CH. 5: THE KING OF THE PACK — BROWN

There was no number to Jeff’s office, if you still chose to call it an office.

The entire floor was one big fancy loft. There was a long wooden meeting table with a mini throne at the head of the table. Brown chuckled. Jeff really did fancy himself King around here.

Brown walked towards the table. The loft looked was even bigger once he stepped inside; a snooker table with already arranged balls, two sofas, a mini dining table, one large refrigerator. Jeff must be living here.

“I see you’re in awe” Jeff called from behind him. He sure loved dramatic entrances.

“It’s not bad”

“No need to be modest, Brown. Feel free to bask in my glow”

“You sent for me, Jeff”

“That’s boss to you.”

Brown nodded. “Yes Sir” He knew Jeff was baiting him and he was not going to fall for it.

Jeff walked over to the throne at the head of the wooden table. Brown observed that Jeff was dressed all I white. Suit and all!

He ran his hand over the two wolves carved on the edges of the throne. They were facing opposite directions.

“Care for a drink?”

“No, thank you. I’m good.”

“Remember the story of the two wolves?”

“Yes.”

Brown remembered the story quite well. Father used to tell them the story at every chance he gets. It was a story of two wolves that had come together as a two-wolf pack. They had hunted together and against all odds, had conquered the entire countryside.

After a while, they had a quarrel about who was Alpha. Instead of fighting to be Alpha, they had decided to be equal and conquer the countryside together.

But alas as the story goes, there could be only one alpha in a pack. They soon lost their position at the top of the food chain, banished by another pack of wandering wolves.

“Father told it wrong.”

Brown didn’t reply. He stood where he was, unsmiling, unblinking, waiting for Jeff to make his point.

“You see, there can only be one alpha in a pack. If only the wolves had realized that sooner and had done the one reasonable thing every wolf should do”

Brown remained silent. He would not be tricked into reacting violently.

“Wolves hunt as a pack. We have done this for ages and it has slowly crept into our genes. Foul words and ideas have now crept into our minds. Family. Pack. Team. We could all be alphas of our own making. It’s a survival of the fittest, Brown”

“Isn’t it ironic you still call me brother?”

“I jest my brother. In truth, here is no. Even a baby severs his ties to his mother the moment he is born. I believe human folk call it an umbilical cord”

Brown laughed. He could sense the pain and resentment in Jeff’s voice as he spoke.

“It’s nobody’s fault that neither mother nor father liked you, Jeff. I’ve tried countless times to reach out to you, but you never listen.”

It was Jeff’s turn to laugh.

“And what gave you the slightest idea that I needed their love?”

“Isn’t it obvious?”

“I am the lone alpha. I do not need anybody!”

Brown knew he had hit him where it hurt. Jeff was lashing out now.

“Why did you send for me, Jeff?”

Jeff produced two large cigars from his pocket and offered one to Brown. Brown declined. With a gold plated lighter he produced from his pocket, he lit his cigar and took a long puff, watching the smoke curl and dance in the air.

“Beautiful, isn't it?"

Brown did not reply. He would not fall for any of Jeff’s taunts again.

“If you don’t mind, Sir, I was…”

“When are you leaving my town?”

Brown stiffened.

“Pardon?”

“You know what I the more than repeating myself?”

“Happiness?”

“A suspicious stray in my domain”

Brown could feel the rage boil inside of him. He steadied his breath.

“You know you could sack me straightaway, right?”

“Keep your friends close, you know the rest”

“What I don’t seem to understand, is why you still choose to remain here even after you realize that you’re not welcome”

“Unlike you, Jeff, I’m interested in leading a normal life without any ulterior motive”

“No, no. It’s something more than that. I know you, Brown. You’re too smart to risk your life over nothing.”

Brown snorted,

“At the same time” Jeff continued, “Wolf or human, you’re stupid enough to consider things like pack and family as worth anything”

“I told you already, Father has nothing to do with this.”

Jeff walked over to where Brown stood.

“No, not father, I now think you wouldn’t dare cross me even if father had begged you too”

“You really do think highly of yourself”

Jeff puffed at his cigar again, moving around Brown, who just stood still like a soldier before a general”

“Could it be Laurent? I’ve always suspected that old man anyway. Why would he create a new position and employ you unofficially if nothing was under his sleeve?”

Brown’s breathing was getting rapid. He needed to calm down. Think happy thoughts he told himself. He couldn’t risk showing off his werewolf side in public and not in a building where Rebekah was.

Rebekah. The mere thought of her calmed him a bit.

“Or could it be that little secretary of his? What’s her name again? Little Palmer Junior?”

“You had better leave her out of this!”

Brown immediately regretted his outburst.

“Aha! There is it. Petty emotions, another weakness you pack folk have been infected with”

“She has nothing to do with this”

“And yet you had to swiftly defend her?”

“She’s of no importance”

“I wish you had been here to defend her father though”

“What did you do, Jeff?”

Jeff returned to his throne, laughing as he did.

“You have four days left, Brown. If I, were you, I would leave already?”

Brown made to speak but held himself. It was of no use telling Jeff that he could do no more than a dead dog. He turned to leave. He would rather let sleeping dogs lie.

“And Brown’ Jeff called from behind him, “My regards to your little new girlfriend.”

Brown stopped midstride. Jeff kept talking.

“You thought I wouldn’t know?” he laughed. “I see everything, Brown. I own this town.”

Brown considered screaming at him, but then he wouldn’t want to get Rebekah in danger. He kept quiet and left the office. By the time he got back to the office, Rebekah had gotten a hold of herself.

The newly framed picture was displaying beautifully on her table. He had simply walked straight to his stack of paperwork and had set to work

Two hours later, work had not been as wonderful as he had expected. Rebekah barely looked up from her computer. He barely looked anywhere else, but her face.

“Could you forward the Riley files to me? Laurent need in an hour”

Uh Oh!

“I’m still working on them,” he replied.

“Still working on them? I sent you those files over an hour ago.”

He had never seen this spark of anger in her eyes before.

“I’d finish it up as soon as I can’

“No, not as soon as you can. You’d be done in ten minutes. “

Brown glanced at her face. It wasn’t exactly anger. There was a hint of panic in her voice. She really didn’t joke with her job. He loved her even better feisty.

“Forward the bit you have done to me. I’d be much faster”

“I’d hurry”

“I wasn’t suggesting, Brown”

Oh.

His mind was still echoing with Jeff’s threats. Four days. He had four days.