Page 48 of Luna Trials
I needed the internet. Never in my life had I thought I’d miss it this much.
I grabbed my phone, seeing the missed call from the unknown number, and mentally kicked myself. If anyone could help me right now, it was Clara. Too bad I had to wait for phone hours to talk with her again. One day I would make friends who weren’t incarcerated.
The phone pinged with a new text.
Papa:How’s my girl?
Aspen:Hanging in there.
I hit send and stared at the phone, wondering if I should…
Aspen:Can you do me a favor?
I waited a whole three minutes for him to respond after it showed as read. The reply dots kept blinking at me.
Aspen:Are you still there?
Papa:I was waiting for you to tell me the favor.
Laughing, I typed out my request.
Papa:If I get rabies from the inmate coyote shifter, I’m blaming you.
Aspen:You can’t say things like that! And Clara won’t hurt you.
Papa:I didn’t say it. I text it.
Goddess help me.
I wasn’t cut out for this.
17
Ranger
“Did you have any issues with your credentials?” I looked Ivan over as he stood in my room. The wolf shifter shook his head. The scar running from his cheek to his eyebrow added to his menacing stance. He was a big beast with a gym obsession and never missed leg day, but was also one of the smartest mutts I’d ever met.
When I took over the Alpha position of McCaw, one of the first things I did was get him off the xylazine so that brain of his didn’t rot. A few showers and a degree later, he was head of my IT department. Fredrick would have told me not to trust a junkie hooked on wolf tranquilizers.
But Fredrick was dead.
“Alpha, all due respect, but the security is garbage. I’ve only been here an afternoon and I already found a few leaks. The western edge of the property isn’t marked. The software they use for uploading the show to the main servers is itching for an attack.”
I held up my hand before he went full nerd on me. “It doesn’t matter.”
Ivan scratched the back of his shaved head. “Mattox and the rest of the guys are right to be worried. I’d like to get a bigger team up here. Theycan camp out in the national forest if you don’t want them at the resort.”
“No.” I sighed. We’d been over this. Although I appreciated their loyalty, it wasn’t necessary right now.
“I’ll do what I can to protect you, but I seriously recommend you reconsider getting more backup out here.” His crestfallen look made me smile.
“Do you think I need backup?”
“That’s not what I’m saying.” He frowned.
“Ivan, sit down. You’re making me nervous.” I laughed. “This isn’t why I called you here.”
“Then why?” Ivan sat heavily on the sofa, staring at me like a lost pup.