Chapter 36

Renee

"I could really use a tutor,” I said.

Then, I explained my plan. Maybe she heard more than I meant to say, but she nodded.

“I’ve got a meeting to get to. Cracking heads usually takes a few hours, but I’m free for the rest of the afternoon. You need anything to entertain yourself for a bit.”

I shook my head. “I’ll... hang out at a library and apply for jobs for a little.”

She opened her mouth, closed it and shook her head before turning to the driver as he opened her door. “Call Team Fox and get her set up with something to eat. She’ll be hungry and a laptop. The Blue office will do.”

“Of course, Luna.”

I blinked at her, about to tell her that it was fine, but then she was out of the car. I looked up at the building and my jaw dropped. The Sky Tower was one of the most prominent shopping centers on the continent. I had never even been inside, neither had Vivian, but she had been angling with her father to get her access for ages.

Watching Arielle saunter into the building, ushered in by the staff, greeted promptly and seeing people fawn all over her was surreal.

Was that Mountainhowl’s power or...just her?

The driver came back and slipped into the car.

“Please relax, Lady Mountainhowl.”

I blinked. My last name was officially Caldwell, but....I supposed it wasn’t now that I was no longer really a part of Frostborne. Most wolves went by their name and pack, but Philip had always insisted on having a last name, separate from the pack name. He thought Philip Caldwell of Frostborne sounded better, but I knew that he was just waiting to dissolve the pack by getting it annexed into a larger pack.

Part of me wondered why he didn’t let Frostborne be annexed into Mountainhowl.

Soon, we were pulling up at another building. The driver and the medic ushered me inside to a room the size of an apartment, but was actually just one large office. A brand new laptop was on the desk, linked to three large screens, food was there, elegant pitchers of water and juice, and the stunning view of the city.

It was a bit overwhelming.

“I...” I cleared my throat. “I don’t want to get blood on the furniture...”

The medic gestured down the hall. “We have arranged for a change of clothes. We hope the amenities are to your liking.”

That was going to take some getting used to. I shuffled down the hall into the most lavish bathroom I had ever seen. I closed the door and had to laugh.

What a day this had been.

After I showered and changed into the incredibly nice lounge set that was in the closet, I headed out to the office. The medic was still there, the food was still hot and I sat down to start working, logging in to my email and going though emails. I drank and snacked, feeling hungrier than usual and the time just slipped away.

Before I knew iit, I was hitting submit on the fifth application of the morning and immediately got the “Thank you for your interest” auto-reply, which felt more like a digital middle finger than anything else.

I leaned back in my chair, staring at the ceiling, jaw clenched. It hadn’t been so long since Philip had kicked me out and all but said that he was going to make sure I came crawling back. I should be surprised that I was still being blackballed from every job I qualified for—hell, some I was overqualified for. Every call I made ended in a polite rejection or ghosting. The Brightclaw name carried a lot of weight. I could only assume that Tyler’s position as a gamma was making Philip’s schemes work ever better.

Bastard.

My phone buzzed with a message from Arielle.

Heads cracked. Up for a drive?

I smiled and text back, standing. Absolutely.

Anything was better than running into a wall over and over again.

I grabbed my things and headed out with the medic, sliding into a different chauffeured car. We went back to the Tower just as she was sauntering out. She gestured for me to get out and I did. The car pulled away and another pulled up, a sleek black coup. The driver hopped out and rounded the car to hand her the keys.

“Team Fox, always coming through,” she said, chuckling and waving the man off. He hopped into another black car that idled just behind the black coupe. “Let’s see if you can handle a stick shift without crying.”

I grimaced and followed her to the car, nothing that there were cups in the dash. She pulled out a pair of glasses and hit a button that made the top retract while she changed her shoes, tossing her heels into the back seat. She pulled away from the curb and guided the car into traffic with ease.

“How’d you like the Blue Office?”

“It was incredible. I... Thank you. I promise I kept the gore down.”

She waved her hand grabbing a cup from the cup holder and lifting it to her nose as she flicked the top open.

“We have cleaning staff who work magic. It wouldn’t be the first time there was blood in the carpet. Hot or cold? It’s tea.”

“Uhm... hot?”

She handed the cup to me and took the other, sipping.

“Do they... usually leave drinks in cars for you?”

“... I forget that your sperm donor was barely a wolf. Yes, dear. It’s a good idea to stay hydrated, and based on what I know of auntie, you’ve got a lot of catching up to do in the power department. Mountainhowl blends help the awakening process along.”

I drank, remembering how even three years from now I still hadn’t awakened my wolf in my previous life. I didn’t want that to happen again. I wanted to stand more of a chance if I had to fight off Tyler and Vivian again.

“I had them find an empty lot for practice. Relax and tell me what you enjoy these days? Still into glittery stickers?”

My lips twitched. “Maybe not stickers, and I haven’t owned anything glittery in years.”

“But red?”

I shrugged. “It served a purpose.”

“Auntie would be proud. She was a killer in red.”

We got to the lot and it was on the back side of the concert stadium. Something told me that it wasn’t just “empty”, but I was touched by how quickly she’d jumped in to helping me.

“Thank you,” I said. “I know you’re busy and... well, thanks.”

“It’s nothing.” She opened the door and stepped out. “Now, let’s get this party started.”

I got out to trade seats and as soon as I was behind the wheel, my heart started hammering. She climbed into the passenger seat.

“Relax. You can’t do worse than my ex who drove into a lake.” She gestured to the empty parking lot. “Not even a light pole near enough to hit.”

I blinked. “Wait—”

“Broke his legs in three places, nearly drowned, and had the nerve to try and sue us because it was on our property.” She scoffed. “After he plowed through the big as fuck don’t go this way sign. Spies, what do you do? You’d have thought he had the sense not to run.”

I blinked. “I... really want to hear that story one day.”

She grinned. “It’s one for the ages. Now, crank up.”

We spent the next half hour stalling, jerking, and barely creeping forward, lurching and swerving around. Arielle was patient in that terrifying way where she didn’t look worried, reclined in her seat and giving me direction in a voice better suited for ASMR tapes than what felt like an exercise in why this wasn’t a good idea. Once I finally pulled off a halfway decent turn and braked without giving us both whiplash, I parked the car.

“Talking time?” She asked.

I ran my thumb over the expensive leather. “About... Mountainhowl.”

“Yeah?”

“Would I... really be welcome?”

“Yes,” she said. “Whether you want to leave today or after you graduate, you’ll have a place with us. I say let Philip and Brightclaw deal with their own nonsense.”

I swallowed hard at the thought, warmed by it and still worried. A rumble of multiple cars made my stomach twist. Three black-and-white patrol vehicles turned the corner and rolled into the lot like they owned it. Doors opened. Officers spilled out—six, maybe seven of them. Leading the pack was Tyler.

My blood ran cold. He looked pissed. And smug. A dangerous combination.

“Keep your calm,” Arielle said, her feet still up on the dashboard.

“There she is!” he barked, pointing at me. “Get out of the car, Blackfang! You’re under arrest for assaulting my sister—”

My heart was still pounding my ears when Arielle reached over and turned off the car. Then, she slipped out of the car and smiled at me. Tyler’s confidence faltered the moment he saw her.

“Lord Blackfang’s a bit busy, but I can give you a matching bruise as your sister,” she said. “I hit a lot harder than Renee.”

He flinched, eyeing her warily, but as the officers closed in, I grimaced.

Arielle was about to say something when another car pulled into the parking lot.

Dominic stepped out of the car.

Arielle chuckled. “Perfect timing.”