Page 4 of Assisting the Alpha
There are only two apartments in the manor, one in each wing, with the central part of the building devoted to the task force and various other coven activities. In theory, we could convert the building to have more self-contained apartments, but it would take months.
I swallow hard. I visited baby Maisie last week and Nyoka’s right, Gina looked like shit. I thought it was just a sleep deprivation thing, what with Maisie only being a few weeks old, but what if it’s postpartum depression? Fraser is one of the enforcers on the task force. He’s probably barely home at the moment. I can’t get between a new mother and the support she needs.
I’m not sure where the fuck I’m going to live, but I’ll figure something out. This eviction notice says I’ve got a month.
“I understand.” My voice is weaker than I’d like it to be, so I force a smile onto my face and try again. “This is a great house for a family. I’m sure they’ll love it.”
Ok, I don’t sound entirely convincing, and Nyoka pats my shoulder awkwardly. He’s not really a physical affection kind of guy, my cousin. “Look at it this way; now you can get your own place without us cramping your style.”
I thought my apartmentwasmy own place, but hey, at least I won’t have to see Lola’s sneering face every day.
Although I don’t have any savings to use as a deposit. It’s not like being an admin pays great, and between rent and bills on my apartment, coven tithes, and stuff like clothes and food, there’s never anything left over at the end of the month.
I also don’t relish moving out of the only home I’ve ever known. Still, it’s a normal thing to do at my age, right? Moving out of the family home?
Right.
Fuck, am I glad I’ve already got a night out planned tonight with my best friend. Zaiden will help me figure this out.
But I’ve got a test to ace first. I stuff the letter back into the envelope, fold it, and shove it into the pocket of my trousers. “Shall we?”
The basement looks just like I remember it from the last time I was tested down here. It’s a huge space that’s been split into different rooms that are little more than mats and wards to prevent the structure from being destabilised by all the spells that get thrown around. There’s some gym equipment too, because while the task force rely almost entirely on magic to police the city, they try to stay in shape as well. Not that it would do them much good when facing off against other supes, sinceshifters, vampires, fae… basically everyone is physically stronger than us. We’re human, after all. Except with magic.
Nyoka leads me into one of the rooms, where Fraser and another task force officer, Andy, are sparring. Every so often they use a stylus to hastily refresh the runes on their palms that enable them to throw spells around like confetti. They move fast, many of the spells bouncing off the wards that form a square around them as we watch from the perimeter. A gap of about three feet that isn’t warded borders the room.
I’m surprised to see them down here. I thought they’d be out investigating, but I suppose keeping your skills sharp when there’s a murderer on the loose is important too.
They’re barely out of breath when they’re finished. They shake hands and cross to us.
Fraser glances at his watch. “Did you want us out on patrol early?”
“No,” Nyoka says. “Ayo is here for testing.”
Andy slaps Fraser on the shoulder. “I’ll leave you to it. Good luck, Ayo.”
“Thanks, mate.” I accept his handshake, wishing like hell he was the one I’d be facing and not Fraser. Ordinarily, I wouldn’t mind, but knowing the man I’m facing is about to move into my place? Yeah, literally anyone else would be a better choice.
Nyoka stands to one side, hands clasped. “Proceed whenever you’re ready.”
“He had you test against the guy who’s kicking you out of your own home? What an absolute dick!” Zaiden’s outrage has me feeling a tiny smidge better.
I swirl the ice cubes in my vodka and coke. “I can’t believe I blew my chance again. It was a fucking disaster.”
Zaiden frowns, shoving his messy black hair off his forehead. “That bad?”
“Worse,” I groan. My glass is leaving wet circles on the wooden tabletop and I run my finger through one of them. “It’s like I was eighteen again. Or fucking sixteen, for that matter. All my practice went out the fucking window. And when Nyoka said afterwards that task force officers don’t get to choose ideal circumstances to work in, that they have to be able to fight even while distracted or whatever, I said I get that, but I can’t be an admin forever…”
When I trail off and don’t continue, Zaiden nudges my foot with his boot. Being best friends with a wolf shifter sucks. He can probably scent that there’s more. His senses are insane.
I look around the busy bar for a distraction, but nothing and no one catches my attention. It’s mostly supes in here, yet there’s no fight brewing or even any stare-offs, just general chatter and the clink of glasses. It’s one of the few places in Birchester where everyone respects the rules of the neutral zone.
“Come on, don’t leave me hanging. What happened?” Zaiden nudges me with his boot again.
I wince. “I quit.”
Zaiden’s storm-blue eyes widen and he blows out a breath. “Fuck, I never thought you’d do it. Congrats. We should celebrate. Shots?”
I slump down in my seat and cover my eyes with one hand. Zaiden’s an amazing friend, literally my ride-or-die, but he’s the brother of the local wolf pack alpha. Whatever trouble Zaiden gets in, Dante always bails him out of it. I don’t have that luxury.
