The Genius Delta
Chapter 2 - Persephone

At long last, I am getting to leave Sicily! Even better, my wildest dream is coming true. I am going toAmerica to work for Silvercloud Industries, and I don't think I can contain my excitement. I feltterrible that I missed Isis and Kurt's wedding, but they understood I needed to finish my finals andget everything packed to come for my summer internship. I'll see plenty of them while I'm there, oras much as possible, given they are Luna and Alpha of Silverclaw, and I'll be super busy with myinternship.

Oh, I hope I'll be super busy. I will be so bummed if Tie's jokes about interns being brought in asgoffers to fetch coffee and things for the actual employees are valid. I would be so bitter anddisappointed if I worked so damn hard, getting rejected two summers before this, only to be acoffee fetcher. I'll probably dump the first cup of hot coffee I'm told to fetch on the person issuingthe order. I am Persephone Adelaide Fayte, and I am a fucking genius inventor. I'd stay home andwork at the cafe if I wanted to serve coffee.

“So you pack anything sexy? Like a new bikini?” André asked as he started plucking items out of mysuitcase.

I nearly jumped out of my skin. André snuck up on me, and I hate when he does that. I must havebeen too caught up in thinking about what-ifs that I didn't notice him. I rolled my eyes, snatched asports bra from his hands, and stuffed it into my luggage. I'd be more embarrassed that he touchedmy bra if he was straight and single. But he’s neither of those things, so why bother?

"André, stay out of my clothes. None of them will fit you.” I scolded. “And why would I pack sexyclothes? And my bikini fits me just fine. Not that I'm expecting to go swimming a lot. I'm going toOregon to work, not hang by the pool.”

“You're a blonde bombshell heading to a pack with many eligible, handsome males. Don't you wantsomething hot to wear if you replace your mate? Or to catch the eye of a summer fling?” Andrécountered.

I scoffed as I put the last of the clothes I'd planned to bring into the suitcase. “André, 1 am goingthere to work. I want to prove myself in Silvercloud Industrial so that this internship can become areal job. I won't have time for flirting, and you already know I prioritize my work over replaceing amate.”

“Yes, and I think you are lying to yourself. Everyone wants to replace a mate. You cannot look me in theeyes and tell me that Sara isn't itching to replace her mate. Especially after not replaceing him in any of theSicilian packs these past two years.” André folded his arms.

"And I know some seriously hot eligible males in Bloodmoon and Silverclaw. You'd have known ittoo if you'd gone to Isis’ wedding.” He added with that unsettling gleam in his eyes. If I've learnedanything about André D'Amore over the years, it's the beware of that look. It means he knowssomething that he won't tell me.

“Sara is fine, thank you very much. Finding a mate is not high on my priority list, and she knows.Now stop getting in my way. Delilah and I have a flight to catch.” I shooed him away as I zipped mybag.

“Don't talk for me. You may be fine without a mate, but I'd like to replace him sooner than later. I mayrespect your dedication to your passion for technology, but that doesn't mean my wants and needswill be dismissed.’ Sara snorted from where she was lying on the far side of our shared mentalspace.

I'm not dismissing them. I'm simply saying I am young, and there is plenty of time to replace our matelater. It's not like I'm suddenly going to age out of replaceing a mate or being able to have children.’ Icountered. That shut her up, or more likely, she’s going to give me the silent treatment till we reachBloodmoon, and she’s begging to go for a run.

“I know you do. Why do you think I'm here? Papa and Crista are taking Gwen and Christina for theircheckup. So Darren and I are here to take you to the airport. Darren is helping Delilah with herbags.” André explained.

That's right. I nearly forgot my nieces had their annual checkups. I hadn't even thought about whowould take us to the airport. I figured they'd have Damon or Isadora take us. I didn't expect Alec tohave either of his kids do it. They have packs to run, so they should be too busy for something sotrivial.

“Shouldn't you be running your pack?” asked as he hefted my luggage and led the way downstairs."Of course, we have a pack to be running.” André smiled. “But what kind of nephew would I be if Ididn’t make sure my little Zias made it to the airport safe and sound.”

"André, I told you already you aren“t sneaking onto their flight. We don't have any business inBloodmoon or Silverclaw.” Darren rolled his eyes, taking my suitcase from André.

“But I want to make sure they get there okay.” André pouted.

"Stop pouting. I told you I'm not kissing you for pouting anymore. It only encourages your childishbehavior.” Darren shook his head. “You don't need to worry about them arriving safely. My parentswill pick them up at the airport and drive them directly to the Bloodmoon pack house.”

“I think it's sweet that André is worried about us.” Delilah smiled as she hugged him. “But youshould listen to Darren. We'll be perfectly safe. Your in-laws will pick us up, and then Darren's formerAlpha and pack will watch out for us all summer.”

“Fine...” André sighed. “Let's go then. Don’t want you two to be late.” André conceded, and wethankfully got on the road.

The flight to Oregon was long and tedious. I spent most of it researching Silvercloud. I wanted to beas up-to-date on their currently announced projects as possible as anyone in the company of note. Istill haven't found anything regarding the elusive Silvercloud founder in all my digging.

The company site doesn’t show a picture and only refers to him as J. Silvercloud. There are nodetails about him beyond that he partnered with Kinsley Industrial to start the company. From there,it links to Kinsley, which I know all about them, and that Alpha Logan and Beta John of Bloodmoonare the co-owners of the company founded by their family decades ago. I don't like that I can’t replaceout who I'll be working for. For all I know, J Silvercloud is a woman, which would be way cooler.Delilah spent the flight doing something similar to me. She's coming for the summer after gettinginto a botany summer early college program at OSU. She's super excited about it. When we weren'tbusy researching our summer futures, we were sleeping.

Sixteen-plus hours on an airplane is killer. I should be grateful we traveled on a private jet instead ofon a regular flight. If we'd been on a commercial flight, there would have been many other peopleand probably multiple long layovers in strange airports.

And let's not forget the time zones. We left home at eleven in the morning, so by the time wetouched down in Portland, it was nearly four in the morning back home. Yet it's only seven at nighthere. It's all kinds of nuts and will take a couple of days to adjust. I don’t remember much about ourarrival. Darren's parents were welcoming, and we slept on the car ride to Mount Hood. I rememberbeing greeted by Alpha Logan and Luna Aurelia with their three kids, but it was a blur leading up tomy head hitting a soft pillow.

I don't know how long I'd been asleep, but I wasn't in bed when I woke up. I grumbled, squinting asI realized I was outside somewhere. "How did I get out here?” I pondered.

“Your wolf.” An unfamiliar voice announced.

I yelped, jumping up before realizing I was naked in front of a stranger. Sara and I will have one hellof a fight about this. I quickly grabbed the blanket, realizing he must have covered me up. Inarrowed my eyes at the dark-haired male. He looked up at the sky to give me some sense ofmodesty. I cocked my head as I looked at him, noting the several piercings and tattoos I could see."Who are you? Where am 1?" I questioned, wrapping the blanket around me to ensure I was at leastcovered.

“David Bryant, Miss Fayte. I'm one of Luna Aurelia’s guards. And you are in the forest, obviously.” Heanswered with a smirk, still not looking at me.

“I am covered up now.” I rolled my eyes. “And no shit, I'm in the forest. What I'm asking is how far Iam from the packhouse. And I can't imagine why my wolf would bring me out here.” I frowned.“Sara! What did you do while I was asleep?’ I demanded.

“Can't you smell it? He's here. I could smell him everywhere at the packhouse, but you were too jet-lagged to listen. So I took control and followed his scent.’ Sara answered like I should have guessedthat.

“What do you mean HE? Like my mate? And if you were on his trail, why am I waking up in theforest?’ I questioned.

“Bingo! I went in circles for hours, but the trail disappeared, and I couldn’t replace him.’ Sarawhimpered.

“You're about ten miles from the packhouse. I take it you've had a talk with your wolf, and you knowwhat possessed her to bring you way the fuck out here.” David sighed, now looking at me.

“Um.. yes.” I nodded. I wasn't about to tell him she scented our mate and came to a dead end. Idon't want to even think about it.

"Good. Now, change into spare clothes behind that tree, and I'll take you back to the packhouse.Kurt and Isis are waiting to take you to your summer job.” David instructed, pointing to a tree.

"Oh shit! My internship! I can't be late for my first day!” I exclaimed as I hurried to change.

David was still laughing at me when he dropped me off at the packhouse. Kurt and Isis were insidetalking with Delilah. Delilah rushed over and hugged me the minute she saw me like I had returnedfrom the dead.

“Where did you go? Why did Sara take control like that? Are you okay?” Delilah asked back-to-backquestions.

"Sara decided that my being jet lagged wasn't an excuse for her not to go for a run. I guess she gotlost and laid down to rest.” I shrugged.

I should feel bad that I'm lying to my sister, but I don’t want to mention that Sara scented our mate.Speaking of... I took a deep breath, trying to see if any scents clicked. And there was one. It wasfaint like he hadn't been here in a while but was so ingrained in the packhouse that he used tospend much time there. It smelled like a new car: coffee beans, clove, cedar, and leather.

“Are you okay?” Isis asked, raising her eyebrow at me.

“Yep, I'm great. I am just frazzled by jet lag and Sara pulling that stupid late-night run. I'll be ready ina flash. I don’t want to be late for my first day.” I assured her before rushing upstairs to get dressedfor my first day at Silvercloud Industries. It'll be a great way to not think about that scent and who itbelongs to.