A week after I had left the compound my home was partially fixed. I had replaced the front door and one of the windows with the last bit of money I had in my bank account after cleaning the messes made from both the lycans and the Guardians. I was healing nicely.
My nose wasn’t sore anymore, my stitches in my hand, arm, and leg were out, and the stitches in my abdomen and back would be taken out in another few days. I missed Lina, and Kory, as much as I hated to admit it to myself. I had received a call from my boss Herman, telling me not to bother returning to work, and the bank had kicked me while I was down, sending me a foreclosure notice.
I was currently in front of the mirror in my bathroom, checking myself out. I wore a cream colored pant suit that had been my mother’s, with a red silk blouse underneath. The high heels that I had picked out were a deep crimson color to match the blouse. I’d used water pomade and braided my hair tightly so that it swept around the top of my head like a crown, and I was wearing gold chandelier earrings. I had decided against a lot of makeup, settling on merely dark brown eyeliner and black mascara with deep red lipstick. Studying my reflection, I smiled.
I looked powerful, and I felt confident. I walked through my house, picking up my purse before leaving and shutting the door behind me. My car had been wrecked by the Lycans who had ransacked my house, but the Guardians had been kind enough to give me one of their jet black compact cars. I had almost declined their offer, but after I’d thought of the pain and agony I’d been through for the past few weeks, I accepted it. It may not have been due to me, but at this point I needed all the help I could get.
I unlocked the car and slid into the driver’s seat. After starting the car up, I turned my radio on and changed the station to rock. I felt the high energy music pulse down to my toes as it blasted out of the speakers. I put the car into drive, and sedately pulled out of my driveway and onto the road. It was time for me to return to the realm of normality.
***
I parked by my workplace ten minutes later. After hopping out I strutted up the walkway, chin held high, and pulled open the front door before walking in. I received a few stares from co-workers whom I was sure had listened to Herman rant about my ‘sabbatical’ on a few different occasions. As I entered his office, I could see that Herman was currently on the phone. Setting my purse on a rack conveniently located near the door, I strolled up to a chair in front of his desk and sat down nonchalantly.
I studied him as he spoke on the phone and glared at me. Never before had I noticed that he was balding, a small patch of skin showing through his mouse brown hair giving him away. His face was heavily wrinkled, making his ice blue eyes appear smaller than what they really were. Even at sixty four, Herman was physically fit; no paunch showed through his shirt. He would still seem attractive if it weren’t for his attitude. He was currently yelling at whoever was on the other end of the phone. “I want it today! Today, you hear me?” I took a fortifying breath as he slammed the phone onto the receiver.
Almost immediately he began to yell at me. “You shouldn’t even be in this office! I fired you, and I meant it! Get out!” When I did nothing but calmly stare at him, his face turned so red that it was edging toward purple. “Did you not hear me? You are no longer employed with my company! You took off without notice or permission, for three weeks, and expect to have your job waiting for you?!”
Slamming my palms on the arms of the chair I was sitting in, I shot up. “My job better be waiting for me!” I shouted back at him, stalking up to his desk and slapping my hands on it. My outburst had shocked him; he fell back into his chair, and his mouth was hanging open like he was a fish waiting on a worm. “I have slaved, almost literally slaved, for this company - for you - for three years. I haven’t taken a vacation, I haven’t taken days off, even when my mother died. I have been late only once. I have not only brought in new clientele, I have made a pool of potential clients. I have made this office money, even though I don’t work in sales. I have saved this office money. I have been your driver, your housekeeper, your counselor, your nurse when you’ve been sick, and even your administrative assistant, which is my actual job title.” I stopped for a moment, as I was breathing heavily and making my side ache.
Slowing down my breathing, I flexed my fingers on his desk, getting back my control. He still looked poleaxed, but his mouth had closed, and he had brought his hand up against his chin thoughtfully. I continued, not wanting to lose my momentum.
“I took three weeks off. Yes, I did. Without notice? No, I didn’t. I called you repeatedly throughout those three weeks to reassure you that I would be back as soon as I was able. So, you will let me have my job back. You will consider these past three weeks as my accumulated vacation time, and you will in fact pay me my normal wages for those three weeks.”
At this, he surged forward. “I will not! I-”
I slammed my hand on the table, wincing as I realized belatedly that I’d used my bad hand. Shaking it, I turned around. “You will, Herman. You will pay me, and you will give me a two – no, three dollar an hour raise, and pay my back wages to reflect that raise. Or…” I said loudly, talking over him as he opened his mouth to speak again. “I will call the IRS and tell them about how you lied on your taxes last year.”
His face blanched. “How…how do you know about that?” He stammered.
“You forget Herman, I open all the mail that comes into your office. And while I expected to see a large amount of expenditure on gifts - seeing as we so often buy items that a potential client may want, to encourage them to use our company – I didn’t see anything.” I made a tsking sound. “Yeah, I’m pretty sure the IRS would frown on that.”
Having made my points, I sat down in the chair across from his desk. Watching him flounder over what to do, I wondered how I had ever been intimidated by him.
Just to drive my point farther, I added my finishing move. “And just in case you are thinking of firing me over something petty in the future, know this: I have watched how you have run this company and how it functions for the past three years. I can, and will, go to our competitor and tell them every little detail about how we run, which will ensure they know our secret to success and how to reproduce it. I’m pretty sure they’d hire me in a heartbeat after that. After, of course, making me sign a nondisclosure agreement, which you should have done.”
I was bluffing; I would never do that. I cared too much about my co-workers. Herman didn't need to know that though. After a few seconds more, he slumped back in his chair. Looking resigned, he said, “I’m surprised at you. You’ve never been the bloodthirsty type.”
I smiled at him. “I’m not. Unless I have to be.”
A few minutes later, I strolled back out of the office, a huge grin on my face. I couldn’t believe what I had just done. I knew that it was wrong to have pretty much blackmailed Herman into letting me keep my job as well as give me a raise, but I felt empowered by it. I had let Herman bully me for too long.
I realized that while my brief time with Kory and the Guardians had been terrifying, and dangerous, it had given me confidence that I had never had before. Granted, the confidence probably had to do with the fact that I had gone up against numerous bloodthirsty creatures and not died but, the fact of the matter was that it was there.
I pinched my bottom lip thoughtfully, and then smiled even wider. “I think it’s time to go to the bank.” I said to myself. Feeling determined, I squared my shoulders and marched to my car. Pulling into the bank’s parking lot five minutes later, I began to doubt myself again. Facing a banker would be a lot different than facing my boss.
I gripped the steering wheel and gave myself a small pep talk. “This is nothing Elle. It is nothing compared to what you have gone through. Be strong.” It wasn’t helping much. Kory’s voice ran through my mind. You can do this. You must do this. Know that you will do it. I almost cried, thinking about him and missing his bossy way of encouraging someone. Thinking about what he would tell me helped though. Checking my makeup in the rearview mirror, I smiled. I got out of the car, locked it, and click-clacked my way into the bank.
A half hour later, I sashayed back to my car, unlocked it, and sat behind the wheel. As soon as I closed the door, I hooted and started dancing, my arms flying akimbo as I swung my head around like I was at a pop music concert. I had done it! The bank manager had been haughty and skeptical at first, but I had argued, pleaded, flirted, and yelled at him until he’d finally wore down and accepted my offer. I would be keeping my home and all of the memories that my mother and I had created there.
I had a lot of work that I had to do: I’d agreed to go to credit repair classes, I’d have to do some free side work at the bank, and it would still be six months before my home was totally in the clear. All that faded away because it didn’t matter to me as long as my home remained mine. I decided to call Lina and share the good news. Even though she had moved into the compound, they allowed people to keep a cell phone to speak with loved ones.
Pulling my cell phone out of my bag, I dialed her number. It rang a few times and as soon as I heard the click of her picking up I squealed. “Guess what?”
“I don’t know. But I figure you’ll tell me anyway.” Lina said dryly.
“I got my job back! And a three dollar raise! And best of all I’m keeping my house!” I laughed as I heard Lina’s whoop.
“Go Elle! I knew you would though.” She said, her happiness for me evident in her voice.
“I didn’t!” I exclaimed. “But, I’m so happy Lina, I could burst out singing.”
She laughed huskily on her end. “Good for you girl. I’m glad you’re happy.”
I sighed. “On another note, how is life at the compound treating you so far?”
She chuffed. “Well it’s definitely a lot of work. That Kory, I tell you, he kicks my butt six ways to Sunday. I’m serious. I have bruises on top of my bruises.”
The mention of Kory made my heart clinch a little and I closed my eyes to try to ward off the images that ran through my head like wild stallions. “Yeah, he’s a pretty brutal trainer.” I said slowly.
“Ah hell honey, I’m sorry.” Lina sighed, picking up on my tone. “I need a shock collar to make me not stick my foot in my mouth so much. Here, I’ll change the subject. Guess what I found out?”
I thought about it for a moment, hoping that she hadn’t gotten into something she shouldn’t have. “I give. What did you find out?”
Lina lowered her voice to a whisper, “We can date in the Ailis.”
I snorted. “Well, yeah, as long as it’s not a guardian, you can date whoever you please.”
“Uh-uh.” She said smugly. “They changed them rules baby girl. Guardians can date each other now. We just have to have special training, you know. So we’ll be able to spot if our honey bun is bitten, not lose our cool if they get hurt, yada, yada, blah. Personally, I’ve got my eye on this guy they nicknamed ‘Heat’. Mmm, makes me want to find out if they’re right on more accounts than one. He’s really sweet too.” She added shyly.
I felt like I had been hit in the forehead with a hammer. I looked around my car, just to be sure there weren’t any stars floating around. Kory had overturned his rule? Heart pounding, I wondered if he had done it for me. In the next moment, I squashed the hope. Why would he? He didn’t love me. He just couldn’t help but be attracted to me. That was it, and there was no reason to get my hopes up. Even if he had overturned the rule for me, he still wouldn’t be with me. He was the leader of the Guardians, he wouldn’t leave it behind, and I wasn’t going to be in it just for him.
Shaking my head, I shifted my attention back to Lina, realizing that she had continued talking. “…and the other day, when this chick called ‘The Fuzz’ shocked the hell out of me and I got sent to the infirmary, he came by with a bunch of wildflowers. He’d gone out and picked them for me. So what do you think? Is he in to me too?”
I chuckled softly. She hadn’t even realized I wasn’t listening. “Lina, if this guy isn’t into you, he would have to be half dead. You’re a wonderful, fun, intelligent, and gorgeous woman, trust me, he likes you.”
“Aww.” Lina cooed. “I love you too girl. I gotta go though, I have to go do my ability training with Lee.” Lee? I thought. Ability training? Lina had abilities?
“Wait, Lina, what do you mean?” But, it was too late, she had already hung up. Confused, I looked at my phone. I had thought that Kory did all the training for the Guardians. Maybe he and Lee had split the duty up? I shrugged it off. None of my business anymore, I thought to myself.
Starting the car, I pulled out of my parking spot and headed home. On the way, I stopped at a convenience store and bought some chocolate ice cream. I wanted to celebrate, and since Lina was at the compound until further notice, I felt that ice cream was the ticket. Once home, I grabbed the bucket and put it under one arm, leaving my other hand free to unlock and open my door.
Inside, pulled a bowl out of a cupboard, deftly spooning the creamy goodness into it. As I came back out of my kitchen, spoon in my mouth, I saw a shadow cross my living room.
Turning on my slow motion, I ran in and slammed the bowl, ice cream and all, against the side of the intruder’s head. I reared back, about to hit them again, when they stood up. I dropped the bowl of ice cream and dropped out of slow motion, gaping. Then, I slapped them.