Total pages in book: 121
Estimated words: 114617 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 573(@200wpm)___ 458(@250wpm)___ 382(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 114617 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 573(@200wpm)___ 458(@250wpm)___ 382(@300wpm)
“I know.”
“What are you rambling about? Get down from there, or I’ll make you get down.”
My smile melted away, eyes hardening. “I know.”
“Enough of this! Get out of my school!”
The command washed over me, having no effect. “I know, Dagem.”
“What?” she burst out. “What do you know!”
“Everything.”
She frowned at me, the slight crack in her bluster appearing. “What is that supposed to mean?”
“Makena,” Raza hissed. “Don’t give her the satisfaction. Drag her out of here if you must.”
“Yes,” I said. “Go ahead and drag me out of here. The whole way I’ll shout about how you afford all those nice things in your office, and the even nicer things you’ve got stashed away in your private quarters.”
Her jaw slackened. “You’ve been in my private—? How dare you!”
“Is that really the headline of what I just said?”
Dagem bristled. “I have no idea what you’re implying. I’ve been smart with my savings. I’ve invested wisely.”
“Oh, yes, you were very wise to invest in blackmail.”
Dagem went very still. “Blackmail? What are you talking about? I have never—”
“Stop.”
She stopped.
“We’re not going to play this game where we pretend not to be talking about what we both know we’re talking about.”
“What are you talking about?” Nyx demanded. “What the fuck’s going on, Headmistress? Get me out of these!”
Someone held up their hand to silence him. It was Dagem.
“What is it that you believe we’re talking about?” Dagem asked softly—carefully.
“Do you really want me to say in front of all these people?” I swept out my hands. “What me to get into all the gory details? Because the last time you were asked to do that, you took the money instead.”
She flinched, eyes widening. I could hear the thought going through her mind as if my wolf’s hearing penetrated her brain. “My gods, she does know.”
“So you do want everyone to know? All right.” I turned on our audience. “Everyone, a year and a half ago, Headmistress Dagem extorted five—”
“Stop!” Dagem launched at me, but it wasn’t anger in her eyes. It was desperation. “What do you want?”
My smile returned. “What else would I want? I want you to do exactly what you did before. Take the money and look the other way.”
“Excuse me?”
“You heard me.” Reaching into my pocket, I pulled out the card. “This is a debit card linked to a bank account containing eight million dollars. The account information is taped on the back.” I held it out. “All you have to do is take this card, hop a plane to France, and live out the rest of your days in your chateau by the sea. With the caveat, of course, that you tell no one that you’ve retired and handed over the school to me. No need to trouble anyone else with the news. They’ll find out soon enough.”
Dagem fixed on the card. “But... how do I know the money is really there?”
“Makena!” Raza shrieked. “What are you saying!”
“Headmistress?”
“You have to stop this!”
“Do something!”
Dagem and I locked eyes amid the noise. This was between me and her.
“See for yourself,” I said, handing the card over easily. “The money is all there, and it can be all yours if you pack your bags and leave right now.”
Dagem took the card. Raza shouted curses and obscenities at her back, but Dagem was hardly listening in her haste to pull up the account on her phone. One look and her eyes bugged out of her skull.
“What’s it going to be?” I asked.
Dagem glanced at me, but only for half a second. She flicked back to the money quick. “Just... promise me you won’t hurt the students.”
“Oh, please, who are you putting a show on for? You don’t have to pretend you care about the students.” I stuck my hand out. “Do we have a deal or not?”
She hesitated, looking from me, to the students, and back to the debit card clutched in her sweaty hand. “Deal.”
“What!?” Raza looked ready to burst out of her skin and attack. “Makena, what is wrong with you! How can you do this!”
“Everyone, say hello to your new headmistress,” Dagem called, beating it out the door. “Heed her well, and good lu—”
The rest was cut off by her slamming the door shut in Raza’s purple face and taking off to book that flight to France.
Raza whirled on me. “Fuck that bitch!”
My brows shot up. She didn’t sound like a kindergarten teacher now.
“Don’t think you’ve won, because you haven’t, Volana! I’m contacting the alpha council right now.” She whipped out her phone. “The men with straightjackets will be along shortly to carry you away.”
I laughed. “You could do that or you can take three times your salary to continue your job working for me, and I won’t tell anyone about your affair.”
She froze. “A-affair?”
“And he’s so young too.” I winked. “Naughty girl.”