Chapter 12 - Jade

There’s a buzz in the air. Not the good kind, either—the kind that makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up and your stomach do an uncomfortable flip. It’s tension, pure and simple. The kind that’s settled deep into everyone after so many attacks in a row.

The last one was particularly brutal, and it hit East Hills hard. That one’s got everyone on edge. The space between the previous attacks had given us some false sense of control, like we could stop it from happening again if we just figured it out in time.

But time doesn’t seem to be on our side, and now the attacks are coming rapid-fire.

I keep my distance from Damien. It’s easier that way. Not that I’m avoiding him—okay, maybe I’m avoiding him—but it’s not like we don’t have a mountain of stuff to deal with. The pack is tense, Penny’s been having nightmares, and I can’t shake this gnawing feeling that the worst is still to come. But being around Damien lately stirs up things I’m not ready to deal with, like how much I let him in last night. He held me like I was something precious, and I… I let him.

So, yeah. Avoiding him seems like the best option.

I’m trying to blend into the background, hoping no one will notice I’ve been playing ghost, when Damien finds me. Of course, he finds me. He’s got that uncanny ability to always know when I’m trying to hide.

“There you are,” he says, sounding relieved that he finally tracked me down.

I turn, narrowing my eyes at the stupidly handsome man who apparently has no concept of personal space. “I wasn’t exactly lost,” I reply. “What do you want, Damien?”

“I heard you’ve been job-hunting,” he mentions, ignoring the bite in my voice.

I blink, taken aback for a second. “Yeah. And?”

“I’ve got something for you. One of my properties. We’ve got an opening. You’d be perfect.”

I raise an eyebrow. “Perfect for what? Cleaning up your messes?”

“No,” he says with that signature smirk that should be illegal. “A receptionist. It’s not glamorous, but I thought you might want something… stable.”

I can’t tell if he’s trying to do me a favor or if this is some twisted way to keep me close. Either way, the offer isn’t half bad. Jobs in Starfire Hollow are hard to come by when half the town still sees you as the outcast witch.

“Receptionist?” I repeat, just to make sure I heard him right. “I don’t know, Damien…”

“It’s better than nothing. Besides, it’s at the tech company. You know, the one I run. So they can’t turn you down.”

I frown. “Wait, you’re talking about that company? The tech one? The big one?”

“Yeah,” he says, grinning. “The one where you’ll be working the front desk, answering phones, greeting people. Easy stuff.”

I hesitate. Part of me wants to tell him to shove it, to find some other way to crawl out of this hole I’ve been stuck in since coming back to Starfire Hollow. But the truth is, I need this. Penny needs this.

“Okay,” I say. “I’ll take it.”

Damien’s grin widens, and for a split second, I hate how easy it is for him to get under my skin. “Good. You start tomorrow.”

I stare at him. “Tomorrow? Damien, I don’t have—”

He cuts me off. “I’ve already stocked your closet. Just show up. And bring Penny. I’m sure she’d love to see the place she’ll be running someday.”

The next day, I’m standing outside the towering glass building that houses Damien’s tech empire with Penny at my side, holding her little wolf toy as always. The place looks more like it belongs in a big city than in our small town. It’s all sleek, modern lines with floor-to-ceiling windows. The kind of building where you half-expect to bump into billionaires or genius programmers. I feel a little out of place, and judging by the way Penny’s eyes are wide with awe, she does, too.

“You work here now, Mama?” she asks, her voice filled with childlike wonder.

“Looks like it, kiddo,” I confirm, adjusting my grip on her tiny hand.

Damien wasn’t kidding when he said the job was at his tech company, but walking into this place feels like stepping into another world. The glass doors slide open smoothly as we approach, and a blast of cool air-conditioned air hits me in the face. Penny squeezes my hand tighter, and I can’t help but feel like a fish out of water.

The reception area is massive. I mean, unnecessarily massive. High ceilings, polished marble floors, and a chandelier hanging in the middle that looks like it was designed by some abstract artist with a thing for metal and light. The walls are lined with minimalist art—splashes of color against stark white—and the front desk is this sleek, curved masterpiece made of glass and steel. Behind it, there’s a massive touchscreen with the company’s logo—some fancy tech thing I don’t even understand.

There are a few people milling about, most of them looking way too important to acknowledge a new receptionist and her kid standing awkwardly in the middle of the lobby. I glance down at Penny, who’s staring wide-eyed at everything, probably wondering what kind of magic keeps a place this shiny.

“I hope I don’t have to mop those floors,” I mutter to myself, earning a giggle from Penny.

We make our way to the reception desk, which is so large, I could probably hide behind it if I wanted to. The woman behind it—young, with perfectly styled blond hair and a smile so bright that it’s probably fake—looks up as we approach. She’s wearing a fitted black suit, the kind that screams I’m important , and her eyes flicker with mild curiosity as she takes us in.

I glance around, feeling the eyes of some passing employees on us. Great, first day, and I’m already the spectacle. I force myself to focus on what matters. This is a job. A paycheck. A way to make sure Penny and I aren’t relying on Damien for every little thing.

Half an hour later, I’m settling into the reception area, trying to ignore the nerves buzzing under my skin. Penny is sitting beside me and has already made a little camp out of coloring books and snacks. It’s a relief, really, seeing her so content after the chaos we’ve been through. If only I could feel that at ease.

Just as I’m debating whether I should actually sit down behind the desk or keep pretending I know what I’m doing, Haley, the woman who greeted me when I arrived and helped me get my initial paperwork done, walks up to me again, her grin wide and welcoming.

“So, how’s it going?” she asks, leaning against the reception counter with that casual, we’re-all-friends-here vibe that I’m already starting to like.

“It’s… good, I think?” I reply, glancing down at Penny, who’s now engrossed in making her toy wolf “talk.” “Penny’s already made herself at home, so that’s a plus.”

Haley laughs, glancing at Penny with an exaggerated wink. “You’re doing the hard work, huh, kiddo?”

Penny beams back at her.

“She’s a pro at entertaining herself,” I say, leaning on the counter slightly. “But I’m still trying to figure out where I fit.”

“You’ll get the hang of it,” Haley assures me, tapping her fingers on the desk. “And don’t worry, most people here are easy to get along with. We’re like a little family, really. And not of the Jerry Springer variety. If you need anything, just ask.”

“Thanks,” I reply. “I’m sure I’ll have questions.”

Before I can say more, a couple of other employees make their way over. There’s the guy with the glasses and ponytail from earlier—Tommy, if I remember correctly—and a tall woman with red hair, a sharp sense of style, and flawless makeup even in the harsh fluorescent lights of the office.

“You must be Jade,” the redhead says with a grin that’s less flashy than her look but just as bright. “I’m Maria. I do marketing. And Tommy here’s our tech genius.”

Tommy raises a hand in greeting. “Hey. Welcome to the madhouse.”

“Thanks,” I say with a little laugh. “I think.”

“So,” Maria says, her eyes flicking between me and Penny, who’s now intensely focused on her drawing. “You settling in okay?”

“Trying to,” I admit, chuckling. “I think it’ll take some time.”

Maria glances at Penny again and smiles. “It’s nice that you can bring your kid to work, though. I bring my boy sometimes. Not every place is that flexible.”

“Yeah, I was worried about that, but it helps,” I say.

Tommy nods and pushes his glasses up his nose. “Damien’s good about that stuff. He gets that people have lives outside the office. I mean, we work hard, but no one’s here till midnight unless they want to be.”

“Yeah, I heard he’s a decent boss,” I say, surprised at how easily the words come out. “I’m still trying to figure him out, though. He’s… different than I remember.”

Maria raises an eyebrow, curious. “You’ve known him for a while?”

“We grew up together. He’s my brother’s best friend.”

Her eyes widen a bit at that, and she leans in a little closer. “So, what was he like back then? I can’t picture him as anything but this… brooding, silent type.”

I snort, unable to help myself. “He was still brooding but with a lot more arrogance to back it up. His dad was the alpha, as I’m sure you know, so he always had that ‘I’m destined to rule’ vibe going.”

Tommy laughs at that, and Maria grins knowingly. “That checks out,” she says. “He’s intense, but in a good way, I think. When his father passed last year, it hit him hard, but he kept the company together. I wasn’t here when it happened, but everyone talks about how much pressure he was under—running the pack, taking over the company, all of it.”

I nod, remembering how the news of Damien’s father’s death sent ripples through the entire pack. I hadn’t been around to witness what it did to Damien personally, but hearing about it now, through their eyes, adds a layer of understanding I wasn’t expecting.

“That sounds like a lot to handle,” I comment, glancing down at Penny, who’s happily drawing her version of a wolf pack.

“Yeah, but he did it,” Tommy adds with a note of admiration in his voice. “He didn’t have to, you know? He could’ve let someone else take over here and focused on the pack instead. He’d have gotten paid either way, but he stuck around. People respect that.”

Maria nods in agreement. “It’s not just that he runs things smoothly. He cares about people. You’ll see. He looks out for us.”

Hearing them talk about Damien like this… it’s strange. I’d never thought of him as someone who cared for people beyond duty, but maybe that’s because I hadn’t been around to see it. Or maybe I never gave him the chance.

“He still sounds… different than I remember,” I say again.

Maria drums her fingernails on the counter and says, “People change, Jade. Sometimes, it’s for the better.”

I glance at her, feeling an unexpected warmth bloom in my chest. Maybe she’s right. Maybe Damien has changed. And maybe I’ve been too stubborn to see it.

Just then, Penny looks up from her drawing and tugs on my sleeve. “Mama, look! It’s us as wolves.”

I lean over to see her masterpiece: three stick-figure wolves, each with wildly different fur colors. She’s drawn herself, Damien, and me side by side.

“That’s amazing, sweetie,” I tell her, smiling as I ruffle her hair. “You’re such a good artist.”

Penny beams, holding up the picture for Maria and Tommy to see. “This is me,” she points to the smallest wolf, “and this is Mama, and that’s Damien.”

Tommy chuckles. “Looks like someone’s ready for the pack life.”

“Yeah, well, we’re working on it,” I say. “It’s a process.”

Maria gives me a soft smile, the kind that says she gets it without needing to say a word. “You’ll fit in just fine here. We’ve got shifters and regulars alike on the payroll. Pack life or not, you’re one of us now.”

It’s such a simple thing to say, but the weight of it hits me harder than I expected. Being part of something again… maybe I’ve been avoiding that for too long.

Before I can respond, the door to the office opens, and a few more employees walk in, waving hello as they pass by. I catch snippets of their conversations—people mentioning upcoming projects, some joking about the latest tech issue Alec had to fix. It’s normal, everyday stuff, but it feels… good. Comfortable, even.

“Hey, Jade,” Haley calls from across the room, “we’re thinking of doing a team lunch tomorrow. You in?”

“Team lunch?” I ask.

“Yeah, just a casual thing. We usually go out once a week. Gives us a break from all the chaos in here.”

I hesitate for a second, then glance at Penny, who’s now engrossed in her next drawing project. It’s been a long time since I’ve had anything that felt remotely normal like this, something as simple as lunch with coworkers. But maybe that’s exactly what I need.

“Sure,” I say finally, feeling a little lighter as the words leave my mouth. “I’m in.”

“Awesome,” Haley replies, beaming. “You’ll fit right in, trust me.”

I glance around the reception area, taking in the easy camaraderie between everyone here. It’s not what I expected when I walked in this morning, but maybe that’s the best part. For the first time in a long while, I feel like I’m not just surviving. I’m actually part of something again.

And as Penny happily chatters beside me about her latest artistic creation, I can’t help but think that maybe this is exactly where we’re meant to be.