Chapter 239

Grace

A satisfied smile played on my lips as I spread the stack of files across the table in my office. Classes had been easy, relaxing even. I had gotten a chance to really feel at ease in the class and had a chance to work on my dissertation, too.

Amira smiled at me, looking proud.

"You and your fiance are amazing," I said as she pushed the folders toward me.

"We're getting married for a reason," she beamed. "That's every record I could find on the missing pack members, along with any contact information I could dig up for their families. Now, getting the system to accept them back was a little wonky, but I think if we can import whatever their new records are, and I am working on that, we should be able to force the system to recognize them and restore the record."

She frowned. "Well, that's what he says."

I chuckled, scanning the documents with a mixture of gratitude and concern. I can't thank you enough."

She waved my hand dismissively. "All in a day."

A strange sense of calmness washed over me. The anxieties and doubts that had plagued me only days ago seemed to have faded, replaced by a quiet determination and a renewed sense of purpose.

"About the liaison..." Amira said, crossing her arms. "What do you want me to do about him?"

I grinned. "Whatever would please you most. I'm sorry about him being such a pain, but we'll get through these few months and hopefully kick him out before he can cause any damage... or get himself killed."

Amira flashed her teeth. "I'm pretty sure I could find a way to dispose of the body without getting caught. Just say the word."

I laughed, picking up some of the files and thumbing through them. "While I have you, let's--"

The door creaked open, and Edgar strutted in. His usual scowl was absent, replaced by a look of utter bewilderment.

"What's going on here?"

I cocked an eyebrow at him. He'd been irritating me before and clearly irritating Amira. Looking back, I could accept that he'd manipulated me, and I'd let him do it, but that was done. I could see right through him, and I knew exactly how to proceed. A gentle smile tugged at the corners of my lips.

"Good morning, Edgar," I greeted him, my voice surprisingly steady. "Please remember to knock next time, and you can have a seat in the lobby. We'll be done soon."

"You can't just--"

"You're not on my calendar," I said. "How am I meant to run my pack and my company efficiently with so much chaos?"

Amira's eyes widened.

"I understand you're eager to help, but disrupting the flow of things will make things harder... Unless that's your plan?"

A page of one of those books flashed through my mind. "Amira, do me a favor and document this and the last time he burst in as moments of misconduct."

"Of course, Alpha Wolfe," Amira said.

Edgar blinked, his jaw slack with disbelief. The shift in me seemed to throw him completely off balance. I liked it. I liked this cool-headed, level-headed feeling. I liked being able to see him for what he was more clearly than I had before.

I felt... powerful in a way I couldn't remember being, not since that meeting with that alpha.

I smirked. I should probably put him on my list to contact going forward with my plans for the Senate. I blinked, frowning. The spike of fear, apprehension, and pure anxiety that I was used to feeling, ignoring, and stuffing down didn't come.

Maybe that rest had done more for me than I thought.

He stammered, his voice barely above a whisper, "B-But the debriefing… You can't have a debriefing without me."

"Actually, I can." I glanced at Amira. "Though if you can manage to be useful and quiet while we finish up, perhaps I won't have to have a separate meeting with you about the situation." I gestured toward the other empty chair. "Please, take a seat."

Edgar hesitated for a moment, then slowly lowered himself onto the chair, his eyes glued to me like he was waiting for me to morph into a different creature altogether. A small part of me wanted to laugh, but I looked back to Amira.

"You were saying, Amira?"

She grinned. "Well, I was going to say that it may be best to start with those still in Mooncrest since it will be easier to offer them reparations. I sorted the files between who hadn't seemed to have left Mooncrest verses those I was unsure about."

She went on to talk about the state of all the other initiatives we had going on. I took a few notes, but I was happy that Edgar hadn't said a word. When Amira finished outlining the current state of affairs, I grinned.

"I'm glad to hear it. For now, my first order of business is to restore all the records that Devin deleted. Whether or not they want to come back to Mooncrest or not, doesn't matter. We'll manage reparations as needed, but brainstorm what will be good, and we'll plan out the best options.

Edgar scoffed. "That wouldn't be very wise. Weren't those records deleted for a reason? Undoing a previous Alpha's orders isn't very smart. You might feel guilty for what you allowed to happen, as you should, but are you really going to make yourself look worse?" He jerked his head at Amira. "Furthermore, trusting this assistant with such a task? She needs to be learning how to take better messages and manage your calendar properly, not pretending to be your beta."

His words washed over me like a harmless wave. I met his gaze.

"Amira, take note, please."

She was flushed and glared at Edgar but nodded all the same.

"Your advice is terrible. Haven't we established that Devin's actions were not in Mooncrest's interest?" He flushed. "And since you know very little about the details of these records and even less about the reasons behind the reasons he deleted them, you should shut up."

Edgar's face flushed crimson, his mouth agape in surprise.

Ignoring his sputtering protests, I turned to Amira. "Could you please clear a moment of my schedule to make a public announcement?" I requested, my voice regaining its calmness.

Amira nodded eagerly. "Of course, Alpha Wolfe," she replied, quickly pulling up my schedule on the nearby tablet.

"And while we're at it," I added, a new thought striking me, "could you also block off some time before the announcement? I'd like to have a private conversation with Eason."

Her eyes softened. She nodded once again. "I'll handle it right away."

She left soon after, and I looked back at the files. I searched through the files and found Michael's family file, specifically his file. Maybe I should rethink it and go see him personally. I'd have to figure out what exactly I wanted to say during the announcement in the first place.

Edgar cleared his throat, his voice dripping with false concern.

"Miss Wolfe--"

"Alpha Wolfe," I corrected him. "I thought you'd been a liaison for years? Don't you know how to address an alpha properly?"

He sneered. "Only those I respect."

"Edgar," I said. "You have to realize that your days in Mooncrest are numbered."

He narrowed his eyes. "I could say the same about you. Whatever you plan to do with these people you let your ex erase is one thing, but when you speak with Eason, I intend to be there."

"My meeting with my brother has nothing to do with you. As for the people I have failed, I can only offer what I can. None of that requires your presence if you think that making amends with the people of Mooncrest is a bad idea."

Edgar's jaw clenched, his face contorting in a mixture of anger and frustration. But before he could voice another protest, my communicator buzzed. Amira's voice filled the room.

"Alpha Wolfe, Eason is on his way now. He should be at your office in about five minutes."

I gave Edgar a pointed look, a silent reminder of his dismissal. He remained rooted to the spot, his gaze flickering between me and the door. I ignored him, flipping through the documents I had and opening my computer. Amira had given me some information about how to manually restore records that were completely orphaned, like Eason's.

Taking a deep breath, I walked through the steps until his record popped up with all the familiar information that should have been there.

Edgar growled. "Your brother isn't even a citizen. Whatever business you might have with him concerns the pack and thus concerns me."

"I disagree," I said. "Right now, setting things right. When I need your expertise on pack protocols, I'll call you. Until then, please leave."

Edgar's face contorted in anger, his fists clenching and unclenching at his sides. He sputtered incoherently for a moment. Then, a sharp rap on the door startled me.

Taking a deep breath, I called out, "Come in."