Brick makes no acknowledgement; he simply watches me. His scent is one hundred percent his, cedar and leather and sandalwood, no eau de Madi to soften it.
“I think you know that I also applied at Adalwulf and Associates.”
He nods.
“I thought it best to keep my options open, not knowing where I would land.”
“Bullshit.”
I can’t hear Brick’s words, but I can tell he threw an alpha command into them by the way they shove me square in the chest. If I were part of his pack, I would’ve fallen back a step.
Instead, the power wafts past me, like a punch that misses me by a few inches.
Interesting. I’m not one of his wolves, but I should still feel the pressure to submit to his Alpha commands. I felt the power, but it didn’t touch me.
Is it like this for all lone wolves?
Of course, Brick is my boss. He could still fire me. And he’s right. The reason I offered was bullshit. I’m not sure how or why he knows that, though. Or what he suspects.
I shrug, keeping my body movements languid to show I’m not distressed and try for something closer to the truth. “Honestly, I’m more of a lone wolf. I didn’t want to get caught up in pack politics.”
Brick’s eyes narrow, like he knows I’m hiding something. His nose twitches–he’s probably relying on his nose to clue him into my thoughts. “Why apply at the two wolf-owned companies if you weren’t interested in pack politics?”
Well, that’s an excellent question. One I definitely don’t want to reveal the answer to.
“I was keeping my options open, I guess.”
“You could have used the fact that you’re a wolf to get this job. That would be the normal course of action. Show up, introduce yourself as a fellow shifter, and ask for a job. I would’ve given it to you. But you went through HR like a human.” He shakes his head. “It doesn’t make sense. Help me understand it.”
Deaf Culture rejects the idea that we are disabled. Deafness is not viewed as a loss but is rather a gain. There’s a whole community, culture, language, with an identity built in.
That said, I’m not human. I’m a wolf.
My mother had to sneak me out of my birth pack–the Moonborn sect of the Adalwulf Pack–to keep their alpha Odin from murdering me as soon as it was known I was “defective.” My grandmother’s pack in Kentucky wasn’t so backward, but they still never welcomed me with open arms.
I don’t want to do it, but it might be time to play the deaf card with Brick.
“Packs don’t always accept my kind,” I tell him.
It works. The aggression drops away from Brick’s expression, and compassion seeps in. His scent shifts, growing less intense. He rises from his seat and walks around the desk to my side, no longer in punishing principal mode.
“You know we accept you.” He attempts to sign again, perhaps realizing his lapse.
I nod. His pack is different–they’ve honored who and what I am from the beginning. That doesn’t mean I want to join them, but I guess I do believe they would treat me as an equal if I were admitted.
“Yes. Thank you. I am grateful for all you have done.”
He spreads his hands. “Yet you still haven’t petitioned me to join.”
I choose to bow my head. I don’t lose anything by submitting now and placating the most dominant wolf I’ve ever met. “Forgive me, Alpha. I meant no offense to you or the pack.”
“I take it as an insult.”
I wince. I rack my brain for something to say that will allow me to remain free of the pack yet still keep this job.
My lack of a response further irritates my boss. He jerks his head toward the door. “Get out.”
Fuck. Am I fired?
