Page 34 of Bully Alpha's Secret Baby

“There you are,” he says, sounding relieved that he finally tracked me down.

I turn, narrowing my eyes at the stupidly handsome man who apparently has no concept of personal space. “I wasn’t exactly lost,” I reply. “What do you want, Damien?”

“I heard you’ve been job-hunting,” he mentions, ignoring the bite in my voice.

I blink, taken aback for a second. “Yeah. And?”

“I’ve got something for you. One of my properties. We’ve got an opening. You’d be perfect.”

I raise an eyebrow. “Perfect for what? Cleaning up your messes?”

“No,” he says with that signature smirk that should be illegal. “A receptionist. It’s not glamorous, but I thought you might want something… stable.”

I can’t tell if he’s trying to do me a favor or if this is some twisted way to keep me close. Either way, the offer isn’t half bad. Jobs in Starfire Hollow are hard to come by when half the town still sees you as the outcast witch.

“Receptionist?” I repeat, just to make sure I heard him right. “I don’t know, Damien…”

“It’s better than nothing. Besides, it’s at the tech company. You know, the one I run. So they can’t turn you down.”

I frown. “Wait, you’re talking aboutthatcompany? The tech one? The big one?”

“Yeah,” he says, grinning. “The one where you’ll be working the front desk, answering phones, greeting people. Easy stuff.”

I hesitate. Part of me wants to tell him to shove it, to find some other way to crawl out of this hole I’ve been stuck in sincecoming back to Starfire Hollow. But the truth is, I need this. Penny needs this.

“Okay,” I say. “I’ll take it.”

Damien’s grin widens, and for a split second, I hate how easy it is for him to get under my skin. “Good. You start tomorrow.”

I stare at him. “Tomorrow? Damien, I don’t have—”

He cuts me off. “I’ve already stocked your closet. Just show up. And bring Penny. I’m sure she’d love to see the place she’ll be running someday.”

The next day, I’m standing outside the towering glass building that houses Damien’s tech empire with Penny at my side, holding her little wolf toy as always. The place looks more like it belongs in a big city than in our small town. It’s all sleek, modern lines with floor-to-ceiling windows. The kind of building where you half-expect to bump into billionaires or genius programmers. I feel a little out of place, and judging by the way Penny’s eyes are wide with awe, she does, too.

“You work here now, Mama?” she asks, her voice filled with childlike wonder.

“Looks like it, kiddo,” I confirm, adjusting my grip on her tiny hand.

Damien wasn’t kidding when he said the job was at his tech company, but walking into this place feels like stepping into another world. The glass doors slide open smoothly as we approach, and a blast of cool air-conditioned air hits me in the face. Penny squeezes my hand tighter, and I can’t help but feel like a fish out of water.

The reception area is massive. I mean, unnecessarily massive. High ceilings, polished marble floors, and a chandelierhanging in the middle that looks like it was designed by some abstract artist with a thing for metal and light. The walls are lined with minimalist art—splashes of color against stark white—and the front desk is this sleek, curved masterpiece made of glass and steel. Behind it, there’s a massive touchscreen with the company’s logo—some fancy tech thing I don’t even understand.

There are a few people milling about, most of them looking way too important to acknowledge a new receptionist and her kid standing awkwardly in the middle of the lobby. I glance down at Penny, who’s staring wide-eyed at everything, probably wondering what kind of magic keeps a place this shiny.

“I hope I don’t have to mop those floors,” I mutter to myself, earning a giggle from Penny.

We make our way to the reception desk, which is so large, I could probably hide behind it if I wanted to. The woman behind it—young, with perfectly styled blond hair and a smile so bright that it’s probably fake—looks up as we approach. She’s wearing a fitted black suit, the kind that screamsI’m important, and her eyes flicker with mild curiosity as she takes us in.

I glance around, feeling the eyes of some passing employees on us. Great, first day, and I’m already the spectacle. I force myself to focus on what matters. This is a job. A paycheck. A way to make sure Penny and I aren’t relying on Damien for every little thing.

Half an hour later, I’m settling into the reception area, trying to ignore the nerves buzzing under my skin. Penny is sitting beside me and has already made a little camp out of coloring books and snacks. It’s a relief, really, seeing her so content after the chaos we’ve been through. If only I could feel that at ease.

Just as I’m debating whether I should actually sit down behind the desk or keep pretending I know what I’m doing, Haley, the woman who greeted me when I arrived and helped me get my initial paperwork done, walks up to me again, her grin wide and welcoming.

“So, how’s it going?” she asks, leaning against the reception counter with that casual, we’re-all-friends-here vibe that I’m already starting to like.

“It’s… good, I think?” I reply, glancing down at Penny, who’s now engrossed in making her toy wolf “talk.” “Penny’s already made herself at home, so that’s a plus.”

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