Claws and code

Lady's choice

I've been training extra to go for my next belt and got hurt. (Expected when you do fight sports, don't feel sorry for me.) Felt sorry for myself though 🤫, and didn't move for a few days (except to get more icepacks and coffee). Didn't realise I missed my update day (So sorry!).
Anyway... I'm here now, enjoy more of Claws and Code (don't forget to vote, so that the story can get a bit more attention ❤️)
***

I had to find it. That sounded so easy. They really didn't understand the complexity of the systems, networks or even the web. Thankfully I had already run part of the code with the video to find the guy. Now I only had three quarters of the time to go. I heard someone order everyone out, not looking up I said. 'My bodyguard stays, he's helpful. He spotted the guy's behavioural changes before I found the corrupted code.'

I heard somebody say goodbye to Jack, from the sound of it and the jealousy in the voice I thought it was their system's guy. Then I heard his brother order the guy out, so it had to be him. There was some discussion behind me and then my chair was yanked from the keyboard and turned around. One angry Alpha, my own Alpha who looked amused, David, Arthur and Mark. David slipped to my keyboard and laughed at my disgusted snarl for him not to touch. He paused the footage and the code.

'Do we have your attention, Cloe?' Daniel asked with a small smile. I shook my head and tried to get my head into the conversation that they wanted me to have.

'No.' I replied, shaking my head again. The other Alpha growled at me and I turned to look at the man. I really looked and unlike a wolf would have, I didn't look away when I met his eyes. He was a big man, like all of them, dark hair that was almost as dark as Jack's hair and bright blue eyes. My answer was for my own Alpha but I locked eyes with the other one.

'No, you have not got my attention, dad asked me to do something and I started doing it. Now you interrupted me. I have no idea what he planted in our system, no idea if the link gave access to the intruder that I haven't found yet. Not a freaking clue how much they managed to mine from our systems as of now and I was on it. Once I know that my.., our system and our pack, is protected and clean.. I'll need to start on the other drives and see which other packs they managed to get into. To do that I have to contact every supernatural system that I know of and convince them of the urgency of my intrusion before being attacked by them. Come to think of it, I'll need David to start ringing them before I start looking everywhere else. So as you might now understand, I'm busy. Go away. Leave me to do my job.'

I tried to turn back to the screen but this time Arthur grabbed the chair. 'You haven't slept.'

'I don't have time to sleep, dad.' I glared at him. He stared me down and I pouted when he broke my mental block. In the link I begged. 'Please take them away so I can work, daddy.'

'Don't try to charm me, young lady. Tell David what he needs to look for and then you need to get at least an hour or two in.' He replied out loud.

'Daniel..' I now looked at my own Alpha and I noticed that I'd slipped up when he growled lowly. A wolf would never address the Alpha without their title. I quickly tried to cover it up by widening my eyes and pouting. 'Uncle D! Please?! Can't you tell him that I should be working! This is what you pay me the big bucks for!'

The other Alpha finally cracked a tiny smile. 'Ah... The little wolf was raised by your Beta but I can see that she thinks of your family as family too. That explains her disrespect for all of you. I thought it strange when your son let her snarl at him.'

I looked back at the man and raised an eyebrow in question. 'Are you here for any reason?'

'You.'

'Wow. You're incredibly articulate. Please, don't bother explaining.'

He grinned at Arthur and Daniel. 'I guess there is a price to pay for having the legendary Mowgli. Suppose that makes it worth being lenient. Who would have thought such a little runt could have such a big attitude.'

It seemed that everyone snarled when he called me a runt. I noticed that Jack clenched his jaw and looked livid. Guess he didn't think I was a runt either. I stood up and pushed the Alpha of Jack's pack. Mark and David grabbed me and held me back. They had been front row to most of my tantrums since I started hanging out with the Lycans. Dominance fights, that's what they called them. Showing idiots their place, is what I called them. It was a good thing that they were both at my side because my head suddenly spun and I felt my knees go weak. Caffeine and sugar had burned out and sleep was catching up now that I had stopped. 'Are the other packs still confined to quarters?' Jack's voice queried. There was an affirmative and much to my surprise Mark chuckled. 'Yep and seen as how you are now her bodyguard you can take her home and make sure that she gets some sleep. That is a fight all of us have already lost several times. She's like a damned pup with a bone when she is working on something in here.'

All the men from our pack laughed at my expenses when I growled at him. Pulling my arms free I dropped back down and turned back to the computer. Before I could turn the system back on however, someone pulled the chair back and pulled me out of it in one foul sweep. Jack swung me into his arms and grinned over my head. 'Through the gardens?' He asked. Arthur was laughing too hard to answer and when I tried to get out of his arms, Jack winked down at me. 'I'll bring you home like this or I throw you over my shoulder fireman's style, lady's choice.'

I glared while the others now all laughed. 'I can see why you are named Jack..Jackass'

He smirked. The glint in his eyes told me he wasn't kidding. He would throw me over his shoulder. I stopped moving and crossed my arms. 'I can walk.'

'I'm not risking you shifting and taking off because you are annoyed with us. You need sleep. Then you can come back and continue.'

He didn't understand why the men from my pack laughed even louder at that. It was too funny because the other pack obviously still hadn't figured out that I was human. A smirk tried to escape my lips, I couldn't shift to save my life. Jack turned around and started walking. Arthur was right beside him. He would protect me like his own and letting this stranger carry me had to be hard for him. I used the link to give David instructions about what he would need to do until I was back and closed my eyes to enjoy Jack's arms.

Being in his arms made me feel completely and irrationally protected. He calmed me down but I didn't fall asleep. Arthur obviously thought I had because he shushed everyone we passed, telling them I was fine, just asleep. In the garden I cracked one eye open just enough to see that it was night again. Maybe they were right. I could probably do with a few hours of sleep. The thought irked me but the payoff of being held by the divine Lycan, who had kissed me senseless, seemed like a nice compensation.