting it lightly, I said and held back a chuckle. I don’t think we should attack right now. There are too many of them, and we need more time to prepare.
Yeah, and they don’t seem like the most pleasant bunch, Luke grumbled.
Do you recognize any of them from Drake’s pack? I asked as we slowly started making our way down the rusted ladder.
Probably half, but the others I’ve never seen before, he admitted. Which isn’t a good sign.
No, no it isn’t, I replied. How do you think he’s recruited new Betas? It’s not like he holds much power around here.
Maybe they’re looking for a bit of fun? Luke offered as a suggestion. I mean, New York is full of questionable wolves, and if they’ve caught wind about what Carter’s trying to do, I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re hanging around to see how it plays out.
So, you think they’re not actually there to follow him? I asked.
He can’t force anyone into his pack because he’s not an Alpha, the blond Beta explained. So, the fact that there’s over half there with him for no reason other than the promise of territory seems a little… suspicious.
It sounds like the joke’s on him then. I held back a chuckle. Do you think he even realizes that half of his pack is only there to see how it goes down when he inevitably fails?
He’s drunk on power right now, so probably not, Luke said amusedly. But we shouldn’t underestimate what those other Betas might do if they think there’s something they can get out of Carter gaining that territory. That’s the last thing we want to do.
I hear you, I said. But still… it’s kinda reassuring that not all of them are devout followers of him.
As soon as our feet touched the grassy ground, we quickly made our way back over the fence and sprinted the remaining distance to get back to the pack. Thankfully, everyone was safe and fine, and Mia gave me a tight hug as soon as we returned.
“How did it go?” she whispered.
“Let’s go back to Lunar Corp., and then I’ll tell you,” I whispered back.
“We’re not attacking them?” Klaus asked with a furrowed brow.
“Not today.” I shook my head. “Quickly, let’s go.”
My pack and I rushed back to the Lunar Corp. building after that, and I ushered them down into the parking lot so we’d have some guaranteed privacy. The clean-up crew had completely gotten rid of the blood staining the pavement, and there were no mangled bodies of Betas in sight. The guard patrol had already been doubled, and I felt a little more at ease now that there were more wolves keeping guard.
“So, why didn’t we end up attacking, Josh?” Katie asked as she folded her arms across her chest.
“There were about twenty-five wolves in that chapel,” I said as I leaned against the trunk of my car. “They were rowdy.”
“And they were pissed,” Luke added. “Carter’s failing as a leader. That much is obvious.”
“And it’s only a matter of time before he goes completely off the rails,” I sighed. “We need to be careful with how we go about this. Sure, we could wait until the Betas in his ‘pack’ revolt and do what they want with him, which, by the looks of things, won’t take very long. But if we just sit back, then we run the risk of him coming out and getting us while we’re unprepared.”
“Then we need to prepare,” Finn said as he squared his shoulders. “Tell us what you need us to do, Alpha.”
“Well, for starters, I want you guys to train,” I said. “Use the wrestling ring in the gym. If you need any more equipment, let Mia know, and she can use my card to buy it and get it delivered.”
“And what else?” Klaus asked with an intrigued look on his slim face.
“This,” I said with a smirk as I popped open the trunk and sliced open one of the cardboard boxes containing the new drugs with my claw. “These are new drugs we’ve developed that give you a boost of adrenaline.”
“Josh used them when he fought Carter and kicked his ass,” Mia added with a proud look in her eye.
“They’ll amp up your powers, and if you get hurt, it will speed up your healing ability,” I explained. “I want you guys to always carry one of these. And if you wanna test it out before we make our move on Carter, then that’s your choice. If I’d had the chance to, I probably would have. Taking it out of the blue was a bit of a shock to my system, to say the least.”
“You handled it really well, Josh,” my mate said as she lifted one of the boxes out of the car and handed it to Katie. “I don’t think anyone in the trials took to it as fast as you did.”
“Well, that just boosted my ego,” I teased.
Mia passed the other box left in the trunk to Finn before she closed it.
“So… we train,” Amy said. “And then we attack?”
“And then we attack,” I confirmed with a nod of my head. “I want us to be at the top of our game. We can take down twenty-five Betas, but only if we’re ready.”
“I like your thinking, Alpha,” Katie agreed with a subtle smirk. “I’ll whip these pups into shape and then some.”
“If anyone can do that, it’s you,” I said as I mirrored her smirk. “I’ll keep in touch if anything else happens. But I’ve got a feeling Carter’s gonna be licking his wounds, at least for tonight.”
“Then we’ll see you tomorrow?” Luke asked with a hopeful glint in his eye.
“If everything goes smoothly, I’ll swing ‘round.” I nodded. “Try and get some rest tonight. And don’t overwork yourselves. That’s an order.”
“Yes, Alpha,” all five of my pack said in unison.
We escorted them out of the property and watched them walk down the road together, and it was nice hearing them laugh and talk among themselves like normal people. They’d been through so much, but they had each other, and they had me and Mia now, too.
After they’d rounded a corner and we couldn’t see them anymore, Mia and I headed back to my car and went back to my penthouse. We both showered and tried to unwind from the fight, but I found it ridiculously hard to get to sleep that night. Eventually, though, I managed to get a good few hours in before my alarm went off.
We headed into the office the next morning, and Mia arranged to get my car fixed up while we worked. The damage hadn’t been too bad, but I’d been dreaming about getting her back to her former glory since Carter decided to ruin it.
I had a sizable amount of paperwork to go through and approval of some things that needed to be done soon, too, as well as helping Mia sort out the training of the guards and onboarding new recruits.
At around twelve o’clock, I was taken out of my relentless cycle of reading and signing by Mia calling out my name.
“I’ve got Ali on line one,” my mate said through the open door.
“Got it,” I said as I picked up my phone. “Thanks, Mia!”
“You’re welcome!” I heard her chirp from her desk as I lifted the phone up to my ear with a smile.
“Hey, Ali,” I said.
“Good afternoon, Josh, I have a reporter at the front desk looking to speak with you,” Ali’s soft voice said down the line.
“A reporter?” I asked as I raised my eyebrows. “Did she say what she wanted to speak to me about?”
“She said she was hoping to speak to you about production,” Ali trailed off unsurely. “I… well, she’s quite adamant that she speaks to you, sir.”
“Send her up,” I said. “But uhh… have a guard escort her.”
“Of course,” the receptionist said politely. “Have a good rest of your day.”
“You too, Ali,” I said before I hung up the phone. “Hey, Mia? Did you hear that?”
“Sure did,” my mate said. “You must be more popular than you thought if you’ve got reporters knocking on your door.”
“Or Carter’s spies,” I snorted.
“He’s not smart enough to do something like that, Josh,” Mia giggled. “Just don’t go spilling your family secrets to her, and it will all be okay.”
I let out a deep breath of composure and straightened up my suit, and as soon as I stood up from my desk, the elevator door dinged open. Then my jaw dropped as a beautiful young woman stepped out with one of my guards following close behind.
She had long chocolate-brown hair braided on either side of her face and bangs that sat just above her dark eyebrows. Her eyes were the most striking thing about her, and as she looked at me, I felt all of the air get knocked out of my lungs. They were a captivating hazel color that almost looked amber as the light of the sun shone in through the floor-to-ceiling windows. She had a pair of thin-framed, circular glasses that perched near the end of her button nose, and her plump lips were painted a light maroon color.
The reporter was wearing blue jeans that hugged her perfect figure and a tight white long-sleeved blouse that showed off an impressive amount of cleavage. She had a brown leather satchel on one shoulder and a notebook in her hand, which she quickly tucked under her armpit as she approached my office.
She gave Mia a polite wave as she passed her, and then she walked through the open double doors and into my space.
The rich scent of vanilla hit me like a wave, and I tried to subtly breathe in as much of it as I could without her thinking I was a weirdo.
“Hi, I’m Hallie, Hallie Hughes from the New York Times,” she introduced herself and held out her hand. “And you might just be my next big piece, Mr. St. James.”
Chapter Twelve
I was sort of stuck in a daze for a moment as she stared at me with those beautiful hazel eyes, and it was only when said eyes darted down to her outstretched hand that I snapped out of it.
“Hopefully, if I make headlines, it will be for something good,” I said in a flirtatious tone as I shook her outstretched hand. “Josh St. James, a pleasure to meet you.”
“Thank you for giving me time out of what I assume is a very busy day, Mr. St. James,” the reporter said politely. “Do you mind if I sit?”
“Go ahead,” I said and gestured to the two leather chairs in front of my desk.
I made my way around to my desk and sat down as she settled in front of me, and I couldn’t help but feel like a real professional. So far, I hadn’t had any meetings in my office, so this was the closest I’d gotten to feeling like I was hosting something like that in here.
“Nice decor,” the brunette commented as she looked around the room.
My eyes darted to the numerous paintings of wolves dotted around the spaces free from huge bookcases around the room, and I managed to get out a light chuckle.
“Thanks, my parents thought it’d be funny to decorate like this because of the company name,” I quickly lied.
“I suppose that makes sense.” Hallie smiled, but it didn’t meet her eyes. “Some of them are pretty intense.”
I looked straight at the painting where a pack of wolves were tearing apart a flock of sheep. It was kinda gory, and honestly, a little on the nose. Maybe my parents liked the thrill of rubbing something that obvious, right in humans’ faces. Or maybe they’d never invited a non-werewolf up here before. I had no idea, but Mia seemed pretty chill with me inviting Hallie up here, so all I needed to do was play this off like my mate had with me when I first saw this place.
“That’s what you get when you buy ridiculously overpriced antique paintings to decorate your office, I guess,” I joked. “They never were ones for subtlety.”
“Well, I’m not complaining,” the reporter said as she settled into her seat. “It adds a little personality. Better than some boring plain office.”
“You’re right,” I chuckled. “I was lucky.”
“Yes, you were,” Hallie said as she slowly looked me up and down before meeting my gaze again.
“So, Miss Hughes, what can I do for you? Apart from explaining the reason for the choice of decor.” My tone was teasing as I leaned back in my chair and tried not to look at her cleavage that was directly in my eyeline.
“Well, I wanted to ask about production here at Lunar Corp.,” she said as she pulled her notebook out from under her armpit. “Full disclaimer, if you get uncomfortable with some of these questions, feel free to tap out. I can be pretty… brutal.”
“Duly noted.” I smirked. “Ask away.”
“How have you found the jump from being a restaurant manager to CEO of a major pharmaceutical company in such a short amount of time?” the brunette asked as she pulled a pen out of her notepad and waited for me to answer. “Again… brutal.”
“No, it’s alright, I had a feeling my parents’ death was gonna be inevitable,” I joked. “It’s been an adjustment, for sure. But I have an incredible team here at Lunar Corp. that have helped me adjust and really fit into this role.”
“That’s good to hear,” Hallie said as she nodded along, but I noticed her pen didn’t move across the paper. “And has business been running smoothly?”
There was something about the inquisitive look on her face that felt a little too curious. I could hear her breath hitch a little as she waited for my response, and her heartbeat started to quicken. I raised an eyebrow at how specific the question seemed.
Why would business not be running smoothly? There was no way she could know about the whole Drake debacle, right?
“Business has been fine,” I said with a confused smile. “Like I said, I’ve had a great team here to help make sure everything runs smoothly.”
“So, no obstacles you’ve had to overcome?” she pressed. “No unforeseen events that have put a dent in things?”
“Like what, exactly?” I asked as my brow furrowed.
“Well, you said yourself that it was an adjustment, so surely there’s been some sort of change in production?” the reporter asked as she leaned forward and kept eye contact with me.
It was kinda intimidating. I couldn’t tell what she was looking for, but whatever it was, she was looking for it in my eyes. Was she waiting for me to slip up?
I kept my cool and remained composed as I held eye contact with her, and I shrugged casually.
“Production’s been running just fine, like I said,” I said. “No issues here.”
“And what about the recent attacks on your warehouse?” Hallie deadpanned as she continued to stare at me. “Loss of stock, increased guard patrols, the jacked-up car I saw leave here this morning that belongs to you?”
