Page 15 of Building My Pack

Her tone sends shivers down my spine. "I am. About ten minutes away. Why, what's wrong?"

“There’s just a situation that you need to be here for as soon as possible,” she states calmly. Too calm.

Panic begins to tighten my chest and a multitude of scenarios run through my head as I ask, “You can’t just call and say something like that, Chloe. Tell me what’s going on?”

“Okay, okay, sorry,” she says before sucking in a sharp breath and continuing. “Someone broke into your office and vandalized it. Stuff is smashed and thrown everywhere. Even the flowers that were on your desk. And whoever did it wrote something on the wall.”

I want to ask what it says. I really do but I can’t see past the anger that filled my vision. “That stupid homewrecking bag of dog turds.”

Chloe doesn’t so much as laugh like she normally does at my PG swearing, which tells me it’s really bad. “I think we all know it was her, but I think she might’ve had a little help with this one.”

"I'll be there soon," I tell her. "Is Sean in yet?"

"No, not yet," she confirms. "But it's only a matter of time. The man is like clockwork."

I don't remember if I say goodbye before I hang up on her. I'm lucky that I remember to even shut off my car and grab the keys before bolting inside. Trying not to run through the small building, I walk toward the crowd of my coworkers around the door to my office. They quickly disperse as soon as they see me coming their way. Others that weren't eyeing the spectacle are now talking behind their hands like I can't tell what they're doing.

As soon as I round the corner and get my first glimpse at the mess, it brings me to a complete standstill. It's completely trashed just like Chloe said. But there's nothing in the world that could prepare me for the bright-red words she's trying to cover with an old advertisement sign.

Omega Liar

My heart feels like it stops in my chest, causing me to drop everything in my hands. The sound draws Chloe and Jackson's, who she must've roped into helping her, attention.

"Don't worry," she says quickly. "We're going to find a way to get it off. I've already called John. He's bringing some primer and paint as a last resort if we have to. I'm so—"

Her eyes go as wide as I've ever seen them, staring over my head as her words trail off. There're two things that would cause that kind of reaction. Oh how I'm hoping it's George or Stephanie so I can graciously share my feelings in the form of my fist knocking out some teeth. I've never punched anything in my life, but they always say there's a first time for everything. Worst case scenario...

"I need to see you in my office, Ms. Hartley," Sean's stern voice says at my back.

Chloe's fearful gaze drops to mine, and she doesn't even have it in her to give me a hopeful smile. How could she? As much as I want to break down into tears and run as fast as my thick thighs will carry me, I don't want to give those two snakes the pleasure of seeing that they got to me. Knowing them and what terrible people they are, they're probably sitting in a corner somewhere snacking on a bowl of popcorn enjoying the show.

Chin held high, I pick my stuff up off the floor before giving Chloe a slight nod and following after Sean. He waits for me to walk into his office, pointing at a chair as I do and then closes the door behind us.

Attempting to defuse the situation, I apologize, "Sean, I'm so sorry. I don't know who would do this, but I assure you that I'll get it cleaned up. There's already paint on the way so we can get the wall fixed."

"I'm well aware of who the culprit is, Bryce," he says with the deepest disappointed sigh I've ever heard from him. "They'll be dealt with justly. However, that isn't the reason you're sitting here with me. I'm sorry this happened to you and especially at your place of employment. It's one of the many reasons why interwork relations are frowned upon. I've always looked the other way when it came to you and George, because you were already together when you were hired. Which brings me to the next issue."

Picking up a piece of paper and sliding it across his desk to rest in front of me, he leans back in his chair and steeples his fingers in front of his chest. "Can you tell me what that is?"

One quick glance at it has a rock dropping into the pit of my stomach. "My application."

"Right," he says, asking, "And can you tell me what it says right there next to your designation?"

"Beta," I whisper.

"I wish like hell I didn't have to do this, Bryce. You're one of the best people I've ever had working in this agency," he tells me, defeat evident in his tone, speaking his truth. "If one of our clients ever found out that you lied on a simple application about who you are, how do you think they're going to look at our business? At me for hiring you? There could be lawsuits claiming you used your omega wiles to hook them into buying a house."

"That's the most absurd thing I've ever heard!" I snap. "I'm on suppressants and don't even have myomega wilesas you call them."

He gives a short nod. "So, Santiago Cooper and Kennedy Kane, two of the most prominent alphas in our business just so happened to take enough of a liking to a beta to send them flowers and take them out on dates?"

My hands clench as tightly as humanly possible, squishing my keys within my palms hard enough to leave marks for later. I'm so angry that I can feel tears threatening the back of my eyes. "Are you firing me, Sean?" Even if he isn't, I'll be quitting, anyway.

"Unfortunately, I am," he says regretfully. "I don't want to do this, Bryce. You just left me no choice."

"There's always a choice," I retort easily before leaving him in the small room that seems to be closing in on me.

I hear my name being called once or twice as I head toward the front door, but I ignore it. There's no need for me to even go back to the trashed space I used to call my office. They can have fun cleaning and keep whatever junk they deem worth saving.

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