The Big Bad Wolf

“Look at you, always hard at work.”

R.J. was engrossed in a report from the distribution department when the familiar voice startled her.

A wide smile spread across her face as she recognized the voice. She quickly got up from her desk, barefoot and dressed in a snug pantsuit, and rushed to hug her grandfather.

His scent, a comforting mix of musk and earth, filled her nostrils as he held her close. “Hey, Jelly Bean,” he greeted her.

Benjamin Robinson, the founder of Robinson Tech, held his granddaughter at arm’s length, taking in her appearance. Her blue-gray eyes were a clear sign of her Robinson lineage.

Her thick, dark blonde hair was naturally curly, just like her mother’s. She was the spitting image of his late daughter. Anyone who knew the family could see the resemblance.

“What brings you here?” she asked, her smile wide.

“Your grandmother and I just got back from Australia and thought we’d drop by. We missed you,” he replied.

R.J. playfully rolled her eyes and went to fetch her flats. Arm in arm, they left her office and began to wander the halls of the company.

She filled him in on the company’s progress and the recent upgrades they’d made. They eventually found her grandmother in the marketing department.

Martha Robinson had been a marketing director for fifteen years. Her advice was always well received by the employees whenever she visited.

“Hello, darling,” Martha cooed, hugging her granddaughter tightly and kissing both her cheeks.

“Hi, Grams. How was the trip?” R.J. asked.

“Just as beautiful and relaxing as it was four years ago. You should come with us next time. You’re always working so hard,” she replied, tucking a loose strand of R.J.’s hair behind her ear.

“Soon, Grams, but for now, I have a company and a pack to run.”

Martha shrugged nonchalantly and pulled her away from her grandfather. “Is Chaswick in? I haven’t seen him in ages. You’d think living in the same neighborhood, we’d see each other more.”

Benjamin rolled his eyes at his wife’s little rant as they made their way to the accounting department.

Benjamin Robinson was the former alpha of a small yet respected pack named Red Wolf. The pack had its own little town on the outskirts of the county.

The alpha and luna had three pups, two boys and one girl. The eldest was Benjamin Jr., the current alpha; Sebastian, the second son, now lived in Japan; and Marian was the youngest of the family.

The loss of their daughter had been hard on them, but having a piece of her with them helped ease the pain.

Benjamin Sr. had helped his pack members in many ways when they either left the pack to follow their mates or decided to live a human life.

Chaswick Thomas was the former beta of Red Wolf and the company’s senior accountant, as well as Benjamin and Martha’s best friend.

“He should be in by now,” R.J. commented as they entered the elevator.

“You’ve done well, Jelly Bean. I saw your article in the Times and the spread in ~People.~ Youngest female CEO. Visionary in the gaming industry. Doing what you love.

“Keep at it, Jelly; it will never let you down. I’m proud to see the company grow. Your mother would have been so proud,” Benjamin said, pulling her into his arms.

She blushed at his words and returned his hug.

They were her biggest cheerleaders in whatever she did. They hadn’t doubted her strength when she’d become alpha and CEO in one year. They’d both known she would make them proud.

They arrived on the accounting floor and were surprised to find the office at the end closed. Chaswick always kept his door open to everyone, even though his office was made of seventy-five percent glass.

The employees greeted the owners past and present with hugs and smiles as they made their way to the senior accountant’s door.

“Timothy, has Chaswick called in sick?” R.J. asked a fellow accountant who was heading back to his cubicle.

“Not that I know of,” he replied, frowning.

They asked two more coworkers before calling his personal number, only to reach his voicemail.

“Call Emily. She might know,” Benjamin suggested to his wife.

With growing concern, she dialed Chaswick’s mate.

“Martha? Oh, God. Martha, where are you?” Emily’s tearful voice answered after three rings.

“Em. What’s wrong? We’re at the office. Where’s Chaswick?” Martha replied, her voice filled with panic.

“Chaz was in an accident. We’re at Ellis Medical. They’re not telling me anything. They just rushed him to emergency surgery as soon as he arrived at the ER.

“I need you guys. The kids are on their way.” Emily managed to say all this in one breath, but it was enough to get all three of them moving.

R.J. canceled all her meetings for the rest of the day and accompanied her grandparents to the hospital.

Ellis Medical had been built by the royals, one or two for every county, depending on the population size.

They catered to all supernaturals and humans with top-of-the-line equipment and excellent service.

They reached the hospital in no time, rushing through the doors in search of Emily. They found her pacing the floor, running her hands through her black-and-gray hair.

Her eyes were red, and they could see the tension in her body.

“Em,” Martha called out.

Emily paused to look up and ran into the arms of her dear friend.

“It’s been so long. No one can tell me anything.” She sobbed on Martha’s shoulder.

Benjamin rubbed her back for comfort, his eyes filled with worry. His gaze was fixed on the double doors marked Authorized Personnel Only.

“Auntie Em?” R.J. called out. Emily’s head shot up at the sound of the young alpha’s voice.

“Jelly? Oh, sweetie,” she cried, stumbling towards her.

R.J. held onto the woman who’d made sure she finished high school and had been there for her when she needed her.

“I should have noticed he wasn’t in,” she said regretfully.

“Don’t worry, sweetheart. He was just late because he was waiting for the kids’ plane. It got delayed,” Emily tried to explain.

They all sat in the waiting room for an hour. The sound of hurried footsteps snapped them out of their thoughts.

Emily broke down again when her two sons rushed in. The boys immediately went to their mother, dropping to their knees in front of her. She cradled their heads in her lap, trying to soothe them.

It was heartbreaking to see two grown men crying, clinging to their mother like she was their lifeline. Chase and Cameron, thirty-four and thirty years old respectively, were devoted sons.

They never wanted to leave their hometown of Red Wolf, but they were exceptional in their college majors. Their parents encouraged them to follow their dreams after they received high recommendations and job offers outside their small town.

Chase Thomas was a successful freelance journalist, traveling to places he’d only dreamed of.

Cameron Thomas, only thirty, was the head chef at a prestigious five-star restaurant in New York.

His ultimate dream was to return home and open his own restaurant in the city, closer to his parents.

“How long has he been in surgery?” Cameron asked.

“Two hours,” R.J. answered absentmindedly, her gaze fixed on the beige wall in front of her. Her suit was wrinkled, her hair was in a messy bun, her eyes were red and puffy, and her leg was bouncing with anxiety.

The uncertainty was eating them all alive.

“Jelly?” The boys finally noticed the girl they’d come to consider as their sister. They rushed over to her, hugging her tightly, thanking her for staying with their mother.

“He would have done the same for me,” she replied, resting her head on Chase’s shoulder.

The boys greeted their uncle and aunt before falling silent.

Two more hours passed, and R.J. had to keep in touch with work, especially the accounting department.

Approvals needed to be made, budgets needed to be reviewed, and clients’ profits needed to be monitored. On top of that, she had responsibilities with other departments.

They all watched her silently as she paced the floor, offering solutions to her coworkers.

Benjamin smiled with pride, while Martha and Emily saw a stressed woman who needed a break. Cameron and Chase were simply in awe of how much she had grown.

She was incredibly attractive, with naturally pouty lips that begged to be kissed, curves that any man would die to hold, and flawless pale skin that was smooth as silk.

R.J. Macallister was a walking temptation.

The doors swung open, and a doctor in scrubs walked out, scanning the waiting room. “Family of Chaswick Thomas?” he called out.

They all rushed over to him.

“Spouse?”

“I am,” Emily said, her voice hoarse.

The doctor gave her a small smile and seemed to relax a bit. “The surgery was successful. However, his injuries were severe, even for a purebred wolf.

“As you know, he was in a three-car pileup and was the only one severely injured. He’s in a coma now, both wolf and human.

“It will take some time for him to wake up. His bones and tissue will take longer to regenerate due to his age.

“Mr. Thomas’s right leg was broken in three places, and he has six broken ribs. His jaw was also broken, and his arm was broken when he braced for impact.”

They all froze in shock as he quickly explained, gesturing to the parts of his body.

“Additionally, one of his ribs pierced his lung, but we were able to repair it. Recovery and rehabilitation will be difficult for Mr. Thomas. He will need his family’s support,” he continued.

“Thank you, doctor. Thank you so much,” the family all said at once in relief. After a few minutes of sorting out his room and future therapy services, they made their way to see Chaswick.

Emily and her sons went in first, while the Robinsons stayed put. R.J. sent word to everyone at the office that Chaswick was okay but would be out of commission for some time.

After their visit and paying the medical bills, the Robinsons went their separate ways.

Back at the office, everyone was asking about his condition, making calls to send care packages for his family, and asking when to go visit.

What truly surprised R.J. was the presence of Shane. He was looking out the window, enjoying the view.

“Hey, you,” she called out.

“Hi. How is he?” he greeted her, pulling her into a hug.

She reiterated what the doctor had told them as she sank into her office chair. She was exhausted, and it was only 2 p.m.

“He’ll pull through. Till then, are you sure you can handle his workload?” Shane asked, concerned.

R.J. looked at the files on her desk, then at the large TV screen behind her, which displayed different department heads’ work schedules and their projects.

“Piece of cake.”

“R.J., what about the pack review? It’s in three days. All alphas must be present for the whole day.”

“Shit. I forgot,” she muttered, shaking out her hair from the messy bun.

“You’re not weak if you ask for help,” he advised, leaning against her desk. He was tempted to brush the hair away from her face but managed to restrain himself.

“Thanks, Shane. Maybe I will ask Pops. He knows people that can help with accounts. Shit. And payroll has to be done soon. I really need help, don’t I?” she said, looking up at him.

He smiled down at her and simply nodded.

“I’ll leave you to it. See you tonight? My men and I will be over around eight.”

She nodded in acknowledgment as an email came in, demanding her attention.

“Bye, pretty girl,” he mumbled, kissing her head before finally leaving.

“Jelly? How are you doing, baby girl?” Benjamin greeted R.J. called him an hour later.

“I-I…,” she began before ending with a sigh. The words her father had drilled into her came back to her. Never show weakness, even to your own blood.

She was drowning in paperwork.

She’d never realized how much work the accounting department did for the company and how important it was to meet deadlines for approving budgets. Missed deadlines slowed down production everywhere.

“Sweetie, what’s going on?” her grandfather asked, his voice gentle.

“I...I need...help.”

“That’s it. Never be scared to ask for help. We’re family. We’re always here for you. I sent you an email with some info that might be useful.

“Your grandma and I are heading back to the hospital. Oh, and Junior wanted me to remind you about the pack reviews. Royal Delta Zac is in charge of this territory this year. Good luck, sweetie.”

“Thanks, Pops. Give them my love,” she replied before ending the call. She put the pack reviews out of her mind for now and opened the email her grandfather had sent her.

Charles & Woods Accounting Firm

Appointment: Friday at ten in the morning

She jotted down the address and set a reminder on her phone. “Here’s hoping these guys can really help me,” she murmured to herself before diving back into her mountain of work.