Page 88 of Broken Wolf

Yeah, he had the same reaction to how much I loved my job, so we were two peas in a pod but with different passions. Fair enough.

The twins and Betas were thrilled because the business side was what was overwhelming them all. They didn’t have the background for it, and it was—they had no idea how to manage the blood bottling or any of it. We were winging too much.

So I was ready for any changes Mauro was going to come up with to help. Whatever he wanted.

The lady I saved from the carjacking talked about me being an angel over and over again to anyone who would listen. It was honestly a bit weird to me. No one ever acted like that, and I’d saved a lot of people. Eva said she probably saw a struggling mom just as I’d seen her as someone in need. We recognized our own, and she could help me in this way.

I appreciated it. The nice press about me for once was a pleasant change.

And apparently, it was going to be a trend. The mom whose daughter I saved from her ex-husband and his family was all over the news as well. She said I came in like a warrior ready to do battle for her daughter and cut through all the crap. She didn’t care if I was a wolf or alien and simply respected me for getting the job done and knowing how awesome I was.

I wasn’t sure that was true, but I appreciated her singing my praises even if there were a few too many comments about me being a real dog now chasing down scents. Assholes.

And finally, there was the judge on the case, and I almost fell over when I saw his press conference. He admitted that he was a rude, old-school asshole—even if he didn’t use that word—saying he was too sexist in his opinion of me and listened to rumors when he knew better than to do that in his profession.

That he still had reservations about my personal life but it wasn’t for him to judge, and it wasn’t his beliefs, so he got a healthy dose of coming off his high horse meeting me. He said that maybe it was what I deserved after having such horrible parents and childhood, but in the end it wasn’t for him to say or judge, and that was between me and my god.

Then he asked for my forgiveness in how we first met. He said he’d never been more impressed with someone keeping their composure and professionalism when he’d been anything but. My mouth just dropped open, Perez enjoying seeing me so shocked.

The judge wasn’t done though. He went on to say that I could have used his rudeness to smear his long career or just not care that it was trashed because I’m a very busy person with too much on her plate. But I cared about something like the legacy of an honorable judge I’d never even met and jumped through a lot of extra hoops because of that.

And that needed to be recognized in a world that didn’t take the time for details. He would never forget it because his career is a point of pride for him. He’s always run a clean court and wants to be remembered for that in a world with so much corruption.

He was glad to meet someone so like-minded, and he thanked me from the bottom of his heart that I preserved his legacy even if it took so much extra time away from my son and family. That I was a gem who cared in a world of so much horrible and even offered to help his family through something medical after he’d been so rude to me.

Basically, he couldn’t say enough good things about my leadership and skills, much less my people and how diligent I was. Not just for my own work but how I was using the case to teach those under me to do things right and learn from the mess life was.

He felt like Chicago and the surrounding area were hitting a turning point for the better and I would be the leader we needed to make everything safer for our kids in the future. Plus, criminals—especially corrupt cops—had better watch out because I wouldn’t stop until I saw them behind bars.

I checked no one slipped anything in my coffee and Perez might still be laughing but like seriously, that judge had been such a prick and then he gave that kind of glowing press conference about me? Yeah, most would check if they were high.

The guys liked their Father’s Day presents from Topher… Even if they all gave me a lecture about not spending so much money. I nodded my head along with it, and none of them hid their frustration when it was clear that I wasn’t remotely listening.

Brian busted me for having my earbuds in that my hair was covering. He’s still a bit salty about that.

Yeah, well, they could stuff it. They don’t tell Topher no either.

Eva being here is a huge help, like a ridiculously huge help. And I think Mauro seeing how much I’m struggling and the care Eva has to give a powerful female siren now from the eyes of an adult and not just his sibling helps him understand better, heal maybe.

My wolf isn’t all healed and just okay, but she’s at least letting me know when she’s not comfortable making the call. So she’ll let me know when someone is lying or when she wants to stay out of it.

That’s fine. I was pissed she just left me hanging. I shouldn’t leave everything on her all the time anyways, and as long as we’re communicating, that’s what’s important. Really important.

Eva’s already working with me on my new power. It’s weird to go looking for a fight for me to basically cool it off, but she said I’m progressing faster than Alena. She said it’s my lack of patience and how in tune I am with myself already. Probably my martial arts training but also my therapy which Alena had never attended.

For as closed off as I was, I tried really hard and opened myself up to suggestion… Which didn’t seem all that closed off, but it was. I was different.

We all knew that.

She also made me realize that I needed to speak up more on what I needed. Well, I knew that, but she’s forcing me to do it instead of pushing gently.

I asked for more meals with my guys. The breakfasts with Brian, and then Reagan helped me. We just talked and it was all calm instead of always in passing or loud groups or when there are issues. So for now it’s breakfast or lunch with one of them, but maybe two would be better—I’m figuring it out.

And it seems rude to be like “bring me lunch,” but… They can. Hagan and Reagan can. Dain can. They can make me a priority. They asked what I wanted and I want that. Dain only comes when we need to decide adult matters or there’s an issue.

That feels like a business partnership, not a marriage. At least to me. I just wish he understood that or saw it as well. I think the twins do.

The weekends will be for those who work at the training center since we can only do breakfast, but—it’s flexible and fluid. It’s just the idea for now, and—we get too distant too fast and ignore problems. I can’t ignore issues anymore or they can snowball into what happened with Carter.

---