Ways

Alpha Leandro stood, facing his window with a picture in his hand. His brows were pulled into an expression that could not be read.

A knock came on the door and his cold eyes blinked.

"Come in" his voice was almost inaudible.

He dropped the picture in his hand on the table.

The door opened and a maid walked into the room. She looked really nervous and scared, even. Her knees were visibly bucking and her eyes blinked repeatedly.

"Alpha" she called, obviously doing a lot of work keeping her voice firm.

"Drop the cup of coffee" Leandro said, not sparing her a glance.

The maid hurried to drop the cup of coffee on the table but her shaky legs could not hold her for long.

Just as she got to the table, her legs shook terribly and she lost control of the cup in her hands.

The coffee spilled on the table, quickly getting to the picture on the table.

The maid panicked and quickly got on her knees.

"I am sorry, Alpha. I am really sorry" she apologized repeatedly with her voice cracking terribly.

Leandro's expression turned grave. The coldness on his face had welcomed another expression, anger.

"Please forgive me, Alpha" the maid was on the verge of tears.

Leandro bit hard on his lower lip to keep his anger in check.

"Get out now" his voice was low but dangerous.

The maid scampered to her feet and rushed for the door.

"Your job is over" Leandro added as she got to the door.

"Y...Yes Alpha" she stuttered and ran out of the room, leaving the door open behind her.

Leandro quickly picked the picture up from the table. The anger on his face replaced by an unreadable expression. He wiped the coffee off the picture and stopped for a second to stare at it.

It was a picture of him and Larisa.

"I should keep this picture buried" he mumbled and just then the scent of beta Hayden filled his nostrils.

Hayden walked in and glanced at the spilled coffee on the table before looking at Leandro. His gaze fell down to the picture in his hands. Hayden pressed his lips into a thin line.

"She was there" Hayden started.

"Yes, I saw her. She has barely changed" Leandro replied and lowered his gaze back to the picture.

His thumb caressed her image in the picture.

"You are still going to stand on your earlier decision?" Hayden asked.

"Yes, that is the best thing to do" he replied and pushed the picture into the open drawer.

He slammed the drawer shut as if shutting away every memories of her.

*

"Are you sure you are going to go for the Alpha?" Grandma asked Larisa.

It was night and the two women were waiting for Alex to come back from work when Larisa informed the older lady of her plans to use the Alpha.

"He is the strongest in the Pack. There is no one better than him. He is the best candidate" Larisa replied.

"It will be hard to get him, you realise that? How are you going to meet with him not to talk of having sex with him. I should not have told you about this" the old woman mumbled the last sentence.

"Alex works as a guard at the Alpha's company, right? Perhaps he could help me get a job close to the Alpha?"

"Larisa" her grandma sighed softly.

"If it was easy to get you a job all these while, Alex would have done that"

Larisa pressed her lips into a thin line. Of course it was not going to be easy to get close to the Alpha. It was hard enough to get a job at any random place not to talk of at the Alpha's place.

"I won't give up though. I will ask...."

"I am home!" Alex announced his presence, cutting off Larisa's words.

Larisa got off the couch and did a small run to Alex, grabbing him by his arm with a smile on her face.

Alex stopped in his tracks and turned her to face him.

"Are you okay?" He asked, staring at her worriedly with his hands on her shoulders.

"I am fine" Larisa assured him with a grin.

"You had me worried the whole day. Could not stop thinking about the state I left you in" he replied and Larisa chuckled, taking his hands off her shoulders.

"I am fine now"

"Glad to see you smiling" Alex smiled and walked over to Grandma, giving the old lady a small but genuine smile.

He leaned in and kissed her wrinkly cheek.

"Welcome home, Alex" grandma smiled.

"I have something to talk to you about, Alex" Larisa grabbed his arm.

His brows pulled together and he was about to ask questions but Larisa pulled him with her before he could so.

Larisa pulled him up the stairs and let go of his arm only when they were in front of his door.

"What's going on?" Alex asked.

"I need a job" Larisa spoke up.

"Any job around the Alpha.... I can be a cleaner, a lowly maid with a poor salary. Any job at all, I don't care about the pay. I just want to work"

"Larisa, I understand that you badly want to work but maybe if you go through a little bit more training with your wolf side, you can be better and get a better job" Alex suggested.

"Alex, you have been working so hard all of these years while I wasted my time training. Now, that I have my wolf side, I do not want to waste more time on training. I want to start working and..."

"You can be a little bit more patient and earn more to help me." He cut her off and Larisa sighed.

"Alex, I am way too desperate to find a job now. You are my only hope. Please find me a job."

"Why don't you get one as a diner around the downtown?" Alex asked.

"No, I need to get a job around the Alpha. I mean... I mean a job around the Alpha would pay me more even if it is a lowly job, don't you think?" Larisa asked, peering into Alex's face.

Their eyes locked for few seconds before Alex looked away with a heavy breath of resignation.

"Alright, I give in. It's not a promise though. I will try to approach beta Hayden, he is much more approachable than the Alpha. If he can help me put in good words, you will definitely get a job around the Alpha."

"Thank you" Larisa grinned and hugged Alex.

"Hey" Alex pulled her off him.

"Remember it is not a promise. If it does not go well, you cannot hold me for it" he scowled.

"I understand" Larisa smiled as Alex brushed past her into his room.

"I should hope for the best now" she whispered.