Her Impossible Mate

10- One of Them

...Raine...

"I can’t wear any of these!" I throw down Cami’s clothes and collapse into the bed. Thrusting my face deep into a pillow, I let out an aggravated scream.

After leaving the Crescent offices, I called Cami in a fluster. That isn't exactly how I thought meeting with Zander would go. I'm never sure what I'm getting with him. Deep down, I hoped he could be that guy from the club who had softened and managed to get me to open up. This dominant version of him is both infuriating and alluring.  

The idea of returning tomorrow was intimidating but also a little exciting. This push and pull with Zander is definitely affecting me, and this warm fuzzy feeling isn't love, it is pure lust.

To ease my nerves for tomorrow, I knew I needed to prepare. And the best way to feel even slightly more comfortable was to fit in. I needed to dress the part.

Cami had brought several outfit options to peruse while she quizzed me about this latest encounter with Zander.

"What's wrong with them?" She folds her arms, exasperated by my dramatics. I roll over and pick up the bundle of clothes. Holding up each dress, I list its flaws.

“Too much cleavage. Too much leg." I hold each up and throw them down. Holding the spaghetti straps of a tiny club dress, I give her a disappointed look. “Too much cleavage and leg.” I throw it at her and she laughs as it smacks her in the face.

“Forgive me for wanting you to look hot.” She chuckles and pushes the clothes to the side to sit next to me. She pulls me in and gives my shoulder a squeeze.

"Hot yes, but preferably not like a stripper or a club rat." My tone is tired, but she chuckles at my words.

“Stick to what you know, right?” I push her off me and back onto the bed. We tickle at each other and laugh together.

Sighing deeply, I stop and sit up. She joins me and looks over with concern.

“Am I making a big mistake here, Cami?” I run my hand through my hair as she watches over me with a puzzled look. I’m not stupid. Accepting this offer means I will be stepping into the lion's den.

Crescent Corp is not just some high-end tech company. It is a whole wolf pack, with all the rules and restrictions that entails. I didn’t scent a human among them from the lobby to Zander’s office. If I agree to work there, I’m essentially agreeing to the pack regulations. Something that makes me feel uneasy. My experience of pack life has been only negative after the death of my parents. To willingly step back into that life is something I never thought I would do.

I’m doing this because I need a job. I want answers about this bond. And if I’m being totally honest, I’m toying with the idea of f*cking the boss. Crazy I know, but every time we’re close I feel this insane hunger for his touch, and I just want a taste.

“Not every pack is like the Terra Turds.” I chuckle at her silly nickname for my old pack. Their actual name is the Terra Vita Pack. They’re earthy, hippy mongrels who live in shacks and apparently enjoy beating teenagers. I sigh, forcing away thoughts of my pack experience.

“I truly believe this happened for a reason, Raine.” She strokes at my hair while I rest my head on her shoulder. Cami has always been good at comforting me. She’s like a mother and a friend wrapped into one. I guess that’s big sister territory, though I wouldn’t know. I’m an only child, and the other kids my age at the pack treated me like sh*t because they followed the lead of everyone around them.

“Ugh. You should have seen the woman at the front desk. I really need to dress the part for tomorrow, Cam.” She still strokes at my hair but stops abruptly. She stands and strides over to my closet purposefully and starts to slide through my hangers of clothes. If she thinks she will find some 'business appropriate' clothing in my closet, she’s sorely mistaken.

“Aha!” She spins in victory, holding up a sleek midlength dress in my favourite colour- black. I look at it puzzled, unsure of how it ended up in my closet. Then I remember it’s from a costume party when I dressed up as Audrey Hepburn.

The dress is fitted, with a s***h neck and reaches just below the knee. There’s a small slit up the front of the right side, stopping tastefully at the middle of my thigh. I smile brightly at her. It’s perfect.

I jump up and rush over to grab it from her. Standing in front of the mirror, I hold it up against my body. Cami stands behind me and pulls my hair back, and holds it into a loose updo. We smile at each other then she blows out a wolf whistle, and we fall into each other in the giggles.

It’s only been a few days since Cami officially moved out, but those few evenings without our chats and laughter have been pretty lonely. Having her here now feels like nothing has changed. She sighs and releases my hair from her makeshift updo.

“I have to get going, Raine. I’m sorry I haven’t stayed long.” I turn to give her a reassuring smile. I’m honestly just glad she came.

“Thanks for your help.” I pull her in for a hug, and she melts into me.

“It’s too soon to say I miss you, right?” I laugh at her words.

“I was thinking the same thing.” We pull back and smile solemnly at each other. She pats at my shoulder and goes to the door.

After Cami leaves, I turn to hang the dress up to soften any creases before tomorrow. I pick out a smart pair of black heeled pumps, hoping they won’t pinch my heels for the full day in the office.

Wow. The office… I really don’t know what Zander has in store for me. He wants me close by, and truthfully I’d quite like that too. Not to embrace the bond, but I do have an itch that I know he could scratch.

My stomach squirms and swirls with the worry of what tomorrow will bring. While the thought of entering pack territory again makes me feel uneasy, being around Zander seems to give me this weird feeling of safety.

My night is restless, reliving memories of what I know pack life to be. The memories alone are enough to make me want to stay as far away from the Crescents as possible. Eventually, I manage to drift into a troubled sleep.

My chest heaves, the broken ribs shifting painfully with the over expansion of my lungs. My hand cups my mouth, trying to quiet my erratic breaths for fear of my plan being found out. 

Alpha Jared had given me an especially heavy beating tonight. In his eyes, I had been defiant, insubordinate. He always enjoys making an example out of me. Others stand idly by, some even laughing. Well, no more. Enough is enough.

I have waited until everyone is asleep, crouched in agony in the cupboard designated as my bedroom. The house is quiet now, only light snores rumbling through from the other occupants. My hearing is extra sensitive, the slightest creak of a floorboard or hollow footstep causing me to flinch.

I tiptoe carefully through the kitchen. With each step, my heart threatens to explode from my chest. If anyone finds me, they’ll kill me for sure. The front door comes into sight. I inhale sharply at the prospect of finally getting out. It causes a blinding pain to sear across my chest. I bite down hard, fighting the urge to cry out at the agony. A board creaks behind me, and I turn with a gasp.

My lip tremors, my eyes filling with tears. Melody stands in the doorway, and my stomach drops. Neither of us moves for a second, both just staring at each other in shock.

Her eyes are sad as she sees me near doubled over in pain. She sighs deeply and steps further into the room.

“Run, Raine. Run and never look back.” She whispers it hurriedly, the urgency clear.

My eyes widen in shock but I don’t wait for further instruction. I turn in place, adrenaline taking over my body. 

I run. Through the tears and the pain, I keep running and I don’t stop.

My eyes ping open, my chest rising and falling rapidly with shallow breaths. I sit up and wipe the sweat from my brow. Slowing my breaths, I rest my head in my hand. Reliving that night used to be a nightly occurrence. I would wake screaming thinking I had never actually made it out. It has been a long time since I dreamt of my past. Meeting Zander had brought a lot of things to the surface. I’m not sure if it’s worth it yet.

I check my phone and groan. 6 am. Deciding I would probably not get back to sleep, I throw back the covers and pull myself from the bed.

A nice long shower manages to wash away the cold sweat I’d woke in, but does nothing for the painful memories that haunt me. As I get ready, I think about what would happen if I didn’t show up. I think running away for the fourth time would burn my bridges completely.

I finish getting ready by clipping my hair up and releasing some waves at the front to frame my face. I smooth down the front of my sleek business dress and take in the completed look. I don’t think I’ve ever looked so smart.

My phone alerts me the Lyft I’d ordered has arrived. My stomach is doing somersaults about today, the unfortunate dream only making things worse.

In the car, Cami has sent a text wishing me good luck. She also is encouraging some improper behaviour with the boss which makes me chuckle. Another text coming through wipes the smile from my face.

Jamie: Dinner, this Friday?

His tone is firmer than before. I hadn’t replied to his first message floating the idea of dinner so maybe he felt a more assertive invitation would do the trick. It’s not that I didn’t want to go to dinner with him, I just have so much going on. The idea of navigating dating my old boss feels like one step too far.

The car pulls to a stop outside Crescent Corp. Today I feel better exiting onto the crowded sidewalk. Today I don’t look out of place or insignificant. For all they know, I’m one of them.

I stride confidently towards the entrance, though my shoes already pinch. I find it interesting I could dance a full shift in 6-inch heels but these slim heeled pumps are nipping before I even start.

To my surprise, Zander is standing waiting for me by the reception. The woman who I spoke with yesterday is standing to his right answering calls. She stares at me as if I had personally wronged her, her eyes dark and menacing. I give her no more of my attention, my eyes firmly fixing on Zander’s powerful frame.

He also stares but there is definitely no contempt in his enticing ocean eyes. They roam over my body and I can practically see them move over each of my curves. He licks at his lips as if I am some delicious home cooked meal. Once his eyes finally land on mine, his mouth creeps into his crooked smirk, his eyebrow raising suggestively. I gulp as I continue to walk towards him.

Standing in front of him, my chest hums with the bond. Looking up into his eyes, I see a little sparkle that wasn’t present yesterday and I fight back a smile.

“You look… perfect.” He smiles down and I nibble nervously at my lip. The woman at reception makes an audible ‘hmph’ at his words. I look over to see her aggressively typing with a deep frown on her face. I look back at Zander and accidentally let out a little chuckle. His eyes widen with an apologetic grimace, then he gestures me to walk towards the elevator.

We enter just the two of us and he pushes the bottom for the floor second from the top. I frown and look over to him.

“We’re not going to your office?” He turns to face me, a sly smirk at my question.

“You were very clear you did not want to be my assistant.” I think back to the conversation at the club where I’d suggested he just wanted to bend me over his desk. I blush at my boldness that night, the alcohol had obviously reduced my inhibitions.

We stand in silence, the small space filled with tension. I glance up at him subtly from the side to see him boldly looking down at me. There was nothing subtle about him, his intentions are always clear. I go to speak, not really sure of what will spill out. Thankfully the ping of the elevator doors interrupts me from saying anything I shouldn’t.

He invites me to step out first, his hand guiding me as always. We step out onto this new floor. It’s busy but everyone seems a little calmer.

We walk to a similar looking entrance to the one that leads to his office. He steps through without knocking and I follow sheepishly, unsure of what’s on the other side.

We step into a large, bright office similar to his, although this one looks more lived in. There is a lounge area to the left with large and inviting grey sofas. Almost every surface has beautiful bouquets of flowers on it making the room smell amazing. The desk is sat in front of the floor to ceiling windows and behind it sat a beautiful woman. She smiles at us and stands. Her hair is the same soft brown as Zanders, her features are sharp and damn near perfect and her eyes are the same shade of blue with that same sparkle of mischief.  

She walks over to us, a warm and genuine smile spreading across her face.

“Raine, this is Lena. My sister.” She reaches out her hand for me to shake. I extend mine shyly, her presence is almost as overpowering as Zander.

“Raine, it’s so nice to meet you. I can’t thank you enough for keeping my brother on his toes.” Her voice is melodic, and I instantly feel safe with her. Zander shakes his head at my side, clearly unhappy with her greeting.

“You will be working as my sister’s personal assistant.” I look up at him in surprise. This feels like an important job. Lena’s office is only one beneath him, she must be an important part of the company.

“I can’t wait, Raine. I feel like we will be fast friends.” I return my gaze to her and offer her a smile. I suddenly feel lost for words, this is much more than I expected. I really thought this was all for show and he just wanted an excuse for me to be here.

“I- Um- This is… great.” I stumble over my words, with no clue on why I can’t form coherent sentences. Zander allows a little laugh to roll through his chest. I blush again, all confidence I had has vanished.

“I’ll leave you to it.” Lena nods but I snap my head to him again. He’s just going to leave like that. His mischievous smirk tugs at his full lips as I blink up at him through my lashes.

He leans forward and places a light kiss on my cheek. My stomach twists and my heart thumps, threatening to burst out of my chest at this new level of contact. He pauses a moment, his mouth nearing my ear.

“And don’t let her bend you over her desk, hmm?” I suck in a breath and he chuckles to himself as he walks out, leaving Lena and me alone.

“He’s a pain in the ass, I know. But he does grow on you.” She definitely heard what he said and I find it hard to maintain eye contact. She leads me over to the comfy looking sofas and gestures for me to sit.

I sink into the plush fabric and struggle to sit politely with the dip of the cushion. I feel more at ease seeing Lena lounging comfortably across from me and adjust myself into position.

She pushes a neat folder across the coffee table between us.

“This pack has the information you need for working in this building; your login, phone numbers, email addresses etcetera. I’ve been without an assistant for some time so I have adjusted accordingly. From you, I’m really looking for answering calls and replying to emails. Those are my most time consuming tasks. And, since Zan is a useless male, I could use some help with the finer details of the upcoming fundraiser. Does all this sound ok?” She glances over at me and I can only assume I look like a rabbit in the headlights. I nod quickly to make it appear I have some idea of what’s going on. She smiles gently, putting me somewhat at ease.

“I’m sorry, Raine. You really are being thrown in at the deep end. We have Zan to blame for that.” I chuckle. Once I find my words, I think we will have a lot in common with how we feel about Zander.

“I have a phone meeting in the next 20 minutes so I just want to get you set up at your desk outside. Just answer the calls and tell them I’m unavailable. Take their details and I’ll get back to them, ok?” Her smile is melting away some of my worries and finally, I think I have found my voice.

“Yes, Miss Heroux. I can do that.” She smiles warmly.

“Lena, please.” I nod at the invitation of calling her by her first name.

She stands and I follow as we walk from her office to the desk outside her door. She quickly goes over the basics of the phone and makes sure I have a tablet to take any details from callers.

She finishes setting me up and turns to go back into her office.

“Oh, and there are two people who are welcome in my office any time, even through meetings.”

“Zander?” That seems like an obvious one.

“Um, three people.” She laughs having forgotten her brother and boss.

“The others are Luca, my mate and Arabella Burnett, just call her Bella.” Her words are rushed as she checks her watch for the meeting. Curiosity gets the better of me, and I forget my place in this new environment.

“Is Bella a friend or…” Lena’s face looks surprised by my questions but she is quick to return to her smile. I gulp knowing I’ve overstepped.

“Oh no, sweetie. Bella is my girlfriend.”