Alpha Assignment (GL) Chapter 7 (Early Access) (Patreon)

Despite the intense exhaustion that Quinn had ended the day with, she didn’t sleep well. Her first full day of Remi had been intense, and she had so many events she needed to process. Turning over all of her actions, the tone she had used, how she could change her behaviour to put the woman living with her at ease.

And what the chances were of those two Assembly jerks returning with a new home lined up for her charge. How long would it take? Did they have to wait for an omega in another pack to die? That seemed quite cruel to hope for. But Quinn knew she wasn't equipped to care for Remi long term. She had little experience playing the role of pack leader, and even less experience with omegas.

If you believed the Assembly and their ridiculous rules, this shit was supposed to come naturally.

Quinn was still irritably turning over this thought as she prepared for work the next day. She had given Remi's door a soft knock and called the time in to her but the small creature hadn't stirred. Probably for the best. Hopefully she would sleep the day away while Quinn was at work and that would leave less time for her to get herself worked up over some imaginary offence.

Quinn shook her head and it distorted the meditation recording in her ears for a moment. She needed to move on from the memories of the previous day, it would only put her in a bad mood. She couldn't change the past. No matter how much she wished she could step back just one day and advise herself it will feel better to let Remi cry than use alpha authority over her. Even if it hurt to watch, at least then she wouldn't be disgusted with herself now.

Coffee cleared her head temporarily, and she savoured its rich flavour while her headphones drifted into silence after the soothing meditation outro music.

There was still no sound from Remi when she hesitated at the front door. It would be fine. Remi was technically an adult...

Quinn sighed and slipped out, locking the door as quietly as she could behind her.

As she pulled into the office car park, Quinn realised she had driven in complete silence. Usually she would have fifteen minutes of a podcast, maybe some instrumental music, or an audiobook. Today, her brain hadn't been able to release Remi from her thoughts long enough to notice she had nothing to entertain her on the drive.

She hoped Remi was warm. She hoped Remi was comfortable. She hoped Remi was able to find food she liked to eat throughout the day. She hoped she wasn't scared in the house alone.

Primitive thoughts, she realised. Quinn froze halfway out of her seat. The pack mentality was  creeping in at the edges of her mind. Worrying over her pack's food, warmth and shelter was what a wolf would do. For moment, she remained half in and half out of her car, turning the revelation over in her mind. Was it a normal instinct? Or had Remi unlocked it? Humans worried about these things, too, right? But this felt primal, like a pull in her stomach to run, not drive, back to her house and check on the little one that needed her.

Quinn snorted and heaved herself free of the car. Remi did not need her. She was safe at home, with central heating and cupboards filled with food. They were not living in the wild, relying on each other to survive. Quinn hadn't had to catch her own food since she was a teenager. If she were to be without supermarket access for more than a week they would both be in trouble. So no, Remi did not need a big strong alpha to protect and take care of her. She needed a roommate with a healthy bank account and the knowledge of grocery store locations.

And for a healthy bank account, one needed to work, Quinn reminded herself as she stepped through the automatic doors into the office building shared by multiple companies. The one Quinn worked for was situated on the second floor. Stood in the elevator, she made small talk with a woman from the retail sales department. The woman was already feeling the pressure of Christmas on the horizon. Apparently, advent calendars were coming out earlier and earlier and if she wanted to get her children the coveted toy calendar, she would have to begin her hunt on the first weekend of September. Quinn expressed agreement with everything she said, and wished her luck in finding the calendar. They separated once they reached the reception area. Quinn headed to the left, the woman to the right.

She was glad that the sales teams were all on one side of the floor, it was a lot noisier on their end of the office space. Quinn's side held the departments that worked on more quiet projects like the graphic designers, accounts clerks, web developers...

And Quinn and Jordan: the analysts.

Quinn could collate data, organise it into correlations and reports displaying statistics, but it was Jordan that cracked the code of ‘why.’ Being raised in a pack, an environment that humans would describe as a commune, maybe even a cult, left Quinn without the context for so many human behaviours and opinions. Somehow, Jordan thought Quinn was the brains in their data analysing duo, but her numbers and percentages meant nothing without an explanation and reactionary suggestions. Quinn’s job could be taught, Jordan’s required an upbringing amongst their customer base.

It was rare that they were scheduled in the office on the same day, usually one of their pair was sat facing an empty desk. Today, Jordan bustled in seven minutes late with a coffee in hand and a big grin on her face. Quinn had heard her coming from down the hall, loudly greeting every person she came into contact with.

"Quinn! Oh, how I have missed you!" she cooed as she rearranged her mess of a desk.

Jordan often said things that Quinn didn't know the correct response to. There was an over-familiarity that Quinn took as teasing, but didn't know how to reciprocate. She knew she probably came across as gruff and boring, but better that than say something completely inappropriate.

"Hello, Jordan," she replied, straightening the L-shaped desk planner that curled around her keyboard. "How was your commute?"

"Shit as always, but at least it was the train that got delayed and not the bus this time so I could get a coffee at the station. I would have grabbed you one, but I know you don't drink cheap chain coffee."

"There's nothing wrong with it," Quinn clarified carefully. "I just prefer my own."

"And there's nothing wrong with that either," Jordan added with a grin.

Quinn smiled back and then shifted her gaze to her screen. She had to catch up on some work from the previous day before she could even start her end-of-week projects.

Just before lunchtime, her phone buzzed with an Assistant notification. Quinn snatched it up and unlocked the screen with frenzied fingers.

Please tell her good morning and please tell her it is Remi saying good morning.

"What'cha grinning at?" Jordan called across their desks.

Quinn started, her posture bolting upright.

"Oh, I just... got a funny message."

"From who?" Jordan's brows were bouncing.

"Um, my friend."

Jordan's grin widened, it brought a nervous sensation to the back of Quinn's neck. "The kind of friend that sleeps over?" she asked, heavy with insinuation.

Quinn was fairly sure she was being asked about sex.

"She sleeps over at my house, but separate bedrooms," she answered, hoping to clear any misunderstandings her co-worker could possibly take from her words. Jordan loved to try and find double meanings in the things people said. It made her laugh.

She didn't laugh now, just nodded with a knowing look and pursed lips.

Quinn left it at that. She wasn't looking to dig herself into a hole and end up leading anyone too close to the situation in her home.

She quickly sent a message back to Remi for the assistant to read aloud to her, and went back to work. Only when a silent notification came through on her watch did she let her eyes leave the monitor again.

Message delivered: Good morning, Remi. There is a bowl of cut fruit in the fridge for you. Help yourself to anything you like for lunch.

Work breezed by with the calming influence of the knowledge that her pretend pack would be fed and warm at home. A deep internal contentment that she ignored.