My Own Alpha

Damon stared down at the text message on his phone for the third time, frowning as he read the words from his boss. He threw it on his desk, leaned back in his chair, and scrubbed his hands over his eyes. She couldn't be serious! He sat up with a sigh and stared around at his new office, wondering what the hell he'd gotten himself into.

He thought back to the conversation he'd had with Jasmine James.

"We need somebody for both positions; you're more than qualified for them," Jasmine said as she poured the tea.

"What exactly is going on in the city?" Damon asked as he took the cup from her hands, holding his hand up when she offered him the small jug of milk.

"It's a mess; I had no choice but to remove the head; he was running the station into the ground," Jasmine said with a sigh. "It's all-out war, Damon," she said, placing her cup on her desk and leaning forward, her head in her hands.

"When was the last time you got any sleep?" Damon asked, concerned for his friend. She looked tired, as if she hadn't slept in weeks. "You're taking on too much. You need to delegate; you're going to make yourself ill if you continue to worry like this," he said, resting his hand on top of hers on the desk and giving it a quick squeeze. As an Alpha female, if it had been anyone else that had made that move, she would have torn their hands clean off. Only the fact that they had been friends for fifteen years saved his hand.

"Damon, I'm the leader of our Royal Wolf community; it's my job to worry," Jasmine said with a tired smile. "What am I supposed to do? I have no inquisitor and nobody to run the city station. On top of that, I have a war with the mixed-blood Wolf's and other creatures on all fronts; none of their leaders will meet with me, and I have the Royal Wolf trying to revolt and come for my job at every turn," she said, scrubbing her hands through her hair in a very uncharacteristic show of frustration.

"Ha, I'd pay to watch that!" Damon said with a grin, "You would annihilate anyone that came at you. You are the leader for a reason, Jasmine; there isn't a single royal wolf that can best you in combat or an Alpha that would stand a chance against you," he said with a chuckle.

"Damon, I could activate every cell on my body, and I still wouldn't have a hope in hell against you," Jasmine said as she stared at him incredulously. "We both know you can put me on my ass with three moves; I'm only the leader because you refused it," she said with a grin at the expression on his face.

"Am I in charge of the entire community?" Damon asked with a shudder of horror, "It was bad enough heading up the multitude of stations I've already had to deal with; you think I want to be responsible for the entire tribe of idiots? Internal politics, squabbling Alphas, and a dagger in the back at every turn? No thanks; you can keep it. I have enough power within the leadership as it is; I don't want any more," he said, chuckling when she just rolled her eyes at him.

"I have a suggestion, if I may?" Damon said as he set his cup aside, having finally come to a decision. "Why don't you make Jack the new leader? You know he's fair and respected by just about everyone. He chafes at being stuck in another city, and he would make a powerful ally," he said.

"He wants the position less than you do," Jasmine said, her eyebrows practically in her hairline. "I asked him already, and he flat-out refused," she said with a frown.

"That's why he would be perfect; he's probably the only one aside from me that won't come for your job," Damon said. "Anyway, that was six months ago; a lot of things can change in six months," he said with a wink, pouring himself a second cup before topping Jasmine's cup up.