TYSON POV

I look up from my cell phone as I step out of the elevator on to my floor of The Tower. From the corner of my eye, I see the back foot of someone stepping into the service elevator and disappearing from view. Probably the mail clerk going about their day. Excellent. That means the mail has been delivered to my desk already. I have time to review the finalized contracts for the smaller security company I am buying out. I’ve asked Rachel to arrive early for the last week so we can get this nailed down and over with.

As I walk through the open concept office space to my doors, I stop in my tracks as I deeply inhale the scent I’ve come to love this last week during my early mornings, honeysuckle and roses. Zeus, my wolf, has been much more active and agitated this week than normal. When I get a whiff, he starts going crazy and running in my head.

“Dude, what’s up with you lately?” I ask in annoyance.

“That scent. It gets stronger and more desirable for me each time we smell it. I think it might be our mate. But I won’t know for sure until I see her,” he responds.

“I wish. We’ve looked everywhere for her. Don’t you remember me checking all employees a few years back? I also meet all new female employees in person to be sure too.” I stop walking again as something dawns on me, “Oh shit! What if our mate is male? I haven’t checked any of them, anywhere, at all!”

“Calm your tits, Ty. We aren’t gay. If we were interested at all, I would have had you checking them too.” Zeus reassures me, but with an eyeroll.

“I know I’m not interested, but that doesn’t mean the Goddess wouldn’t give me a male mate. I’d never reject my mate, I just… dunno, never thought about checking the males out. Was that short sighted of me?”

“No, like I said, you aren’t gay. I’m not gay. Being gay is fine, look at Thomas. We accept him and his mate, Adam. So does most everyone else, but we haven’t looked because that’s not for us. Now focus. Follow that scent because SHE is the one for us, I’m almost positive.”

I do as Zeus demands and follow the scent. It leads to my open office door; I’m almost pleased until I see Rachel going through the mail on my desk. I’m angry now.

“Rachel! I have told you repeatedly to not go through the mail on my desk.” I growl out at her. Once I enter my office the honeysuckle and roses smell is gone, drowned out by Rachel’s overwhelming scent of chemicals from her nasty perfume, makeup, and hair products. I can’t even smell Rachel’s natural scent over all the fake she has on. It’s frustrating as all hell because that is all I can smell now.

“Sorry, Tyson. I was just checking that the mail freak did her job correctly.” Rachel responds with a tilt of her head in a show of submission, but I caught that gleam in her eye. I made the mistake of fucking her, once, years ago, and it has given her an overly inflated sense of self-worth when it comes to me. She thinks I will choose her as my mate and Luna. She is quite wrong.

“Rachel, I will not remind you again after today, you WILL refer to me as Mr. Evans when in the office and Alpha when among the pack. If you even think of disrespecting me again by not using the proper title, you will be removed as my assistant. Am I clear?” Rachel just nods in response. “Now, go to your desk and do your work. Tomorrow, you will not wear that perfume and you will use less makeup and hair products. Your entire body smells of chemicals and now, so does my office.” Rachel’s face turns scarlet as she quickly shuffles out of my office, closing the door behind her.

“Fire her, I don’t like her,” Zeus grumbles in my head.

“You’ve never liked her, Zeus.”

“I’ve never trusted her. She’s trouble. Besides, she sucks at her job,” he says simply in reply as he goes to sulk in the back of my mind. I just roll my eyes and get to work for the day.

The Alpha's Rose -

ROSE

I am beyond angry at what Rachel just did to me. Instead of heading to the CFO and COO offices on the other floors, I return to the basement to see Rolando to give him my official complaint for HR. As I exit the elevator, I can hear Rolando and Monica talking. As I get closer, I realize it is about me. Crap.

“Rolando, I wasn’t trying to snoop. It was on the locker room floor. I picked it up just to see what it was. Honest. How will she afford this? Maddie needs the school, but Rose is killing herself already to pay the tuition. What do we do?”

“You’ll do nothing,” I answer her question as I enter the room and take the tuition notice from her. Both sets of eyes snap over to me and widen in surprise at getting caught. “I’ll figure something out, I always do. It isn’t for you to worry about.”

“But…”

“No buts, Monica. I have someone helping me look into scholarships and other assistance. Everything will work itself out, you’ll see,” I say with a halfhearted smile.

“Mi bonita, we raise money, si?” Rolando says with a nod. I just sigh.

“I’ll think about it, okay?” I relent, simply because I just don’t have the energy to fight them. They love me and I love them, but this isn’t their concern.

Monica crosses her arms, and she gets that stubborn look in her eye that I am all too familiar with, “We aren’t letting this go, Rose. We will brainstorm and figure it out. You’re not alone, why do you always act like you are?”

“As much as I care for you both, you need to realize that I am alone. I’ve always been alone. Monica, you have your own school to deal with and pay for. Rolando, you have Maria and her health issues, plus all the grandkids. I am not either of yours’ responsibilities, neither is Maddie. So please, I beg you, don’t fight with me on this. Now, Rolando, I need to speak with you about an incident and place a complaint with HR please.” I say, trying to end this embarrassing conversation. I hate not being able to provide everything Maddie and I need.

Rolando moves back to his computer and opens up his HR link. I turn to Monica, “I appreciate the concern, Mon, I really do. Maddie and I are lucky you all care for us like you do. But I’ll handle it. You need to get to your route before you have your own HR complaint about laziness.” Monica just rolls her eyes at me and leaves.

I place my complaint and go into details about the incident with Rachel. Rolando is concerned about this coming back to bite me in the ass, but I don’t care. No one will make me feel unsafe at work. I’m totally screwed if it costs me my job, but staying quiet is how more bad things happen to good people. We have to let those in charge know when power is being abused, so changes can be made. Even if I’m not taken seriously, the next person might be because I started the ball rolling.

I finish up my route with no other issues. My mind is reeling though. The conflict with Rachel floating to the back of my mind, it is less important than the tuition problem. How will I afford this? I think about it all through the day and I have come up with zero solutions other than stripping and prostitution, both of which, are completely out of the question. I sigh as I change into my uniform for my second job and don my winter wear at the end of my shift. I head out to pick up Maddie from school, still chewing on the problem at hand, but with complete awareness of my surroundings.

Maddie is a bundle of bouncing energy when she emerges from the school building, like she always is after her day. She adores school. She had a pop quiz in Algebra that she aced, of course. She gave her presentation in English and the teacher loved it. Her fellow students apparently calling her a kiss-up, but she doesn’t care. She loves the praises from her teachers and seeing those big red As at the top of her papers.

I know the situation could change at any moment regarding her classmates though, so I listen intently, making mental notes on any kids she mentions and file them away for later. We walk hand in hand to Patty’s Diner where I wait tables until 9pm during the week, 10pm on weekends. We come through the doors and Patty, the owner, just beams down at Maddie.

“There’s my little genius Mad Hatter! Come give Patty Melt a big hug!” Patty has a thing with nicknames which I find adorable. Plus, she always finds a way to comment on Maddie’s brilliance and sweet personality versus beauty and that pleases me so much. Beauty fades, but a sharp mind and kind nature stays with us forever.

Maddie runs around the counter and engulfs Patty in a monster hug as I make my way to the back to put my things away and get my apron, waving hi at Stanley who’s manning the grill. I see Maddie settling into her little 2-person booth as she pulls out her homework and Patty sets chocolate milk and a fruit yogurt parfait in front of her as her snack. Maddie is chatting excitedly to Patty, telling her all about her good day and it makes me smile. I have to keep her in that school. She doesn’t have many friends, but the education she is receiving is top tier. Public school can’t come close to giving her what she needs.

I roll my shoulders back, pull out my notepad and greet my first table of customers for the night.

The Alpha's Rose -

ROSE

“Hi, welcome to Patty’s Diner. I’m Rose, and I’ll be your server today. Can I get you all something to drink?” I ask with a small smile as I look up at my table.

“I don’t want a drink, but I’ll take your number, gorgeous.” A male voice on the right says with a snicker and his friends chuckle along with him.

“Sorry, I don’t date customers. Drinks, gentlemen?”

“Oh, I don’t want a date, just a quick fuck will suffice. Getting a break soon?” He replies lewdly at me, and I sigh in frustration. At least he didn’t say it loudly and catch Maddie’s attention. I don’t need her to overhear overt sexual comments directed at me.

“Sir, I am going to have to ask you to leave if you keep saying things that are inappropriate.” I say as I look the customer in the eye. I know my face is set grimly and coldly. The guy who has propositioned me couldn’t be older than 18 with dirty blond hair and light brown eyes. He’s a big guy but with no real muscle definition. Still, he could easily overpower me, so I am keeping my guard up.

“Oooh, did I strike a nerve? I like the feisty ones. Why don’t you just give in? I know you want it,” he says as he licks his lips in satisfied anticipation. What is it with some men? Thinking if they give you just the slightest bit of attention, you’ll drop your panties and bend over for them. Ugh. Gross.

I sigh in frustration. This is not how I needed my night to start. I turn to holler for Patty when an angry voice sounds out behind me, “Colby, I know your mother taught you better. She taught you to treat ALL women with respect.” I turn to see a lean dark headed man standing next to me; someone I recognize as a regular. He’s dressed in mint green scrubs and he’s staring daggers at my table of customers.

“Mind your own business, fag,” the kid who’s name I have deemed is Colby sneers at the man. The rest of the guys snicker at his comment while I gasp at the inappropriate derogatory dig. But before I have a chance to say anything in defense of this gentleman, I hear a low growl and I can feel anger radiating toward me.

“WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY TO MY MATE?!!” I look behind the first guy and see another man standing up from their booth. He is exceptionally tall with linebacker shoulders, biceps as big as my waist, honey blond hair that is cropped short and big brown eyes. And those brown eyes are flaming in anger toward my table of just barely adults.

I take in a sharp breath and step back from him, afraid to be within his warpath. Looking back at the table of teenagers, they are all cowering and have their heads down and to the right, not making eye contact. “I expect all four of you in my office tomorrow at 4am, do I make myself clear?” The new angry guy says to them, authority flowing from his words. I almost feel like I need to report to his office at 4am tomorrow as well.

“Yes, sir,” they reply in unison. I am a little shocked at the submission I am seeing in front of me. Not one of them meet his eyes or argues back. I look over at the man they just spoke to, and he doesn’t spare me a glance. He does grunt at the boys though. They in turn pull out their wallets, each putting a $20 bill on the table and quickly exit the diner followed by the big intimidating man stomping after them. The first man, the one who defended me, walks up and gently gathers the money, he turns and hands it to me with a kind smile.

“For the trouble and disrespect, Miss…” he looks at my nametag, “Rose.”

“Thank you for defending me, but the money isn’t necessary.” I say as I try to hand it back.

“Nonsense, Rose. They disrespected you. This won’t make up for it but maybe go and buy your little girl something nice,” He suggests with a smile and gestures to Maddie. I look behind me and see Maddie quietly doing her homework with her back to us. Usually, no one knows she’s mine. I look back at him with confusion, wondering how he knows, but he has already exited through the door, throwing his coat on as he goes. Well, that was weird, I think to myself. I sigh and pocket the unearned tip, but don’t complain. This can be our food money later this week.

The rest of my night at work is uneventful. I make decent tips at the diner, nothing extravagant, but it takes care of most of what we need. I would find a better paying waiting job, but no one else will let me bring Maddie with me, no matter how well behaved she is. I can’t afford a sitter. Patty is truly a saint.

After my shift, I go to gather Maddie up. She moved upstairs to Patty’s apartment hours ago and fell asleep on the couch while reading a supernatural thriller. I don’t know how she reads those books and not have nightmares, but she doesn’t. She loves the stories of all the crazy fictional creatures, ghosts, vampires, witches, fairies and even werewolves.

First, I gather her things into her school backpack and strap it on my back. Then I put my work duffle bag, where I already stuffed my purse, over my head and right shoulder in a cross-body position. I put Maddie in her coat and winter wear, then I pick her up to carry her home. She’s still sound asleep in my arms.

The walk home is so tiring. Fifteen blocks carrying my daughter and all our things, in the snow and cold. By the time we arrive, I am beat, but I trudge up the four flights of stairs because the elevator has been broken for the four years we’ve lived here. Getting out of the stairwell, I see Mr. Newsome, the building’s superintendent knocking on my door.

“Can I help you, Mr. Newsome?” I ask as I approach, digging for my keys.

“Ms. Landers, you haven’t paid rent this week,” he says politely, but with a slight frown.

“I didn’t have time to go to the bank this weekend for a cashier’s check, so I paid in cash. I let you know on Friday that I would do that on Sunday, and I did put the envelope in the drop box Sunday evening.” I tell him, confused. I’ve definitely paid our rent this week.

“I’m sorry Ms. Landers, but there was no cash in the box. I need your rent, or you and Maddie will have to move out by Wednesday night.” He says with a sigh. Mr. Newsome is a good and kindhearted man and understands my situation. After all, he is breaking the rules by letting us both live in the tiny apartment. But I don’t understand how my rent could up and disappear, unless his bitch of a wife stole it. I also don’t have any extra other than the tips I received tonight, which is exactly enough for this week’s rent. A tear slips down my face as I reach into my pocket and pull out the money I have on me, and hand it over to him. Mr. Newsome nods at me and wishes me a goodnight after he counts it. I guess I won’t be eating this week. Again. At least we still have a roof over our heads that isn’t the women’s shelter. I sigh and go inside to put Maddie down for bed.