Chapter 7 You Don't Belong Here
"Of course not," Rhett said and scanned Alicia and Mr. Howard, his eyes flickering back and forth between them. Finally, he fixed his gaze on Alicia, drinking in the deep olive green of her eyes. "Allie, since Mr. Howard trusts you, this time the project will be yours," he said in a soft yet firm voice.
"Thank you, Mr. Rhett. I won't let you down," Alicia replied, her heart pounding with excitement.
"Excellent," Damian interjected, though he thought Alicia should have thanked him first. Still, seeing the radiant smile on her face made the few hours he'd wasted here worthwhile.
Lilith, however, was less enthusiastic. "Congratulations, Alicia," she said, her words squeezed out through gritted teeth.
Rhett placed a reassuring hand on Alicia's shoulder. "You have a talent for design, Allie. My colleagues and I, even members of my pack, will support and assist you in any way we can. Make the most of your talents," he said, his gray-blue eyes full of admiration.
Damian noticed Rhett's hand on Alicia's shoulder and grunted. "My Beta Lyon will be here soon to handle contract follow-up. I expect to see design drafts for the villa courtyard in Los Angeles by the weekend."
"This is outside the rules, Alpha Rhett. Alicia is only a junior-level designer and is not qualified to work on Alpha clients' projects." Lilith pointed out to Rhett after Damian left. Her tone revealed her dissatisfaction with Alpha Rhett for giving Alicia such an important project.
"Lily, you know Alpha Damian specifically requested Allie to design his court. I must honor my client's wishes," Alpha Rhett replied, shrugging his shoulders.
"But it's risky. If Alpha Damian isn't satisfied with her design, we'll not only lose the client, but it will also tarnish our reputation at Shinfancy Pack," Beta Lilith countered, her voice filled with concern.
"In severe cases, it may even spark a feud with the Moon Halo Pack, which is crawling with rogues. Alpha Rhett, as your Beta, I must urge you to reconsider," Lilith added, her tone tense.
Alicia bit her lip, feeling her heart sink as she listened to Lilith's words. She knew that Lilith had a valid point.
"I understand your concerns, Lily," Alpha Rhett frowned, "but we need to provide opportunities for new designers to grow. How else can they progress?"
"We can't afford to have a major client's project serve as a training ground for a junior designer," Lilith argued.
"Calm down, Lily. I already told you that I and the other designers at the studio will support Allie with the design. And if you have any good ideas, send me a draft by Friday," Alpha Rhett said, his Alpha voice commanding obedience from his pack members.
"Yes, Alpha Rhett," Lilith replied, her fingers clenched into a tight fist at her side. She turned and quickly exited the conference room, unable to disobey the Alpha's orders, but still upset that Alicia had been given such a significant opportunity.
"Thank you, Alpha Rhett," Alicia said, feeling grateful for his trust in her. She couldn't believe her luck in having such a boss who was willing to fight for her opportunities even at great risk.
"Come on! If you want to thank me, show me your best work! Prove to everyone that you have the talent and ability, Allie. I believe in you," Alpha Rhett encouraged Alicia in a soft yet firm voice.
"I will!" Alicia replied with determination.
"And don't hesitate to ask for help if you hit a roadblock in your design," Rhett reminded her before she left the room.
"Understood, Mr. Rhett," Alicia replied with a smile.
She couldn't believe she had landed such a great opportunity until the next morning when she received the project proposal for Alpha Damian's courtyard.
Her first independent design project! How exciting for her! It was as if a few butterflies were fluttering happily in her stomach as Alicia sat at her design desk and went over the details of the Alpha Damian Courtyard Project Proposal.
Alicia was engrossed in her work when Lilith suddenly appeared in her office. "Alicia, there's a problem with the project proposal you submitted yesterday. Come to my office, I need an explanation from you," Lilith said curtly.
Feeling uneasy, Alicia followed Lilith to her office. She had already double-checked her proposal before sending it and couldn't imagine what could be wrong with it. Lilith's cold and distant demeanor didn't help her nerves.
"Sit down," Lilith commanded, pointing to a chair opposite her with an unhappy face.
"What's wrong with my project proposal?" Alicia asked.
"You come from a small pack, and you're only a junior-level designer. I don't understand why Alpha Rhett and the client chose you for this project," Lilith said, her tone sharp, her words dripping with disdain.
"I don't know, maybe because they believe in my abilities." Alicia shrugged, uncomfortable under Lilith's scrutiny.
Lilith sneered, "Abilities? What abilities? Look at you. Blonde hair, olive eyes, rosy lips. You're just a pretty face. Vivian was right. You do seduce other he-wolves."
Lilith finished commenting on Alicia's appearance and said a name that shocked Alicia.
"Vivian? You know her?" Alicia raised her guard, her heart about to jump into her throat.
"Of course I do! She's my best friend. And I heard that you seduced her mate, Alpha Ellis Wilton. Seriously, have you never noticed that you come from a small pack? How dare you try to seduce the Alpha of the Golden Moon Pack?" Lilith crossed her arms and looked at Alicia with contempt.
\[She doesn't know I'm married to Alpha Ellis' brother!\] Realizing this, Alicia felt her heart beat steadily in her chest again, though Lilith's misunderstanding of her made her feel upset and furious.
With a heavy sigh, Alicia decided to confront Lilith about her unprofessional behavior.
"Look, Lilith, my personal life is none of your business. If you're here to tell me you and Vivian have a good relationship, then I've heard it. If my project proposal is okay, I'll leave. I have a new assignment to do," Alicia said, her tone betraying her frustration. She didn't want to waste any more time on this conversation.
But Lilith had other plans. "A new assignment? You mean Mr. Howard's project, right? We'll see. I'm going to prove to Alpha Rhett that you're a total misfit for this studio," she declared, pointing an accusing finger at Alicia.
"Okay! I will fully respect Mr. Rhett's final decision," Alicia replied calmly, turning to leave. She didn't want to engage in any further arguments.
"You're an outsider! You don't belong here!" Lilith shouted after Alicia.
Alicia didn't answer, trying to stop her tears. It was true that she was the only designer in the studio who wasn't part of the Shinfancy Pack, but she was determined to prove her worth with her work.
Alicia tried to ignore Lilith's harsh words and focus on her project. However, after discarding several drafts, she began to feel the pressure mounting. She had made several drafts based on Mr. Howard's project proposal, but she knew she needed more information about Mr. Howard's preferences, but the proposal lacked the necessary details.
Then, Alicia remembered that Alpha Ellis was friends with Damian. Perhaps he could provide some insight into Damian's tastes. She searched her phone and found Damian Howard. Oh, yes. She had forgotten that Mr. Howard had left his contact information on her phone after that night.
Just then, her personal email pinged with a new alert. It was from Mr. Howard. Alicia's heart skipped a beat as she clicked on the email.