Page 10
I slammed my door shut and headed up towards the meeting building.
I could hear Frank instantly as I stepped inside, finding him sitting in his usual spot with Jones.
Frank had always been the most vocal of the group, but when Jay and I first got our positions, he’d been the first to give advice on how to handle difficult situations.
He was the one who made you think he didn’t have brains, but he was rather smart.
Not a genius like Katie, but he knew what he was doing.
Jones was still a mystery to us all. While he was the newest of us, he wasn’t new anymore. We’d all had our positions for several years now and knew each other well enough. Jones was somehow a different nut altogether.
“Morning, guys,” I said as I took a seat and leaned back in my chair. Frank looked at me, raising an eyebrow. “Morning. Did you see the others outside?”
“Aaron was on the phone in his car and I didn’t see the others, but we still have time before any of them are actually late.”
“I thought you’d be late, being as you're freshly married,” Frank said with a wiggle of an eyebrow. “So, how is married life?”
I had told Jay everything that happened between Katie and me, but I didn’t tell the guys.
It wasn’t that I didn’t trust them, but more that I didn’t feel Katie would like everyone to know that the marriage had started out as rocky as it had.
I knew that Jay would understand, being that his was just as messy when they first got together.
“Things are fine,” I said as I took my seat. “She’s at home getting used to living there. I think she said she wanted to get some work done later. She has some catching up to do now that she’s been away from work for a week.”
“You think?” Jones asked, looking at me confused. “How do you not know?”
“Because Katie is a free woman, and if she decides to go back to work, she will, or maybe she changed her mind.”
“What are we talking about in here?” Maddox and Jay both stepped into the space. Maddox had his hair slicked back, and he was wearing a nice suit, which confused me a little. None of us dressed up to be here, so why did Maddox? “Where the hell were you coming from?”
Maddox chuckled as he swung into his chair. “I had a date this morning and I wanted to look nice.”
Jay swung into his seat next to me, shaking his head. “And you guys didn’t have to witness him tongue wrestling the woman before he came in here.”
Maddox smirked as he looked at Jay. “Jealous? I can have any girl I want and you go home to the same woman.”
Jay laughed. “You enjoy yourself, Maddox, because I’m perfectly content with my wife. She pleases me every way she can. I don’t have to ask for head.”
“Jesus, please stop,” I said, waving a hand. “I don’t need to hear this.”
“Yeah, we were talking about Henrik getting laid, not you guys.” Frank quickly added, leaning forward. “So, how was she?”
I rolled my shoulders back. “You all know I don’t discuss my bedroom antics, nor will I ever.”
“Oh, come on, we all know you had sex. Just tell us how it was.”
“No,” I snapped, shaking my head. “And we aren’t here to talk about my love life.” I tapped my finger on the table. “So, how about we talk about why we are here?”
“Sorry!” Aaron burst into the room, looking winded. He panted at the door for a moment before pulling himself up to his full height. “I had a problem with some guys in the pack, but it’s all covered now. Did I miss anything?”
“Just Henrik about to tell us the amount of sex he had now that he’s married,” Maddox said with a laugh.
Aaron swung into his seat, looking surprised. “Really? Henrik was giving details? Seems unlike him.”
“That’s because they are talking out of their asses,” I grumbled, shaking my head.
“I wasn't telling shit. And if we want to talk about this, why the hell are you still dating?” I looked at Maddox. “You do realize that Katie will pair us all up. It’s a waste to date. You can’t have a serious relationship with anyone. ”
Maddox combed a hand through his hair. “Just because I’m going to get married doesn’t mean I need to take myself off the market just yet. And besides, maybe we will have an open marriage. You can’t honestly tell me that there is one person out there made to be mine.”
All eyes went to Jay, and Jay froze. He glanced at me before he shrugged. “I didn’t think it was possible, but Sam is perfect in every way for me. She’s caring, and even when I’m grumpy, she still loves me.”
“And the chances of us all having that are slim,” Frank added.
“You don’t know that,” I said.
“If you want to prove us wrong, tell us how your love life is going.” Jone barked up, always seeming to listen in but saying so little.
I sighed. “Guys, it’s still new. We’ve only been married for what, a week?”
“Plenty of time to tell how the marriage is going to go.”
I rubbed my eyes. “How the hell is it we are all Alphas, and suddenly, our lives surround us, discussing whether or not we are getting any?”
“Because the Council made our lives that way.”
Maddox chuckled. “But in all seriousness, how is it going? I imagine Katie had difficulty adjusting, considering her lab is in Jay’s pack. That’s a bit of a drive to work.”
I nodded. “She’s adjusting. She’s not exactly thrilled that she is going to have to drive to work longer than a few minutes, but she’s handling things well.”
“Does she know who she’s going to pair up next?”
I didn’t know anything about her work, and now that I have thought about it, I should. I should ask her how things were going and if she was doing okay. I suddenly felt I hadn’t been doing a good enough job.
“Shall we get into the real meeting now that we are done drilling Henrik about his love life?” Jay asked, tapping his fingers on the table.
“Sure, take all the fun right out of this,” Aaron said with a snort.
We quickly dove into the different topics that we needed to address.
Aaron had some issues with burglary being higher in his pack for the past few weeks.
Frank explained his pack was still lacking enthusiasm about not finding more information about the dark presence that took over Sam.
Jay expressed that his pack was just as concerned, and Sam was trying the best she could to look into it, but her visions were still limited.
“Has Katie found anything regarding that?” Franked asked, and I could see the vein on his forehead was throbbing, which told me he was getting a little tempered.
But my gaze went past him toward the tree line just on the horizon and the pale-skinned lady who stood out there. I knew Katie instantly, like a tug in my chest, that a rope was being pulled on. She stood wearing a black jacket and bright blue goggles. Even from this distance, she stood out.
Katie had always dressed oddly and had quirks, but I couldn’t help but admit that this was a step up from her usual weirdness. Did she have a nose plug? I leaned forward, slightly narrowing my gaze. But she turned her back on me.
“Hello? Earth to Henrik,” Frank waved his hand, and I pulled my gaze away.
“Sorry, what?”
Frank growled. “I asked if Katie learned anything!?”
Right. I was still in the meeting. Jesus. One look at Katie, and I suddenly had no idea where I was.
“Right, yes… hmm…. She’s been looking into it, but I haven’t heard if she got anything back yet.”
“Are you even listening?” Jones asked, raising an eyebrow at me. “You look like you're zoning out.”
“Actually, I just remembered I have something urgent. I uhh…need to make a few phone calls. Excuse me, guys.” I pulled myself up and headed for the door.
“What? Hey, wait, are you leaving?”
I didn’t bother answering as I headed out the door and quickly rounded the building. I headed towards the tree line and scanned the area. I couldn’t see Katie, but I could smell her and feel her presence. I continued deeper into the trees when I heard her.
“Oh my god! I can’t believe I actually found it.”
I rounded a large tree and found Katie hunched over.
I walked closer and stepped onto a stick, and Katie jumped.
She turned, holding a metal stick out. My eyes widened as I took her in.
Her hair was pulled up into a messy bun.
She was still wearing her blue lab goggles that sat snugly on her face.
She had a clip on her nose and wore all black, including her shoes.
I couldn’t help the laugh that burst free. “Oh my god, why are you dressed like that?”
Katie scowled at me. “You scared me! You shouldn’t be jumping out on people like that. I could have hit you with this.” She waved a metal rod.
“I’m sorry, but I wasn’t trying.”
Katie quickly pulled her goggles up and unplugged her nose. “What are you doing out here?”
I wiped at my eyes, waving a hand. “I was in a meeting when I saw you sneaking around. What are you wearing?”
She looked down at herself and then blushed. “I always wear this.”
“Why do you have goggles on?”
“Because it’s windy, and I don’t want sand to get in my eyes.”
“And the nose plug?”
She scrunched her nose up. “Because I was hunting for a few things, and some insects and fungi have a rather unpleasant odor.”
I pulled my laughter together and walked closer. “Okay, so why are you so excited?”
She pulled her hands up. “I found Hericium Erinaceus, and ginkgo biloba.”
I raised an eyebrow at her. “Which is?”
“Lion mane mushroom, and maidenhair tree pines.”
“Okay, so the next question is, why do you need those?”
“They are both great at brain health. I thought that if Sam had taken some of them, it would have helped her vision. Or at least keep her brain strong enough to keep whatever happened before from happening again.”
I was a little surprised. I knew that Katie was smart, but seeing her like this while she was in her element. It showed just how brilliant Katie really was.
“Did you find anything else?”
She nodded. “I found a bunch of stuff. I’ve been trying to think of ways to help the human body fight against viruses and found astragalus and sambucus, which are great for fighting against diseases. I think they would be good for anyone with the virus.”
My eyebrows went up. “Do you think that will help?”
“It’s worth a try,” Katie said, pulling her goggles off. I watched as she shoved her goggles into her bag and shuffled things around in her bag. I couldn’t help but stare, feeling amazed at her.
I stuffed my hands into my pockets. “Has anyone ever told you how amazing you are?”
She blushed and looked at me, confused. She stammered for words.
“You’re out here looking for ways to help the packs, and you don’t even realize how special that is. How much you care about everyone else around you. And I’m guessing people don’t tell you that.”
She chewed on her cheek. “No, not exactly. I’ve always been…the odd one out.”
“Well, the outfit doesn’t exactly scream red carpet.”
She rolled her eyes. “If you're done mocking me, I have stuff to do.”
“I’m teasing,” I said as I walked closer. “And what else are you looking for?”
“Just samples to take back to the lab. I need some ginger root, turmeric, and sap.”
“Can I help you?”
She blinked and once more looked at me, stunned. “You…you want to help?”
I nodded. “Yeah, sounds like fun. As long as you don’t make me wear what you're wearing.”
She threw her arm out and hit me in the stomach. It was a little tap, but enough to cause a spark to go up my entire body. She stood closer now, and I inhaled her scent. She smelled like the woods.
She looked up at me now with her arms crossed. “I could make you wear my goggles.”
I leaned closer. “You think so, do you?”
She nodded, holding her ground, and I loved it. I expected her to step away or shy away from me standing in her space, but she didn’t. Katie was standing her ground, and it was amazing.