Kraken the Whip, page 1
Penny’s life just flipped. She’s been fired without cause, found by her stalker, and had to engage a lawyer. And her day is about to get worse.
Penny thought life was good until her ex-boyfriend comes into her office with his current girlfriend—her boss—on his arm. When the new girlfriend leaves them alone for a minute, he attacks with alarming brutality, but Penny is the one who loses her job.
After a few weeks, she gets a lawyer, who tells her she can call anytime. So, when she survives an attack by her ex, she calls him, and he meets her at the hospital.
Jax is an alpha with extras, and his situation is similar to Penny’s. He has one appendage that she is aware of—his five-year-old daughter.
Over the course of a week, Penny has to go from nothing to being offered a pack-style living arrangement with Jax, his daughter, and another alpha who also has an aquatic adaptation. If she says no, they will still help but not give up, and if she says yes, she can throw a five-year-old’s birthday party. It’s no contest.
The characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.
Kraken the Whip
Copyright © 2023 by Viola Grace
ISBN: 978-1-990635-26-7
©Cover art by Angela Waters
All rights reserved. With the exception of review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the express permission of the publisher.
Published by Viola Grace
Look for me online at violagrace.com.
Kraken the Whip
Betas in Waiting Book 12
By
Viola Grace
Chapter One
Penny staggered into her tiny house and shoved the door closed. She spoke to no one. “Well, this day was made entirely of suck.”
She walked to the couch, curled up, and cried. How could one day go so very wrong?
Penny jolted at a loud noise and realized it was her stomach. It had woken her up. She shoved a dinner in the microwave, turned on the television, and got her laptop out. She had lost her job because of an assault and jealousy, and those weren’t emotions you could work with.
Time to look for a new job. School secretary jobs weren’t thick on the ground, and she had just paid off her student loans, so her savings would only last three months or so. There was no time like the present.
She got a soda, started looking for ads, and found a few that could start in a few days. She would get back on her feet fast. That was just what she did. In a matter of seconds, she had applied for five jobs that wouldn’t be concerned with her previous workplace.
Penny looked at the marks on her arms. Getting a job that didn’t mind tattoos was tricky as well. She had managed at the school with long-sleeved blouses.
Her phone rang, and she answered it. “Hey, bro.”
“What’s wrong, Penny? You are all over the map emotionally?”
She groaned. “I don’t want to say.”
“Spill.”
“Fine. Remember Alwin?”
“The douchebag? Yeah.”
“Well, he showed up at work today.”
“Yeah?” She heard him cracking his knuckles on the other side of the country.
“To pick up his new girlfriend. The vice principal.”
“Shit.”
“I know, right? Well, I told her he was there, she said it would be five minutes, and he grabbed me and pushed me against the wall. He started kissing me, and I pushed him away, but he tore my sleeve. I was almost crying, but then I felt a hard slap on my cheek. The vice principal lost her shit and accused me of sleeping with him. She knew he had a side piece and was appalled that it was there at the school. So, you can guess what happened next.”
“Fired.”
“Yup. The VP is the principal’s daughter, so I didn’t stick around for her to hit the other side of my face. Alwin was laughing his ass off.” She sighed. “I am gonna miss that job. I liked the little faces in the morning.”
She and her brother chatted for a few more minutes, and he offered to look for jobs for her in the childcare field. She accepted, even if it meant moving cities.
She got up, tidied up, and went to bed. Tomorrow, she had to start her life all over again.
Three weeks later, she had three part-time jobs that came close to giving her an equivalent payday to what her school job had. She collected plates and brought trays to folks at the gloriously costly party to which she had been given the address.
Running into Artemis had been fun, but seeing Antonio, Dell, and Andrea was distracting.
There was a high-pitched squeal, and an Andrea-shaped missile struck her. “Shit! Hi, Andrea.”
She smiled at Penny. “You are here! That’s great. Come hug Dell.”
“I can’t, punkin. I have to get back to work.”
Andrea frowned. “I thought you worked for a school.”
“I did. I got fired because of my ex. He caused a scene, and the school let me go.” She skipped the details.
“Oh. That’s too bad. The guys have been saying they need you to do some more work in motion capture.”
“Oh, honey. I can’t. I work seven days a week.”
Her boss cleared his throat, and she tried to get Andrea off. The omega stuck fast.
Her boss walked up to her. “Well, since you are socializing, give me your tray, and your last cheque will be in the mail tomorrow, Penny.”
Andrea finally relaxed and stepped back. “Did I do that?”
Penny drew in a deep breath. “Fucking hell.”
Dell wandered over with a smile. “Hey, Penny. How are you doing?”
“Pretty good five minutes ago. Now I am fucked.” She stripped off her blouse and the ribbon tie she had been wearing. Her camisole was white and had cute lacy details. Her markings were in clear relief.
Dell frowned. “What happened?”
Andrea swallowed. “She got fired for socializing.”
Penny turned and walked toward the server’s entrance. A huge wall appeared in front of her.
“Holy shit! Antonio. Fucking hell, don’t do that.”
Antonio frowned. “I will get your job back.”
“That’s nice, but it will only last until you are out of sight, and then I will be fired again. That’s how it works.”
“Tell me, what happened to your school job? You are not there anymore?”
“Why? It can’t be fixed. She’s poured salt on my reputation. I can’t get any job around children again.”
Antonio wasn’t into people, aside from Dell, but he took her hand and led her over to the tables. She explained the situation, and Dell came over to lean against him.
Antonio nodded. “I will see if I can find a new job for you. And a lawyer. You can sue them both for assault. You didn’t fight back?”
“No. Not in school. Never in the school.” She caressed her marks. “The kids don’t need to see that. I also know I could sue, but I can’t afford legal representation, and they probably erased the security footage anyway.” She slumped.
Dell looked at her. “You look hungry. You should get some food.”
Penny sighed. “I am fine, and that would be theft. I have been fired and should be on my way off the premises before they call the police.”
Antonio looked at her hopefully. “Can you do any motion capture work this week?”
“Well, some time opened up, but I still want the money going toward the children’s charity. Even if I can’t coach anymore, the kids still need trips and uniforms. Do I need to book in or just show up?”
“Call me directly.”
“What? Why?”
“Because I have a soft spot for marked betas. You shouldn’t have to fight to live.”
“I still have a few months saved up. I can get through the holidays.”
There was suddenly a small voice screaming, “Miss Penny!”
Penny turned in her chair, caught the blonde projectile, and cuddled her on her lap. “Hello, Hailey.”
“Where have you been? They just said you were gone and weren’t coming back, but here you are.”
“I had an argument with someone at the school, and when that happened, I had to leave. That’s all. It happens when you are a grownup.”
Hailey hugged her. “I miss you. You were so happy in the mornings; it helped my days.”
Penny smiled. “I miss you, too, and the other kids. Now, your dad is coming, and I need to be gone before Judge Hall gets here.”
Antonio frowned. “I will talk with him. He is related to events?”
“His niece is the vice principal.”
“Ah.”
Antonio smiled one of his rare smiles and got to his feet. He walked over to Delun and guided him aside to speak with him.
Hailey grabbed her arms. “What are these marks?”
“Beta marks. Once upon a time, I bumped into an alpha who was my match, and because men aren’t too bright, these marks appeared so that the next time he met me, he would know I was a beta who would be an omega for him.”
She blinked. “Oh, like Auntie Nora!”
Penny smiled. “And like Miss Dell.”
Hailey smiled and giggled shyly. “She’s tall.”
“She definitely is.”
Dell smiled. “How old are you now, Hailey?
Hailey grinned. “I will be eight in three weeks. I am in grade three.”
“Okay, Hailey, I think your dad will feel better if you are with him.”
Hailey nodded and hopped to the ground. “Fine, but Liella cries every time she comes to school and doesn’t see you.”
That broke her heart. As Hailey walked away, Penny got up as tears dripped down her cheeks.
Dell got up and held her as she wept. “What is it?”
“Liella lost her mom. Her dad works a lot. She and I had a connection.”
She wiped her cheeks and smiled. “Kindergarten is brutal. Well, right now, it is.”
Antonio’s and Delun’s body language was now more relaxed, and Delun looked either resigned or disappointed. Hailey hugged his leg, and Antonio crouched down and spoke to her. She nodded with wide eyes.
Dell smiled. “He’s just asking Hailey if she can just forget about what she just heard because telling it would hurt you.”
“Is that fine?”
“It is just for a week or two until the charges are laid. Then she can tell anyone she likes. It will take a few hours to get the footage, but Antonio’s computer is in his car, so it will have to wait until we head back to the house.” Dell laughed. “Or maybe not.”
Amble wandered back to the party and brought Antonio his weapon of choice.
The dire wolf alpha walked to a nearby seat, opened his laptop, flexed his fingers, and got to work.
Dell continued to hold her until Antonio nodded. “Got it. Saving it on several servers.”
Delun had wandered closer and checked to see if Hailey was nearby. Then he said, “Play it.”
Penny tried to move, but Dell held her.
She heard her voice greeting him coldly but politely.
She got the VP’s attention, and the five minutes were declared.
The smarmy suggestions of Alvin wanting to get inside her and her typing could be heard as she stated, “No.”
The rest was her muffled shriek as he pulled her up by her hair. The grunt as he flattened her to the wall, and the sound of tearing fabric as he clawed at her shirt and under her skirt. It played back in her senses.
Then came the finish—his girlfriend coming out, pulling them apart, and striking her across the face. After that, the lie spilled out of a smug Alvin, and she was fired.
Antonio looked at Delun and said, “I believe that qualifies for unjust dismissal. Not to mention the rumours and vile gossip that are being spread and keeping Penny from finding a new job in education.”
Delun nodded. “Right. I will stay out of the way and keep the family from participating in this. They started it; they need to finish it.”
Penny blinked. “Wow. For your family... that is huge. Thank you.”
“They will fight hard. Their egos are at stake.”
Antonio nodded. “I am contacting someone to help her fight. He should still be alert.”
Penny chuckled, but Antonio’s quick look told her that the man in question was exhausted. “Oh. Okay.”
Antonio checked his phone. “He would like to meet with you tonight to discuss the case. I will tell him about the financial compensation for him, and he can counteroffer.”
She nodded. “Okay, where do I meet you?”
Dell rubbed her back. “You will come with us.”
“Oh. Okay.” She figured that she could get a cab home. She had enough funds for an occasional cab or rideshare.
The helicopter ride wasn’t what she expected, but then that was how they had arrived at the party.
She kept her hands clenched together and breathed calmly through the short flight.
They landed behind trees and walked over to the country manor, where a familiar face stood on the patio with a sleepy little girl holding his hand.
The little girl was rubbing her eyes, focused, and she screamed, “Miss Penny!”
The nightgown was flipping around little feet, and when Liella launched, Penny caught her. Her father crinkled his brow in confusion. “Miss Briden?”
Penny kept walking toward him. “Ah. Hello, Mr. Yekerek.”
“You are the assault case?”
“It was an eventful last day at the school.” She smiled weakly. Liella was sniffling and holding her tight.
The computer came out, and she asked, “May I take Liella inside?”
Liella smiled. “I can show you my favourite toys.”
Liella’s father smiled. “Sure. Show her the toys.”
Penny asked, “Can I put you down, Liella?”
“Can you hold me a bit more?”
“Sure, little one. You have to steer.” Penny walked inside, took off her shoes, and walked in the little girl’s direction, up some stairs and into the playroom.
They sat and played with floppy dollies and stuffed bears. Every few minutes, Liella hugged her and eventually fell asleep with Penny leaning against the wall and the little girl against her side.
They were there when Mr. Yekerek came up. He smiled slightly and said, “I will take her.”
Penny nodded. “Thanks.”
He picked his daughter up, her dark hair swinging as she was carried to bed. Penny got up, stretched, and then headed downstairs. She met everyone out on the patio and smiled when Dell asked, “So, what is the playroom like.”
“The dad has a home office. All the toys are quiet, even if you slam them together at high speed. We really tried.”
Dell smiled. “Noted.”
Antonio’s eyes lit up, and he made a note on his computer.
Mr. Yekerek came down with a smile. He turned to Penny. “She is very glad you are all right.”
Penny nodded. “Me too. Dipping out that way wasn’t my choice. They threatened me with a trespass order, so I just took my stuff and left.”
“Sensible, but there are a lot of little kids who miss you. Liella has been inconsolable.” He ran a hand over his dark hair. “So, Antonio is correct. This is definitely grounds for a lawsuit. So, what do you want from them?”
“I want them to recant the gossip with the school parents, and I want my job back.” Penny knew what he would say next.
“That won’t happen.” He crossed his arms and leaned against the doorframe. “I did a social media search, and your name and face have been dragged fairly thoroughly.”
Penny winced and asked, “What would you suggest? Get a doc to confirm I’m a virgin? Put a banner ad up calling Alvin an attempted rapist?”
He frowned. “Seriously? You and he never had a physical relationship?”
“We had five dates. To be frank, I wasn’t opening for him, so we had foreplay, but it was never game on.”
Antonio and Amble nodded.
“Wait, so you can prove that you are a virgin?” His black eyes were intense.
“Well, I can prove that nothing larger than two fingers has ever rummaged around in there in the last year or so.”
“Are you willing to testify to that after an exam?”
“Sure. No problem.”
“Really? Most virgins are a little appalled about an exam.”
She shrugged. “I have been assured that there is nothing exciting or unusual about me. An exam is just an exam.”
He grabbed her arm. “What is this? You will need to cover it for court.”
“I have plenty of blouses that will conceal them. The markings were not by my choice.”
“Amazing work.”
“I woke up with them one day with no idea how they got there.”
Dell smiled. “Show him what they do.”
She carefully pulled her arm away from him, focused, and whipped at the trees. Leaves fell in a slow green rain. She reeled them in and then flicked another one out, and she took off and ended up in the tree. She dropped to the ground and walked back toward the gathering. It took a few minutes before she said, “So, that’s what they do.”
Antonio was smiling, Amble was grinning, and Dell looked very pleased. Mr. Yekerek stared at her.
“I know, I should have used this against Alvin, but I had no idea he was going to attack me. We were at a school, for pity's sake. Little kids everywhere.”
“Good. Lewd acts in front of minors. There was no expectation of privacy and a lot of minors.” Mr. Yekerek nodded.
