The digital clock on the corner of Idris's monitor flickered to 9:00 AM, and almost instantaneously, the notification pinged. It wasn't any standard email he received on a daily basis; it was a formal severance of ties.
The subject read: Resignation of Employment and it came from Azaria Freeman.
Idris didn't even finish the first paragraph before he was out of his chair. He didn't use the internal messaging system, and he didn't call because this was something he had to do in person. He sprinted out of his office, his heart hammering against his ribs and it had absolutely nothing to do with the fact that he was running in the large corridors of the top floor, but had everything to do with the email he was headed to share with Theon.
He burst into Theon's office without knocking. Nathan was already there, standing by the floor-to-ceiling window with a new tablet in hand, his expression uncharacteristically grim.
"She did it," Idris panted, holding up his phone as if the glowing screen were a live grenade. "The email just hit my inbox and HR's. Azaria is officially leaving. She's really pissed. What do we do?" His voice sounded panicked. He wasn't sure how to go about this. He had angered his future leader and it stressed him.
Theon, who had been staring at a stack of quarterly reports, stood up slowly. The air in the room suddenly felt heavy, charged with the Alpha's mounting agitation. He was just as panicked as Idris was, if not more.
"HR will most likely call her in soon," Idris continued, his voice dropping an octave as he tried to keep what composure he had left. "They'll draft a summons for an Exit Interview. Since she held the keys to both the Manager and Director roles, she'll have to go through the interview before she can be let go."
Theon began to pace. If any human among his employees saw him, he would have probably looked like a CEO concerned about a talent loss; to Nathan and Idris, he looked like a wolf watching his world slowly catch fire.
"Monday," Theon said, his voice a low vibration. "She should be here Monday for that interview."
"Yes, Sir," Nathan replied, making a note to inform HR on his tablet.
"I'll speak with her after her interview. I have to… try something so she stays," Theon stated.
The silence that followed was thick. Idris and Nathan exchanged a hesitant look.
"Theon," Idris started cautiously, "Is that wise? The last time you were in a room with her, she was screaming at us for being incompetent and nepotistic– which, to be fair, was mostly aimed at the situation with Celeste. If you walk into that HR meeting, she's going to think you're there to intimidate her into staying."
"I second that," Nathan added, leaning against the edge of the desk. "The optics are… problematic. She already dislikes you, Idris, and the entire Aldrith board. She's human. She doesn't feel the pull, Sir. She sees a boss who passed her over for a family member. She has no context for what we are and cornering her at the meeting could send the wrong message."
Theon stopped pacing and looked at them, his eyes dark with a mixture of possessiveness and genuine distress. "I know she doesn't understand. I know she thinks I'm the villain in this story. But if she walks out that door without me saying something, I could completely lose whatever thread I have to her."
He ran a hand through his hair, a rare sign of his nerves spiking. "Right now, it's all I can think to do. I can't let her vanish into the city. I need to see her. I need to see if she's… okay."
Idris sighed, the sound heavy with resignation. He knew that tone. When an Alpha's instinct took hold, logic was often a secondary passenger. "We'll back you, obviously. But we have to be careful. If she feels cornered, she'll bolt."
"We'll handle it with the utmost care," Nathan said, though his brow remained furrowed.
In all honesty, neither he or Idris truly knew how to handle the situation, but they needed to assist Theon the best way they could because Azaria was their future, too.
***
Across the city, the atmosphere in Azaria's apartment was the polar opposite of the high-tension in Theon's office. It was quiet, save for the hum of her laptop.
Azaria sat at her small dining table, a cup of lukewarm tea at her elbow. Her glasses were perched on the bridge of her nose, reflecting the white glow of the screen. After everything had finally settled and she was calm enough, she decided she would finally end things. She was done with Aldrith Corp, but she wasn't done with her career.
She scrolled through a list of top-tier companies. Rowan's voice echoed in her head, his concern about her jumping straight to Rhodes Industries. He wasn't wrong. Rhodes was the biggest rival Aldrith had, and while the move would be a poetic middle finger to her former employers, she didn't want to be a pawn in a corporate war. She wanted a place where her double-duty experience actually meant something.
She was halfway through a job description for a logistics firm when the notification chime rang out.
New Email: Beatrice Gallagher (HR - Aldrith Corp)
Subject: URGENT: Exit Interview and Offboarding Protocol
Azaria's jaw tightened. She didn't even have time to click the link before her phone began to vibrate on the table. The caller ID displayed the main line for Aldrith Corp.
She took a breath and swiped to answer. "Azaria Freeman."
"Miss Freeman, hello. It's Beatrice Gallagher from HR," the voice on the other end was professional. Beatrice had always been kind, but she took her job very seriously and no matter how familiar she was with Azaria's friend, Rowan, she would treat everyone the same no matter what, as long as her job asked that of her.
"Hello, Miss Gallagher," Azaria said calmly. "I assume you received my email."
"We did. And while we are deeply saddened by your decision, we have to follow standard protocol for high-standing employees," Beatrice explained. "Given that you were effectively managing both the Operations Manager and Director of Operations roles, the hand-off process is quite complex. We have several non-disclosure agreements to review and a final audit of your active projects."
Azaria leaned back in her chair. "I've already prepared a transition memo, Beatrice. It's quite thorough."
"I'm sure it is, dear, but the board insists on a formal Exit Interview. It's mandatory for someone at your level to ensure all legal and operational benchmarks are met before the final paycheck is cleared. Are you available Monday morning? 9:00 AM sharp?"
Azaria looked at her half-finished CV. She wanted to be done with that building. She wanted to never see Theon Aldrith's confusing, piercing gaze again. But she was a professional, and she wouldn't give them any leverage to withhold her severance or claim she hadn't fulfilled her obligations.
"I'll be there," Azaria said firmly. "I'll have the physical files with me as well."
"Thank you, Azaria. We'll see you then."
The line went dead. Azaria stared at the phone for a moment before setting it back down. The silence of the apartment rushed back in, but it felt different now. It was heavy with the anticipation of one last battle.
She reached up, adjusting her glasses as she turned her attention back to the screen. Her CV was impressive, years of loyalty and zero complaints. She began to type, her fingers flying across the keys as she polished her accomplishments.
She didn't know about the "second chance" myth, the ancient bloodlines, or the fact that a wolf was currently pacing a floor, agonising over her. She only knew that come Monday, she would walk into that building, sign her papers, and leave Aldrith Corp behind forever.