Chapter 6

     Knock. Knock. “Come in,” I call, looking up from the computer screen in front of me. The door to my office opens and my secretary, Jane, walks in.

     “Here is the information that you wanted regarding this evening’s client meeting,” she informs me as she sets the pile of papers on my desk. 

     “Thank you, Jane,” I reply. She nods in response and I hear the door shut behind her. I rise from my chair and walk over to the large floor to ceiling window that makes up one wall of my office. I survey the city below, thinking back over what has happened these past couple of years. 

     I worked under Claire as her assistant for a year. During that time, she took me under her wing and taught me how to be a good business woman. I went to client and project meetings with her. I spent hours helping her read through and review business proposals. I even spent two months traveling overseas with her. Claire and I developed a close relationship. I think of her as a mother in the same way that she thinks of me as a daughter. 

     After a year of working together and teaching me, Claire offered me her position. She wanted me to take over as CEO of her company. I was hesitant due to my situation. After much thought, I decided to tell Claire about myself and my heritage. I approached her at work the next day. “Ms. Buoret, I need to speak with you about something,” I had informed her. Claire had given me a questioning look before responding. I could understand why. During our time overseas, Claire had instructed me to call her by her first name.

     “Let’s talk in my office,” she replied. Our heels clicked in a matching rhythm as we walked down the hall. Claire guided me into her office and shut the door after us, locking it. She knew that whatever I wanted to tell her was very serious. So serious that I had used her last name. We walked to the couches and sat down across from each other.

     “You may not believe what I am going to say, but I promise that it is the truth,” I started, continuing when she bobbed her head in acknowledgement. “I am a lycan,” I told her quickly. I had decided to rip the bandaid off quickly rather than beating around the bush. Claire gave me a once over before she nodded her head again. 

     “My parents were both lycans,” I continued. “They never joined a pack before they died, so I never joined one. This means that to any other werewolf, I am a rogue. After my parents died, I hid away from the world to protect myself. I have lived a very private life for a reason. If pack wolves find out that I am a rogue, they will most likely lock me up in a dungeon, if they don’t kill me first. I don’t want the company to be left without proper management because I am unable to properly do my job,” I finished and took a deep breath.

     Claire did not freak out as I had expected. She calmly regarded me for some time before finally speaking. “Do you have any proof to back up your claims?” she asked.

     “I do,” I replied. “I will shift and show you my wolf, but you must promise not to freak out or tell anyone else about this. I only told you because I trust you to keep my secret.” Claire nodded and I stood up. Enar, I’m going to shift. I warned my wolf before feeling my bones break and reset themselves. Thanks for the warning, Enar sarcastically replied. I rolled my eyes before focusing my attention on Claire. She was staring at me in wonder. 

     “That is amazing,” she whispered. I shifted back to my human form and returned to my seat on one of the couches. “Thank you for trusting me with your secret. I will keep it safe. I now understand your hesitance at accepting my offer, but do not be mistaken. This doesn’t change anything. I still want you to be my successor. I will simply keep in mind your warning about the pack wolves.” I shook my head in awe of this crazy woman. She just saw me shift into a wolf and was completely unbothered by it. 

     “Alright,” I conceded. “I will accept the position. I will also answer any questions you may have about werewolves and lycan.” Claire grinned at me before starting a long conversation, during which I answered all of her questions. Then she began the process of handing the company over to me. 

     When I became CEO, I managed the company with the same business strategies that she had used. However, I faced some setbacks at the beginning. The major shareholders of the company did not think that I was ready to be CEO. Claire fought with them and ended up agreeing on a probation period of three months. If I succeeded in improving the company within three months, I would be given the position of CEO without further complaint.

     Claire and I agreed to this proposal. However, the shareholders were determined to make my life miserable. They convinced many of the senior staff members to retire all at the same time. Claire’s former secretaries and assistants left, as did seven of the department head managers. For a week, I and the remaining employees struggled to complete all of the work on our own. During that time, I hired twenty employees: two new head managers, two secretaries, and eighteen office staff. I promoted managers that had proved themselves capable of handling the duties of a head manager to fill the empty position. Once the training for the new hires was complete, I planned and hosted a company dinner to thank everyone for their hard work.

     With the staffing crisis solved, I focused on improving the company. I changed several policies to make the workflow more efficient before successfully securing three major projects. By the time that the three month probationary period ended, I had successfully increased the company profits. The shareholders upheld their end of the deal and I officially became the CEO of Techex a month ago. Unfortunately, I was unable to avoid the press and became quite well known in the business world as becoming the youngest female CEO at the age of nineteen.