Chapter 7 Chapter Seven

When eight o’clock came, Nora returned to lead me to Walter’s office. The estate was already awake with the house staff moving through the halls, pack members coming and going for meetings. Every eye that fell on me was filled with suspicion or outright hostility, and I kept my head down as we walked.

Walter was already at his desk when we entered, dressed in a crisp black suit that made him look even more imposing. His hair was neatly combed back, though the silver streaks were still visible, and he walked with a slight limp that he tried to hide by moving slowly but deliberately.

“Good morning,” he said without looking up from the stack of papers in front of him. “Sit.”

I took the chair across from his desk, my hands folded in my lap as I waited for him to speak. After a few moments, he finally raised his eyes to meet mine, and I was struck by how tired he looked, dark circles under his eyes, lines of stress imprinted into his forehead.

“Your duties as my assistant will include managing my schedule, coordinating pack meetings, handling correspondence, and ensuring that everything runs smoothly here at the estate,” he said, his voice business-like. “Adrian will give you a list of tasks for today. You will not question my decisions, you will not go anywhere without permission, and you will stay away from the west wing of the estate that’s where the pack’s training facilities and private quarters are located.”

I nodded, though the mention of the west wing made me curious. “Yes, sir.”

He paused, his eyes studying my face for a long moment. “Last night… what you saw,” he said, his voice firm. “That’s not something you speak of to anyone. Understand?”

“I understand,” I said quickly.

“Good.” He picked up a folder from his desk and slid it across to me. “This contains everything you need to know about the pack’s operations, our business interests, and the current situation with the Ironclaws. Read it carefull because you’ll be expected to know all of this by the end of the week.”

As I opened the folder, the door burst open. it was Caelum, his golden-brown hair disheveled, his brown eyes blazing with anger as he strode into the room.

“Walter, we need to talk,” he said, not even glancing at me.

Walter stood up slowly, his jaw tightening. “This is my office, Caelum. You can't just walk in unannounced.”

“I don’t care if it's your office,” Caelum shot back. He finally turned to look at me, and his expression twisted into a sneer. “I came to get her. She’s mine, our engagement might be over, but she still belongs to our family.”

“Lila is under my protection now,” Walter said, moving around the desk to stand between us. “She owes me a debt, and she will repay it by working here. She will no longer be your concern.”

Caelum laughed, a harsh, dry sound. “Your protection? You can barely protect yourself, cousin. Look at you, he mocked you can’t even shift properly anymore. How do you expect to keep her safe?”

Before Walter could respond, Caelum stepped forward and grabbed my arm, pulling me out of my chair. “Come on, Lila. I know you don’t want to be here with this cripple. Come back with me and we can start over. I’ll forgive what you did.”

“I don’t need your forgiveness,” I said, trying to pull my arm free. “And I’m not going anywhere with you.”

Caelum’s grip tightened,  his eyes flashing with anger. “You ungrateful bitch, after everything I’ve done for you...”

“That’s enough,” Walter said, his voice low and dangerous. He placed a hand on Caelum’s shoulder, and even though am certain he didn't use any force, Caelum flinched and let go of my arm. “Get out of my office, Caelum. And if you ever touch her again, you’ll have me to contend with.”

Caelum stared at him for a long moment, his face pale with rage. Then he turned and stormed out of the room, slamming the door so hard the windows rattled.

Walter turned to look at me, his expression unreadable. “Are you hurt?”

I shook my head, rubbing my arm where Caelum had held me. “No. Thank you.”

He nodded, moving back to his desk. “That’s the last time I’ll interfere in your personal affairs with him,” he said. “From now on, you’ll have to handle him yourself.”

I sat back down, my hands shaking slightly as I tried to focus on the folder in front of me. The documents inside were detailed, maps of pack territories, financial reports, correspondence between Walter and other Alpha leaders. But as I read, I couldn’t help but notice how much of the pack’s power was tied to Walter’s ability to lead and how vulnerable they were because of his condition.

A few hours later, Adrian came into the office to give me my first set of tasks. He was still cold and distant, but he handed me a list without a word and showed me where everything was located in the estate.

“Your first job is to organize the meeting with the human council next week,” he said, his voice flat. “The Alpha has been trying to negotiate a new treaty with them, one that will protect both humans and werewolves in the city. But they’re hesitant to work with us because of the Ironclaw threat.”

I nodded, taking the folder he handed me with information on the council members. “I’ll get started right away.”

As I worked, I found myself becoming more absorbed in the task than I’d expected. Organizing schedules, drafting letters, coordinating with other pack members, it gave me a sense of responsibility and something to focus on besides my own problems.

By the time it's lunch period, I’d already put together a preliminary agenda for the meeting and had started researching each council member’s interests and concerns. Nora brought me a tray of food, and I ate at my desk, barely looking up from the papers in front of me.

“You’re good at this,” Nora said quietly, watching me work. “The Alpha has gone through three assistants in the last year, none of them could keep up with him.”

I shrugged, though I felt a small surge of pride at her words. “I used to help my father organize his business events. I guess some things don’t change.”

Nora smiled. “The Alpha will be pleased. He needs someone who can handle the workload, especially now that the lunar festival is coming up.”

“The lunar festival?” I asked, looking up from my work. What's that?

“It’s the most important event of the year in our pack,” she explained. “We gather to honor the moon goddess, to strengthen our bonds as a pack, and to celebrate our heritage. This year, it’s even more important because we need to show the other packs that the Fairmoon Pack is still strong, despite whatever Draven Harlan says.”

I nodded, making a note to add the festival to Walter’s schedule. As I went back to work, I couldn’t help but think about what she’d said. The pack needed strength, they needed a leader who could protect them. But Walter was struggling just to hold himself together.

In the late afternoon, Walter called me into his office to review what I’d done. He sat across from me, going through the agenda and the research I’d compiled, his expression serious as he flipped each page.

“This is good,” he said finally, looking up at me. “Better than good. You’ve thought of things even I hadn’t considered.”

“Thank you,” I said, feeling my cheeks warm slightly.

He paused, his fingers drumming on the desk as he looked at me. “I know you’re here because you have to be,” he said. “But I want you to know that your work is valued. The pack needs someone who can help us navigate these negotiations and someone who understands both the human and werewolf worlds.”

I looked down at my hands, not sure what to say. “I just want to help,” I said quietly. “And to make things right if you would let me.”

Walter was silent for a long moment. Then he stood up, moving to the window and looking out at the grounds of the estate. “Making things right isn’t as easy as you think,” he said. “There are forces at work here that you don’t understand and forces that want to see the Fairmoon Pack fall.”

He turned back to look at me, and in the  light of the setting sun, I could see the weight of his responsibilities in his eyes. “I don’t trust you, Lila,” he said, his voice honest and raw. “But I can see that you’re not the person I thought you were. Not entirely.”

Before I could respond, there was a commotion outside the office, shouting and the sound of running feet. Adrian burst through the door, his face pale with panic.

“Alpha,” he said, gasping for breath. “The Ironclaws, they’ve attacked one of our border patrols. Three pack members are injured, one is missing.”

Walter’s expression hardened, all traces of warmth disappearing as he moved. “Get the healer to the infirmary,” he said, his voice sharp and commanding. “Assemble the warriors and we’ll patrol the borders tonight to make sure they don't try anything else.