72


    Chapter 72 – Asher


    The way Alli had dismissed me had made me feel like my presence had been unnecessary. Made


    me feel like a fool, despite the fact Eden had asked me to go there on her behalf. I could not shake


    the thought now that perhaps Bailey was wondering why I had turned up to see her before she


    began her new job. Would she think I didn’t think she was capable? I truly hope that wasn’t the


    case, or else I would owe her another apology. I seemed to be racking up a list of apologies I owed


    the poor girl…


    Why do you care so much?’ Zion piped up as I stepped back into the packhouse.


    ‘What?’ I questioned.


    ‘Why do you care so much what the new girl thinks?’ he asks. gleefully.


    ‘I don’t care. I just don’t want her thinking badly of me when she has just arrived.’ I huffed.


    ‘So you don’t care what she thinks. But you do care if she thinks. badly of you when she has just


    arrived?’ Zion chuckled to


    himself. ‘Go figure. But it is okay, I assume if, after a few


    months, she realizes you are a total jacka** and thinks badly of you?’


    ‘Seriously Zion.’ I warned him.


    “What?’ he asks innocently. ‘I not doing nothing.”


    I stormed along the corridor angry now, by the way my wolf seemed to love irritating me, not to


    mention I had yet to even. have my f**g morning coffee, since Alli had booted me from the school


    before my coffee had been drinkable. It had still been at the hot asva level when I had put the


    mug to my mouth. So drinking it hadn’t been an option.


    ‘Hey Asher.’ Eden’s voice rang through the mindlink just as I opined my office door, making me roll


    my eyes. Great, just what I needed. Her giving me a hard time now. Did I ever get a break in this


    b**dy ce? I swear it was one thing after another…


    ‘Hello Eden.’


    ‘How is my new girl doing?’ she asked sweetly. How kind, she doesn’t even ask how I am, or how


    my day is going. Straight to the work she has me running around doing for her. Nice… Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    ‘You should know, seeing as you had already messaged her.’ I said bluntly, far from impressed that


    she had sent me all the way to school to apparently check in with Bailey for her when Eden had


    already messaged her.


    ‘Oh, she told you.’ Eden chuckled. ‘I was kind of hoping she wouldn’t.’


    ‘Hmm. Imagine that. So, why did you make me rush over there?’ I demanded, far from impressed


    with my friend’s mate. ‘Missed my morning coffee because of you.’ I snapped.


    ‘Oh Ash, stop being such a grump-a-lump.’ She teased. ‘Missing one of your million daily coffees


    isn’t likely to harm you. May even do you some good, you know? Besides, I thought getting out of


    your office might do you good too. And it does look good that we are going there to show her the


    senior team are


    17.90%


    ?


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    weing her.’


    I already told you, that I weed her when she arrived. That was difficult enough. And you


    weed her by messaging her Eden. I don’t think I needed to get out of my office. If I do, I can.


    make that call. I don’t need you doing it for me.’


    ‘Ash, don’t be snappy. I know it is difficult, and I know you have likely reached your monthly people


    interaction level for this month, but we cannot risk losing her. So, go check how she got on when


    she is done for the day, for me, please? You know I would do it, but this mini-Caleb inside my huge


    belly is being a pain and making life difficult, you know that, right?’ she links, sounding almost


    deste with me. Go**it. She was maniptive when she wanted to be. Making me feel sorry for


    her. It isn’t her fault she is stuck in the hospital…


    ‘Fine.’ I snapped. Hating that I was too soft. Giving in far too easily.


    ‘Aww, you are the best. Thanks!’ and with that she was gone, cutting the mindlink, like that was the


    only reason she had linked me in the first ce. There and then gone, leaving me to my paperwork.


    Eurgh, I swear, sometimes Eden was unbearable.


    After hours of paperwork and dashing to various ces around the packpleting tasks of both


    mine and the Alpha, I realized the time was now nearing for the end of the school day, so I figured I


    had best make my way up to the school or else Eden would no doubt be hunting me down to give


    me one hell of a hard time for not doing as I was told, and quite frankly, I did not need that. I already


    had a headache. And I knew just how capable she was of making my headache worse…


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    I rushed from the busy packhouse. Out into the sunshine, which was slightly more bearable than it


    had been this morning, now I had had several coffees, and I was functioning as close to normal as


    my body got. As I reached near the school grounds I could hearughter, and I looked up, to see


    Bailey out in the grounds of the school with the children who, I assume, are her ss. I stood for a


    moment, as I saw her smiling down at them. She was kneeling on the grass, surrounded by the


    youngsters, all around six years of age, and I could see her gently touching them on the head,


    before they touched her head in response. And she wasughing as they did. I wasn’t close enough


    to know what she was saying or doing, but whatever it was, the children were smiling and looking at


    their new teacher in awe. And strangely, the sight warmed my heart…


    I walked a little closer, nning to wait until school had finished before going into the school


    building, already dreading the thought of seeing the other teachers. Though seeing Bailey was far


    from the top of my list of things I wanted to do. I continued to watch her as I waited though, intrigued


    by the way she was sofortable with the children, and the way they too seemed at ease in her


    presence. I found myself smiling at the way her eyes seemed to light up as she smiled at the


    children… How she was so full of enthusiasm… Maybe Eden had been right. Maybe she was what


    the pack needed. She looked like a natural.


    A sudden sound startled me, as what could only be described as close to a purr slipped from me, or


    should I say from Zion, as I watched Bailey teach her ss. I quickly moved to behind a nearby


    tree, leaning heavily on the trunk of the tree, my body almost trembling in shock. I needed to move


    before she saw


    me.


    ‘What the hell was that?’ I demanded of my wolf. Confused at


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    his reaction to her. This was not how a wolf should be acting towards some random she-wolf.


    But suddenly my wolf had gone quiet. There was no reaction nor response from him. He seemed to


    have gone awol…