The Ebony Alpha

Chapter 4: Chase's View

I was sitting in a meeting with my dad when my phone vibrated. Laila texted me asking me to call her back when I was free. She usually didn’t text me during the work day, so I began worrying.

Excusing myself from the meeting, I stepped into the hallway to call her and find out what was wrong. Laila picked up on the first ring.

“Hello,” she answered. She sounded like she had been crying.

My wolf, Griffin, was immediately awakened and already on the offensive.

“Calm the f**k down, she hasn’t even said anything yet,” I told him. But I have to admit I was worried.

“What’s wrong, baby?” I asked. She was silent for what felt like an eternity. I would have thought she hung up if I hadn’t heard her muffled whimpering.

“I was fired today,” she finally croaked out. I was hit with a wave of relief. For the last year, I had to fight the urge to rip Darren’s head off, and now I knew Laila would no longer have to deal with him.

“Babe, it is okay. It is probably for the best,” I tried to reassure her. “Darren was an asshole, and you needed to get out of there.”

“Yea,” she responded. But her energy left me thinking there was more. Before I could respond, she asked me if I could come home.

Alarms blared in my mind as I tried to process her request. Laila was not a needy girl. If anything, I felt like if I didn’t put in the effort, she would easily walk away from this relationship unphased. I blame her grandmother for that gift.

I snapped out of my thoughts and told her I was on my way. First, I had to tell my dad I was leaving. I popped my head back into the meeting and apologized to the room before announcing that I had to leave.

My dad had a concerned look on his face but said nothing. He merely nodded and told me he would update me later. I ran to my car and sped home.

Walking into the apartment, I found Laila sitting on the couch in the living room. She was mindlessly hugging a large stuffed bear and staring at a blank television.

A growl rang in my ears as Griffin took notice of the stuffed bear. I understood why he was mad because Ragen had given that bear to Laila last year. To say that the relationship ended badly would be an understatement. Griffin and I were both confused as to why she kept the bear.

After standing by the door for five minutes, Laila finally looked in my direction. Her eyes were red, and it was the first time I had ever seen her so distraught. I have known Laila since we were kids and she never cried. Even with the death of her grandmother, it almost seemed like she was incapable of showing deeper emotions.

“Chase,” she called to me from the couch. I walked over and sat down, pulling her towards me. We didn’t speak for the longest time. Laila was not an overly affectionate girlfriend. While our s*x life was amazing, she wasn’t big on the warm and fuzzy moments. I wanted to know what was wrong, but the feeling of being needed by her right now was preventing me from asking more.

“I think I was raped,” she said quietly into my chest.

Before I could stop it, a growl ripped through my chest and out of my mouth. I stood up trying to fight the animalistic takeover. When I finally felt in complete control, I turned back to Laila, whose eyes were wide as she stared at me.

“Ch-Chase. Wh-What was that?” she asked as she started to curl up behind the massive stuffed bear.

Fucking bear.

I started to move towards her and thought better of it. I didn’t know what to say. What was she thinking? How do I explain this freak moment? Should I tell her that I’m a werewolf? Yea, that should go well. I have only kept that a secret from her since we were kids along with a whole list of other things, but sure let’s tell her now.

Laila’s expression changed from shock to confusion as she witnessed my moment of overthinking. I sighed and went with the response I was trained to give at this moment.

“I’m sorry baby. When you said you thought you were raped, I just lost it. I don’t know where that sound came from, it scared me too for a second.”

I finally gave her the lie that explained Griffin’s outbursts. Surprised, I never had to use it before. Technically, it wasn’t a lie, just an omission of details. Laila couldn’t know. Or could she? I always felt torn about not telling her, but right now didn’t seem like the moment to do it.

I snapped out of my second internal struggle within the last five minutes and heard Laila mentioning how I was overheating when I jumped off the couch. Too much time had been wasted on my secret. I needed to focus the conversation back on Laila.

“So what hap…” I started to ask before she cut me off.

“I started overheating today in the office. Anger was taking over, and I could feel myself getting ready to lunge at Darren,” Laila stated as her eyes seemed to be focused on something in her memories.

I smiled at the idea of Laila finally beating the s**t out of Darren.

“Then I heard a voice say ‘Kill him’ and thought it was Michelle. But it wasn’t,” Laila continued.

Oh s**t. That can’t be good.

I walked over to Laila and cautiously sat down on the couch. Without any probing, Laila opened up about everything that happened from Ragen coming to her office to Michelle, telling her that something about the tape didn’t seem real.

My mind was swimming in different emotions. The idea of some other man touching Laila made my blood boil, but for it not to be consensual almost made me black out. Could the video be fake? I mean, they are doing all kinds of things with technology now. Maybe it was a deep fake? But who would do that?

“Chase. Chase?” Laila’s voice tried to break through my thoughts, and I jumped when she reached over to squeeze my arm.

I turned to her and immediately felt my insides start to break. She reached up and wiped an unexpected tear from my face.

“I failed you, Laila,” I started to choke out the words. “I was supposed to protect you, and this s**t happened. What kind of man am I?”

Laila pulled me into her, and she laid back on the couch. I laid my head on her chest as she ran her fingers through my hair. Once again, I am taken aback by her affection, especially when I should be comforting her.

I hear her sigh before she tells me that she already had a new job lined up at Iron Strike. My body stiffens when she mentions her new employer.

“How did you get a job there so fast?” I asked her, barely containing the strange emotion in my voice.

“They have been trying to recruit Michelle,” Laila states as she starts absently rubbing my back. “She has maintained a relationship with their recruiter and knew about an open position in their sales department.”

There is a long stretch of silence as I try to gather my thoughts.

“Why don’t you come work for us instead?” I asked her as I sat up to look into her eyes. Looking into Laila’s eyes always felt like looking into my own Kryptonite. They were an indescribable color, like a golden green color, but could change colors based on her mood. Simply put, they were mesmerizing.

Laila looked at me and tilted her head as she gave me a sad smile. “We’ve talked about this,” she started, leaning down to kiss the top of my head. She started to sit up, and I reluctantly lifted myself off of her.

“Your family has done so much for me over the years. Plus, we already live together. Working together would be too much.”

This was always the answer she gave. It was an argument I couldn’t win, but I couldn’t help but ask.

She stood up and held her hand out to me. “Come lay with me. I’m tired, and I don’t want to be alone right now.”

I looked up at her gorgeous face and smiled. I took her hand and followed her to bed. Laying with Laila in my arms felt natural, but it also felt like a dream. We had been together for years, but I always felt like I was imposing on her when I tried to be intimate in anyway beyond s*x. To say our relationship was complicated felt like an understatement.

I don’t know how much time had passed before I heard knocking at the door. Laila was sound asleep, so I gently rolled her away from me to free my arm. As I walked into the living room, I saw Michelle walk in.

“Oh s**t,” Michelle jumped when she saw me. “Geez, Chase you scared the f**k out of me. What are you doing here?”

“Uh…I could ask you the same thing. I live here, remember.”

I always liked Michelle. She protected Laila like a big sister, and she just had good energy. I did appreciate the fact that she was human as well. The last thing I needed was for someone to out me to Laila. After Ragen, I knew I was running out of time before the truth came crashing down on our lives.

“I thought you would be at work,” Michelle said, “I came to check on Laila.”

I took the big box of items she was struggling to hold and put it on the counter. It was filled with items from Laila’s office. Including a framed picture of the two of us from last year. I was surprised she had any pictures of me in her office. It seemed out of her character.

“Uh well…I,” Michelle started fumbling with her keys as she decided if she should come in or leave. I motioned for her to come in, as I told her that I already knew.

We both stood there in awkward silence as we both avoided making eye contact. Neither one of us wanted to address the elephant in the room. Michelle broke the silence first as she asked where Laila was. I pointed to the bedroom and said she was asleep.

Awkward silence again.

I took a deep breath before asking, “Have you seen it?”

Michelle looked down and nodded her head. I immediately felt my blood start to boil and the sounds of Griffin growling were deafening. Before I could pull myself and my thoughts together, I asked if I could see the video.

Michelle snaps her head up and, with her eyes bulging, she starts to shake her head furiously.

“I d-don’t think that is a good i-idea,” she stutters. I was taken aback by the response. I don’t know why I am surprised. This is a f****d up situation, and she is Laila’s best friend. Why in the f**k would she want to show me the video? Why in the hell would I want to see it?

As Michelle starts mumbling that she should go, I shut the door as she tries to open it. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. When I reopened my eyes, I could see Michelle was scared.

I slowly moved from the door and held my hands up. “Michelle, do you think it is Laila in the video?” I asked her as gently as possible.

She sighs and shakes her head, “I don’t know. I mean it looks like her, but something just doesn’t seem right.” Michelle heads to the couch and plops down with her head in her hands.

“I didn’t want Laila to be alone all day until you got home. So I took a long lunch to bring her things and talk.” Michelle said, looking down at the floor.

I sat down beside her and waited.

“I know you and Laila have a weird relationship. Like I see how much you love that girl and she just can’t bring herself to show that same love to you,” Michelle looks at me with a hurt expression.

I can’t help but wince a little at her words. Truth hurts, I guess.

“But I don’t think Laila would go f**k some other dude. I know Laila is a freak, but I have never known her to be with another man but you. Well, not since you became a couple. Now women….well you already know. Y’all nasty,” Michelle continues with a half-hearted laugh.

I tried to return the forced smile but I couldn’t. I needed to see what we were dealing with. Griffin didn’t seem to agree, but I knew he wanted to know if it was her.

Michelle looked at me for the longest. She was searching my face looking for something. Was she searching for the chance for me to be angry? Hurt? Jealous?

Whatever she was looking for, I guess she found it. She reached into her purse and dug out her phone. As the phone was placed in my hand, she held onto it when I tried to take it away.

“Don’t make me regret showing this to you. You are a good guy, Chase, and I know you love her. But that is my best friend. She is hurt and lost right now. If you make her feel worse over this, I will kill you.” Michelle releases the phone, but before I look away, I catch a glimpse of something in her eyes. It is gone by the time I do a double take.

I hesitantly pushed play on the video and immediately saw Laila’s face. She is smiling into a camera that she is clearly holding. The camera drops, and I can see she is clearly being f****d by someone. My heart started to drop.

I closed my eyes for a moment as I could hear moaning and forced myself to look back at the screen. While I can’t see Laila’s face, I see her body sprawled out before someone. The guy isn’t really visible, but the background is. They are in an office. One that looks oddly familiar.

Just as the office is starting to become clearer, the angle changes. The scene now appears to be recorded on CCTV. While both shots were clearly recorded in the dark, the second one was more grainy. I can see more of their bodies, but neither of the faces are clear.

The video goes back and forth between Laila’s recording and the office camera, and I watch the whole thing. What kind of sick f**k am I to watch the whole thing?

I know this is f****d up, but I replayed the 10-minute video. There is something in my brain fighting to come to the surface as I rewatch the video for the 3rd time.

“Holy s**t!” I blurt out. Michelle looks at me like I have lost my mind and points to the bedroom.

I couldn’t contain my excitement as I showed Michelle the video. She bows her head away, not wanting to really take in the scene on her phone. I smiled as I pointed to a spot on the screen.

“The shelf. Look at the shelf,” I said to her with barely contained enthusiasm. “See the frame that is turned down and you can just make out that there is a plaque beside it.”

Michelle stares at me confused.

“That is my dad’s office! The guy in the video is me!” I started to shout at her.

Michelle's face looks as if she still can’t process the information. I told her that my dad moved his company into a new office during an expansion last year. Laila and I were not in the best place at that time, but she had agreed to come with me to the office party.

We both got pretty drunk, but Laila had a few more drinks than I did. She had been a bit cold to me for a few weeks, but the alcohol seemed to warm her up to me pretty quickly. After the longest dry spell since we had been together, I eagerly accepted her invitation to f**k in my dad’s office. I remember turning down the picture of our family on his shelf. Laila whipped out her phone and recorded a lot more than what was on the phone in my hand now.

I jumped off the couch, but Michelle burst my bubble when she asked me about the other footage. It was clearly not from the same evening. I forwarded the video to one of the overhead shots and paused it. You could see a woman bent over a desk and a guy entering her from behind.

He was clearly not me, since he had a tattoo on his back running down his spine. They appeared to be Chinese letters. I’m sure it said something cliche like “warrior” or “fighter.” Either way, it was definitely not me, since my back tats actually had meanings I could understand.

I accidentally pushed play again, and I could see the woman’s head turn slightly. The camera quality was s**t, but I could just make out a tattoo on her neck. It was hard to tell the first few times because of her hair and the fact that the video wasn’t in color, but it was definitely a tattoo on her neck.

“f**k yea!” I yelled as I threw down the phone in my excitement.

“What the f**k, Chase?” Michelle yells at me in horror. Before I could apologize and explain to Michelle what happened, Laila walked out of the bedroom.

“What’s going on and why are you so loud?” Laila asked with her eyes half open. She scans the room and looks down where Michelle was frozen over her dropped phone. Laila’s eyes opened wide when you could hear the moaning coming from the phone.

“What the hell is going on?”