THE MATE HE HATES

Chapter 1 — His Mate Keal sat behind his desk, going through the final recruitment files on his laptop. His company, Keal Holdings, was completely his. He had started it from the ground up and turned it into one of the biggest companies in the country. He hadn't used his father's money. He hadn't asked for help from the Alpha family. He had done it himself. Keal liked having something that belonged to him. His own money, his own company, his own decisions. He had worked hard for the life he had, and he wasn't about to let anyone take that away from him. A knock sounded on the door. “Come in.” His assistant walked in. “Sir, the new recruits are ready for the final interview.” Keal looked up from his laptop. “Already?” “Yes sir.” He closed the laptop and stood. “Let's go.” His assistant followed him out of the office. Keal Holdings was a massive building, stretching over twenty floors. Hundreds of employees worked there, and every year, thousands of people applied for a position. But Keal didn't care about numbers. He cared about results. He had built everything from almost nothing, and that was exactly how he wanted it. His father was the Alpha of their pack. His older brother was the firstborn and the future Alpha. And Keal was the second son. He had never been interested in inheriting the pack. He wanted his own empire. And he had built one. When Keal stepped into the conference room, the recruits immediately straightened in their seats. He didn't bother with small talk. He sat down, picked up the first file, and looked around the room. “Let's start.” The interviews began. One candidate after another walked to the front. Some impressed him. Some didn't. A few were dismissed almost immediately. Keal wasn't the kind of man who gave people a second chance just because they looked nervous. Everything was going smoothly until the conference-room door opened. A young woman walked in. Keal looked up. And froze. His wolf suddenly came alive. Mate. Keal's entire body went still. Across the room, the girl stopped, too. Their eyes met. And just like that, they both knew. No explanation was needed. No one had to tell them. They were mates. Keal stared at her for a few seconds. His wolf was practically going crazy. Our mate. Keal hated how excited his wolf sounded. He had always known that one day he would meet his mate. Every son of an Alpha knew that. But knowing it would happen someday was different from actually standing in front of her. And now she was here. In his company. Of all places. Keal's expression hardened. He pushed his chair back and stood. Everyone in the room looked at him. Keal didn't say a word. He simply turned around and walked out. The door closed behind him. Aria remained standing where she was. She looked at the closed door, completely stunned. That was it? That was how she met her mate? He had looked at her, realized what they were, and then walked away. Aria slowly took a seat. She tried to ignore the strange feeling in her chest. But she couldn't. She had known the moment she saw him. Keal was her mate. --- Keal stepped into the elevator and pressed the button for the top floor. The doors closed. He finally let out the breath he'd been holding. His wolf immediately started complaining. Why did you leave? “Because I wanted to.” She's our mate. “I know.” Then go back. Keal rubbed his forehead. “I'm not going back.” Why? “Because I don't want to.” His wolf went quiet for a moment. Then— You can't run from the bond. Keal's jaw tightened. “I can do whatever I want.” He had spent years building his life exactly the way he wanted it. He wasn't going to suddenly change everything because a woman had walked into his company and turned out to be his mate. The elevator reached the top floor. Keal stepped out. His assistant hurried after him. “Sir, what about the remaining interviews?” “Cancel them.” His assistant stopped. “All of them?” “Yes.” “But there are still several candidates—” “Reschedule them for tomorrow.” “Alright, sir.” Keal walked into his office and shut the door behind him. He loosened his tie and walked over to the huge windows overlooking the city. The view usually helped him clear his mind. Not today. His thoughts kept going back to Aria. Her face. Her eyes. That moment when they both realized the truth. Keal picked up a glass of water from his desk. His phone rang. He glanced at the screen. His brother. Keal answered. “What?” “Where are you?” “My office.” “You left the recruitment interview.” Keal frowned. “How do you know?” “Father called me.” Keal said nothing. His brother continued. “Did you meet your mate?” Keal looked out through the window. “Yes.” “And?” Keal was silent for a moment. “She was there.” His brother understood immediately. “Where is she now?” “Still downstairs.” “You left her?” “Yes.” “Keal…” “I don't want to talk about it.” He ended the call. Keal placed the phone on his desk and stared at it. For some reason, he couldn't stop thinking about one thing. Aria was his mate. And he had a feeling she was going to become a problem he couldn't simply walk away from. To Be Continued.