Factors of Change Ch. 01

My wolf was jumping excitedly in my mind, her tail wagging madly.Alpha!she kept repeating. I tried to shush her and breathe deeply, but she simply wouldn't stop.Alpha!she exclaimed once again.More!

***

"Does that happen often?" I asked fifteen minutes later at the team meeting, after I had been briefed on the impending mandatory visit from the Alpha into our office. Ten heads swiveled towards me, and M. Beaulieu gave me a patient look, not unlike what you would give a two-year-old who'd asked yet another question beginning with "why".

"He visits all of the pack businesses quite regularly," he said patiently. "He does have a lot to see, though, and I believe he has many other things to do. So no, he doesn't come often. Every few years, I'd say." He frowned slightly, glancing down at the papers on the conference table. "Though they usually warn in advance."

"Is that such a problem?" I asked him, and he glanced up to give me a funny look. "I mean... We answer calls, solve complaints, and retain customers. Should we be doing anything differently?"

"I'm counting on all of you to be doing everythingperfectly," he corrected, and raised an eyebrow as he scanned our anxious faces. "This is the first visit we get from Alpha St-Louis since his election and I want him to come out of here thinking we are an absolutely flawless team." He smirked at that, and gave us a wink. "Which you already are. So it should be easy, right?"

***

The morning went by rather quickly, relatively speaking. The first few hours went by, and my heart leaped up into my throat each time someone appeared at my door. I kept lecturing myself: one minute in an elevator with a handsome male, and I felt like a teenager crushing on the school's star quarterback. But at the same time, I was very intrigued with the suddenness of the feeling I had experienced: how heat had spread through my blood without warning. Intrigued, also – especially – with how he had seemed as surprised and curious as I was; he had felt it too, I could have sworn it.

What did that mean, if it meant anything? Was it only that he smelled heavenly? I smirked at the idea, but my wolf woofed gently at the memory. If it wasn't the smell alone, it certainly helped.

"Leah?"

"Mmm?" I looked up from the report I had been pretending to read, completely distracted by my thoughts, to find my boss standing in the doorframe. He gave me a small, but confident smile before he stepped aside into my office. My heart stopped for a second, before resuming at an ungodly pace.

The Alpha walked into my office, flanked with the same two betas that had been with him in the elevator. Whatever those two had seen then, they were certainly not ignoring me now and were looking at me with polite but obvious curiosity. Gabriel St-Louis, though, seemed to have frozen in his steps a few feet into the room. His lips first curved up into a handsome smile when our eyes met. Then his scent reached me.

It wafted up and around me to invade my senses again, seemingly filling the whole office with holiday spices and undeniable power. A hint of greenery and warm earth tickled my nose, sending a slight, delicious shiver down my spine. It screamed male, and strength, and safety and warmth. I wanted to smell it forever. Hell, I wanted tobreatheit. My wolf moaned in agreement as I stared back at him, and felt my lips turn up into a smile that echoed his own.

"Alpha Sir," M. Beaulieu said in a formal tone, "let me introduce you to my best client relationship agent, miss Leah Grey. Leah, meet Alpha Gabriel St-Louis and our prime and second betas, Cedric Provencher and William Griffin." The two betas nodded their head in turn at me and I nodded back solemnly, though I could hardly tear my gaze from Gabriel's.

"It's a pleasure meeting you, Leah," he said suddenly, surprising me. Whatever I had expected, it wasn't this deep, smooth voice, and my insides melted like ice in the sun.

"The pleasure's all mine, Alpha Sir," I replied with a polite nod.You bet,my wolf barked happily, and I scolded her mentally.Down, girl!

Gabriel stepped forward, looking around my office before returning his eyes to me. "How long have you been working here, Leah?" he asked. He had a very light French accent that showed in shortened vowels, but it certainly didn't take anything away from his charm.

I cleared my throat. "Almost two years, Sir. I moved from London to Montreal and my contact there was able to find me a place in one of your companies."

"From London?" He arched an eyebrow in curiosity. He had reached my desk by then, facing me, and I was having trouble breathing. "What made you want to come here?"

You did,I almost blurted out. I felt compelled to say the truth, reassured by the respectful, but intense curiosity in his pale eyes. "I'm... I guess I'm just looking for a place to fit in, Sir."

He hadn't been expecting that, and it made him frown in confusion, but my boss lightly cleared his throat to get the men's attention before the Alpha could ask more. "Leah is wonderful. She fit in very quickly with the others when she started here, and took over many responsibilities when she came in. She leads the team beautifully and gets very high ratings from the customers."

"And yet, she only has this position," Gabriel said matter-of-factly.

M. Beaulieu's mouth opened in surprise, but he closed it quickly. "I'm sorry, Sir?"

"I do not like seeing the pack's potential and skills wasted," the Alpha added. "I thought you just said she had good leadership skills. Why is she only in customer service?"

"She..." M. Beaulieu sputtered. "It's an omega position and... She's... well she is an omega, Sir."

"An omega?" Gabriel looked back at me, surprised. I looked back for a long moment before realizing that I was only confirming the error in my status by holding his gaze. I quickly lowered it, but Gabriel chuckled and turned back to my boss. "Omegas have many talents, but usually not in leadership. You just said she did."

"The London pack gave me her status when she was hired," M. Beaulieu said quickly, growing more nervous by the second. "She was given the omega status when she... when she was... Turned." The word died on his lips as he realized his mistake, and he bit his lower lip. "Sir."

The two silent enforcers gave M. Beaulieu a glare, but Gabriel didn't look the slightest bit upset by this diplomatic faux pas. If anything, he looked like he was enjoying himself as he chuckled and walked back to face my superior. "You don't think Turned wolves can be anything else than omegas, M. Beaulieu?"

"I'm sorry. No. There are exceptions to every rule, Alpha Sir," M. Beaulieu said quickly.

"Indeed there are," the Alpha said in a tolerant tone. "And that is exactly why mademoiselle Grey here is wasting her potential."

I was suddenly annoyed that they would discuss my talents and my job as if I was a misplaced piece of art. "In all due respect, Sir," I said suddenly, and all four heads swivelled towards me, "Idolike my job. I don'twanta more important position."

The two betas took on equally surprised expressions, and M. Beaulieu looked endlessly relieved. Alpha St-Louis, though, narrowed his eyes at me in a thoughtful manner. He was silent for a moment, before he tilted his head to the side. "Leave us," he addressed the other men. "I would speak to Leah alone for a moment."

M. Beaulieu gave me a slightly worried look before turning and exiting with the betas. The glass door closed gently behind them, and Gabriel turned to face me again. He sighed gently and seemed to relax somewhat. I bit my lower lip. "I'm sorry if I was too forward," I hurried to explain. "I meant no disrespect..."

"It was not disrespectful, and there is no need for excuses," he said calmly, and walked over to stand in front of my desk again. "I think you simply want to avoid conflict. But in doing so, you are penalizing yourself."

I pursed my lips. He was right about me not wanting conflict with M. Beaulieu; experience had taught me I would never win anything from confrontation. "I appreciate the compliment, Sir. I just... I just don't think it's worth the trouble."

"No?" He frowned. "Do you think it was easy for me to be where I am now?" I had barely shaken my head, but he continued. "Do you not think it was worth it?"

"It isn't the same thing. You are the Alpha," I said, shaking my head. "Of course it was worth the trouble. But... what amIsupposed to be? What can I hope to become? Assistant manager?" I frowned. "And then what? I would still be working here, still under M. Beaulieu's orders, and they would all think that I don't...deserveit. And eventually..." I shrugged helplessly, and let my hands drop to my sides. "I've been through this before, Sir. It's just... not worth it."

"Mmm," he simply replied, watching my face thoughtfully, before he turned and walked around the desk to stand in front of me. I tilted up my face: hewastall, at least 4 or 5 inches taller than I. His scent washed afresh around me, enveloping me in a warm cocoon, and I pursed my lips tightly to hide my reaction from him. His nostrils flared suddenly, though, and I wondered again if it felt the same for him... and what it meant. "Who do you think you should be now, Leah?" he asked in a low, raspy tone.

A human,was my first thought.Nearing 55, with a husband and a normal job, a home, and possibly grandchildren.I obviously couldn't tell him that, though. I looked up at him, at once enthralled by his gaze again. His eyes really were wonderful up close, I realized: a very pale olive green, the irises were specked with golden brown strands, and framed with thick, dark lashes most women would pay a good deal to have. "I don't know," I finally answered truthfully, my voice barely above a whisper. "I'm trying to find out."

He smiled then, pleased with the answer, and lifted a hand to my chin to tilt it up. "You will not find it at everyone's feet. Look up. You can be more than what they told you to be. Take your time to figure it out, Leah," he said softly, and his thumb lightly brushed against my jaw before he slowly dropped his hand, "and let me know when you find it."

His touch had sparked a small fire in my belly, and I let out a soft breath as he lowered his hand and took a step back. There was a sudden knock on the glass door that made us both jump and look to find beta Cedric pointing at the watch at his wrist. Gabriel sighed and nodded before turning and walking towards the door. He stopped in his tracks, though, and turned around to walk to my desk again. "If you don't mind...?" he said with a smirk, reaching for the small business card holder on the corner of the table. I flushed like a schoolgirl but managed a grin, shaking my head no, and he smiled back as he took a card. "Have a nice day, mademoiselle Grey," he said with a nod. "Think of what we talked about."

"I will," I said weakly as I watched him turn and walk out of my office. He left the door open for me to see three of my colleagues standing there and staring at me, their pretty mouths open in shock. I managed to give them a small smile before my knees finally gave way and I sat down suddenly in my chair, a hand over my thumping heart and my senses lit by Gabriel St-Louis's smell and his warm, gentle touch.