CH 5

Jessica She looked at the Luna. “I’ll come back after work, and we can sit and discuss the fact that they are also out there looking for a she-wolf to replace me.” She stated, “Gregory, you did tell me that would happen, yes? the moment you two found a real she-wolf that could take you both on, sate both your needs like your Goddess-Gifted can. Correct?” She asked just to dump them in it a little more, because that implied they were out there having s*x and causing her pains of betrayal all the time. She felt anger rolling off the leadership of the pack now, as Gregory’s own father roared, “What the f**k are you two doing to your Mate?” Jessica ignored it, she’d said her piece and, by the sounds of that anger, they weren’t going to be looking to her for answers, “May I go, I’d like to keep my job.” She asked. “Go Jessica, we’ll get to the bottom of this,” Luna Stephanie stated, “and they will be apologizing to you and begging for forgiveness and monitored from this moment on. A Goddess-Gifted is a precious thing, especially if it's one she-wolf to be between two male wolves. I’ll also organize your Luna Ceremony for the next full moon. Solidify your position as the Future Luna to this pack for all here to see and know.” She said nothing to that, she wasn’t going to be here for the full moon in three weeks’ time, she would be long gone by then, and that Luna didn’t yet know how the pack talked about her, when they weren’t around. That would be fun for them to find out; she could well imagine. She smiled a real, truly happy smile at Marcus, and again she saw him blink as he looked at her. He was likely now actually attracted to her right this minute. He might even want to apologize and keep her for his Mate, who the hell knew. Then she turned her eyes on Gregory with that same smile. He was still too angry with her to react to it, but this would be the last time they would ever see her, and she was smiling at them, and truly happy for all to see. Then she just kicked the car over and drove away. Well, that was a better exit from this pack and my life, she thought to herself, better than she could have ever hoped for. Those two Mates of hers, had not only seen her for who she was, but she’d laid out the state of their mate bond for all three of their parents to hear as well. They were in for a world of hurt, and she couldn’t be happier about it. She did hope they got Alpha ordered to tell the truth of everything, including how much they disrespected her, and not just to her face, but to their social group, how much they disregarded her in their bed and only cared about their own needs. What their most foul words that they stated to other pack members out in the pack for all to hear as well. She hoped that they got a full beating or lashing. She wondered if how she was dressed and looked today on this fateful day, if they might have changed how they treated her. She was pretty certain that they’d likely want the lights on, in the bedroom from now on, maybe even want to touch her now. Maybe even do all those things a loving Mate would do to see their Mate satisfied, something they’d never cared about; if she was or wasn’t satisfied. They had only ever cared about sating their own needs. It was all too late, as far as she was concerned, for them to change their ways. She left that pack and drove to the auction house. The plan for her disappearance wasn’t going to be set into motion until lunchtime, so as to give the impression there was nothing wrong or out of the ordinary with her day in case the leadership thought there might be. She’d not thought it was necessary at all, but Rydge had concerns that with her dressed up all of a sudden there might be. That if either her Mates or the leadership saw her they would see the change and think something was going on that they didn’t know about. He had told her if it was him, he’d be suspicious and want to check the movements of the she-wolf to see if something was out of the ordinary, seeing as the dress code was out of the ordinary. She told him it was unlikely anyone would even stop her. Her Mates would be gone off out of the pack before she was, explained to him that they didn’t even return to the suite after training to shower and change, so they weren’t going to see her dressed differently. That she doubted anyone in her pack would be looking for her before the time she was to arrive home. Now they had all seen her, but she had made sure to state they could sit down and discuss it when she got home. Played the card of she’d be returning to the pack, and why wouldn’t she? It was her home pack, and she was mated to the future leaders of the pack. For three years she’d suffered at their hands and not once in that time had she ever run away, she’d always returned home. So they wouldn’t see anything wrong with her going to work. They also believed she would be returning. That was in the Luna’s words. Only she would not be. Her phone rang 10 minutes after leaving the pack, and she saw 'boss' flash up on the screen. She hit the answer button on the steering wheel. “Hi.” “Did you have any trouble getting out?” Rydge asked. “No, not really,” she answered. “Not really? Explain that to me please. I don’t want any surprises,” he commented. She smiled. He was a prudent planner, she thought absently. “My Mates were still in the pack. I ran right into the current Beta, and he, I dare say, mind-linked to both of them, and well. Now they're in deep s**t with their own parents because I let them have it, with their parents right there about why they didn’t know who I was.” “What? Didn’t know who you were…” she could hear the confusion in Rydge’s voice. “Hmm, Gregory actually smelled me after he looked at me, didn’t believe I was his Mate.” She shook her head once more. “What the… Right! But you’re out and in the clear, the plan is a go still?” Rydge asked. “Yes. I told the Alpha, Beta and Luna we’d sit down and have a proper discussion when I got home from work. The Luna waved me off to go, though… oddly enough, she announced she’d be holding my Luna Ceremony on this full moon.” “Right… I’m guessing whatever was said she thought you were ready to leave them, is using that as a way to solidify your position and keep you there with her sons,” he told her. “Were you swayed at all?” Jessica snorted, “Solidify… that’s the very word the Luna used, and no, I wasn’t, not at all. Don’t concern yourself. I agreed to the deal you offered, and I’m not going to back out of it.” “Alright. I’ll see you around lunchtime then. I’m already in position with my unit.” “Okay,” she answered, and the line clicked closed. Every little detail had been planned out by Rydge for her to just vanish. Even where they would go so they could see if anyone was sent to hunt her down and find her, bring her back. They wouldn’t be leaving the city until tomorrow, or the day after, depending on how she faired. She parked her car where she always did and walked her normal route to the auction house, stopped and got coffee like she always did; kept her routine exactly the same, and clocked in and set about getting ready for her day like she normally would. Though she did find the she-wolf from her pack, Eve, standing in the doorway looking at her ten minutes after she arrived. “Can I help you, Eve?” she asked. The she-wolf was just staring at her, as if she also couldn’t believe what she was seeing, “No, just… Checking on you?” “Why?” Jess asked in return. That wasn’t a normal thing for any of them to do when they'd all worked here. They may have been hired to work here, as Alpha Hector stated; to protect her from being snatched by rogues. But they never actually did that because her own Mates didn’t think it would ever happen and were unconcerned about her being snatched. So, they had told them not to worry about it, or that’s what those she-wolves had told her. She’d never had reason to believe they were lying about it, because she knew her Mates didn’t actually care, would probably just be happy if she vanished away back then, or was found dead in a gutter, releasing them from their mate bond with her. “Your in-laws have a concern about you actually turning up to work,” Eve told her with a shrug, “I don’t get it. But I have to report back to Stephanie if you’re here or not.” Jessica shook her head. “Why now, after six months of working here?” she muttered, but there it was, what Rydge had stated, that they’d be watching her looking to see if she was going to up and leave without telling anyone. Seems he was right about that. “Because of how you look. Apparently, there’s now more chance of you being snatched by traffickers.” She kept it to human terms as she rolled her eyes, “As if they would want someone like you regardless of your status.” Eve stated, “Did you really think it was your?” she looked around and saw there was no one about “Mates that sent me here, that just because you dressed up and put make-up on, it will see your Mates want you? They don’t like you, because you're wolf-less and infertile.” Jess stared at her, and there was that full lack of respect, something everyone thought was okay to do because her own Mates were no different. “I’m only dressed like this, as you are, because of the new boss and dress code. Not for them, I wouldn’t ever dress up for those assholes.” She stated with a smile. Eve blinked and then frowned at her words; she’d never talked back before, let alone said anything disrespectful about Marcus or Gregory. “I’ve been skinny now for a year, Eve, and not once have I bothered to dress up for them or wear make-up just for them. No, thank you. I get enough unwanted attention from them.” She voiced the truth of how she saw it. “I don’t need any extra. Go away, I’m here, safe and sound. “Doing my job. You should go and do yours, or you might be fired for being disrespectful like the other two were. The new boss I hear is cracking down on that, as you’re aware, seeing as you were nearly fired for it as well, I believe saved your own ass by apologizing for your attitude.” She smiled at Eve and then motioned to the camera in the corner of the ceiling. “They are everywhere now, to protect employees from being bullied, if I recall correctly, we all had to sign that paperwork to say we know they are there, and we’re under surveillance in the workplace. For our own protection.”