Chapter 29

Elsa's POV

I've never thought of myself as capable of murder, but perhaps I should have. I'm this close to grabbing a pen from this table in front of me and slashes the throat of this idiot that just won't stop saying nonsense.

But that would be messy, and I would have too many questions to answer, and I would be punished at the end of all that drama.

Besides, I'm supposed to accompany Ian on an errand today, and I got my nails done just this morning. It would be a waste to ruin them with the blood of fools.

So I'm forced to continue sitting still and listening to this waste of space and oxygen as he goes on and on about how finding Peterson is not of great importance.

"I know you're acting as her representative," he's saying, "and to be honest, Miss, I really don't think you should be doing that. I don't see why you would choose such a role. But anyway, a job given to us by an Omega goes to the bottom of the list. If she wants our help in finding this man, she will have to exercise some patience."

I scoff.

"And you call yourself a security personnel?" I snap. "Aren't you supposed to ensure the safety of all members of the pack? I'm sure this stupid attitude of yours is the reason Peterson was able to get away in the first place!"

"Losing your temper won't do you or the Omega any good, Miss," he has the guts to say.

"Oh, for goodness sake!" I snap, bolting to my feet as I bang both hands on the table. "The Omega this, the Omega that. Her name is Allison Carter, and I insist you use it."

"The Omega does not deserve my respect," he says. "In fact, you two should be thanking us for even putting in the effort we have into this request. It's more than that Omega deserves."

My hands clench into fists. 

The nerve of this man! I fume.

I'm this close to transforming into my wolf form and tearing his throat out with my teeth. But an upper class werewolf must have better control than that, so I settle for sweeping everything on his table to the floor. Laptop computers crash to the ground, alongside stacks of documents and other stationery. I smile at the shocked look on his face. He knows he can't do anything to me. I am of a far higher status than he can dream of. He can only watch angrily as I walk out of his office, feeling a little bit satisfied.

But only a little bit. I'm still boiling with anger as I head out to the road.

How dare he? After all the hard work Allison put into this, even supplying all those footages of Peterson because they were too lousy to find any themselves, he dares to disappoint her like this.

Damn it, I think rather miserably, how am I going to break this news to Allison? She already has a lot that she's dealing with. There's her pregnancy, which becomes more obvious each passing day, and the deal with Xander Black which she has to keep secret, and the Tech Wizard competition and Rachel being a bitch and the rest of the upper class being assholes. She doesn't need extra problems right now.

I'm so deep in thought that it takes a while before I notice the sleek sports car driving slowly next to me. I immediately start walking faster, but the car just picks up enough speed to keep up with me. 

"Nope, we're not doing this," I mutter under my breath.

The last thing I need right now is a stalker. 

It wouldn't be the first time I've had one of those. I'm about to start running when the tinted window closest to me winds down, and I stop moving immediately.

I turn fully towards the car, staring at the person in the driver's seat.

"Ian?"

"Hi, Elsa," he says.

I'm too shocked to speak for a moment.

"What are you…" I stammer, "how did you…"

I flail my hands to indicate him and the car and this entire situation.

"Well," he says with a shrug, and I think he looks kind of sheepish, "I did say I was going to pick you up."

"You didn't say you were going to do so in a car!" I point out.

He chuckles lightly at that.

"How else did you think I was going to do it, give you a piggy back ride?" he replies.

The imagery fills my mind before I can stop it, flooding my face with heat.

"Don't you dare!" is all I can say to save face.

Ian laughs again.

Thank goodness he doesn't seem to have noticed the color in my cheeks, I think.

"Would you like to get in?" he asks.

"Of course I would!" I say with a huff. "A moment longer in this sun will mess up my skincare."

A moment later, I'm sitting in the car. I lean back into the leather seat, taking a deep breath to fill my lungs with the scent of newness.

"You just bought this, didn't you?" I ask.

"This morning, yes," he says.

"How come?"

"I've been working at the Alpha's company for some months already," he says. "I haven't been sending all that money to charity, you know. I couldn't keep letting Allison drive me to work."

My cheeks flush at this, even though I know that statement wasn't directed at me.

Few months at the company, and he has already gotten a car. Meanwhile I've been spending every single cent I earn on clothes and shoes while freeloading on Allison's car.

"Maybe I should get a car too," I mumble, feeling dispirited.

I don't realize that he heard me until he's patting my shoulder comfortingly.

"Hey," he says gently, "it's not a competition, you know. And Allison doesn't mind driving you. She enjoys it, in fact. So, no pressure, okay?"

I turn to him, my lips stretching into a smile.

How are you able to say exactly what I need to hear? I think fondly.

"Thanks, Ian," I say.

"Any time," he replies.

He turns back to face the road. I look at his hand, lying on the seat beside me, and I take it, threading our fingers together.

Ian glances at our intertwined hands, then at me, then back at the road. I'm not sure how he feels about it, but he does not pull away. I choose to call it a victory.