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Meetings. Calls. Endless reports. But my eyes keep drifting.
She sits in the corner of my officeβquiet, efficientβworking through the files I hand her like she has something to prove. And maybe she does. That fire of hers hasnβt dimmed since the moment she walked into this placeβand every d@mn second, I feel the heat of it on my skin.
She doesnβt once ask for help. Doesnβt complain. Doesnβt try to get under my skin like she usually does.
Thatβs what gets to me the most.
Iβm used to her bite.
Not this… focus.
By the time the clock hits four, Iβve nearly forgotten sheβs hereβuntil she stands in front of my desk and lays the completed paperwork down.
βAll doneβ she says, tone flat. No smug smile. No sass. Just a simple statement.
I look at the files, flipping through them.
Clean. Accurate. Organized as hell.
I pause, narrowing my gaze at her.
βYou finished all of this?β
βDidnβt stutterβ she replies.
βYou read and compiled everything yourself?β I arch a brow.
Her jaw tightens like sheβs resisting the urge to roll her eyes. βYes.β
Something doesnβt add up.
βWhat level of education do you have?β I ask casually, keeping my expression unreadable.
She shrugs, arms folding again. That signature stance of hers. βHigh school.β
That makes me look up.
Just high school?
βYouβre telling me you put that report together with only a high school diploma?β I ask, sitting back in my chair, hands steepled.
βYup.β
βWhy didnβt you go to college?β
Her eyes darken, but her tone stays even.
βBecause my father thought it was a waste. Said daughters didnβt need degrees. Said my place was behind a man, not beside one.β
Iβm silent for a moment. Not because I donβt have a response, but because something about that answer twists something sharp in me.
βDid you believe him?β I ask finally.
Her eyes lift to mine. Calm. Steady. βNo. It was just his excuse for not wanting to train me.β
That hits harder than I expect.
I stare at her, trying to figure out where she comes from, and why the hell someone like her is tucked away in a house doing chores instead of leading somethingβanything.
βWell,β I say, voice low, neutral, βthat explains the rough edges.β
Her lips twitch. βDonβt pretend you donβt like the rough edges.β
I lean forward, resting my elbows on the desk.
βI donβt like surprisesβ I retort.
βToo bad. Iβm full of themβ she replies.
There it isβthat glint in her eyes again. The push and pull. Like she knows exactly how to get under my skin and is making it a sport.
I pick up the file again, flipping through it like itβs nothing specialβeven though it is.
βYou missed one commaβ I say flatly.
She arches a brow. βReally? Thatβs what weβre doing?β
βPerfection is the standard here, Miss Rowenβ I smirk.
She leans over the desk, both hands planted on the edge.
βThen fire your secretary. I caught five errors in his scheduling system this morning. Youβre welcome, Alpha.β
My smirk fades.
She pulls back, proud of herself, and walks toward the corner like she hasnβt just cracked my faΓ§ade clean open.
I stare after her, pulse ticking in my jaw.
That womanβ
Sheβs dangerous.
Not because of her tongue. Not even because of her spirit.
But because for the first time in a long timeβ¦ I donβt want to look away.
I stand and walk over to where she sits, arms crossed, watching the skyline through the window like she isnβt aware of how much heat sheβs radiating.
βGet upβ I say.
She turns. βWhy?β
I donβt answer.
I just wait.
She stands slowly, arms unfolding, and faces me.
We stand there, chest to chest. Too close. Too still.
βYou think just because you impressed me, Iβll let my guard down?β I ask.
βI donβt want you to let it down. I want to see whatβs behind itβ she responds.
I turn and walk away before I do something Iβd regretβlike dragging her against my chest and kissing her senseless.
I go back to my desk, drop into my chair, and open another file just to keep my hands busy.
βGo get coffeeβ I order.
She raises a brow. βBlack. Two sugars?β
I look up.
βNone.β
βNotedβ she smilesβjust a littleβand walks out.
Finally, I allow myself to breathe.
πππ
I slam the car door so hard it rattles on its hinges. Gravel crunches beneath my boots as I storm toward the towering iron gates of the Dark Howl Pack.
The sun dips behind heavy clouds, casting the estate in gray shadows. Perfect. It matches my mood.
Two guards stand at the entrance, stiff and wary. The moment they spot me charging toward them, they straighten, hands instinctively going to their weapons.
βState your businessββ
βMoveβ I growl.
One of them steps forward, brows furrowing.
βThis is private territory. You need clearance for entryβ he states.
βIβm not here for FuΓ§king clearanceβ I snap. βIβm here for my sister.β
My fist clenches at my side, my jaw grinding in anger. βWhere is she?β
βKeep it downβ the second guard warns. βYou canβt just come in here andββ
βDonβt tell me what I can and canβt do!β I cut him off. βSheβs my sister, and Iβm not leaving until I see her. Youβve got five seconds to open that d@mn gate.β
The guards exchange wary looks, but neither moves. They just stand there, blocking me from getting any closer to Nevaeh.
I grit my teeth, frustration bubbling over. The more they deny me, the more my temper rises. Every second wasted here means sheβs one step further from freedom.
βI said, open the FuΓ§king gate!β I shout, taking a threatening step toward them.
βI wouldnβt say another thing if I were youβ a voice as cold as winter speaks behind me.
I whip around, my heart skipping a beat. A tall man, blue-eyed and radiating an aura of pure menace, stands there like an immovable wall. I donβt know him, but from the way the guards stiffen, itβs clear he isnβt someone to be trifled with.
He crosses his arms over his chest, an almost bored look on his face.
βWe behead intruders with manners such as yoursβ he states with a smug smile.
Iβm about to snap back when I notice a car approaching in the distance. My pulse quickens as it comes to a halt.
Before I can take a step, the door flies open, and there she isβNevaeh.
βIan!β she calls, rushing toward me.
My anger melts away the moment I see her, and I canβt stop myself from striding toward her, arms open. She collides with me, her face burying into my chest as I hold her tight.
βYouβre okayβ I breathe, relief flooding my veins.
But then I feel itβa suffocating presence. My gaze lifts to see who it belongs to, and my stomach tightens.
Kane Ironclaw. The Alpha of Dark Howl pack. And the man responsible for everything.
His amber eyes lock on mine, and I feel the chill in the airβthe weight of his aura crushing down on me. I stand tall, trying to ignore the shiver running down my spine.
βYouβre her mate, arenβt you?β I ask, unable to stop myself. βThe reason sheβs been missing?β
Nevaehβs gaze drops to the ground, her arms still wrapped around me, and my heart clenches. I can feel her hesitationβthe unspoken pain in her silence. But itβs all the confirmation I need. Kane is the reason sheβs been taken. The reason sheβs disappeared without a word.
βYes. I didnβt want you to know. I didnβt want you to get hurtβ Nevaeh finally says.
My mind spins, but I canβt hold it in anymore. I pull away slightly, staring at her with a mixture of hurt and anger.
βWhy didnβt you tell me?β I demand. βWhy keep this from me? You know I wouldβve helped you.β
She looks down, her voice barely above a whisper.
βI couldnβt put you in danger. Kane… heββ
βNo. Iβm not going to sit here and let you be controlled by himβ I cut her off, a surge of protectiveness rising inside me.
I step toward Kane, ready to confront him, to make him understand he canβt just take my sister away from me.
Before I can get any closer, his Beta steps forward, blocking my path.
I canβt hide the irritation that flashes across my face.
βMoveβ I growl, trying to push past him. βIβm not here to talk.β
βYou donβt want this to be the last time you see your sister, do you?β he says, his voice colder than ice, his eyes boring into mine with an intensity that makes my breath hitch. βStep back.β
I glare at him, but I canβt ignore the warning in his tone. Kane is dangerous. I can feel it in my bones. That dark aura surrounding him is warning enough. But Iβm not about to give up on Nevaehβnot now.
βIs he the reason you went missing all those days?β I turn to her and ask.
She nods slowly, her eyes filled with a sadness I canβt understand.
βYes, Ianβ she answers.
A pang shoots through my chest. So much has happened in such a short time. I never imagined my little sister would get involved with someone like him.
I look back at Kane, who stands there, unmoving, his eyes never leaving mine.
βSo, what now? You just get to keep her?β I frown.
Kaneβs cold gaze never wavers, but itβs clear he isnβt going to answer.
I want to fight. I want to rip him apart for taking her from me. But I know I canβt do it aloneβnot without putting Nevaeh in more danger.
Nevaeh steps forward, placing a hand on my arm.
βIβm staying with him, Ian. Itβs not what you think. Itβs… itβs complicatedβ she says.
βYou donβt have to stay, Nevaeh. Come with me. Weβll figure it outβ I plead, but she only shakes her head.
βI canβt. Iβm sorry.β
Her words are a blow to my chest, knocking the breath from me.
I stare at Nevaeh, my heart sinking with every passing second. This isnβt happening. It canβt be.
I shake my head, disbelief clouding my vision.
βNo, Nevaeh. You donβt understand. Thisβthis isnβt you. This is Kane. Heβs controlling you.β My voice cracks, desperation leaking through. βYou donβt have to stay with him. You have a choice. You can come with me. Please.β
She doesnβt respond the way I need. Her gaze softens, but thereβs a sadness in her eyes Iβve never seen beforeβa resignation that breaks something inside me.
βI… I canβtβ she whispers again.
I reach for her, hands desperate to pull her away from him, from this madness. But before I can get closer, Kane moves.
His massive form looms behind her as he places a hand on her shoulder. The weight of his presence is overwhelming. His grip on her is possessive, like heβs already claimed her as his own.
βYou heard herβ Kane rumbles, cold and commanding. It sends a chill down my spine. βSheβs made her choice.β
My throat tightens. This canβt be happening. I canβt let this happen.
I turn to Nevaeh, eyes pleading.
βPlease. You canβt justββ
But she pulls away, her face a mask of sorrow. She mouths somethingββSorryββbefore turning and walking toward the car. I watch, frozen in place, as she gets in without even looking back at me.
The guards step aside, allowing the car to pass through. I watch, numb, as the giant gates open for them.
I stumble back, my legs betraying me, the ground beneath me suddenly unsteady. Itβs as if the earth has shifted, leaving me off balance, disconnected from everything I know. I feel like Iβm watching my whole world crumble as their car disappears into the pack.
My chest aches, and for a moment, I canβt breathe. Iβve failed. Iβve failed to protect her. And now, thereβs nothing I can do but watch as sheβs taken away by the man who has ruined everything.
I came here to rescue my sister, to bring her homeβand instead, Iβve lost her.
I stagger, unable to keep my footing. My hands grip the nearest lamppost, the cold metal biting into my skin as I try to steady myself. My heart pounds in my chest, but it feels like a distant echo, fading with every passing second.
I was so sure. So d@mn sure that I could bring her back, that I could fight Kane and save her from wh@tΓ«ver hold he has on her. But thisβ¦ this feels like a nightmare I canβt wake up from.
The gates close with a loud thud, and with them, every hope I have of taking Nevaeh away from this placeβaway from Kaneβevaporates.
Just like that, I feel completely, utterly alone.
