05

The morning sky was painted with a batch of tepid colors, ranging from soft tint of orange and indigo to brilliant hues of yellow and red. The air was fresh and crisp, and a gentle breeze swayed the curtains of Jerika's room that draped over her windows.  

Her muscles were so tired, she didn't feel like waking up, but when her alarm clock came ringing, she had to jerk out of sleep. 

She sat up with the duvet over her thighs and just drew a blank stare for a while. Her headset was lying next to her, and she noticed she was still in her shower robe. She didn't have the time to change before the rain came. 

Soon, she left the bed and walked out to her balcony, wanting to feel the thrill of the cold air on her cheeks. The rain had washed away the dust and grimes of the city, leaving everything looking rejuvenated and refreshed. Unfortunately, the rain was Jerika's worst nightmare. 

She stared into space for a long time, her hands wrapped around her shoulders. After a while, she went in for a bath.

Her bath time was usually long as she enjoyed being in her jacuzzi. Done, she dried off her body and walked into her million - worth closet. 

Her closet was a museum of fashion and a symphony of colors with iconic pieces from renowned designers that had graced several runways of the world. It had custom-built shelving and drawers that neatly displayed each item and made it easier to find things.

Jerika ambled to one of her gown shelves and pulled out a long black dress. Red and black were the ruling colors of her closet, other colors came in very minimal quantities. 

She picked out a pair of gold heels, a black fendi bag and some jewelries to match. In a while, she was fully dressed and ready for work. 

She stood before her wall mirror for one final look and loved how the black dress fitted her body shape. It's subtle details created a timeless and sophisticated look. Her curved lips were orange - tainted, and for her hair, she styled it into a bun. 

Her phone awakening with a ring made her look away from the mirror. She grabbed it from her table and picked the call, knowing it was Reagan.

"Good morning, Alpha," the young man greeted. She could hear the tensed echo in his voice. 

"What is it, Reagan?" Jerika went ahead to ask. 

"Uh... it's about the Winmax Company we talked about yesterday. I just got an email from them, telling me they were never going to postpone their launch date."

Jerika's eyes shimmered with resentment. The grip on her phone became so tight, she nearly squeezed it into her palms. 

In a hard tone, she said: "I'll be there soon." And the call dropped. Anger bubbled within her as she reached for her bag and suitcase and stormed out of the room. Getting to the end of the staircase, she met her housekeeper, already setting the dining.

"Oh! Good morning, ma'am! Breakfast is set already!" The lady beamed, but Jerika didn't even spare her a glare as she walked pass her. 

"M... Ma'am?" Isabelle called, confused. But Jerika ignored her and walked out the door. 

Her driver was always on time. So, by the time she got outside, the young man was already there, robed in a black suit and leaning on the Jeep Wrangler. He jerked up the moment he saw Jerika walking out and made to open the backdoor. 

"I want the McLaren," she stated brusquely, halting her steps. 

The driver blinked twice before lowering his head. "S...sure, ma'am."

Quickly, he ran off to the parking lot and drove the red McLaren car to where she waited. He stepped down and opened the front door for her. Shortly, they were both driving out of the compound. 

***

Her heels clunked across the floor as she walked through the first floor of her company. As usual, the staff and few clients that were present lowered their heads in respect and admiration. It was amusing to them how she always appeared so good in black. 

Her driver was behind with her briefcase, they both got into the elevator and came out to the sixth floor. Reagan had been around, and his eyes sparkled the moment he saw her. 

"Alpha, you're here" he flashed a warm smile. 

Jerika said nothing but walked pass him to her office. He received the briefcase from the driver and went after Jerika. 

"What were you saying over the phone, Reagan?" Jerika asked as she went round the desk to take her seat. Her office had been cleaned and brewed freshness. 

Reagan itched the back of his neck. "Urgh... it's the launch date, like I said. The Winmax Company has rejected our appeal. They said they were never going to change their date."

Jerika locked her hands across her chest with a huff. She was being dared, and that was something she despised. 

"This... manager, his son or whatever, do you have a contact? Any means of reaching them on phone?" She asked, not looking at Reagan. 

"I...do. But, I'm not sure, Alpha; do you want to talk to them?"

"Put me on a call with them, I need to speak with the manager," she ordered peremptorily.

Reagan was stunned. She really wanted to go that far?

He saw the look in her eyes and knew it was never one to argue with. So, having no option, he dashed out of her office and returned shortly with a book and his phone. 

Seething with anger, Jerika watched Reagan dial the line severally. He was calling for the fourth time when finally, his call was received. 

"Hello?" He stared at Jerika while speaking on the phone. 

She watched beadily as he spoke calmly, trying to convince whoever was on the line to get the phone to his boss. It was quite a struggle, but shortly, he detached the phone from his ear and muted the call. 

"He's going to give the phone to his boss," Reagan said to Jerika in an excited whisper. 

Jerika remained still and just watched with repugnance.

. .                                                                                                  

The man in a sharp black suit strode into the personalized library room with the phone in his hand. He came to a stop before his thirty year old boss who sat behind a large oak desk, engrossed in a book. The library room was a sight to behold with the walls lined with shelves upon shelves of books.  

The cold look on the boss' face sent shivers down the man's spine, he had to struggle to maintain his composure. 

"Uh... I'm so sorry for disturbing, sir, but this young man wouldn't stop calling," he reported. He knew how much his boss hated to be disturbed, especially when he was in his library room. 

Coldly, the boss lowered the book from his face and glared up at his manager, his eyes piercing the air with the intensity of a thousand daggers. 

"What is it, Oscar?" He asked, his voice low and petulant. 

"It's the same guy that sent the letter this morning. He's been calling and has been requesting to speak with you." The man reported. 

"And why is he calling? Isn't he aware I rejected his appeal?"

"He is aware, sir. The thing is, he said his boss wants to speak with you this time around. He's pleading."

There was a brief silence. 

"I'm not interested," the young boss lifted his book back to his face. 

"Please sir, could you just... speak with her?" His manager pleaded, making him drop the book from his face again. 

He was silent for a while, then drawing a deep breath, the boss consented. "Let me have the phone."

. .

Jerika knew the moment the phone was seemingly handed to the boss. She could tell from the way Reagan's face got lit up. 

He greeted the boss with high respect and laid the appeal of Jerika wanting to speak with him. When it appeared the request had been approved, Reagan rushed over to Jerika. 

"It's the son! The son," he whispered to her before handing the phone. 

Jerika was rattled as she took the phone from him. She gave the screen a long stare before placing it over her ear. 

"I presume you can hear me," she uttered with a frozen inflection. 

Silence met the end of her voice, but not for too long as a wintry voice soon replied. 

"Jerika Krester," he called. "I've heard little about you." His voice was like a sharp gust of icy wind, brewing a chill that lingered long after his words. 

Jerika got to her feet and took a few steps towards the glassed wall of her office that gave her eyes access to the world outside. 

"I hope the little you heard about me contained information of how much I hated being challenged?" she threw back a question at him.

There was a scoff: "Not really. Yesterday was actually the first time I heard about you, thanks to your P.A."

That incited a nerve in Jerika, but she gulped it down. 

"At least, it's better than being someone who's name can only be guessed," she retorted. 

The receiver said nothing. 

"I'd want this conversation to be as brief as possible," Jerika went on. "My P.A reached out to you yesterday regarding an important appeal, but you turned him down. Why is that?"

The receiver scoffed, sounding amused at her question. "Are you really asking? My date has been there for a week now, Miss Jerika; why would I want to change it just because you said so?"

"I acknowledge the fact that your date has been there before mine, but something urgent came up, and for serious reasons, it is important I have my launch on saturday."

There was a brief silence. 

"What reasons?" The receiver inquired. 

"Reasons I do not need to disclose to a stranger."

"So, you're always fond of asking strangers for help?"

Jerika contorted her face. "I can't recall asking you for help; I'm only requesting you to change your date so it doesn't clash with mine. I'm asking nicely."

There was another silence, one that lasted for a few seconds. 

"I am never changing my date, Miss Jerika. Tell your P.A to stay away from me." The call ended. 

Jerika's eyes glinted in shock as she took the phone down from her ear. Angry veins popped up in her forehead. Did he just end the call on her?

Reagan watched in awe. Nobody has ever done that to Jerika - no one at all.   

***

Lennox Harrington stared at the screen for sometime before returning the phone to his manager. 

In all his years of dealings, he's never met a woman that sounded as daring as the one he'd just spoken to on the phone. 

He picked up the stemmed glass of wine beside him from where he took a sip. A rolex watch glittered on his wrist. 

His manager inclined in his head and turned to leave.  

"This Jerika," Lennox's voice hit him, making him halt his steps. He turned swiftly at his boss. "Tell me more about her."

"Jerika Krester?" His manager rose a brow. He shrugged and went to stand in front of him. 

"Jerika is more like a mini-goddess - in the business world, and in the wolves' world. She's the first female Alpha that's ever ruled a pack, and guess what? She's very good at it."

"Her empire ranks first in the country with over six brands beneath it. She's filthy rich, like, filthy rich, sir. Unfortunately, she's been sad her whole life." 

"Why's that?" Lennox asked, taking another swig from his glass. 

"Well... from the stories that keeps flying around, they said she accidentally caused her mother's death when she was a child. The rumours said she set the kitchen on fire and her mother died while trying to put it out. Few months later, one of her sister's died from an attack by an anonymous person. Her eldest sister survived but lost her sanity due to the trauma of that night, she was quickly taken out of the country for medical treatment. Jerika became the only one, but a few months later, her father died as well due to poor health. People said he'd become too broken and never recovered from the misfortune that befell his family."

"Jerika grew up sad and lonely. She lost the meaning of happiness. A brother to her father - Mr Kruger - had taken over her father's company and pack. But few years ago, when Jerika was all tough and grown up, she showed up and demanded leadership. Although, this Kruger laughed at her demands; but guess what Jerika did? She sought for evidences against him and exposed the illegal activities he's ever done in the country. She sent him to jail, and that created room for her to take over. The old man got out of jail a year later tho. Some of the pack members and Alphas had kicked against Jerika's decision of ruling them, but after much deliberations and battles, she won. The story behind Jerika's victory is such an amazing one - that was the reason she became so popular, feared and respected. She's iconic, sir."

Lennox was calm for a while, taking note of the story. It was an interesting one, it amused him how he's never heard of her before. 

Taking up his phone, he googled her name and pictures of her showed up on his screen. They were majorly pictures of her with clients, at an event, with broadcasters, and other business-related places. There were no personal pictures of her.

"Has she ever been in a relationship?" Lennox asked, still scrolling through more of her pictures. This cracked the old man up, he hooted with laughter. 

"Did you just say, relationship?" He repeated. "Jerika Krester has no emotions, sir. That lady's heart is as hard as a stone, she's never been in love and I doubt she ever will. You don't want to imagine the numerous men that's been after her, but she detests every one of them. Sometimes, I wonder how she survives being so lonely."

Lennox sighed and dropped his phone back on his desk. His face went blank again as he picked up his book to continue reading. He blamed himself for being so inquisitive and trying to know more about this Jerika. It didn't matter to him if she was so great. She was still a wolf, hence, his enemy. He incensed with rage just thinking about the wolves and what they did to him; he could never forgive them. And nether would he ever have anything to do with them.