Elena’s POV
The manager kept scribbling notes on his clipboard throughout my shift, but his attention remained fixed on rather than his paperwork. His constant staring made the other workers uncomfortable too, and I could feel their curious glances bouncing between us.
My overnight guard eventually entered the trailer, and I watched the manager bare his neck in submission to the warrior. The hierarchy was clear - this guard outranked him significantly.
"Elena, I need to speak with you," my guard requested. I set down my tools and followed him to the door.
His grip on my arm was firm as he guided around the building’s corner, away from the surveillance caras. Marcus stood waiting in the shadows, his presence both expected and unwelco.
"Are you seriously following around now? This feels like stalking," I confronted him.
"Jett has been mind linking throughout the day. I’ve witnessed everything he’s observed," Marcus replied coolly.
"Which is what exactly? doing my job?" My voice carried more bite than intended.
"The manager’s behavior toward you. His interest seems excessive," Marcus’s jaw tightened.
"I honestly don’t know why he acts that way. Go ask him yourself if you’re so curious," I shot back.
"That’s impossible. He cannot discover any connection between us," Marcus’s tone grew serious as he glanced at Jett. "He’s under Alpha command to keep your mate status confidential."
"He’s been creepy since my first day here. I ignore him completely and focus on the work I was hired to perform," I explained.
"Why choose to work in this environnt?" Marcus questioned.
"What’s wrong with it? I have minimal contact with pack mbers, which suits perfectly. They don’t respect anyway. I need to help my mother financially because we’re considered the lowest ranking mbers here. And if you rember correctly, I’m still considering college options," my frustration was mounting.
"Which colleges have offered you acceptance?" he pressed.
"I’m waiting for scholarship notifications. That’s my only realistic path out of this place," I stated bluntly.
"There’s a werewolf institution nearby. I can secure a scholarship there for you. You could attend classes and return to the pack each day, maintaining your residence here," he proposed.
"I’m already accepted at that college. I never said I’d chosen to attend there," I clarified.
His expression beca unreadable, a mask I couldn’t penetrate.
"We’ll address that later. Jett, monitor that manager closely. If he touches her inappropriately again, remove his fingers," Marcus commanded with deadly seriousness.
"Understood, sir," Jett confird.
I returned inside and resud working, but the manager and workers stared at expectantly, clearly wanting explanations I had no intention of providing. We weren’t friends, and I had no plans to change that dynamic. Not after everything this pack had done to my family.
Exhaustion hit hard when I arrived ho that afternoon, so I collapsed onto the couch and switched on the television. Sothing caught my attention in the kitchen - one of the cabinet doors hung slightly open. Those doors stayed closed constantly since we rarely had reason to open them.
Curiosity drove to investigate. I pulled the cabinet door wide and gasped at what I discovered - shelves packed completely with food. I checked every cabinet and the refrigerator, finding no empty space anywhere. Everything was cramd full of groceries.
"What the hell is going on?"
Complete bewildernt washed over . Perhaps Jett had observed searching through empty cabinets yesterday and reported it to Marcus. I couldn’t be sure, but an enormous quantity of food now filled our kitchen.
My excitent overshadowed my questions as I pulled ingredients out and began preparing a proper al for myself. I settled at the table to eat when I noticed Jett in wolf form positioned outside our window.
"Marcus," I reached out through the mind link.
"Elena?" His confusion was evident.
"Did you fill my kitchen with groceries?" I asked directly.
"No, Hugo handled that task," he admitted.
"Why would he do that?" I pressed.
"Jett inford you were starving. I hadn’t realized the situation was so severe," Marcus’s voice carried guilt. "Why didn’t you tell about this?"
"You know exactly why I couldn’t. But thank you for this," I responded before severing the connection before he could continue the conversation.
Looking through the window, I watched Jett relax and settle onto the ground while maintaining his watchful position. His posture suggested contentnt or satisfaction, and I found myself smiling at him despite everything else. The simple gesture of having food in our ho ant more than Marcus could possibly understand, even if his motives remained complicated and unclear.
The manager’s strange behavior, Marcus’s protective interference, and now this unexpected generosity created a web of complications I wasn’t sure how to navigate. But for now, with a full stomach and a guard who genuinely seed to care about my wellbeing, I allowed myself a mont of gratitude amid the chaos surrounding my life.
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