Chris stood up walking around her desk. "I feel like we have been working hard to prepare for Trawley.... to finally wipe him and all his filth off the face of the earth and now..." Chris put her hands on her desk and allowed her head to hang between her shoulders, almost defeated. "Now...I am being forced into a group project I never asked for and to contribute I have to reveal all my dirty laundry for everyone to see and examine at their leisure."
Suddenly another loud message was sent to Chris which almost made her jump again. Chris growled in frustration at the message.
"What is it?" Helma asked in alarm, watching Chris.
"Another... irritation." Chris growled as she sent a message back to Claire.
Before Helma could ask for clarification, Claire appeared at the door.
"Claire!" Chris said loudly which made the girl visibly flinch. Chris took a breath and started again, quieter and more calm. "Claire, I have never met anyone who can shout over mental messages before but apparently you possess this talent." Claire's cheeks turned slightly pink. "Please do not try to get my attention. Trust me, I am listening and I can hear you." Chris smiled slightly. "As for your other question. Send her to Gia to.... handle."
Claire made a small noise, out of fear or respect it was unknown as she immediately exited the room. Helma stood up from the couch sauntering toward the desk. "Someone appears to be on edge this morning." Helma said, picking up a pile of paperwork on the edge of the desk. "At least..."She shrugged, "With staff."
Chris sighed, feeling guilty. She knew Claire was sensitive, her lack of sleep must be really starting to show.
"Who is Gia dealing with?" Helma asked, flipping some of the papers on the desk.
Chris sat down in her desk chair and leaned back. "Females from Alpha Terrant's pack."
"What?!" Helma asked her eyebrows raised in surprise.
"Four of them have arrived since 5AM." Chris said closing her eyes against the sun that was shining brighter through the windows behind her desk. "All of them wanting a meeting with me, all of them attempting to stake some claim in Alpha Terrant, all of them warning me to stay away, and all of them running home with their tail between their legs." Chris rolled her eyes. "After meeting with the second one I decided I should delegate the task to someone else."
Chris looked up at Helma who had an incredulous look on her face. "Well I hope Gia doesn't kill them.... Or eat them."
Chris chuckled, shaking her head, "After all this time, you still don't trust Gia."
Helma grunted in amusement. " I don't trust someone who can eat that many dumplings in one sitting."
Chris' face became suddenly serious. "I told her to hold back a little.... I don't want to get into some kind of feud because females went missing after coming to my pack land."
"Hmmm..." Helma said, attempting to look very interested in the files on the desk.
"What?" Chris asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Oh, I just heard that Alpha Terrant is very handsome and charming." Helma said nonchalantly.
"Did you now?" Chris said, tilting her head with a suspicious look at Helma. "I wonder who told you that."
"I mean since you both went on a date-"
"It was not a date!" Chris said sitting up in her chair. "It was.... Interesting and informative, but not a date." Helma's smile became wide. "I mean we had food and talked."
"I also heard he is very intelligent." Helma said nodding for Chris to continue.
"I will admit I have been... impressed with his ability to.... Assess a situation." Chris said remembering Terrant sitting so close to her as he examined her after she fainted.
"Why are you blushing?!" Helma said, pointing at Chris's face.
Chris shook her head and then covered her face with her hands. "I'm not."
"Liar. These females obviously find you as a threat."
"Well..." Chris's faint smile faded. "With everything that happened.... last time..." Chris paused, examining the wood grains in her desk. "They really don't have anything to worry about."
Helma tapped the desk in front of Chris making her look up. Helma's face was sad but serious as she said gently, "Especially after what happened. You deserve to be happy."
Chris turned away shaking her head.
"Whether you decide to fall in love again or just have some fun. You deserve to be happy." Chris didn't look back at her as she sighed with sadness and frustration. "Mistakes are mistakes... punishing yourself forever will NEVER fix them."
Chris nodded in a non-committal kind of way. She really didn't want to talk about this. Chris was fine talking about some of the things that have happened to her, in therapy. But the betrayal, and heart wrenching pain around her mate was...too fresh.... And too much for her to handle right now.
"What are these?" Helma asked, picking up a small pile of the contracts on the corner of Chris's desk. Chris was about to answer when Helma gasped. "These are the contracts you're burning! Why are they in your office? I thought Claire was going to handle it?"
Chris blinked rapidly trying to fish around for an excuse that didn't make her sound guilty. When she didn't come up with something quick enough Helma fixed Chris with an accusatory glare. "Chris why do you have a pile of contracts ready to burn?"
"I- well... wait a minute." Chris said glaring back at Helma. "Who told you?"
Helma had the decency to blush slightly. "Gia told me about the contracts and how it was discovered."
Chris rolled her eyes. "I guess there is no hiding it then. Yes. I took them to burn so I could stay awake longer to finish up work. Honestly if Alpha Hunt's warriors hadn't arrived so early I would have slept some-"
"How much sleep have you had tonight?" Helma asked, crossing her arms in front of her, her blue white robes rippling as she settled on her right hip, looking down at Chris.
Chris sat back in her chair crossing her arms as well. "None."
"And what about last night?"
Chris shrugged her shoulders. "A few hours."
"The night before?"
Chris smirked tiredly. "Less."
"Chris!?" Helma started.
"I'm planning a war here Helma." Chris said motioning to the pile of papers on her desk. "There is no end to the meetings, the planning, the training. We have been preparing and now the time is here. If that means I get a few sleepless nights then so be it."
Helma opened her mouth and then closed it. Her nose squinched in irritation and frustration. Finally she shook her head. "I think I have already been annoying enough today. I am just saying this out of concern. Your pack loves you, and we want you to be around even after this is all over."
Chris released her arms and smiled slowly, taking the boon. "Thank you."
Helma nodded and turned away as though she was about to leave. Then she turned her robes flowing around her as she returned to the desk. "I forgot the second reason I came unannounced."
Chris tilted her head listening.
"The new moon ceremony and party is 3 days away." Helma started and Chris's face fell.
"Oh, no! I completely forgot!" Chris said a surge of panic running through her.
"I thought you did. So I already planned the party to accommodate our new numbers and added a bit of a twist to it."
Right then the door burst open. "I know where I go." A small dark haired female said with a thick Russian accent. Claire was following behind her a panicked look on her face.
Claire looked up as they entered the sitting area. "I'm sorry. She's very small... and persistent."
Chris smiled at Claire. Not many people can say no to the small elder Russian tailor. "It's fine. Nadia, what can I help you with?"
Nadia had already bustled around the desk and was ushering Chris out of her chair and onto a small stool she carried with her. "I pin! Don't move! You poked, no my fault!" To which she dropped her large sewing basket and pulled a silver, black, shiny mess of fabric and started draping it on Chris.
"Uh... Nadia. Why are you-ow!"
"I tell you, no move! Why you make me poke you?" Nadia continued pulling a group of pins into her mouth as she smoothed and bunched the fabric.
"Uh... so I told Nadia that we were going to have the new moon party and it was also going to be a Welcoming party." Helma said on the other side of the desk a humorous and apologetic look on her face.
Chris looked down. "Nadia, I don't need a new dress. You have already made a boatload of beautiful dresses. I can wear one of-ow!"
"Why you no listen today, Alpha. No move!"
Chris looked up at Helma who shrugged. Claire just looked shocked at the sight of Chris being pushed and poked.
"Nadia, I thought you and your staff were working on measuring the other packs warriors for wereform armour." Chris said looking again at Helma with a small plea in her voice.
"Eh, they git along good. I tell 'em what to do, and if no. They git poked." Nadia pulled away for a second to look at her work and then fished out a tape measure from her basket.
"Helma. I really don't need a new dress. I mean I like the idea for a welcoming party but- ow!"
"Aye! No move!" Nadia complained again.
"I didn't move!" Chris said back.
Nadia muttered something that was muffled due to the pins in her mouth but it sounded like, 'Big baby Alpha.'
Helma shook her head, barely able to hold in her mirth at Chris's dilemma. " I wouldn't dare advise Nadia on anything of fashion. She is the expert in the field."
Nadia nodded her head as Chris looked down warily at the tiny Russian female and her pins. "Fine... and Thank you, Nadia."
Nadia looked up at Chris and smiled. "I make look beauty-ful!"
Claire excused herself as Helma advised Chris on the different details the new moon party would entail with a much larger population and the ceremony. Finally Nadia pulled away and moved around Chris checking every angle of the pinned dress.
"Okay. Look good. Take off!" Nadia pronounced, putting the remaining pins and measuring tape away.
"Uh... Nadia it is pinned to me." Chris said unwilling to move with the fear of being poked by a stray pin.
"Aye. I guess I help." Nadia said, exasperatedly, pulling down Chris's side with quick expert fingers.
A silent message from Claire made Chris stiffen. Nadia continued to pull pins while Helma tilted her head with a questioning look on her face. Nadia muttered something like, 'good. Dis is no move.'
Chris blinked and glanced up at Helma who immediately moved forward. "We need to get this off. Now!"
Nadia did not question as Helma stepped forward and started to pull pins and fabric with her. "Who is here?" Helma asked as she finally got Chris released from the main part of the dress.
"Ashlynn. The personal assistant to Alpha Terrant. Claire said she has classified information to speak to me about. It must be important if she is coming a few hours before Terrant gets here." Chris pulled the rest of the dress over her head and gently handed it to Nadia who quickly put it away and packed up the stool.
"I finish tomorrow Alpha. You see. I put in closet." Nadia said as she picked up her sewing bag and stool walking to the door.
Helma followed her with Chris trailing along behind her. "I'm sorry to cut you short Helma."
Helma waved her hand dismissively. "No. We had finished talking about everything that was pertinent. I don't want you to forget that me, the High Priest, and my acolytes are at your disposal. We are currently helping out with processing the warriors and food preparations, but if you ever need to re-depoly us, please give me a call."
With that the door was opened to find Claire followed by a determined looking Ashlynn. Helma gave Chris one last nod before ushering Nadia through the door. Claire stepped aside and Ashlynn walked in immediately taking up residence in the middle of Chris's couch. Chris raised her eyebrows a little, impressed with her boldness, and with another nod, Claire immediately shut the door.
Chris took her time walking back to the middle of her office and choosing the couch opposite of Ashlynn. She sat down watching Ashlynn's every move as she leaned back and crossed one leg over another. "Ashlynn, you said this was urgent."
"Yes it is." Ashlynn said stiffly. She was wearing a deep purple office dress which hugged her curves attractively, and contrasted well with her blonde hair.
Chris tilted her head. "Well, let's hear it."
Ashlynn took a breath, tilted her chin up and hooded her eyes. "I want you to leave Alpha Terrant alone."
*Thanks for reading! Please vote and comment! I love constructive criticism, however, if it becomes mean I will take you down.*
-LostArrow-