Page 13 of Escalating Alpha

“All I saw was something like how I used to tell Ashley that her kiddie drawings that were scribbles were great and they should be in a museum as I patted her head,” he admitted. “They were great. I mean to me because I’m her dad and everything she does is great to me. But like I have no art background, and I can’t say what should be in a museum. We know that. It was… You know.”

“Yeah, I know, Freddie,” I chuckled darkly before taking a long chug from my sports drink. “No, you didn’t see it wrong and you’re not paranoid.” I gave him a sad smile. “That’s been my whole career, Navy and FBI. Even the ones who genuinely try to be nice don’t get how they sound like you just said. All the time. I’m just glad they were nice instead of the normal lectures.”

He shook his head as he scrubbed his hand over his head. “It’s so fucking sad that the bar is set that low.”

“It is.” I agreed as I stood and stretched.

“I’m terrified to have a daughter and this being the world she’s becoming a woman in, Sera. I hate this is the world she’ll live in seeing more—knowing more of it, and I wasn’t ever blind to the sexism.” He looked so destroyed that part of me wanted to lie to him, but I couldn’t.

I couldn’t tell him that it was okay or not as bad as he thought.

“It’s easier with support or people close to us who see it—help us with it,” I told him honestly. “Shit, you sitting down and feeling it with me helps so I don’t feel petty and bitchy. Most of them wanted to be nice but missed the mark. It’s just hard to ignore the sexism of it, but someone else seeing it helps.”

“Yeah?” he checked.

“Yeah, and you should have this same talk with Ashley since she ran the event.” I nodded when he frowned. “Freddie, if I got it—how much do you thinkshegot it as a college kid? She could use the same and to hear that she’s not being sensitive or paranoid. Because that’s what even some other women will tell her. Women who became numb to it.”

Understanding filled his eyes. “Because too many told them they were sensitive or to ignore it.”

I tapped my nose and chuckled when he thanked me and hurried off. He really was a great dad. I half turned to stretch before my run back and froze when I saw Hagan and Brian both staring at me, clearly having heard our conversation.

And neither of them had understood what Freddie had.

I didn’t know how to address that or even if I should, so I didn’t. I didn’t run from it, but it wasn’t my issue or discussion to handle. It really wasn’t.

Plus, I had enough to always handle already.

4

My Sunday started with a conference call involving too many parties. Mauro wasn’t done with his full audit—and certainly not of my other packs, but he’d gotten into enough of it that we were at the recommendations part and ready to start fixing issues before anything broke.

“You need more Betas—you all know that and have told me as well,” he started with a bang. “Each Beta has said the same and none from being lazy. Chicago and the suburbs are just too big, and all six are needed here constantly full-time which means you can’t send any to help your other packs or any others. That’s not acceptable.”

“Agreed. How many do you think?” I asked, ready to take notes well.

“Four, but I think you should plan for six by the new year dominance fights,” he answered.

“Roll out two at a time as interim Betas and make it clear the positions will be fought for like normal?” I checked, glad when he thought that was a good idea. “I want the load taken off the current Betas because—the problem is they are in a bit of a trap if we expand.”

“Agreed,” Mauro said firmly. “They don’t have time to train and keep up their level. Some are ready to come in and use that to take them down and their now very lucrative spots. That’sdangerous. I’mnotchastising how you’ve handled things. Any of this. I haven’t found anything you and yours have donewrong. I want to help you do it better.”

My lips twitched as I made more notes. “For someone who was supposedly such an abrasive asshole and hard to work with, you’re better than most of the ‘nice’ guys I have to put up with all of the time.” I was going to say more, but I frowned when there was a knock at the door. “What’s up?”

One of the ancients ducked his head in. “You all have your phones on ‘do not disturb,’ but Deputy Director Perez is here with his hat in his hands—his words. He says he wants to submit a resume for your restructuring and begs you hear him out.”

“IknewI would somehow be the lead-in for his wife’s dream job. That…” I swallowed a growl. “How did he even know about—”

“Me,” Dain admitted quietly. “I said in passing that I was relieved the fairy trainers were wrapping up at Quantico so we could focus on the pack and supes instead of the FBI and be split. That I was worried about what Mauro was going to tell us today.”

“Let him up,” I told the ancient, nodding when he sighed. What could I really do? I couldn’t deny my boss’s boss.

Mauro went over a few more things about the pack infrastructure and how it was running now. Things that were going well and what he wanted to see from the Betas—information he needed to facilitate things in the future.

Which was helpful for my other Alphas on the call so they knew what was coming when he audited those packs.

The ancient let in Perez and I waved him to sit but pointed to everything set up and nodded when his eyes went wide. We were oninternationalcalls with Greece, Iran, and Bolivia for this.

Plus, Laila who was in charge of all fae.

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