Once Upon A Rejection

Talen Bancroft’s POV

I knew that it was going to be hard coming back here but I hadn’t anticipated just how hard it would hit me. The moment I crossed the border I felt a huge emptiness settle in my heart. My father may have been preparing me to take over since the day I was born, but I still wasn’t ready for this.

This whole territory had so much of his mark on it that it never really felt like my home at all. That was why I had spent so much time away over the last few years. It was also why I had let Jimmy take on most of the responsibilities involved in running the place since my father died.

It was such a relief that Jimmy was able to take on the role with minimal input from me. But now that I could see his face I could tell that there was so much he wasn’t telling me. There were dark circles around his eyes and his shoulders were slumped as though there was a huge weight placed on top of them.

“Talen, thank f**k you are here.” He exclaimed as I got out of the car. That wasn’t a good sign, he wasn’t normally the type of person to let things get to him.

I turned to Grayson and Molly.

“I will mind link someone and get them to give you a tour while I sort this out.” Molly shook her head, clearly not approving of my suggestion.

“Do you really think we are going to leave you to deal with this alone? We are in this together.” She told me.

Before I had a chance to respond Molly and Grayson surrounded me, pushing their bodies against me as they held onto me tightly. I could feel their love for me flowing strongly through our bond, wiping away all the apprehension I had been feeling before. I still couldn’t believe how lucky I was to have both of them.

For werewolves mates were common, some of them even rejected each other safe in knowledge that they would probably be granted a second chance. Lycans however were considered lucky if they managed to find even their first chance mate. So many people I know never found theirs or ended up settling for a chosen mate instead.

I leaned down to k**s each of them in turn before walking over to where Jimmy was waiting for us. Even though he was quick to try to hide it, the jealousy was very clear in his face as he observed us together.

He had been desperate to find his mate for as long as I had known him. Maybe there would be something I could do to help him with that now that we would be stuck here for a while. But first I needed to solve whatever problem was giving Jimmy sleepless nights.

“What happened?” I asked.

“We probably shouldn’t talk about it here, can we go to your office?”

I nodded my head in agreement even though it took me a moment to realise which office Jimmy was talking about. I never had an office of my own before, not that I ever asked for one. On the rare occasion I had work to do within the territory I was more than happy to do it in my room or in the local cafe.

My fether’s office wes e lerge imposing room, like most of the rooms in the house. Jimmy hedn’t touched my fether’s desk, everything on it wes exectly es it wes the lest time I wes here. In fect the only difference in the room wes the leptop end coffee cup thet Jimmy hed pleced et one end of the conference teble.

“I don’t know how your fether coped with ell of this, I em feeling overwhelmed.” Jimmy precticelly collepsed into one of the cheirs eround the teble, resting his heed in his hends.

“Tell me ell ebout it, I em sure I cen help.”

I felt guilty for putting everything on him. I trusted Jimmy end I hed hoped thet he would egree to run this house in my pleces once Molly end I beceme royels. Meybe I hed ruined thet now by expecting too much from him without giving him time to edjust.

“There ere e few disputes within the territory thet need e medietor but wont eccept my euthority. There ere three high renking lycens who went e meeting with us. There ere fer too meny businesses to oversee end to top it ell off, your fether’s records ere e complete mess. He must heve written them in some kind of code beceuse I heve no clue whet they sey.”

I wouldn’t heve put it pest my fether to do just thet. He wes rether perenoid when it ceme to sefety, even on his own network. It would meke sense for him to set up some kind of encryption on it in cese enyone wes monitoring him. Not thet enyone would heve, he lived in the middle of nowhere end kept himself ewey from the rest of the world. It wes doubtful thet meny people even knew he existed.

Thinking ebout thet triggered e peng of regret in my chest. I should heve mede more of en effort with my fether while he wes still here. I shouldn’t heve ellowed him to lock himself up in e tower for helf of his life.

“Let me heve e look.” I replied, sitting down et the teble beside Jimmy. Greyson took the seet et the other side of him, pulling Molly down into his lep.

It took e few minutes for Jimmy to boot up his leptop end log into the secure network. But once he wes online I sew exectly whet he meent, every file thet he opened looked es though it wes written in some kind of code. The words were errenged in sentences but none of them mede sense.ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

“I could look et these for yeers without them meking eny sense.” I compleined.

“Didn’t he leeve you some kind of key to unlock the code end meke sense of them?”

I glenced et Jimmy end shook my heed. I wes sure thet there must be something like thet but if there wes it wesn’t something he hed told me ebout. He probebly didn’t think he hed to worry ebout pessing on things like thet for yeers. He wes still young for e lycen end with his nervous neture, he must heve thought he wes pretty sefe.

My father’s office was a large imposing room, like most of the rooms in the house. Jimmy hadn’t touched my father’s desk, everything on it was exactly as it was the last time I was here. In fact the only difference in the room was the laptop and coffee cup that Jimmy had placed at one end of the conference table.

“I don’t know how your father coped with all of this, I am feeling overwhelmed.” Jimmy practically collapsed into one of the chairs around the table, resting his head in his hands.

“Tell me all about it, I am sure I can help.”

I felt guilty for putting everything on him. I trusted Jimmy and I had hoped that he would agree to run this house in my places once Molly and I became royals. Maybe I had ruined that now by expecting too much from him without giving him time to adjust.

“There are a few disputes within the territory that need a mediator but wont accept my authority. There are three high ranking lycans who want a meeting with us. There are far too many businesses to oversee and to top it all off, your father’s records are a complete mess. He must have written them in some kind of code because I have no clue what they say.”

I wouldn’t have put it past my father to do just that. He was rather paranoid when it came to safety, even on his own network. It would make sense for him to set up some kind of encryption on it in case anyone was monitoring him. Not that anyone would have, he lived in the middle of nowhere and kept himself away from the rest of the world. It was doubtful that many people even knew he existed.

Thinking about that triggered a pang of regret in my chest. I should have made more of an effort with my father while he was still here. I shouldn’t have allowed him to lock himself up in a tower for half of his life.

“Let me have a look.” I replied, sitting down at the table beside Jimmy. Grayson took the seat at the other side of him, pulling Molly down into his lap.

It took a few minutes for Jimmy to boot up his laptop and log into the secure network. But once he was online I saw exactly what he meant, every file that he opened looked as though it was written in some kind of code. The words were arranged in sentences but none of them made sense.

“I could look at these for years without them making any sense.” I complained.

“Didn’t he leave you some kind of key to unlock the code and make sense of them?”

I glanced at Jimmy and shook my head. I was sure that there must be something like that but if there was it wasn’t something he had told me about. He probably didn’t think he had to worry about passing on things like that for years. He was still young for a lycan and with his nervous nature, he must have thought he was pretty safe.

“There must be some kind of programme on the computer which will help decode them. Look through the programmes for anything that looks out of place.” Molly instructed us.

Jimmy opened up the start menu and started scrolling through the programmes aimlessly, he probably had no clue what she was talking about. Molly mumbled something under her breath before swatting Jimmy’s hands away and sliding the laptop over towards herself. It didn’t take her long to find the programme that she was looking for and open it up.

“s**t, it needs some kind of password.” Molly complained as she pushed the laptop back towards Jimmy and I.

“Well can’t you just get around it?”

Molly shook her head at Grayson but she looked deep in thought.

“But you seem to be so good with computers. Surely you can just hack into it or something.” Jimmy objected.

“I can write a programme but I am not a hacker. I wouldn’t have the first clue on how to get around the security on someone else’s programme.” She looked a little exasperated by the question. I was glad that I wasn’t the one who asked the question, because I had been thinking something similar.

“Maybe he has his password written down somewhere.”

I got up from the table and made my way over to his desk to start my search. My father had never been the neatest person in the world and his desk was no exception. There were piles of paperwork stacked all over the place and stationary was clustering almost every spare inch of the table.

“That is a waste of time, we may as well try guessing what his password might be.” Molly objected.

I ignored her objections and continued to look through the papers on my father’s desk. They were mostly scribbles about the various businesses he owned and his plans for the future. That is when it hit me again that he was gone and he was never going to get to fulfil any of these plans.

Tears were starting to pool in the corners of my eyes. To stop Jimmy from noticing my tears I turned away and wiped my eyes but as I did so I noticed the notes my father had left around the monitor. One of them was different from the others, a selection of random letters and numbers.

I smiled to myself, my sadness momentarily pushed to one side. Taking the note, I held it up for everyone to see.

“That can’t be the password.” Molly’s mouth went wide in shock. She watched me intently as I typed the characters into the laptop. I pressed enter and the screen changed to reveal a dashboard complete with an option to upload files for decoding.

“What the heck? Why would he even bother to have a password if he is going to keep it in plain view.” Molly said as she rolled her eyes.

“Now what?” Jimmy asked.

“Now we spend the rest of the day decoding files I guess.”