CHALLENGED!

By the time I got home, the city had already begun to fall into a soft and quiet hush.

The lights in the apartment were off, thankfully, and the only thing that greeted me when I stepped inside my apartment was the faint hum of the refrigerator.

Lyra was asleep then, good.

I didn’t have the time or patience to deal with her tonight. I slipped off my heels and walked quietly to my room. The moment I walked in, I shut the door behind me and locked it.

My body was tired but my mind was anything but. Everything that had happened tonight kept on replaying in my head. From Adrian’s grip on my wrist to Damien’s deal.

A slow smile crept onto my lips as I showered and laid on my bed. For the first time in both my lives, I could feel myself pulling ahead, and with that thought, I closed my eyes and let sleep take me.

Morning came fast.

I woke up before my alarm could even ring. My body was already tuned to how urgent every action I took needed to be. There was far too much to do now and for the first time ever, I was going to have the means to do them.

I reached for my phone out of habit and froze when I saw the message notification sitting at the top of the screen.

Credit Alert: $3,000,000

I had been expecting it, yes, but now that I was seeing it in real life, it felt unreal.

For a long moment, all I did was stare at my screen in disbelief. Then, I let out a breath and laid my head back on my pillow. Damien had moved faster than I had expected.

I didn’t even bother to question how he had gotten my account details. A man as powerful and wealthy as him did not operate within normal limits. If he wanted something, he simply got it.

I tapped his number and brought the phone to my ear.

It was early morning and the sun was not up, yet I was certain he was awake.

He picked up on the very first ring.

“Already calling me this early?” his voice was smooth and laced with amusement, “Our date was just last night. Did you really miss me that much?”

I rolled my eyes, though a faint smile tugged at the corner of my lips.

“I just saw the transfer,” I replied, “Thank you,”

There was a brief silence from the other end of the line before he spoke again, and somehow, his voice had gotten even softer.

“You are welcome, Nyssa.” Once again, I frowned, there was something about the way he said my name that made my nerves tingle, but I ignored it.

“When are you going to be free next?” he asked,

I blinked, “Why are you asking?”

A low chuckle came through from the other end of the line.

“Because I really enjoyed last night,” he answered, “And I would love to take you out again,”

I hesitated for half a second as I thought about what I needed to do. Finally, I replied,

“Friday,”

“Friday,” he repeated under his breath, “It’s a date then, and I do promise to make it worth your time,”

“I’ll hold you to that,” I smiled,

The call ended shortly after that, and I stared at my phone for a moment longer before setting it down. I needed to get ready.

When I finally stepped out of my room, Lyra was already in the kitchen.

She was stirring something in a pan with her back turned to me, but I felt her grow stiff when she heard me.

She didn’t turn around. speak, or even exchange words. It was obvious she was giving me the cold shoulder. I honestly didn’t care. If she wanted silence, then, she was going to get it.

I grabbed my bag and headed straight to the door. The moment I stepped outside, the air felt different, as though the world itself knew what my first move was going to be.

One thing was certain though: I wasn’t going to be sleeping here tonight.

The mere fact that I had been able to stay in the same apartment with someone who had killed me and had not exploded in rage was a miracle on its own. The fact was that this apartment had never been safe, not with Lyra being so close and Adrian being a short ride away.

I needed my own space, and now? I could afford it.

***

The Salient Pack retail estate office sits at the center of the district. It was large, polished and designed entirely to impress. It was also my mom’s office.

It had glass walls, marble floors and clean lines that all radiated one thing and one thing only: power.

I walked in without hesitation, and a few heads turned to stare at me in disbelief.

I had not told my mom I was coming, and I did not intend for her to even be aware of what I was doing. I could have used any other retail estate company, but I still needed to be closer to my mom.

I might not agree with what she believed, but she was still my mom, and one of my goals in this life was making sure she did not die like she did in my past life, and I could only do that if I stayed close to her.

I ignored anyone staring at me and walked straight towards the front desk.

“I am here to look at available properties,” I said in a calm tone,

The receptionist blinked, clearly surprised, but she nodded quickly and gestured towards the waiting area,

“Please, have a sit, Ms. Nyssa.” she whispered, “Someone will be with you shortly.”

I walked to the waiting area, but I didn’t sit.

I stood there and scanned the displays for their available properties. I checked their layouts, pricing charts and rental plans.

Right now, I had enough money to outright buy a home, but I could not afford to do that now, not until the herb trades were done. So, what I needed was flexibility.

“Nyssa?” a voice came from behind me, and I turned around to stare as a man in a tailored suit approached me,

I recognized him immediately. Kellan, a mid level manager and a gamma wolf in the pack. He was arrogant and loud.

His gaze swept over me and it lingered just enough on my breasts for it to be insulting.

“Well, this is unexpected,” he said with a chuckle, “What is little Nyssa doing here?”

I said nothing, and he took that as a sign of nervousness.

He stepped closer and lowered his voice, but it was still loud enough for anyone with werewolf senses to hear, which was practically everyone in the hall.

“Don’t tell me you are here looking for work, are you?” he continued, clearly amused, “The last time I checked, we do not have any openings for cleaners.”

A couple of people nearby chuckled. The receptionist froze, her eyes widening in surprise.

“Good,” I said as I smiled and took a step closer to him, “Because I am not here to clean,”

His smirk faltered,

I tilted my head and locked my gaze on him, “I am here to buy,”

Kellan blinked, clearly thrown off by my words, “A property?” he asked, “With what money?”

I shrugged, “Not your concern,”

“You think this is a joke?” he asked, his tone shifting,

“No,” I shook my head, “You are.”

That did it, his face darkened,

“You-”

“Give me the premium listings,” I cut in, turning away from the pissed-off manager to the attentive receptionist, “And get them for me now.”