Her Dragon Protector

Chapter 7

It was Thanksgiving day and, other than Christmas, it was the only time of year when all of Olivia’s family was back together under the same roof at the same time. Her sisters would come home, bring their families, and stay in their childhood bedrooms. Her brother lived in the pack with his son and mate, which meant she got to see them often, unlike her sisters, who had moved to their mates’ packs.

Olivia sat on her bed with her laptop, finalizing her route and where she would stop along the way. She had decided to go to Oregon and start over. She hated leaving her family and life behind but had to do it. That was what was best.

A deep voice came from the doorway, “Hey, Peanut.”

Olive slammed her laptop closed and smiled at her brother. “Hey, what’s up?”

“I was going to ask you that,” Eric told her as he sat on the bed beside her. “I just got a weird cryptic call from Jake. He told me to make sure you were OK while you were here. Is there something I need to know about?”

“No,” Olivia laughed. “I have been a little run down this week, and he is doing his best to take your place at work.”

“I’m not sure I believe that. But, now that you mention it, you do look a little pale.”

“See, told you.”

“He told me to make sure you eat properly while you are here.”

“That is because my stomach has been upset the last few days, and I haven’t wanted to eat.”

“Yeah, OK,” Eric replied skeptically. “I won’t push it.”

“Is that the only reason you came up here? Because Jake called you.”

“No, baby sis, it is not. Mom wanted me to tell you that the food is done and on the table. I was asked to come up and get you while everyone else wrangled the kids.”

“I’ll be right down. I just need a sec to do something.”

“Calling Jake to yell at him?” Eric laughed.

“No,” Olivia giggled. “I want to have plenty of time for that. I was in the middle of a work email I need to finish.”

“Alright,” Eric sighed as he stood and headed to the door. “Don’t be long, or Mom will come up here and drag you down the stairs by your ear.”

“OK.”

Olivia quickly opened her laptop and continued with what she was doing. She clicked confirm for the first hotel reservation she needed to book. Now the only thing left was to think of something to tell her family so they wouldn’t worry.

Olivia was taking the last bite of her second slice of chocolate pie when she heard a camera shutter click. She turned to see Eric holding his phone and smiling at her.

“What are you doing?” Olivia inquired before stuffing the pie in her mouth.

“Sending Jake proof that your stomach is better and that you are eating very well while you’re here,” Eric smirked.

“Livie, why is Jacob worried about how much you’re eating?” her mother, Marie, asked.

Olivia rolled her eyes and blew out an exasperated breath. “Because my stomach was upset earlier in the week, so I wasn’t eating very much. He is my self-appointed office, big brother. If you ask him, he will tell you.”

“Alright,” her mother replied before turning to Eric. “Son, why are you taking a picture of Liv while she eats, other than to embarrass her later?”

“Because Jake asked for proof that she was eating,” Eric answered as he put his phone down. “And now that he has proof, he is happy and has given me the message to tell all of you to eat until you all go into food comas.”

Olivia watched her mother close her eyes and shake her head slowly as she took a long deep breath. “That boy, I swear,” she mumbled.

There was laughter among everyone at the table. They all knew her parents considered

Jacob to be a second son. Anytime his parents had to travel for pack business when he was a child, Jake would stay with them.

Olivia steeled herself and cleared her throat. She had to tell her family she was leaving, and she figured now was as good of a time as any.

Olivia said, “I have something to tell everyone while you are here. I have decided to leave Dark Moon Industries.”

“What? Why?” her mother asked before anyone else could.

“Seriously? I thought you loved that job,” her sister Jessica said.

“I do, or I did,” Olivia said with a sigh. “When I started, things were great. But, after the Halloween party, things feel different, and it isn’t the same.”

“Oh, I heard about that,” Heather giggled. “Rumor has it you and Alpha Nicholas Williams had a long and passionate night together.”

“And that is why I am leaving. It never happened. Nick kept sending me drinks that night, thinking it would be fine, and it would have been if my wolf was with me. When he saw I was drunk, he took me home because we all live in the same building. My purse was left in my office, so I spent the night in his penthouse because I didn’t have my keys.”

“Riiiight,” Heather teased. “Olivia, you might as well own it because if I didn’t have a mate and had the chance to be in that Alpha’s bed, my clothes would be on the floor before you could blink.”

“Heather!” Olivia’s mom and dad both scolded her.

Olivia pursed her lips tightly as she closed her eyes and shook her head before she replied, “This is why I am leaving Dark Moon Industries and the pack for a while. If my own sister feels the need to make it something it wasn’t, what do you think others do? Since that party, I have not had a single day that I haven’t heard the whispers, accusations, and names that I’ve been called. Everyone there treats me differently. People who were my friends won’t speak to me, and people I only saw in passing want to be my friends so they can get ahead. Even Nick has avoided me since that night to protect the company’s reputation. And I don’t blame him. That’s what he should do. The only ones who treat me the same are Jake because he knows me and Gretchen, Nick’s secretary.”

Olivia’s father, Arthur, asked, “How long do you plan on being gone, and where do you plan on going?”

“I don’t know, and I’m not sure,” Olivia answered. “There are so many places that I want to go and photograph. I thought I would get in my car and see where I ended up. If a place feels right, maybe stay there for a while and see what happens. And before anyone asks, I am fine when it comes to money. Most of what I have made with Dark Moon went into saving. If I am careful, I can easily live off of that alone for a year.”

“Oh baby, I don’t like this,” her mother told her softly.

“You don’t like it because I am your baby,” Olivia said with an eye roll.

“Yes, but also because you have no plan,” her father interjected.

“That is part of the beauty of it. I am free to go where I want when I want. I can do what I have dreamed of since you guys gave me my first camera. You all have always told me to follow my dream, and now that I have the chance, you don’t want me to do it,” Olivia explained. “Please trust me.”

“I trust you, Peanut,” Eric told her. “I think you should do it. What’s the worst that could happen? A year from now, you come home, flat broke, and move back into your childhood bedroom? Even if that happens, you got to follow your dream. I vote to do it. Show of hands. All those in favor of Peanut following her dream say ‘aye.’”

A chorus of ayes came from around the table, and everyone’s hand was raised except Olivia’s mother. Olivia gave her a pleading look.

Marie slowly raised her hand and muttered, “Aye.”

“It looks like a unanimous vote,” Eric laughed. “So when are you leaving?”

Olivia glanced around the table and answered, “I will be leaving Monday.”