The Alpha's Secretary

Chapter Three

Jacob’s POV

The morning had been hellish already and it was barely 10am. People had been hounding him about this or that or the other, even before he’d left the Pack House. His mother, the current Luna, had been trying to convince him to attend more social events in an attempt to find his mate. He was twenty-four now and some would view that as being the older side of unmated, but he was taking it in his stride. Being unmated meant he could work without distraction, his head was clear and his mind focused on the things that truly mattered to him, his pack, his family, his work. This company that his grandfather, father and he now worked so hard to create and grow was partly responsible for the growth of his pack. It created jobs, money. It was renowned in its area. The humans didn’t know the truth about who ran it, of course, they were incredibly dense to the world around them.

His secretary was Peter Donaldson, who happened to also be his future Gamma. There was no doubt about the strangeness of his keeping his Gamma in a closer position than his Beta, but he had logic in his madness. Peter was a natural born genius who had a way with words. He was smart, charming and somehow had a talent for getting anyone to diffuse anger in seconds. The future Beta was strong and quiet whose skills lay in his fighting, therefore it made sense for him to head the security of the company.

“Jacks, you know he’s up to something. That snake of a wolf is desperate to get his mutt of a daughter into your bed. That thought alone is enough to put me off food for the rest of the day.” A faint green colour came over Peter as he pressed his point and it brought a chuckle to Jacobs' lips.

“I know, but we can’t act yet. We need solid proof if we’re to get the Elders to do anything about it. My mum and dad would likely insist on me ‘just double checking’,” He made air quotes, " that she wasn’t actually my mate first. You know how they’ve been. They think I’m going to die alone, they want grandpups before they return to the Moon Goddess, they worry I won’t be a balanced Alpha without my Luna.” Jacob tapped his pen to his desk as he made each point.

“Well, you aren’t getting any younger-” The sentence that Peter had started was cut short by a pen hitting him square in the forehead, “f**k’s sake Jacks, that hurt. Don’t damage my brain, it's the thing getting us out of this s**t show.” The two old friends looked at each other for a moment before laughing.

“Don’t be a pup about it. How long before the next meeting?” Jacob pulled the nearest file towards him. It was a proposal for research from a new upcoming scientist, supposedly. He was vaguely interested in what the woman had to say. Something about the effects of negative pressure…

“Miss Cartier’s appointment has been rescheduled to next week on account of her sister giving birth. You have an hour before your next appointment.” It was some quirk of Peter’s that he preferred to use a paper diary to mark appointments. Jacob teased him about it constantly. It wasn’t that he didn’t have a phone or laptop, or didn’t know how to use them. He claimed it was easier to see it all laid out on paper.

“In that case, I’ll go get myself a coffee. You want one?” Jacob stood and adjusted his silver waistcoat.

“Most people send their secretary to get them coffee, not go to get their secretary's coffee.”

“Flat white then?”

“Is the Pope Catholic?”

This saying that Peter had a habit of using made Jacob snort.

“We aren’t Catholic. I’ll be back soon.”

Jacob slid his phone in his trouser pocket and headed out the room. He’d barely made it two corridors towards the in-house cafe when he was met with the most glorious scent. It was light, floral. Like the jasmine bushes his mother prized. There was something deeper to it… like black tea. The scent was faint and poorly disguised. Whoever it was was making an effort to mask their presence, but it didn’t stop Jacob from following their trail.

It led him down a flight of stairs and along towards the meeting rooms. There was a gaggle of secretarial staff huddled around a map of the building on the wall. They seemed to be giving someone a run down of the building's layout using it.

“Just over here, Katherine, that’s where you get the best choices in the vending machines, anywhere else and- Katherine, are you alright?”

The woman they were talking to had turned to him. She was beautiful. Big, green eyes locked on to his own, both wide with shock. A pale face framed with soft auburn locks that made Jacob feel like he had something stuck in his throat, potentially his heart. Something sparked in those green eyes of hers, figuratively and literally. A Witch.

She blinked it away quickly and swallowed before stepping forwards towards him. The other secretaries parted, all looking vaguely confused.

Jacob swallowed his wolf's howlings of “MATE” and reached forwards to grab her hand.

“Sorry ladies, just need to get her to sign a few things. In here.” He cursed himself for how choked his words sounded as he dragged her into a meeting room and shut the door behind him.

*click*

The door locked behind them. The Witch moved round to face him, her breasts heaving with each deep breath she took.

“Katherine McArthy, most call me Kat. Coven of the Eternal Garden, and you are?”

“Jacob Lawson,” His voice was rough coming out, “Ice Moon Pack. You’re my mate.”

Her hair moved like molten copper as she nodded.

“I know.”

“Do you accept?”

“What?”

“I need to know if you accept me as your mate or reject me.”

“Accept. The Moon Goddess knows-”

Kat’s words were cut off by his lips meeting hers. She tasted of fresh berries and honey. The kiss was soft to begin with. Jacob was succeeding in restraining himself.

“Moon Goddess knows best..” She finished, her tongue swiping out to lick her lips.

“s**t,” He mumbled against her head before pressing a kiss to it, “I found you.”

Something deep down told him that this Witch would be his unravelling, and that he was entirely screwed.