Chapter 2: How To Unknowingly Trade Your Sanity

RAE

    

     “I will never return and that’s final,” I said, sitting across from Mandy on her office desk. 

   

     Her fingers tapped the mahogany wood with unease. “I beg of you—“

    

     “Stop.” I shot to my feet and paced in circles.

    

     After what I did, I couldn’t bear another second in that town. I had taken the next flight back to LA, but even the distance between us was laughing in my face now. It’s been a few days, but every time I closed my eyes, I saw his handsome face. My lips tingled with the memory of his kisses. I was repulsed and damningly attracted at the same time because no one had ever made me feel wanted. Not even my own parents or my mate. But he did.

    

     Malachar saw through me. He played the right cards to deceive me into his bed. If his wallet hadn’t slipped off the table when it did, I would have never discovered his government ID. I would’ve abandoned everything for him without hesitating.

    

     “Earth to Rachel?”

   

     I held my pointer finger out and faced her. “You. You are the one on another planet. Did you think I wouldn’t find out you were being transferred to Wondra’s new multimedia department?”

    

     “What do you mean ‘find out’? It was just officially announced today.” She took off her wire-rimmed glasses, a crease forming between her brows.

    

     My eyes narrowed. Mandy’s leave of office was stale news, which was why Jennifer and I were neck and neck for her position. I thought she was being transferred to another city’s branch. Not pioneering our office’s multimedia department after our just-concluded rebranding. 

    

     “That’s why you assigned me a documentary. You wanted to use me as your first project.”

   

     “Use is a very strong word.”

    

     “Mandy.” I warned with my tone. “This promotion means everything to me and you just went and gave Jennifer the upper hand.”

    

     “It may look that way, but as I said before, versatility is what’ll prove that you have what it takes to replace me as Senior Features producer.”

    

     I sat back on the desk chair, arms folded across my chest. “Fine, but I’m not leaving the city. I will find the winning vertical for Jameson here.”

   

     “I hate that you’re so persuasive,” she sighed.

   

     A beat passed and that crease between her brows deepened. “I may be your boss, but I’m also your closest friend, Rae. I know you. Are you sure nothing happened while you were at Storm Creek?”

    

     My shoulders slumped and I sat down again. 

    

     “Rae?”

    

     I looked away, fiddling with my fingers in my lap. My ringtone broke the silence, buzzing on her desk. Jason was calling me.

    

     I haven’t seen him since I returned from Storm Creek, but I didn’t even know he had my number until now.

    

     “That’s your fiancé, right? Why aren’t you taking his calls?” Mandy frowned. “Did you two fight?”

    

     “No, I… I cheated on him.”

    

     Her eyes popped and she made a strained sound at the back of her throat. Mandy was a werewolf, though our packs were different. She knew Jason was not just my fiancé, but my fated mate. 

    

     She held my hand over her desk. “Tell me everything. And nothing but the truth this time.”

    

     I chewed my bottom lip for a few seconds.

    

     “Okay,” I sighed. “I feel a connection to Jason, but he doesn’t treat me like I exist. We’ve never been seen together in public. Our only form of contact or communication is during Sunday night dinners with my family. In fact, this is the first time he’s calling my phone.

    

     “Mandy, I swear he doesn’t know a thing about me. Nor do I know a thing about him.” My grip on her hand tightened and she bobbed her head with pity.

    

     “I haven’t found my mate yet, but I can tell this isn’t how it’s meant to be,” said Mandy.

    

     “Exactly, you see it, too. A few days before my trip, I overheard Jason talking to my parents. He said he was marrying me for convenience. Do you understand? This is a business deal for everybody else but… me.” I swiped my thumb under my eye, sniffling. “I travelled earlier than I should have to Storm Creek to catch that meteor storm but also because I was hurt.

    

     “And then, I met someone who only saw me despite the crowd around. He took care of me, he was patient and he listened. I loved who I was when I was with him. He… made me feel precious, Mandy.”

    

     Mandy rushed around her desk and wrapped me in a warm hug. I cried in her arms. 

    

     I didn’t tell her that I had no say in this marriage. That my parents threatened to ruin me if I didn’t go through with it. She knew I was an Omega, but she didn’t know how bad it was at home. No one did.

    

     “Have you communicated these feelings to Jason? Tell him you want more time before the wedding. A clean slate to date and learn each—“

   

     A knock sounded on Mandy’s door and a colleague poked her head in. 

   

     “I apologize for interrupting, ma’am, but Jameson wants Rachel in his office ASAP.”

   

     “I have to go,” I told Mandy, standing up and drying my tears.

    

     She nodded. “Of course. Just don’t blame yourself for what happened during Christmas. You deserve the world and Jason wasn’t even giving you the barest minimum.”

    

     I let her words sink in as I walked to the boss’s office at the end of the hallway. I heard deep voices and laughter coming from behind the door. He wasn’t alone.

    

     “Sir, you sent for me?” I said after he let me in. 

    

     Jameson rose from his chair. He was about 6’3 and he wore intimidation like a second skin.

    

     “Yes, come over here, Rachel. There’s someone I’d like you to meet.” He gestured to the man sitting across his desk. “Coach Stetson, this is the documentarian I was telling you about.”

    

     My eyes snapped to Jameson. What the hell did he just call me?

    

     “Rachel, meet Coach Stetson. He’s with Richmond High, but he’s also an old friend. For the next six months, you’ll document the life of his wickedly talented centre-forward. The team captain is just 18 and has proven himself to be a gold mine, so our station is going to explore that and bring his name to big screens.”

    

     I laughed nervously. Wondra recently launched its multimedia department, which meant our content would go beyond traditional TV segments. My forte was short-form video storytelling. Not long-form. This was risky. 

    

     “But sir, I was just speaking to Mandy about—“

    

     Jameson came over and clasped my shoulder, his smile wide, yet I could see the warning underneath. 

    

     “I’ve vouched for you to coach here. Told him you’re a professional who always delivers the best. We can even revisit that promotion you wanted once this is a success.”

    

     I took the hand Coach Stetson offered hesitantly. “Nice to meet you, sir.”

    

     “Please, call me, Joseph,” the coach said. “A contract will be drafted once I finalize with the school board, but I hope you don’t mind living with my star player for a while. It’s a full-access feature to be clear.”

    

     Did I mind working for a high school hockey team and everything that it entailed? 

    

     Yes, but what mattered most was that they were here in LA. 

This sports beat also guaranteed my win over Jennifer. I would be far away from Storm Creek and the one night stand I couldn’t stop thinking about.

The world around me seemed to brighten.

    

     In six months, I wouldn’t even remember that Malachar from Cliffview lodge existed. 

    

     I shook the coach’s hand again. “Deal.”