Chapter 141
Chapter 141
Logan--
James:
Did you read these notes before you had them sent to me?
Me:
I skimmed them, but nothing stood out.
Do you have questions about something?
James:
She earmarked three groups but didn’t explain why.
She also put recommendations at the end. They’re related, but not explained.
Me:
I’ll schedule her to come your way
James:
Send her with Hammer
I sigh at the reminder of Landon’s request. Hammer has been going back and forth between my pack and James’ for months now, and he’s finally starting to smell normal for our pack members. I’m sure it irritates noses at the security building, but he’s been an asset the whole time. Landon is understandably tired of sharing his Beta role with an “outsider” but he’s the one that caused the issue. I know sending Hammer back is the right thing to do, but it’s hard to trust one of our security teams with Emory’s safety when Hammer is twice the size of most shifters.
On top of that, I now need to have conversations with Hammer, Landon and Cora. I’ll have to be delicate with Landon and Cora, too, because he’ll be pissed at me for sending her anywhere without him– their mating is still too new to tolerate anyone else protecting her– and Cora is so fucking independent that she’ll resent me for asking Landon to “allow” her to go anywhere. I can almost hear the argument already. You’re right, he’s not her daddy. She’s a grown- ass woman. Emory, of course, understands her point of view perfectly. It’s a discussion we had to have more than once before we settled it between the two of us.
I know that, little rose. Landon knows it, too. But she’s also his brand- new fated mate and a human, on top of that. There are instincts there that can’t be denied. She’s more sympathetic to the issues that tread on our instincts since she found her own wolf. There are some things that are simply impossible to fight, like the mate bond. I don’t know how much Cora will understand– still being a human– but surely she could try?
Emory sighs across the pack house. It feels like she might be in the kitchen, but I’m not positive since she’s distracted by my problems. Let me talk to her first. This will take some explaining. I’m perfectly fine with that. Emory can take the brunt of Cora’s feminist rage and I can meet with her after she’s already been talked down. Seems like a win for me in all respects.
The next item on my list is Hammer, of course. I tap out his code on the comms system. Each member of our security team has their own code that we can just tap to request their presence– a shortened version of their name in Morse code, just to keep things simple. Tapped out once, it’s a request, twice is a demand and only to be used in extreme situations. Hammer is still in my office before ten minutes have passed.
He stands in front of my desk, hands clasped at the small of his back. I’ve since learned that it’s called ‘at ease’ and impossible to get him to stop doing. I’m not sure Hammer has ever sat in this room– I’ve never seen him sit at all outside of the kitchen or a car. “You called for me, sir?”
I twitch like always at his use of sir instead of Alpha, but I shouldn’t. I’m not technically his Alpha, after all. “Yes, thank you for coming so quickly. How are the security teams coming along, Hammer?”
There’s a brief pause that betrays his confusion, but I never would have noticed if I hadn’t been looking for it. No emotion shows on his face. “They’re coming along well. There are a few standouts that pull the rest of their teams along faster. Every class has a star. I’ve explained in more detail in my reports.”
Ah, yes. The reports. I hear Emory snickering in my head, and she has reason to. The reports make up the bulk of my reading now that I’ve stepped back from my company, and they’re always full of terms I’m just barely starting to understand. “Yes, but that isn’t why I asked. Do you think the teams are ready to learn and improve without such close supervision?”
Hammer’s shoulders shift minutely as he grasps what I’m not saying. “I think you’ll need someone once a month for each team to make sure they’re progressing and introduce new ideas periodically, but they all know how to spar safely now. That should be enough to keep them sharp, along with the drills we’ve been running from the beginning.”
Nodding slowly, I process this information. James won’t be happy about still sending one of his best here once or twice a week– less if Landon alters the rotation to accommodate– but it’s much better than having him here almost every day. “Excellent. Do whatever you need to do to make it a smooth transition. Any questions or requests for me about it?”
He shakes his head sharply, ready to get to work. “Not unless this is because I did something wrong.”
That’s easy. I reply with a smile. “No, this is because you’ve performed so well. We need to stand on our own. James misses having you around.”
Hammer’s mouth twitches at the thought of James caring about him like that– his equivalent of a full grin. “Can’t leave him waiting, then. Consider it done.” That’s one item on my list taken care of. I rub the back of my neck, trying to think of the best way to talk to Landon and Cora. Maybe it’ll be better to let Emory soften her up before I decide on a strategy.