Garcia's POV
Months had passed since I made the journey to Obsidian Spire Pack territory. The distance between my old life and this new beginning felt like exactly what I needed. Time to breathe, time to think, and most importantly, time to finally write down all the questions that had been burning inside me for years.
The week-long journey here had been therapeutic in ways I hadn't expected. Nancy loved exploring unfamiliar terrain, her excitement infectious as we covered mile after mile of wilderness. What surprised me most was how easy it felt to leave everything behind. The bond with Thane that had once felt so consuming now seemed like nothing more than a distant memory. No lingering pain, no devastating sense of loss. It was as if that connection had never existed at all.
Dawn was breaking when I finally reached the Pack's main entrance. Thank goodness I had that official letter from the Elders tucked safely in my bag. The guards barely glanced at it before waving me through, saving me from what could have been hours of interrogation and paperwork.
A Squad Captain was already waiting for me at the main administrative building. This imposing structure housed both the Elders and the training facilities where I would spend the coming months. He handed me a detailed schedule for my first week, then gave me a comprehensive tour of my new temporary home.
The living arrangements were more restrictive than I had anticipated. While we were technically within Obsidian Spire territory, there were clear boundaries we couldn't cross. The area surrounding the Royal Palace remained strictly off-limits unless we received explicit permission from the Elders or a direct summons from the King himself.
I spent the remainder of that first day settling into my new quarters. My room was located on the top floor of building A, and I couldn't help but smile at how spacious it was compared to my cramped accommodations back home. The small balcony was an unexpected luxury, and I immediately positioned my laptop on the desk beside the glass doors where natural light would flood in during the day.
My first official day of evaluation consisted of comprehensive testing designed to assess both my legal knowledge and combat abilities. Every challenge they presented, I conquered with ease. This created an interesting dilemma for the Elders: how do you train someone who clearly doesn't need basic instruction?
After extensive consultation with the Squad Captains, they made their decision. I was assigned directly to an active Squad and given a completely customized study program tailored to my advanced skill level.
My coursework focused heavily on Pack-specific laws and their potential consequences for entire communities. This was territory I had never explored during my time in Stone Hollow Pack. The revelation that individual Alphas could create their own localized laws within their territories came as a complete shock. These regulations couldn't contradict our fundamental Laws, but they often represented much stricter interpretations of our basic principles.
The learning curve was steep, but I found myself genuinely engaged by the complexity of it all. Each new piece of information felt like solving part of a massive puzzle I hadn't even known existed.
Today marked my official induction as a full member of Captain Knox's Squad. This promotion meant I would finally be cleared for active missions, with my primary responsibility being to ensure our team thoroughly understood the specific Pack laws governing whatever territory we were deployed to.
"Good morning, Garcia." Captain Knox's greeting was warm as I entered the communal living area of our Squad house.
My teammates acknowledged me with friendly smiles and casual waves. I made my way to the coffee machine, desperately needing my morning latte before facing whatever challenges the day might bring.
Captain Knox slid a familiar manila file across the table as I settled into a chair near him. My stomach dropped slightly as I reluctantly opened it. I knew exactly what this contained, and I hated these monthly reminders of the life I had left behind.
Captain Knox had discovered my past quite by accident during my third day with his Squad. He had come looking for me when I failed to appear for morning briefing, only to find me cursing violently at an old cell phone lying on my desk. I had finally worked up the courage to turn on that phone with my original SIM card, only to discover it was flooded with dozens of text messages and voicemails from my father.
Not a single message contained an apology for how he had treated me. Instead, each one was a litany of accusations calling me childish, selfish, and immature for abandoning my responsibilities.
Captain Knox had gently taken the phone from my trembling hands that day. Since then, he provided me with monthly summaries of any new messages, along with the names of whoever had left them.
The pattern never changed. My father continued his verbal attacks, painting me as an ungrateful daughter who had abandoned her family. Thane's messages were desperate pleas begging me to return, to give him another chance to prove himself worthy. His parents echoed these sentiments in their own communications. The only person who had maintained complete silence was Julia, and I prayed it would stay that way.
My eyes widened as I read something completely different in my father's latest message. Nancy's laughter echoed in my mind as the memory suddenly came flooding back. How could I have forgotten about this?
"Something amusing, Garcia?" Captain Knox's voice cut through my thoughts.
"Sorry, it's just this last message from my father." Several low growls rumbled around the room from my teammates.
"I completely forgot that I changed the password to the Pack financial management program. I never told anyone what the new password was, and the annual budget meeting is coming up soon."
The confused expressions around me told me I needed to elaborate.
"Every Pack creates an annual budget for various community needs and projects. I've been preparing these documents since I was fifteen, though my father always presented them as his own work. Since he never actually accessed the program himself, he never needed the updated password. Now the only people who can get into the system are Alpha Frost and his mate."
Captain Knox looked completely stunned, and I could see similar expressions of disbelief on every face in the room.
"Can't your father just ask Alpha Frost for the password?" Elder Dwayne asked from his position near the window.
"And admit to Alpha Frost that he hasn't actually been doing any of the financial work he was supposed to be responsible for?" I asked in return.
Understanding dawned on their faces, followed by appreciative laughter as they grasped the implications. No Beta would willingly lose face in front of their Alpha by admitting such incompetence.
"Besides, my father would never admit he was at fault for anything, no matter how overwhelming the evidence against him might be."