6. Shya

Chapter six

Shya

T here was a sharp knock at the door, and Danni, our Pack Beta, walked in. She was good at her job, well liked in the Pack, but whenever I saw her, I had this urge to take her out and get her drunk. She was so uptight all the time. I knew she felt she had a lot to live up to, that she had a lot of trust to rebuild after Tristan, the previous Beta, betrayed us all, but she really needed to loosen up.

"Good morning, everyone. Michael, Camille, I have the briefing notes ready for you both to go over. Shya, Summer is here with a package for you. Do you want me to send her in?"

My shoes! I'd forgotten all about them. Fucking Mason fog.

Dad arched an eyebrow at me. "Not more shoes?"

He didn't see the point of having so many pairs of shoes. He had his smart shoes, his comfy shoes, and his sneakers; anything else was being opulent.

I took a different view. I'd been working since I was twelve. My parents wanted me to learn what everyone did in a Pack, so I would spend six-month stints with different people, doing entry-level tasks, from running errands and inputting data for the enforcers to being a kitchen helper, cutting up food and washing dishes in the Alpha House and some of the restaurants in town to being an admin assistant to our Pack lawyers and accountants. I had done everything and worked my butt off doing it before and after school and around my Alpha training. None of them paid much, but they paid.

When I turned eighteen, my parents had created a position for me here, a sort of Alpha-in-training post where I shadowed them and gradually took on more and more responsibilities, like the town council meeting this evening. Even though we owned the Alpha House, my parents insisted I pay for rent and food so that I would always be able to appreciate what other members of our Pack faced financially. I didn't take holidays and had no one to spend the money on. I rarely ate out, and, apart from Marnie and I having a girls' night every fortnight, I didn't go out, so most of what was left sat in my bank account or got spent on shoes. I didn't just want the shoes. I needed the shoes. They were my armor, my superpower; they helped me be the best version of myself.

"Yes, more shoes, Dad. I work hard for my money, and I get to spend it how I want."

"And the girl wants shoes," Tucker sang.

"The girl always wants shoes," Mom replied as she winked at me.

Damn straight, the girl always wanted shoes.

"Send her in, please," I told Danni.

A moment later, Summer walked in, carrying a sleek shoebox. Her ash-blonde hair was braided neatly, and her eyes darted around the room, landing briefly on Henry before quickly looking away. A faint blush crept up her cheeks.

"Hi, Shya," Summer said, her voice slightly breathless. "I've got your shoes."

"Summer," I replied, taking the box from her. "You're a lifesaver!"

"Hiya, Summer," Tucker said, faking casualness. He was up to something. "I saw you in the library yesterday. You seemed pretty cozy with Jake Anderson."

The room fell silent, with all of us adults trying to subtly listen in while pretending to be engrossed in our food. Jake Anderson was Ellen's son and was notorious for having bullied Henry in middle school. Jake was human and had tried to push all of Henry's buttons, trying to get him to "go wolf," as he called it, and snap. As the Pack Alpha's son, Henry was expected to remain calm and in control at all times. He could not be seen to be fighting anyone. It would have been devastating for our reputation and the tourist trade here to have the Alpha's son attack a human. Mom and Dad had refused to get involved, saying it was important that we all learned how to handle difficult situations. It took two years before Henry was confident enough to shut Jake down, and Henry—and, by extension, Tucker—both hated him.

Two pink dots appeared high on Summer's cheekbones, and she quickly glanced at Henry before looking away.

"Oh, really?" Summer replied, her voice level despite the color in her cheeks. "And what exactly did you see, Tucker?"

Tucker lifted his chin. "You two were sitting really close, whispering over some books. Looked pretty intense. You do know he's a total douchebag, right?"

"Language, Tucker," Mom murmured.

Summer, however, didn't miss a beat. She turned to face Tucker fully. "Well, Tucker, since you're keeping such close tabs on my study habits, I'll fill you in. I'm tutoring Jake in Chemistry. Principal Walters asked me to help him improve his grades so he can stay on the soccer team." Summer continued, her voice light but with a hint of challenge, "If you're so curious, maybe you'd like to join us next time? I could always use someone to fetch snacks and sharpen pencils. I'm sure I wouldn't mind having an assistant."

Tucker crossed his arms, glaring at Summer. "He's still a total douchebag."

Summer winked at him. "Maybe. But he's a douchebag who pays me to tutor him. I don't mind taking his money if it means I can go to the movies once a month."

And there it was again, a quick flick of her eyes over to Henry and then away again. Boy, she had it bad.

There was another knock at the door, and Danni popped her head in. She mouthed one word at me, "Edmond," then disappeared again.