Heart of the Pack

by Kristen Banet

  It wasn’t her first time to visit the place. The Shifter Special Task Force, since it was an offshoot of the Department of Defense, was run out of the US military hub. The SSTF wasn’t just a military organization, though; it was the government’s response to shifters trying to stay hidden while still needing someone to watch out for them and help with shifter criminals.

  She was let in by security and escorted to an office. Caleb waited at his desk. She had expected him to be human, but her nose told her immediately that he was a coyote shifter. Similar to the wolves, they lived in a loose Pack-like structure, but it wasn’t consistent or as formal as the wolves’.

  “Miss Harris,” he greeted her kindly. “Come in and sit down.”

  She walked closer to his desk and extended her hand. He gave her a professional handshake.

  “Mister Jones, it’s good to finally meet you,” she replied before pulling her hand away and taking a seat.

  “Then tomorrow should be very interesting for all of us. First, my bosses have decided to reopen your old department. We’re hoping to get most of the old team back in, if they haven’t moved on yet.” He sat down in his own chair and pointed at files all over his desk. “This is going to be informal, Abigail. We want you to come back to work for us, so you don’t need to worry about getting the job.”

  “Is the pay going up?” she asked, smiling back at Caleb. “Government pay is never that good.”

  “You know they pay us shifters double what they pay their human staff, right?” He laughed, as if it was a joke. “But you’re right, even that, to us, is pretty poor. You made…seventy-five thousand in a year? I can see that taken up to one hundred thousand.”

  “That works, along with the same benefits. Healthcare is covered fully by the DOD, and I’ll want thirty vacation days a year, paid,” she continued.

  “Done and done,” he agreed quickly. “You’ll get all the benefits that our agents do…which brings me to the thing I haven’t told you about yet.” She sat up just a little straighter, interested. “We have begun to notice that our agents are…mentally failing. Well, failing might be a bad word. They’re cracking under the pressure might be a better way to say it.”

  “I know an agent who just quit,” Abigail cut in softly. “He’s a friend’s father.” She didn’t know much about Keith Stern, but the topic made her think of him.

  “I think I know who you are talking about,” he mumbled. When he restarted after a moment of silence, it was louder, more secure. “Yes, well, we’re thinking about making mental health evaluations mandatory for all our SSTF agents. Six months between standard evaluations, monitoring them for PTSD, addiction issues.”

  Abigail’s eyes went wide. How many times had she told them that their agents needed to be looked after? She and half their department had been vocal about the agents that they knew were getting drunk on cases, that were lashing out or put under stressful conditions or sent undercover with no evaluation on their mental capabilities to handle it.

  “You were…adamant this was a change that needed to be made during your previous time here,” he finished, looking at her with concentration.

  “Will it be its own department?” she asked.

  “Maybe, those are things we’re still working on,” Caleb answered, shrugging. “That’s something we’ll talk about over the next few days.”

  “Wonderful,” Abigail said brightly. “Is there anything else you want to discuss with me today?”

  “No, I think that covers the basics. Come back in tomorrow around ten?”

  “For the meetings with the director and assistant director?” It was a rhetorical question. The itinerary had already told her who she would be seeing, but it was good to verify in case anything had been changed.

  “That’s right,” Caleb sighed. “Thank you for coming in this late in the day for this. Enjoy your evening here in DC.” He stood up and she followed, walking to the door. He held it open for her and waved down someone. “Escort her out. She doesn’t have clearance yet.”

  “Yes, sir,” the young man replied. Abigail shook Caleb’s hand one more time, thanking him for his time, and followed the guard out.

  As she got into her rental, she could only hope that the entire trip was this relaxed and easy. When she got back to the hotel, she made a point to text the wolves and let them know how everything went. In a mass text, she sent a quick rundown of benefits and pay and how quick and easy it had been with Caleb.

  James: That’s awesome.

  Antonio: We’re celebrating when you get back ;)

  Thomas: Proud of you. Knew it would go well.

  Abigail sent a quick thanks to them all and ordered room service. She was going to try and relax for her evening. Her room service got to her and she ate while flipping through channels, until her phone started buzzing on the bedside table.

  She grabbed it and saw two text messages from Antonio, private ones not in their group chat.

  Antonio: Little doe, I miss you already.

  Antonio: Wish you were here to cuddle.

  Abigail: Cuddle?

  She smiled to herself. He didn’t want to cuddle.

  Antonio: Yes…“cuddles”. How do you feel about pictures?

  Abigail: My data plan can handle receiving them.

  She gasped at what he sent and put her phone down. He. Did. Not. She glanced again, her face hot. He did. She glanced one more time and recognized the bar’s office. He was practically in public.

  Abigail: Put that away.

  Antonio: When I’m done.

  Abigail: You are so bad.

  Antonio: James just walked in. He says hello.

  Abigail giggled to herself, bringing her phone up to her forehead. This was so immature and also kind of sexy. Illicit. Inappropriate. Very Antonio.

  Abigail: Hello back at him.

  Antonio: I really miss you. Tell me what you’re wearing.

  Abigail: I miss you too. I’m still in my suit. No, I’m not wearing any sexy underwear, just comfortable ones. My heels aren’t strappy and sexy, they are practical, and I think you should stop masturbating in the office.

  Antonio: Heartless.

  Abigail: You like it.

  Antonio: I really do. Act like that with your interviewers and they won’t be able to resist you.

  She threw her head back and laughed.

  Antonio: I’ll let you head to sleep. You are a few hours ahead of us and probably exhausted.

  Abigail: Goodnight. Tell everyone else for me?

  Antonio: Will do. Dream of us.

  Abigail: With the visual you just gave me, it will be hard not to. We’ll talk about the safety of sending pictures like that when I get back.

  Antonio didn’t respond to her after that. She got a text from both James and Thomas, though, wishing her good night, and James threw in an ‘I love you’ with it, which sent her heart off again. She stripped off her suit and curled into the stiff sheets and comforter of the hotel bed.

  She couldn’t miss how empty it felt without any of them. It was only two nights, then she would be going back to them.

  She was up early the next day, made the cheap coffee that the hotel supplied in the room and got ready. She was at the Pentagon ten minutes early and escorted inside quietly by the same guard who had led her out the day before.

  “Miss Harris,” Caleb greeted her again brightly. He smiled her way and waved over someone else. “Come here and meet the new SSTF Director, Sean Stansbury.”

  She could smell him before she saw him, and when he rounded the corner, she nearly dropped her jaw. The lion was huge, and his Alpha nature was obvious. He was as tall as Brenton Kingson and broader in the shoulders.

  “Abigail, correct?” He said it like a purr, and she wondered if he was just trying to be nice since she was a prey. She didn’t like the way he said her name. It seemed unprofessional.

  “Abigail Harris. Pleased to meet you, Mister Stansbury,” she confirmed and greeted him, holding out her hand. He took
it gently and shook it. It was gentle enough to be disrespectful, as if he was afraid to break her. She wasn’t sure about him and they had just met.

  “Today we’ll be talking about the return of your department and the changes I’ll be making to it as well,” Sean told her. “Tomorrow, we’ll discuss the remaining logistics and get everything settled.”

  “I’m excited to hear it,” Abigail replied.

  He launched into topics about how he regretted that his predecessor thought it was a good idea to disband her department. She and Caleb just followed him through the building, listening patiently to his speech. He mentioned how he regretted how some ‘recent feline business’ went down, and that he lost a good agent over it.

  “The Kingson Pride is always full of drama,” Caleb chuckled at that. “A bunch of kids.”

  “I honestly don’t know if I’m happier with Brenton or if I was okay with Lana succeeding. They are both a unique set of problems.” Sean laughed. “We should have stayed far out of it, instead of even helping that Pride with the hunters.”

  Abigail stayed quiet. If they were looking into her as much as they did all their employees, they would know she was still technically employed by the Pride, by Brenton. As for the ‘good agent’ Sean had lost, that must have been Keith.

  “What’s your opinion on them?” Caleb asked her, looking over to her with a curious expression.

  Abigail blinked a few times then shook her head. “Doctor-patient confidentiality,” she replied curtly. They knew better than to ask her things like that.

  “You aren’t Riley Stern’s doctor when you have lunch with her or get your nails done,” Sean teased. She didn’t like the nosiness of the two SSTF males.

  “Am I here to talk the SSTF or the Kingson Pride?” she bit out. “I don’t sell out one employer to another.”

  “She’s got a bit of fight.” Sean huffed, grinning at Caleb. “She’ll make a good department head.”

  “Right? I was telling you that she was known to be feisty when something crossed a line to her.”

  She looked between them and groaned. This was an interview tactic. Of course it was. And she hadn’t missed the department head comment.

  “Abigail, we don’t really expect you to give us information about the Kingsons,” Sean told her kindly. “I don’t like them, personally, but it’s a good test of loyalty. I hope you keep our secrets as well.”

  “Why don’t you like the Kingson Pride?” she asked, crossing her arms.

  “I think it’s too much power over other shifters in the hands of a bunch of children,” he grumbled.

  “They never use it,” she reminded him. “They only want to be left alone, live their lives.”

  “That’s the only good thing about that group of troublemakers.” Caleb continued to laugh, shaking his head.

  “Let’s move on,” she said, a stern note in her tone. She was done hearing about the personal opinions of her future bosses. She didn’t like that the supposedly apolitical SSTF were freely speaking about their dislike of a well-known Pride.

  As the second day at the Pentagon continued, Abigail was uneasy. She hadn’t liked the initial topic of conversation, and it didn’t seem to get better. It should have gone really well for her, but instead she found herself disliking Sean over the previous director. The assistant director was the same, a human named Dennis. He was a decent guy and he made the entire thing easier.

  “Of course, to save money, we’ll make all the department staff relocate here to DC,” Sean said at one point as they spoke about travel needs and how that would be handled.

  Abigail stopped and looked over to him. “Relocate?” She frowned.

  “Yeah,” Sean chuckled, grinning at her. “I know you all lived all over the nation previously, but that cost us a lot of money to fly you everywhere from different locations. I want you all here in Arlington, which makes it easier for you to handle the mental evaluations and the health of the agents as well, without needing to fly you in for it. Why?”

  “I wasn’t thinking I would be required to move for this,” Abigail replied, leaning back in her seat. She understood Sean’s reasoning for it. It would save him money, and probably allow the department a higher budget since travel wouldn’t be constantly eating into their funds. She just didn’t want to move.

  “We’re offering you department head for this,” Dennis reminded her. “Surely you must have realized we at least want all of our department heads here, where we can have our meetings.”

  It was her dream job. She’d been heartbroken the first time she lost her job with the SSTF.

  Thomas and the guys would want her to agree to it. They made it clear they wanted her to have the job that she wanted.

  “I’ll need time to consider the offer,” Abigail whispered, tapping her pen to her notepad.

  “Excuse me?” Sean huffed. “Time?”

  “Moving is a larger commitment than I expected. I wasn’t planning on the department head position either. I was told I was being considered, but you sound like it was already decided.”

  “It was decided recently,” Caleb informed her. “I think we can give you time to think about it.”

  “No,” Sean growled. “I’ve made a very good offer, Abigail. I wasn’t expecting to be told no.”

  “I’m not saying no, Mister Stansbury,” she retorted. “I’m saying I need some time to think about it. I fly back out tomorrow morning. I can’t decide to move across the country, to Virginia of all places, on a moment’s notice.”

  “Abigail-”

  “Miss Harris,” Abigail cut him off. She had never given him permission to use her first name and she hadn’t appreciated the unprofessionalism of him using it without asking. She thought back and realized nothing had been professional about any of this. He complained about the man who held the job before him; he had flirted with her when they met. He had asked about the Pride.

  By the silence of the three males at the table with her, she realized she just cut an Alpha off and he wasn’t going to be okay with it. He looked shocked and upset but calmed down quickly.

  “One week,” Sean told her, smiling. “If you say yes, I look forward to working with you. I think you’ll do great things for this organization. I like having people around me willing to fight back a little. One other thing, though.”

  “Certainly.” She waved him to continue.

  “Joining the SSTF again means you’ll answer to me. We’re now requiring all employees to leave any shifter communities they may be loyal to. Pride, Pack, doesn’t matter. We don’t want any outside politics in our organization.”

  That hadn’t been a requirement for her the last time she was hired by them. Only for agents, but never support staff.

  “It’s late,” Caleb sighed. “You have a plane to catch, quite early tomorrow?”

  “I do,” she sighed as well. “I’ll call you within the week with my decision.”

  “I’ll walk you out,” Caleb whispered, standing up with her. As they left, he stopped her before they made it to her car. “This is a good opportunity, Miss Harris.”

  “I agree,” she replied. “I just can’t accept immediately. I have…other aspects of my life that I need to handle and think about.”

  “Reports say you’ve recently gotten into a relationship,” he mumbled, nodding. “With the new Pack in Wild Junction.”

  “That’s right,” she confirmed, digging her keys out of her purse.

  “You’re going to turn us down, aren’t you?” He said it like he knew he was already defeated.

  She thought on it for a moment.

  This was her dream job. Department head for the trauma care department of the SSTF, along with work on the mental health of the agents so they were of sound mind to continue their duties in the most productive way. Thomas would want her to accept the job. So would James and Antonio.

  She would be required to leave the Pack and move to DC.

  “I’ll give you a call within the week,” she
answered gently. She wouldn’t make any decisions right now, not out loud.

  “Of course. I am rooting for you. Sean likes you for the job. Dennis likes you for the job. We want you here in DC with us on this.” Caleb smiled at her and she waved as he turned to leave.

  She slid into her car and looked up at the sky as she drove. She didn’t like those storm clouds rolling in. She didn’t text her guys when she got back to the hotel, instead just lying down in bed and thinking on it more.

  They would want her to say yes.

  She wanted to say no. She didn’t want this job that much.

  She would talk to them when she got home, before they went to Riley’s gallery opening. Until then, she needed to find the best way to tell them that this job was just a thing and it wasn’t more important to her than they were.

  16

  Antonio

  Tony stood at the airport, glaring at the CANCELLED next to Abby’s flight number.

  “Well?” James walked up and thumped Tony on the back.

  “The storm cancelled every flight leaving DC,” Tony growled, his good mood at her coming home suddenly ruined. “It looks like nothing will be leaving the city for another day, at the earliest, unless the storm lets up.”

  “Fuck,” James groaned. “She was supposed to board three hours ago. She hasn’t responded to my texts yet.”

  “She’s probably trying to get a flight out,” Tony sighed. “Storm might make reception bad too.”

  “She won’t be able to get out of there,” Thomas cut in, walking over as well. “Tomorrow is the earliest. I just asked a receptionist.”

  “I was just saying that,” he mumbled, looking over to his Alpha. “Gives you another day to figure out what to say to her.”