Chapter 2

Resignation

(Layla)

Mason threw open his office door so hard it slammed against the wall. “Get in here. Now.”

I stepped inside, my neck throbbing where Samuel had marked me last night. The memories flashed through my mind—his hands on my skin, his teeth sinking into my flesh.

“Who was it?” Mason demanded, pacing behind his desk. His wolf’s golden eyes flickered through, dangerous and wild. “Which wolf dared to mark you?”

I crossed my arms. “That’s none of your business.”

“None of my—” Mason’s fist crashed down on his desk. “You’re my Beta! Everything you do reflects on this pack!”

“Funny how you care now,” I spat. “Where was all this concern yesterday when you were exchanging vows with Abigail?”

His nostrils flared as he stalked toward me. “Don’t change the subject. I can smell another wolf all over you.”

“Back off,” I growled, baring my teeth. “You lost any right to question my personal life when you rejected our mate bond.”

“I did what was necessary for the pack!”

“No, you did what was necessary for your precious campaign.” I pulled the resignation letter from my bag and slapped it on his desk. “Here. I’m done being your Beta.”

Mason snatched up the paper, his eyes scanning it. “Absolutely not. I refuse to accept this.”

“You don’t have a choice.”

“Oh, don’t I?” He crumpled the letter into a ball. “Let’s talk about choices, Layla. Like your father’s choice to gamble away everything your family had before disappearing. Or your mother’s choice to get treatments that put you in massive debt.”

My claws extended involuntarily. “Don’t you dare bring them into this.”

“Face reality,” Mason said smugly. “No other pack will take you with that kind of baggage. You need me.”

“I’d rather be packless than spend another day watching you parade around with—”

The door opened and Abigail glided in, her silk dress rustling. “Dear, what’s going on? I heard shouting.”

My stomach turned at the fresh mating mark visible on her neck. Mason pulled her close, kissing her deeply. I had to look away.

“Nothing to worry about, love,” Mason said against her lips. “Layla here was just trying to resign.”

Abigail’s eyes widened. “Resign? But why?”

I forced my hands to unclench. “The Alpha Council work is getting overwhelming. And with my mother’s condition…”

“Oh, you poor thing.” Abigail touched my arm. I resisted the urge to shake her off. “Mason, surely we can find a way to help?”

“Like what, reduce her workload?”

“Not necessarily,” Abigail said, “Why not give her what she wants? And I was thinking you could appoint a male Beta. Someone with fewer…distractions.”

The double meaning in her words made me want to claw her eyes out, even though she didn’t realize it. She probably thought my mother was my only distraction. I scoffed.

Mason nodded thoughtfully. “That could be best,” he said. “A fresh start for everyone, but I am not so sure…”

“Fine,” I said, turning to Mason and Abigail. “Accept my resignation or don’t. I’m leaving either way.”

Mason’s wolf surged forward, his eyes blazing gold. “You walk out that door and I’ll make sure no pack in a hundred-mile radius will hire you.”

“Try me.” I yanked off my Beta badge and dropped it on his desk.

I left his office without another word. My phone rang—the hospital’s number flashing on screen. I stepped away to answer.

“Miss Wilkes? This is a reminder that your mother’s treatment payment is due in three days. The total amount is—”

I ended the call, my hands shaking. Where would I get that kind of money?

The necklace. My fingers found the crescent moon pendant that hung between my cleavage.  I always wore it. It was the only link to my past, for my adoptive mother had told me I’d been wearing it when she found me abandoned in the woods.

I looked down at it for the last time, trying to ignore the sadness that threatened to overwhelm me at losing something that had become a part of my identity.

But I had to. For my mother.

I pulled up in front of Silver Creek Jewelry, one of those high-end boutiques I’d only ever visited with Mason before.

“Welcome,” said a clerk, adjusting his gold-rimmed glasses. “How may I assist you?”

I unclasped the necklace, my fingers clumsy from my nerves. I tried to avert my gaze, but the lighting in the store made it shine, making it impossible to look away.

“I need this appraised. And possibly sold.”

He took it, reaching for his magnifying glass. His eyebrows shot up as he examined every inch, turning it over repeatedly in his wrinkled hands. His eyebrows shot up.

“These engravings…” He leaned closer, adjusting his lamp. “The craftsmanship is extraordinary. And these gemstones—I’ve never seen them before.”

“So you’ll buy it?” I asked eagerly.

“Miss, I…” He set down his tools, pushing them away like they might break. “This piece is far beyond what our establishment could offer. The materials alone would bankrupt us.”

“Please,” I begged, gripping the counter. My voice cracked as I whispered, “I need the money. My mother’s medical bills are due in three days. She’ll lose her treatments if I can’t pay.”

“I apologize, but I cannot accept this. It’s far too precious.” He frowned slightly, eyes narrowing. “If I may ask, how did you come by such an item?”

“My adoptive mother said I was wearing it when she found me.”

He stared at me hard. “Found you?”

“Yes, I—”

“Miss, perhaps we should call the authorities. Just to verify the origin of this piece. Something this valuable…”

“No!” My heart pounded. “Please, you don’t understand. This necklace is all I have left. My mother will die without those treatments. I’m begging you—name any price. Even half what it’s worth. A quarter. Anything.”