Chapter 90 The Cooling-Off Period Ends

Miles got the high-res photos fast. He checked the details, then headed for Alpha Killian’s office with his tablet in hand.

"Alpha Killian, the metadata’s got Serena living at The Celestia Residences downtown."

The Celestia Residences. A Sterling property.

"Pulled the records too. She just bought a luxury penthouse there. Credit card on file for the purchase is under the name Hale."

Didn’t take a genius to figure out who that was. Alpha Sebastian.

Alpha Killian swiped through the photos one by one, disgust flickering across his face.

"Keep all of these. We’ll need them later." He shoved the tablet back at Miles, done looking.

"You confirmed the transfers? Three hundred grand a month, Alpha Sebastian to Serena?"

"Confirmed." Miles gave a faint smile. "It’s all compiled."

"Add the photos to the file."

"Got it." Miles already knew exactly where this was heading. A small smile tugged at his mouth. Perfect ammo to take down a business rival.

"Send a copy to Miss Crawford too." A promise was a promise. Eira wanted proof of every dollar.

"Not the photos, though. I don’t want her eyes anywhere near that trash."

"Understood."

Since her name was already on the table, Miles kept going. "Her resignation still needs sign-off. HR’s waiting to close out her attendance, and accounting’s breathing down my neck too."

Alpha Killian’s brow creased. "Already?"

"Next Wednesday’s her last day. Just handover and packing up her desk. Gotta kill her badge access too."

"Fine." Short nod.

Miles walked out, pulled up the assistant group chat, fired off a message.

Miles: Talked to Alpha Killian. Unless something blows up, he’s signing off Monday.

Eira: Thanks, Miles.

Natalie: Wait, you’re actually bailing on us?? It’s gonna be just me and Kate again. Rude.

Eira: Still gonna be around Palo Alto. We’ll grab drinks whenever.

Kate: Got a plan lined up after this?

Eira: Some personal stuff first, then actual work.

Kate: Say the word, I’ll shoot you some job leads.

Eira: Appreciate it, but I’m good for now.

Natalie: Okay forget the sappy stuff. Before you go, you’re making one last batch of that banana bread, right? Non-negotiable. The whole floor’s been asking.

Kate: Seconding this. I will actually cry if it’s gone for good.

Miles: Same, honestly. That spicy stuff got me through Q3.

Eira laughed and typed back: Fine, fine. One last batch.

--

The next day, Eira called Miss Gwen and caught up for over an hour before bringing up the snacks.

Miss Gwen’s voice went warm the second she heard coworkers were paying money for them.

Made her happy on two fronts. Eira making friends at a real job, and her pups picking up some pocket cash of their own.

Half the pups in that shelter were orphaned wolves with no Pack backing them, no name to lean on, nobody sending money their way.

A little extra cash from baking meant something.

Alpha Sebastian didn’t try picking her up again that weekend. Just asked when she’d see Isabella.

She said a couple days. He didn’t push, just admitted he’d been slammed and knew he’d been slacking on her.

Eira shrugged it off. Texted back: All good. Work first.

Sunday was quiet. Eira spent the whole day at home, unwinding, no plans, no errands, just resting.

Monday morning, she was up before her alarm. Chopped vegetables, cooked up the beef and shrimp, scrambled a batch of eggs, cooked the rice.

Rolled everything into tortillas, wrapped them tight in foil while they were still warm, bagged them up plain. Six bags total.

Clocked in right after, ran into Vanessa in the lobby, handed her a bag.

Vanessa’s face lit up, then dropped. "You’re really out soon, huh? Saw it this morning. Alpha Killian signed off."

Didn’t even make it a full month, after all that talk about keeping her on.

"Guess my breakfast hookup’s drying up." Vanessa sighed, only half joking.

Eira smiled, said her goodbyes, walked in right on time, not early, not late.

She passed out the bags, one each.

Kate ditched her coffee on the spot, bummed a carton of milk off Natalie, and the three of them huddled together, unwrapping foil and digging in like it was the best thing that happened to them all week.

Window was cracked. Smell wasn’t loud, but it carried down the hall. Alpha Killian and Miles caught it walking in.

Alpha Killian’s steps slowed. His eyes cut toward the three of them.

Miles eyed the burritos, stomach already growling.

"Miles." Eira held a bag out to him.

He wanted it bad, but with Alpha Killian standing right there, he wasn’t about to reach for it.

"Hands broken?" Alpha Killian’s voice came flat and sharp. "Need her to hold it for you all morning?"

Miles snatched it fast, already unwrapping the foil.

One bag left in Eira’s hand. Alpha Killian’s eyes tracked straight to it.

Miles caught the look and figured Alpha Killian was about to walk off without taking his share. Score. That meant one more burrito was up for grabs, and Miles already had his eye on it.

Eira turned to Alpha Killian. "Breakfast?"

"No." Cold, flat. He walked straight past her.

She set the last bag down on her desk. "Guess it’s mine, then."

Alpha Killian stopped mid-step.

Miles jumped in fast. "She made one for you too, Alpha Killian. That’s the one right there."

Alpha Killian turned back, eyeing her sideways. Last time, the biscuits, nothing for him. Time before that, the snacks, nothing either. Now suddenly there’s a burrito with his name on it?

Kate caught on quick, grabbed the bag off Eira’s desk, and pressed it straight into Eira’s hands.

"Breakfast." Eira held it out to him.

Miles moved to intercept, figuring Alpha Killian wouldn’t take food straight from her hand in front of everyone. Alpha Killian beat him to it, snatching the bag fast, shooting him a look on the way past.

He walked into his office, sat down, and cleared the whole thing without stopping.

Then he asked for next week’s schedule.

The week had barely even started.

Alpha privileges, apparently.

Eira pulled up the calendar and double-checked everything. Big item on next week’s list: the major bidding competition. She flagged it right at the top, impossible to miss.

As the bidding date crept closer, Alpha Killian’s Mondays turned into back-to-back meetings, nonstop.

Beyond the high-level Sterling Group sessions, he had to sit through meetings for each of the sixteen subsidiaries under the Sterling name.

Even with everything compressed and rushed, his Mondays and Tuesdays were eaten alive.

Everyone else clocked out at five. He stayed late, buried in overtime. Alpha Killian was slammed.

Alpha Sebastian was just as slammed.

Only Eira caught a break. She clocked in, clocked out, right on schedule, nobody bothering her.

Wednesday morning, Alpha Sebastian found a gap to call. "Today’s your last day at Sterling, right?"

"Yeah." Eira glanced down at the handover checklist in her hand. "Heading to the front desk now to close out my attendance records."

"Good. I’ve been buried the past couple weeks, but once things calm down, let’s go out, celebrate a little."

His voice softened, noticeably.

"Sounds good." Eira’s tone came out warm.

She sounded happy about it.

Just not for the reason he thought. The month she’d been waiting out was finally up.