Hacking That Sass: Sassy Ever After Read online

  Hacking

  That

  Sass

  A Sassy Ever After Story

  USA Today Bestselling Author

  Elianne Adams

  Hacking That Sass

  A Sassy Ever After Story

  Copyright 2018 Elianne Adams

  Published by MT Worlds Press, Inc.

  Winter Springs, FL 32708

  http://mtworldspress.com

  Cover Art by Willsin Rowe

  Edits by Theresa Cole

  Formatting by Celtic Formatting

  All rights reserved under the International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, organizations, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  http://mtworldspress.com

  Acknowledgements

  I’d like to take a moment to thank Milly Taiden for allowing us to play in her magical worlds, and to the amazing people she has working for her. They are the glue that holds all of us together. Without them, none of this would be possible.

  Kaitlin Moore has been paying her dues in a data entry job for years. She’s willing to work hard to get noticed and climb the corporate ladder. Even if it means cleaning the staff room and dealing with the advances of a co-worker that makes her skin crawl. The problem is, her superior hacking skills are not the kind you can place on a resumé.

  Luca Garcia is half in love with a fellow hacker he’s been talking to online for months. Having never met Kaitlin in person, he’s anxious to change that so his beast can catch her scent and he can fall the rest of the way. With her penchant for violence and foul-mouthed gameplay, she’s perfect for him in every way.

  When Luca struggles to crack a hard drive sought after by their natural enemies, he has no choice but to ask Kaitlin for help. The lives of shifters and humans alike hang in the balance. But she’s fragile, human. If they can’t finish the job before the vampires catch up, it could be disastrous for them all.

  One

  Luca Garcia yanked his collar up against the biting wind as he dashed across the yard toward the barn, ignoring the snow packing into his untied boots. More than ever, he was glad that he’d insisted on setting up an office in the old hay loft. Luca was happy for his brother and his new mate. Hell, he was ecstatic for them, but that didn’t mean he wanted to sit in the living room and listen in while the floorboards upstairs creaked and groaned under the pressure of whatever Niko and Rylee were doing.

  The loft was a tad drafty, but he’d made it his own—kind of. It probably would have been a little too chilly in the winter months for a human, but for a wolf shifter whose temperature ran hot, it was fine. The left side of the space was all business with a desk and a bank of computers with enough power to take down just about any organization. Not that he’d ever do that, of course, but he could if he wanted to. A filing cabinet, a printer…he had pretty much everything an office should contain, but that wasn’t why he was going up there. Unless he had a job to do, he limited his working hours to the nine-to-five.

  The other side, though…that was all his. Playtime at its best. A gaming chair sat in front of a screen big enough to make a grown man giggle like a schoolgirl at the sight of it. He’d positioned the speakers so the surround sound blasted him from all sides. The far wall boasted a long couch he could sleep on if things got too intense at the farmhouse, which happened more often than not.

  He shook the snow off his boots and coat as he stepped into the dark space of the barn, flicking the light switch out of habit more than necessity before making his way to the stairs and his refuge.

  Even that wasn’t what had his heart beating a bit faster. It was the thought of Loviatar9 waiting for him. He picked up his pace until he was taking the steps two at a time. He was early, so she may not be online yet, but he could hope.

  He didn’t bother with the switch at the top of the stairs. His wolf’s vision let him see clearly enough in the dark that he didn’t need it. Besides, he liked the coziness of playing with nothing but the glow from the screen on his face.

  After firing up his system, he grabbed a Coke from the bar fridge and settled in. He had his headset in place and controller in hand when the first ding sounded, announcing his connection.

  A second later, another beep sounded, but this time, in his headphones. Luca’s grin broke free. There she is.

  “You’re early. They going at it like bunnies again?” Kaitlin asked, her smooth, smoky voice coming through as clear as if she were sitting there next to him.

  His smile widened. “You know it.” She never minced words. It was one of the things he lo—liked—about Kaitlin. She hadn’t given him her real name, but he’d cracked her security and found it—not that he’d creeped her or anything. She’d dared him to try and infiltrate her system and figure it out for himself. It had taken him weeks, but he’d finally done it.

  “Get your ass over here. I’m getting creamed,” she said, her voice rising with tension.

  “On my way. Got ambushed at the edge of the village.”

  “Fucking mother fucking son of a bitch! Die, troll.”

  Luca bit his lip to keep from laughing. She swore like a sailor and fought like one, too. At least, she did in the RPG. “We’ll have a lovely funeral for you,” he teased.

  “Asshole.”

  “Flowers everywhere. I’ll get the rest of the crew to sing Amazing Grace. You’d love it if you were alive to witness it.”

  “I swear, I will hunt you down and relieve you of your balls. Use a nice dull, rusty blade so you can be sure to get a nasty tetanus infection once I’m done hacking them from your body.”

  His groin tightened. “Sweetheart, if you want to get near my balls, all you have to do is ask. No need to threaten mutilation.”

  “You wish, Wolf Boy.”

  Yeah, I do. Did that make him a creep? Probably, but the easy rapport he’d developed with Kaitlin over the last six months and her sassy attitude did something for him. When he’d finally broken into her system and found her name, he’d discovered a single pic of her before she’d shut him down. Kaitlin Moore. She had long brown hair with highlights the color of honey. Thick, black-rimmed glasses sat on top of her pert nose, and her lips… He could get lost in her lips. They were plump, and red, and made for kissing—among other sexy things.

  “You planning on joining the party anytime soon or are you too busy drooling over there?” he asked as his character sliced through a wraith with murder in its eyes.

  Loviatar9, the buxom avatar she preferred, appeared across the town square, her broadsword high in the air. “Need me to save your ass again, huh?” The fact that she’d defeated her enemy—with zero help from him—and was making her way to his side didn’t surprise Luca one bit. She was more than just a sexy avatar on the screen, she was a fierce competitor, too.

  “Something like that. Watch out,” he warned, raising his voice as a three-eyed troll came running at her again. Those bastards weren’t smart, but they were strong. It took more than a few strikes to kill them.

  Kaitlin laughed at her end, the sound tinkling into his ears and settling somewhere in his chest. “You worry about your fairy admirer. I’ll deal with the monsters.”

  Luca groaned. “She’s not—” Sure enough, attached to his right arm, a pixie clung to his purple skin, suckin
g at his energy as though he was a chocolate shake.

  “She’s got it bad, babe.”

  Babe? That was new. Not that he was complaining.

  A second later, a dialogue box opened on the bottom of his screen.

  Kitty1990: Hey handsome, wanna chat? <3

  There was only one person he spoke with while playing, but that didn’t keep the little pixie from trying. Every. Damned. Time. “Shoot me now,” he muttered under his breath, earning him another throaty chuckle from Kaitlin.

  WolfMan1234: Sorry. Too busy getting my ass handed to me after you drained my energy.

  Kitty1990: I could make you howl at the moon.

  Like he hadn’t heard that one before. He groaned again. How often did he have to shoot this woman down before she took the hint and left him alone? At least, he thought she was a woman. Who knew when all you saw was an avatar and some text in a chat window?

  “You’re going to have to get mean if you want to get rid of her,” Kaitlin said, her irritation coming through his headset. “Of course, if you want what she’s offering, I can log off and come back later.”

  “Don’t you dare,” he growled, letting just enough of his wolf to the surface to punctuate his words without sending her the wrong message. The fact that her voice tightened with her last sentence had him grinning again. She was jealous. “You know you’re the only woman for me.”

  Kaitlin huffed.

  Kitty1990: What do you say? Is tonight the night I make all your dreams come true?

  WolfMan1234: Oh, for fuck’s sake. Get off my back already.

  A second later, Loviatar9 came up to the pixie, who still stood right next to him. Without hesitation, her broadsword came down, all but draining Kitty1990’s health.

  Kitty1990: What the hell? Who would attack an innocent little fairy? Are you just going to stand there, or are you going to defend me, Wolfy?

  Loviatar9 (has joined the conversation)

  WolfMan1234: I wasn’t planning on it.

  Loviatar9: Listen up, pixie. This is my man. Come near him again, and I will slice you up until you can’t find enough of your itty-bitty pixie parts to put yourself together again. Then we’ll loot your treasure and leave your village in ruins. You’ll be shunned by all your pixie friends. Are we clear?

  Kitty1990: …dude, help a girl out.

  WolfMan1234: I’d listen to her. She’s mean when she’s angry. I’ve got the bruises to prove it.

  Kitty1990: Seriously? That’s fucked up. I’d never treat you like that.

  Loviatar9: Leave. Now.

  Loviatar9: 3

  Loviatar9: 2

  Loviatar9: …

  A second later, the pixie disappeared from the screen in a tiny cloud of pink smoke.

  Luca tried to suppress his laughter, but it rumbled from his chest. “My hero,” he exclaimed in an accent that would have made a southern belle proud.

  “Bruises? You made me sound like an abusive wife.” She may have been trying to scold him, but the light tinkling in her voice was back, belying her words before the sentence ended.

  “You can abuse me any time you want, babe,” he said, trying out the endearment she’d used on him a short time ago—and liking it.

  “Don’t get all hard and horny now. We’ve got some trolls to kill. And some rats to exterminate.” As if to punctuate the statement, she swung her sword, slicing one of the vicious beasts in half.

  “All right, let’s do this.”

  Two

  Kaitlin sat in her cubicle, staring at her monitor. She’d finished her data entry work an hour ago, and even though she’d told her boss’s secretary she had some free time, Mrs. Wagner had yet to assign her another task. The fact that she’d managed to input a full week’s worth of information over three days was beside the point.

  She wasn’t a slacker. Plus, she had to prove her worth if she ever wanted to do anything other than clerical duties for Howlers, Inc. As one of the company’s very few human employees, she had to work ten times as hard just to get noticed, much less get ahead. But she would. It might take some time, but they’d see what an asset she was—eventually.

  She’d already spent a few minutes tidying the break room. The people she worked with were slobs. Geniuses, yes, but messy, nonetheless. If she didn’t clean the table and wash the sink, no one else would. She’d tossed a couple of dishes from the fridge that had green stuff growing inside more than once. If anyone objected, no one said.

  She looked at the clock at the bottom of her monitor and groaned. She still had over an hour to go before quitting time. Come on, already.

  Not that it mattered. It wasn’t like she had anything going on later today—or any other day this week. Sure, she could get online and play some games, but with Luca on one of his mysterious assignments, he barely had time to log on and say hi, much less hang out.

  Her nights this week were fucked. It wasn’t so much the games they played that kept her entertained—though they did to a certain extent—it was the man. It was Luca who kept her coming back for more. She’d been hooked on him from the moment they’d started playing online. She couldn’t get enough of him. It didn’t matter that she’d only ever heard his voice. As soon as he came on, her heart raced, and she rushed to catch up to him wherever he was in the game. Did that make her desperate? Maybe. But he didn’t seem to mind.

  At first, she’d been afraid of coming on too strong, so she’d play one day, then skip a few, but that didn’t last long. When she logged on and didn’t come to him fast enough, he’d make his way to her. WolfMan1234. With a username like that, she’d bet her last dollar he was a wolf shifter. Not all that original, but the man had to have some flaws. She’d even heard him growl once or twice. His denial when she’d brought it to his attention hadn’t fooled her one bit. It had, however, burned itself into her mind, maybe even her soul. It had curled inside her and made all her girl parts take notice. Yeah, she had it bad.

  She hadn’t bothered asking for confirmation from him. He’d never admit such a thing to a stranger—even one he spent hours with daily—and especially not online. Not when anyone with any degree of computer know-how could listen in and use that information against him and the whole shifter world. Not everyone was privy to the fact that shifters existed, and for good reason. They’d be hunted by those who thought themselves above other creatures or were too afraid to adapt to change or accept something they couldn’t understand. It didn’t matter that shifters had been around since the beginning of time.

  The only reason she knew of their existence was because a family of shifters had lived next to her grandad’s farm when she’d been a kid, and she’d befriended their little girl. She’d seen Macie turn wolf out of fear when a bear had charged them out in the field one day.

  The door to Mrs. Wagner’s office opened and Jeff, the office ass-kisser, came out, frowning as always—unless the boss was in front of him. Then, he was all smiles and sunny disposition. He sauntered to her cubicle, draping his arms over the partial wall that marked the space as hers.

  “What do you say we go out for a drink tonight?” he asked. It didn’t matter that she’d shot him down every fucking time he’d asked since she’d started with the company. He still tried.

  Typically, she’d focus on her screen and tell him she had work to do, but with her screensaver in motion, there was no way she could use that. “I already have plans, sorry.”

  He looked down his pointy nose at her, assessing and obviously finding her excuse lacking. “What could you possibly have going on that you can’t miss to go out on a date?”

  “I already have a date,” she spat out. She didn’t, but there was no way for him to know that.

  “Right. Like I’m going to believe that.”

  The nerve of him. Okay, so she hadn’t kept it a secret that she spent most of her evenings playing Dragon’s Domain. Some of the guys at Howlers, Inc. played too, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t find a date. Asshole.

  “I don’t car
e what you believe. And if you don’t stop now, I’m going to report you to HR for harassment. How do you like them apples?” Her chest heaved with the fury roiling inside her. More than anything, she’d like to wipe that smug, superior look from his ugly face.

  Rather than him heading off and out of her space, his grin widened, and not in a pleasant way. It was all teeth, no smile. He came into her cubicle, bringing with him the distinct smell of wet mutt, and leaned in close.

  “Like they would believe you over me. Not likely.” His nose scrunched up when he said the word ‘you’, obviously trying to make her feel like she wasn’t just beneath him, but all shifters. She wasn’t.

  She might not have had a steady boyfriend for a couple of years, but that was by choice. She’d rather be alone than be with someone who didn’t appreciate all her assets—including her smart mouth and extra curvy body.

  “Oh, I don’t know. If I mention sexual harassment in the workplace, the press will have a field day. I wonder if the powers that be here at Howlers, Inc. will appreciate that you were the one to bring that kind of publicity to their doorsteps.” She shoved up off her chair. The move brought her even closer to him and his stench, but it also forced him to take a step back or risk her bowling him over. “Maybe I should go ask Mrs. Wagner right now.”

  He stared at her for a second, then sneered and stepped out of her cubicle. “Bitch,” he said loud enough for everyone working around them to hear.

  “Asshole,” she parried. She wasn’t afraid of a sniveling idiot, whether he was a wolf shifter or a human. A coward was a coward, no matter the species.

  A throat cleared behind her, making Kaitlin grimace. Please, let it be anyone else. She turned slowly, and her heart sank.

  Fuck. How much had Mrs. Wagner heard? She had no intention of going to the press and losing her job over that asshole.

  “About time you told him off,” her boss said in a proud voice. “I was starting to think I’d have to get involved. I could have stopped it from the start, but he wouldn’t have respected you for it. No one would have.”