Chapter 1 - Theo

I set down the last box in my new apartment.  I can’t help but sigh.  I would have never guessed that this is where I would be when I turn 28.  However, what can I do, when I can’t stand to be in my own home anymore.  Everything is just a sad reminder of what I used to have and what I was hoping the future would be. 

I sigh again as I look around the living room.  The room is so bare compared to what I’m used to having.  Well, it does have furniture which is a little old and warn since it came with the place.  The walls, however, are completely bare and so is the coffee table.  There isn’t one single piece of décor and I don’t plan on changing that.  I don’t have a clue what to do when it comes to décor and decorating a home.  That was my mate’s job, and she did an amazing job at it too. 

Our home always would look and feel so warm and cozy.  I can’t forget that it felt like home. 

Definitely, she would have never allowed anything like this to happen, but she isn’t here anymore. 

Oh, I have to stop thinking about her.

I glance around at the boxes scattered everywhere as I blink trying to keep the tears from spilling over.  I take a deep breath.  Oh, I have to put all this away in the next couple of days before I start my new job. 

I don’t think Alpha Wyatt could believe that I even volunteered for this job.  Well, I have to admit that I’m a little surprised too.  Unfortunately, I need a change of scenery, but I never could have dreamt that I would move completely out of Sun Moon pack. 

Back then, I had been toying with asking to move to another apartment, but when Alpha Wyatt was asking for someone to get a job at Bangkok University to provide an additional person in the human world, I couldn’t help but jump at the opportunity.

Well, I am qualified.  I have all the necessary degrees, so why not.  It is like killing two birds with one stone.  Not only do I get a change of scenery, but I also can help send information back to Alpha Wyatt about things that I see and hear in the human world.  However, I don’t think that there is much going on in the human world now, but I may be surprised.

I scan the various boxes once again.  Where do I start?

After a few moments, I decide to head for the kitchen.  I’ll start in there before moving onto the other boxes.  Luckily, I didn’t bring a whole lot of things.  I left most of my things back at the pack house.  I brought only the things that I knew that I would need.

***

I walk briskly through the corridors of the university.  Even though I wish I didn’t, I have a meeting with the department heads soon.  As I glance down at my watch, I slow down my steps slightly since I’m not running as late as I thought I was.  I look back up and ignore the staff and students walking past me. 

I have tried many times in the last two weeks to be able to smile at people, but I still can’t do it.  Without May, my mate, here, I just can’t find anything to smile about.  However, it hasn’t take long for the students and staff to begin calling me cold and on occasion heartless.  If they only knew that my heart left me when May died, they would understand.  But I’m not here to be friends with the students, I’m here to run the university effectively and efficiently, and if that means that people call me names, then so be it. 

With the same emotionless face that I always have, I walk into the meeting room and bark, “I have another meeting right after this.  If everyone is here, let’s begin.”

Everyone instantly scurries to their seats around the long conference table, and the room becomes quiet.  I march to the head of the table and as I take my seat, I say, “Welcome everyone.  I assume that you have all prepared for this meeting.” 

I glance around the table before my eyes land on the head of the business department.  While staring at the middle-aged man with a plump belly and thinning brown hair, I continue, “Mr. Smith, I believe you are up first.  Where do you want to begin?  Your department’s budget or the curriculum?”

Mr. Smith shuffles the papers in front of him as he nervously shifts around in his seat.  He clears his throat before he replies, “T.Thank you, D.Dean Hanson.  I b.believe that I’ll start with the b.b.budget first.”

I listen intently as Mr. Smith speaks.  However, in the back of my mind I wish I could fast forward to the end all these meetings.  I never thought when I agreed to take this position that I would be in meeting after meeting. 

I still haven’t figured out why we have to have so many meetings. 

After two hours, Fai, my secretary, enters the room, as another department head is discussing that department’s budget. 

Cough.  Cough.

The discussion immediately stops, and all eyes turn towards the door and focus on Fai.  With a stern face, she looks across the table at me and chimes, “Dean Hanson, you need to leave now so you can make your meeting with the President of SM University.”

I gather my things, and as I stand up, I announce, “We will pick up where we left off at our next meeting.  Next time let’s try to get through all the departments without going over 2 hours.  I have been here for two weeks now and we aren’t anywhere closer to being able to finish this meeting in my 2 hours slot.  We have to do better.  Next week’s meeting must be completed within the allotted 2 hours or I’ll have to take appropriate action to make sure that we can reach our goal.  Thank you and good day.”

Not waiting for any response, I walk out of the meeting room and head down the hallway with Fai right beside me.  Before I can ask anything, Fai chimes, “The President of SM University is already here and is waiting for you in your office.  I told him that it would be a few minutes while I retrieved you from another meeting in another building.  He seemed fine with that.”

I simply nod as we continue down the corridor towards the entrance of the building. 

In the two weeks that I’ve been here, Fai and I have managed to work out a system with each other.  Most of the time, I don’t even have to say anything, and she knows what I need. 

I put my hand out in front of her.  Without being instructed, she pulls an apple out of her bag and sits it on my open palm. 

As I take a bite of the apple, Fai rattles off my schedule for the rest of the day.  “You have one hour scheduled with the President of SM University.  Then at 4pm, you are supposed to meet with the Dean of Engineering to review and approve the hazing trip.  At 5pm, you have another meeting with the manager of the alumni association to discuss their request to use an area on campus for an alumnus gathering.  Then…”

I cut her off.  I have heard enough, and I thought I had asked her to stop scheduling things on top of each other.  “First off, I’m not even going to ask why I have meetings back-to-back.  I don’t care why this happened.  However, it isn’t going to happen in the future.  For the alumni association, I’m not going to meet with them until they have presented me with their proposal.  Once we have a formal proposal, then I can meet with them, but not before.”

Fai replies, “I will let them know.”

As we walk out of the building and along the sidewalk back to my office, I continue, “Same goes for the Dean of Engineering.  I know that this is time sensitive.  I will meet with him this once, but going forward, I’m not going to meet on anything without a proper proposal or documents being sent to me first.  While I’m meeting with the President of SM University, get whatever documents the Dean of Engineering has regarding the trip.  I’ll try looking at them prior to my meeting with him.”

Fai nods and replies, “I will contact him as soon as we get back to your office.”

I take a bite of the apple and sigh. 

Fai glances towards me and asks, “Is there something wrong, Dean Hanson?”

My attention turns towards my office building which is now in view.  “I know that things were done very differently before, but I don’t run things like that.  I hate being in meetings all day long.  It doesn’t give me the opportunity to do what I need to do to get this university ahead.  In the two weeks that I’ve been here, I feel that the majority of meetings can be eliminated if the proper documents are turned into my office first.  I find it more effective and efficient if the proposals, requests and whatever they are wanting to do is handled through the documents than sitting around a table all the time talking.  Not that I’m against talking.  But I am against wasting time, which appears to have been happening a lot with the previous Dean.”

She doesn’t hesitate when she replies, “You are correct about the previous Dean.  I will try my best to get the departments to understand and follow the new guidelines and expectations.”

I take another bite of my apple and mumble, “Thanks.”

Fai raises an eyebrow and tilts her head.  However, she doesn’t say anything. 

***

I almost sprint into my office.  It has been two weeks since I’ve seen him.  This has been the longest time in our lives that we have been away from each other. 

Wyatt is pacing back and forth, but instantly stops when I enter the room. 

At the same time, we both call out to each other.

“Wyatt.”

“Theo.”

Fai nearly stands frozen in the doorway.  For the first time since I have started working, a small smile appears on my face.  Her mild shock quickly turns into complete shock when I march right up to Wyatt and engulf him in a hug. 

I can’t control myself as I happily chime, “It is so good to see you cous.  I miss you.”

Wyatt smiles and pats my back.  “I’ve missed you too.  You know that I’ve never been away from you for so long.  I first lose Phillip and now I’ve lost you too.”

My eyes instantly begin to glisten when Wyatt mentions Phillip.  Even though May and Phillip didn’t pass away from the same thing.  They both did pass away around the same time.  Wyatt knew exactly what I was going through.  Truth be told, I think that if he could have run away from the pack, he would have done exactly what I’ve done.  However, being the alpha of the pack doesn’t allow him the luxury to ignore his responsibilities.  So, unfortunately for him, he must stay with the pack and continue to lead.

After a few minutes locked in a hug, we finally let each other go. 

Cough.  Cough.

Wyatt and I turn towards the door to find Fai standing there staring at us.  With a faint smile on my face, I point to Wyatt and chime, “He is my cousin, Wyatt, and the President of SM University.”

Fai smiles and nods.

I then turn towards Wyatt and point at Fai.  “Wyatt this is my secretary Fai.”

Wyatt smiles and chimes, “It is nice to formally meet you.  I hope my cousin hasn’t been causing too many problems for you.”

Fai shakes her head.  “No.  He has caused a few ruffles though, but they weren’t anything that wasn’t already needed.”

She turns towards me.  “I’ll let you know as soon as the documents from the Dean of Engineering arrive.”

I nod and say, “Thank you.”

She turns and walks out of the room.  After she steps out of my office, she stops and closes the door behind her.

Wyatt immediately turns towards me and asks, “So, have you found anything interesting so far?”