Pursuing My Rejected Luna by Cara Anderson novel Chapter 265

Ch. 35

Cassandra

Cole is in Noah’s office when I arrive. They’re discussing something, I can hear the murmur of it through the partially open door. So I stand in the hallway and wait, as if I need an opportunity to chicken out.

I spend the wait trying to organize what I’m going to say and losing the thread too often to count. By the time Cole comes out, nods at me with his particular watchful neutrality, and leaves, I have nothing prepared.

Noah looks up from his desk when I walk in. “Cassandra,” he sighs. Not warm, not cold. Just resigned.

“I need to ask you something. About Liam.” I add quickly when he opens his mouth to protest.

He sets his pen down and leans back in his chair. “What is it?” He scowls but his voice stays flat.

I repeat what Liam told me. I don’t add details for effect like I might have done in the past. I just tell him what Liam said, word for word, and how it affected my son.

“He didn’t know what to say,” I explain. “And I can’t help him because what those kids are saying is true

and I have no defense for it.”

Noah is quiet and I start to panic that he won’t help. So I keep going, my fears spilling out.

“He’s four,” My voice cracks. “He didn’t choose any of this. Whatever the pack’s opinion is of me–which is fair, which I’m not arguing with–it shouldn’t land on him.” I let him see the plea in my eyes. “I can’t fix it from where I stand. You can.”

Silence. He’s really not going to help me. Help Liam, My anxiety ratchets up another notch but I can’t give up.

“I know I have no right to ask you for anything but I’m asking anyway,” I beg one more time. “For him.”

Noah stares at me, emotionless. Then finally he says, “I’ll handle it.”

“Thank you,” I breathe out in relief.

“Don’t,” he snaps.

“Don’t-”

“Don’t thank me.” He picks up his pen and goes back to work, effectively dismissing me. “I’m not doing it for you.”

The next day, I pick Liam up after work. He happily reports that the big kids left him alone today.

“They didn’t say anything?” I verify.

“Nothing mean like before,” he confirms without looking up from whatever’s caught his attention. He’s investigating something in the garden–a beetle, I think. “Did the Alpha do that? I saw him talking to those kids today.”

“Yes, I think so.” I see no reason to hide it from him.

“I can have it in fifteen minutes,” I get up, already making a mental list of what I need.

“I need it in ten.” He barks then stomps out.

I pull the files. Cross–reference the relevant contracts. Organize it in logical reading order rather than chronological, the way I think it’ll be most useful to whoever’s using it. I bring it to his office eight minutes later.

He takes it without looking up. I’m almost at the door when he says: “You’re faster than the last three people who had that job.”

I turn around, my lips quirking up into a smirk. “Thank you.” I decide then and there, he may not want my thanks but he’s going to get it every chance I get whether he likes it or not.

“It’s an observation,” he grumbles.

I leave. Still smiling.

I know better than to think he’s thawing towards me. He’s not–it’s definitely not that. But just because he recognized a positive attribute in me, didn’t mean he had to acknowledge it openly. That’s progress.

It’s just an observation, I remind myself. Don’t make it into more than that.

I better learn to take my own advice.

Anything else is just another heartbreak waiting to happen.