The Circle Ch. 02

"Lightwell," I repeated. Fuck.

I managed to keep myself from stammering out loud. Externally, I was still the bad bitch. Internally, I felt myself panic.

It was one thing to have Carter at the office. Sweet, gossipy Carter who I trusted to keep things on the DL was a different thing entirely to having who I assumed was the brother of George Lightwell, Alpha of the North Texas Pack and just about one of the most misogynistic wolves (or men, for that matter) that I'd met in my entire life.

And that was saying something, given the typically male-dominant world of weres.

"You must be Fiona," Gavin said, and I heard Carter's footsteps behind me as I glanced to see him standing in the doorway, papers in hand. He was probably going to use an excuse like needing one of our signatures when he was finally noticed, but I knew why he was there. Ever my little bird, he was watching. "My brother George has told me all about you." Gavin gave a crooked smile, flashing bright white teeth, that told me he'd probably heard from George that I was a raging bitch who needed to get fucked and taken down a peg. That seemed to be the general consensus amongst most of the southern Alphas. George just felt that way in particular because we'd fucked, and I'd deemed him unworthy of a second time due to an incredible lack of initiative on his part.

"George?" Oscar asked. I looked at Carter, who stood silently, unsure of how to take in this new development, while Gavin answered.

"Oh," he started, and then leaned back casually on the conference table, gripping the edge with both hands. "My brother is the Chapter President of the Lunar League North Texas." Oscar looked impressed as he surveyed the space between myself and Gavin, which was clearly packed with tension, but it was unlikely that he could put his finger on what it was about. "Nice to finally meet you." He gave me a little head tilt - a bow.

"I've been trying to get into the Lunar League for decades," Oscar lamented, taking a seat at the head of the conference room table in his plush, oversized office chair. He gestured for the rest of us to sit down.

As our outward facing organization, the Lunar League, to the public, was an exclusive charitable organization that focused on causes in the Austin area. Internally, it was our way of making sure our Circle, our community, was protected. While we allowed humans to apply, they never got in - unless they were partnered with one of our own.

Oscar had, indeed, been trying to gain membership for over a decade, especially since I took it over and really made a public name for the organization. I had always suspected that part of the reason he hired - and then promoted - me was to gain access.

"Carter," he said towards the door, and I turned to see Carter halfway out of the frame clearly heading back to his desk. "I'd like you in here to take notes." He gave me a knowing look as he moved to sit towards the other end of the table. I took the seat next to him, and Robyn flanked him on the other side.

Carter was one of the best admins I'd ever worked with, but he didn't always get along with some of our senior attorneys. And by get along with, I mean, when they gave him shit about his manicured nails and polished, runway worthy looks, he dished it back just as hard, and they didn't like it.

I, however, loved it, and it was one of the many reasons I valued him.

Gavin, with a look around, finally settled on the chair directly across from me, and when he sat down, he tried his best make eye contact with me, but I just turned to Oscar and, as usual, pretended that every word out of his mouth was pure gold as I tried to survive the next few hours before I could figure out how best to handle this situation.

Next to me, I saw Carter already scribbling on his notepad, and he slid it towards me and tapped my attention to the top left corner.

Hot. Damn.

I couldn't argue.

I hadn't been so relieved for a weekend in a long time. A three day weekend, at that. So when I finally looked at the clock on my computer, and it read 4:55, I wrapped up the items I was working on and closed everything down, ready to head to dinner at Beth's.

"You out, Fi?" Carter popped his head into my office with a smile, and I nodded sleepily, folding up my laptop and sticking it into my purse.

Over lunch, we had collapsed into a booth at our favorite Thai restaurant, dove into bowls of curry and I tried to talk through how I was going to address the elephant in the room.

I was working with another Circle member. A new Circle member. One who didn't know how we operate. One whose brother was the furthest thing from what we'd consider a great Alpha. One that had been handed several cases I was expecting to take over once my current load cleared.

Okay. That last one was more personal than Circle related. But it still added to my list of frustrations.

My plan was to stop by his new office on my way out to just have a quick "chat," but before I could stand up from my chair, Gavin came into the frame of the door, his head towering over Carter.

Carter jumped when he noticed the presence behind him, and Gavin seemed apologetic.

"Hey, so sorry, man. I didn't mean to scare you." He clapped Carter on the back, a little too hard, by the looks of it, and then looked at me, smiling. "Do you have a minute?"

"Sure," I said, gesturing to the chair in front of my desk. Gavin nodded, smiling, and sat down, unbuttoning his dark blazer. Well. At least he knew how to not ruin a good suit.

"Do you need anything before I go, Fi?" Carter gave me a look that clearly said "do I need to rescue you?" I gave him a grin and shook my head, leaning back in my office chair and kicking off my heels. Oscar had left half an hour before, and I certainly didn't need to wear stilettos to show dominance in front of Circle members.

"I'm good, don't forget we have Equinox planning tomorrow," I reminded him, and he nodded excitedly.

"I'll be there at 10 with kolaches, toodaloo!" He exited the door frame with a quick wave, half-closing the door behind him, and I turned to Gavin. He looked mildly surprised - probably realizing that Carter was more than just our coworker.

This was the first time I'd been able to get a good look at him all day. After our morning case-review, he had shuffled in and out of meetings with most of the partners, doing what I could only assume were things the good-old-boys club did.

He was large. Not domineering, bulging large like Charlie - he was tall and stocky, with arms that filled out the sleeves of his gray designer suit. His tie, pocket square and tie all coordinated in shades of blue.

Blue-green eyes stared back beneath thick eyebrows, which went right along with a well groomed mustache and thick beard.

There was something about his eyes. The way his face crinkled when he smiled.

While it had been years since I'd really seen George up close, when we had been, well, intimate, there wasn't the warmth that I could see in his brother's. His were domineering. Angry. Cocky.

Don't get me wrong. Based on the way he'd introduced himself earlier, there was some of George's personality in Gavin. But I was trying my hardest not to throw him in the same boat I'd long since sunk.

"You're already planning for Equinox summit?" he asked, and I nodded.

"We're planning a few programs for Camp Luna, among other things, and want to get ahead of the game before we have to make proposals at the conference," I explained, knitting my hands together in front of me. "Carter helps with Circle items, in addition to being a great admin here."

"He does seem like he's on top of things," Gavin responded, and then paused. "Circle is the word you use for pack down here, right?" So George had filled him in.

"Yes," I said, now leaning forward onto my desk, careful to make sure he didn't get a straight look down my shirt. "You'll find, Mr. Lightwell, that we run things very differently here in Austin."

"Gavin, please," he corrected, waving his hand casually.

"Gavin," I repeated, and then continued. "I haven't had a chance to look over all of the documents LLNA sent over, so you'll forgive me for being a little unprepared. However, based on what I have seen, your relocation was quite sudden." I paused, and looked at him, debating whether to press on and ask him what I really wanted to know - why. But the look on his face, one that tensed immediately, told me that probably wasn't the best way to win loyalty. "Whatever the circumstances, we on the inner Circle wish to formally welcome you to the Circle of Artemis."

Ok. I hadn't had a chance to chat with the rest of my inner Circle the exception of a quick text to Margot this morning that read Relocation from NT Pack started today. Will fill you in later. Her response had been a quick On duty until mtg tomorrow. Talk then. X

"Thank you, Alpha Parker," he responded, his tone formal. He extended his hand across my desk, and I grasped it, giving it a firm shake. It was warm and calloused, and he stared at my hand in his for a moment before letting it go. Internally, I was confused. I knew I didn't have a feminine handshake - I couldn't, with my role - but his stare made my stomach clench a little bit. I glanced down at the watch on my wrist, and used it as an excuse to stand. I was done with the weirdness for today, and I was going to Beth's for dinner.

Jolting from his seat, Gavin stood too, and then gave me a low nod, a sign of respect to Alphas. I nodded back, reaching down to get the heels off my floor and slipping into the flats next to them. In flat shoes, I noticed, somewhat surprised, how tall he was. Close to a foot taller than me, and I wasn't exactly petit. He was taller than his brother, that's for sure - George had barely stood an inch taller than me in flats when I'd met him the first time. And every time since, when I'd been in heels, I'd snickered to myself, as he was just below eye level.

"We can walk out together," I said, pulling my bag over my shoulder and gesturing for him to follow. He picked up a leather messenger bag I hadn't noticed before next to my desk. On my way out, I clicked off the light in my office and called out "Bye, Sandra!" knowing she was likely still at the desk outside of Oscar's door. Her sing-song voice called back, confirming my suspicions. "There's some paperwork you'll need to complete, obviously," I threw over my shoulder once we were out the front door, walking into the parking lot and towards my car. "You can come by the house tomorrow and-

I stopped in my tracks as I realized he was no longer following me. Spinning on my heel, I looked at him to see him staring at a black car straight ahead, and noticed that all four tires were completely flat.

That was not an accident. Someone was not happy with Mr. Lightwell.

Gavin's eyes flashed brightly, and a low growl escaped his lips as he pulled his phone out to take a photo, and then looked down at the screen, clearly sending it with a message to someone. I noticed the back of his hands looked a little harrier than they had moments before - he was struggling not to shift, even partially.

"Uh," I started, unsure of what to say.

"Don't worry about it," he said dismissively, still on his phone. "I'll get an Uber home." I bit my lip unintentionally, pondering for a second.

He's a pack member, I thought to myself. Well, almost.

"Get in the car," I said quickly, before I changed my mind, gesturing to the green crossover in front of me. "I'll take you where you're staying and you can figure it out in the morning." He looked up from his phone, a little shocked, before shaking his head, clearly about to retort. "Don't argue, let's just go before I'm too late for dinner."

He hitched his bag on his shoulder and his head hung a little, clearly embarrassed. The flash in his eyes was gone as he nodded in obedience.

"Yes, Alpha," he responded quietly, making a step towards my car.

"Jesus Christ," I snapped, unintentionally harsh. I caught myself as he stopped mid-step. "Call me Fiona when we're not in front of other Circle members." I tried to sound a little less catty at the last bit while I opened my door. He was silent as he walked to the passenger door and opened it. "Hold please," I choked out, immediately embarrassed.

I'd forgotten that strewn out in my front seat, normally hidden behind tinted windows, was my purchase from a local lingerie store the night before. Poppy and I had stopped in on the way to our meeting spot to grab a few things, and those things were now on full display, as I'd taken pictures of my new purchases to share with Margot...and possibly Charlie.

"Fi-o-na," Gavin said, all anger immediately washed from his face. His eyes sparkled with mischief, and I felt the flush in my cheeks as I stuffed a pair of red crotchless panties back in the pink paper bag, along with a blue teddy and a rhinestone garter belt. I threw the bag in the back, and with a huff, crushed it with my purse for good measure.

What a great first impression.

He buckled himself into the car and gave me the address to where he was staying, an extended stay hotel off Mopac, one of the major freeways through Austin. My gut told me this was not the best area, but I kept my mouth shut, face still burning, letting the radio drown out the sound of my mortification for the first bit of the drive. I tapped my fingers to the tune playing on the steering wheel, our family Alpha ring, a dime-sized moonstone wrapped in gold, outlined with dainty crystals in settings resembling stars, making a light noise with each movement.

"I'm sorry-

"I'm sorry-

We both stopped, mid-sentence, and he let out a strained laugh. I was about to apologize for the Victoria's Secret catalog sitting on my front seat. What was he going to apologize for?

"You go first," I said, before he could. He smiled, though it didn't meet his eyes, and ran his hand through his hair. While it was curly and tall, it was shaved on the sides to give the impression of an extremely long face when coupled with his beard.

"I'm sorry about the car, not really the first impression I wanted to make. Usually I'm a lot more charming," he admitted, and it's my turn to laugh.

"I'm sorry about mine," I replied, waving my hand behind me to indicate the bag of unmentionables. At least it wasn't a bag of vibrators. It was silent for a moment, so I pressed on. "You must have really pissed someone off when you left to make them risk jail time." He sighed and looked out the window as I changed lanes.

"You could say that," he said, pursing his lips. "Let's just say I've never exactly had a huge fan club in Fort Worth. And recent events were just a catalyst for something a long time coming."

"Well that's not vague at all," I retorted. I looked down at the GPS, we were only a few minutes out. "Truthfully, did you do anything I need to worry about with my Circle?"

He shook his head, and I can see his eyes flicker to me before glancing back outside.

"No, honestly," he started, "it was just a lot of personal drama that had run its course." He looked at me fully then, his eyes appraising as I merged again, getting ready to exit. "I'm looking forward to the fresh start."

"I hope it can be that for you," I said sincerely, and then sighed. "Like I said earlier, we run things really differently here. I know your brother, as more than just a passing Alpha relationship, and I'm sure he had some choice words to say about me."

Gavin smirked to himself, and I rolled my eyes, seeing confirmation of what I'd said in his face.

"I've known him and other Alphas long enough to see the way they run things, and that's not what we do here."

"Fucking Good," he cut in, and I pressed on, trying not to act too surprised.

"I've also met the women of other packs, and I think you've already gathered that females are far from subservient, secondary beings here." I paused, choosing my words carefully. For the most part, any relocations to our area had been women looking to get out of patriarchal packs for a variety of reasons. It'd been a while since I've been over this with a man.

I moved to exit the highway.

"In many ways, we're the opposite of what you'd typically see, and we're proud of it. Our focus is empowerment for all, not the few, and to provide our members with the resources they need to live happy, healthy lives."

"And that's not what every pack does?" Gavin asked, though I could tell he was being genuinely curious and not haughty, which is more of what I'd expected.

"Does George give his women self defense training? Put them on patrol?" I asked. Slowly, Gavin shook his head. "Provide subsidized housing for members hard on their luck?" Again, no. We turned into a parking lot, but I continued. "Require extensive sex education by 15?" He looked taken aback, but shook his head again.

I followed the signs for the lobby across the parking lot, blindly pulling into a parking spot. I'm on a roll, and wanted to finish my thought before I lost steam.

"Once you pledge, you'll be expected to participate in, or at least support, the things that make our Circle what it is." I sighed, turning in my seat to look at him. He seemed a little winded, and I'm not sure if it's because of my driving or all of the information I'd just dumped on him. "How much you put into that is up to you."

I worried for a minute that I'd stunned him into silence as he looked at me. His eyes searched my face, maybe waiting for me to yell "gotcha!" After a few seconds, he nodded, looking resolute.

"Understood." I felt my body relax, not even realizing until then that I'd been so tense. For the first time, I looked around at the parking lot surrounding us.

My instincts were right. This was a rough part of town.

"Mercy, how did you pick this place?" I said, watching as the windows of the rooms, as I could swear I could actively see paint peeling.

"It was the only place near work with a room left," he explained, shrugging. "I'm a big boy, Fiona, I can take care of myself." It was true, he was a big boy. And I didn't doubt that he could take care of himself.

But I knew this city like the back of my hand, and I also knew that even werewolves can't beat handguns.

"Have you found a more permanent place?" I asked. Part of me was being nosy. Part of me was in Alpha mode, already worried about his well-being.

"To be honest, I've only had about 48 hours to even think about it," Gavin replied, moving to open the door. I leaned over quickly and placed my hand on his arm to stop him. He stilled, looking down at my hand and then up to my face, and I pulled my arm back as fast as I'd shot it out. He gave a cheeky grin. "I'll find a place."

"We have a property," I blurted, and immediately wanted to hit myself for sounding so eager.

What in the actual fuck was going on with me?

"We have a property," I repeated, "it should be ready next weekend, earlier, if you're interested. It's a loft over a business, about fifteen minutes walking from the office, probably twice that in traffic, though." I laughed nervously. It was true. The traffic on that part of town was awful. Actually, the traffic all over town was awful.

"Who's we?" Gavin asked. His eyebrow cocked, and I noticed a faint scar running across his left eye, leaving a gap in the hair growth of his eyebrow.

"The Circle, well, really the Lunar League," I clarified. "We own several investment properties around the city. Both for income, and for situations like this." He seemed impressed, nodding.

"The most George's League does is host one of those pompous balls every year to give everyone an excuse to get drunk and fuck." He realized quickly that he was also blurting, and seemed to flush before looking up at the car roof, and then back at me. "It would just be temporary, yeah? I don't need subsidized housing, I would rather it go to people who really need it."