Anah pulled back, but I heard footsteps walk away from the door. Good. "Is that safe?" She looked scared for me but I just


    smiled.


    "I can''t stay here."


    nnah sighed. "What if the king says no?" I wanted to smile because I knew she was asking for the cameras.


    "Then I transfer to Toya''s pack." I pulled back fully and wiped my face. "Or another pack. Anywhere but here." I blew out a breath. "I''m okay. Go see if Rick is free yet, and if he is, can you send him in? I''m going to put on my big girl pants and send off


    my message and then call the king."


    nnah stood. "If you are sure you are okay..." She hesitated.


    I nodded. "I am." I wiped my face again. "I can''t mope around all day and cry about my shitty luck. I need to do something about


    it."


    She watched me for a second before nodding and then walking out of my office. I turned back to myptop and pulled up Thoth''s


    message again.


    NixtheGoddess: Hey... I need to talk to you if you have a minute.


    I waited for a few minutes, but there was no answer. I shut theptop and turned to my workputer. I started going through the alerts, clearing any issues in the system as if it was just another day. I got a notification that I had a meeting added to my schedule. I tilted my head and barely contained my smirk as I clicked on it and realized it was with Vince. The note on it said we


    needed to discuss the final details of the mating ceremony.


    I snorted and epted it as Rick knocked. "Hey." He looked exhausted. "nnah told me you wanted to see me."


    I looked up at him for a minute and nodded. "You looked like shit."


    He threw his head back andughed. "Yeah.” He wiped at his eyes. "Yeah." He walked in and sank into a chair. "I feel like shit." His hand wiped at his neck and I saw him flinch a little.


    I pretended not to notice. "Hopw''s Abby doing?"


    He bent over. "She isn''t doing well. She was up all night getting sick, and she has a pretty high fever." He looked up at me over the desk. "I don''t think she is going


    tost much longer. This sickness has just progressed too much." He sounded so dejected.


    "Hey. Don''t say that. She is still here." He nodded, took a deep breath in and then sat back


    "Enough about my bullshit. Why do you look like you have been crying all night?" His eyes tightened and I could barely scent that Brandon had just snuck into the outer office.


    "Because I have been." I looked off to the side.


    +25 Bonus


    "What happened?"


    I dropped my head into my hands and sniffled. "Brandon was sleeping with Shannon. And then instead of telling her it was over and he wanted to mate me. Or telling me that he wanted her. He kept kicking the issue down the line until it blew upst night."


    He scoffed and shook his head. “Idiot. What happened?"


    "He showed up at my house. But I told him to go away until the issue was handled." I shook my head. "He didn''t listen, just tried to convince me I was foolish for demanding he deal with Shannon. He kept saying she wasn''t involved."


    Rick waved his hands. "That''s good, isn''t it?"


    Iughed, but it was filled with so much anger. "You would think that, wouldn''t you?" But I just shook my head. "It might have


    been if Shannon hadn''t showed up, and a crowd hadn''t gathered to see my entire rtionship implode. Brandon is clearly still in


    love with her. He refused to say that he wanted to be with me. He allowed


    Shannon to cut into our rtionship, and that would be


    bad enough if she was an alpha.”


    Rick watched me for a second. "But she is unranked."


    I nodded. "Exactly."


    He shook his head. "That sucks."


    Iughed. "Yeah." I wiped at my eyes for the camera. "But what can you do?"


    He watched me for a second. "You''re leaving, aren''t you?"


    I heard a chime from myptop. But I focused on Rick. "How did you know?"


    He stood with a sigh. “Because...it''s what I would do." He turned and started


    towards the door, then hissed. "Fuck." He turned.


    "nnah said you needed me. What did you want?"


    I furrowed my brow and acted like I forgot. "Ummm."


    nnah popped up at the door. Her eyes darting to the side. "Your dinner?"


    I smacked the desk and pointed at her. "That''s right. I''m having a dinner tonight. Barbeque. You''re invited."


    He sighed. "I''m going to have to say no."


    nnah sucked a breath through her teeth. "Shelly already said yeah, and is making her potato sde."


    Another chime came from myptop. I opened it and looked to the screen.


    Thoth- I need to speak with you too.


    Well shit.


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