Rise of the Blessed Luna

The Broken Machine

(Chloe’s POV)

The morning at Blackwood Industries is much busier than I expected. As a junior office assistant, my job is to do all the little things that keep the tenth floor running smoothly. I carry files, fetch coffee, and make sure the desks are clean. It is simple work, but I am happy to do it. It makes me feel like a normal human being.

"Chloe! Thank goodness you are here!" my floor manager, Sarah, gasps as she runs up to my desk. Her face is pale and she looks like she is about to cry.

I stood up quickly. "What is wrong, Sarah?"

"The top-floor executives just called," Sarah whispers, her voice shaking with panic. "The big boss is coming down to inspect our floor today. The CEO himself! Mr. Aiden Blackwood is coming here in less than twenty minutes!"

The entire office suddenly goes crazy. People are running around, dropping stacks of papers, and yelling at each other. Everyone is terrified of the billionaire CEO. They say he is a cold, ruthless monster who fires people if their desks are messy.

"We have a huge problem," Sarah continues, grabbing my arm. "The giant printer in the main conference room just broke down. The repairman cannot come until tomorrow. But we need to print the heavy budget reports before Mr. Blackwood arrives! Chloe, please, you have to move the spare industrial printer from the storage room into the conference room right now!"

"But Sarah," I say, pretending to look worried. "That printer in the storage room is huge. It weighs over two hundred pounds. I cannot move that alone."

"I know, I know! Take two men from the security team to help you. Just hurry!"

I run down the hallway to the storage room. When I open the door, I see two large male security guards. They are pushing and pulling the massive black printing machine. Their faces are bright red, they are sweating through their shirts, and the heavy machine is barely moving an inch.

"It’s too heavy, miss," one guard says, wiping his forehead and gasping for air. "This thing is made of solid steel. We need to go downstairs and find a forklift."

"We don't have time for a forklift," I say gently. "Mr. Blackwood is coming right now. Let me try."

The two guards looked at me like I was crazy. I am a slender girl wearing a simple white blouse and a black skirt. I look weak.

"Don't hurt yourself, little girl," the second guard laughs, stepping back. "If two grown men cannot lift it, you definitely can't."

I ignore his mocking tone. I step around them and place my hands firmly on the bottom of the heavy machine. I take a deep breath.

Inside my body, that strange, familiar warmth spreads through my veins. It feels like my muscles are perfectly locking into place.

With one smooth, easy motion, I lifted the entire two-hundred-pound printer completely off the floor.

The two guards instantly freeze. Their eyes go wide, and their jaws literally drop open in pure shock.

"What the..." one whispers, rubbing his eyes.

"I... I work out a lot at the gym," I lie quickly, giving them a nervous smile.

I do not wait for them to ask questions. I walk down the hallway, carrying the giant machine easily in my arms, and place it perfectly on the desk inside the conference room. I quickly plug it in and make sure it starts printing the paper.

But the moment I step out of the conference room, a sudden, terrifying silence falls over the entire floor.

It happens in a single second. One moment, people were typing and whispering. The next moment, everything stops. You can hear a pin drop on the carpet. The air in the room suddenly becomes very heavy, making it hard for me to breathe. It feels like a thick, invisible cloud of pure pressure is rolling through the hallways. It makes my heart beat fast, even though I do not know why.

Then, my nose twitches.

My sense of smell has always been incredibly sharp, but what I smell right now is completely different from anything else in the world. It is a beautiful, intoxicating scent of fresh rain, dark winter wood, and sharp mint. It smells so good that my knees feel a little weak. A strange feeling of warmth washes over my chest.

"He is here," Sarah whispers to the office, her voice trembling. She immediately bows her head low, looking straight at the floor.

Everyone in the office follows her. They all drop their heads, staring at their shoes. They look like scared little mice hiding from a dangerous hawk. I am confused by how terrified they are, but I copy them and lower my head too.

The double doors of the private elevator slide open.

A very tall man steps out. He is easily over six feet tall, with broad shoulders and a powerful chest hidden beneath a very expensive, custom black suit. He has thick, dark hair and a strong, sharp jawline. He walks with absolute dominance, like a king walking through his territory.

Next to him is another tall man, his assistant Marcus, who is carrying a digital tablet.

The billionaire CEO, Aiden Blackwood, walks down the center aisle of the office. He does not look at anyone. He looks incredibly bored and cold, his face like stone.

But then, he reaches the center of the room, right near the conference room door where I am standing.

Suddenly, Aiden stops moving. His entire body goes completely stiff.

The heavy, cold feeling in the air suddenly explodes, becoming ten times stronger. A violent shiver runs down my spine.

Slowly, Aiden turns his head. His eyes are a deep, piercing silver color. They look like sharp steel knives. He scans the room, ignoring the managers and the guards. Then, his silver eyes locked directly onto me.

The moment our eyes meet, a loud gasp escapes my lips. It feels like a sudden electric shock just hit my heart. My heart starts beating like a wild drum inside my chest. Inside my mind, a strange, distant voice—a voice I have never heard before in my entire life—whispers a single, clear word: Mate.

I blink, wondering if I am going crazy.

Aiden’s silver eyes suddenly flash a bright, glowing gold color for a split second. His nostrils flare as he takes a deep breath, smelling the air around me.

He stares at me like a predator staring at its prize. He steps away from Marcus and starts walking straight toward me. Every step he takes is heavy, slow, and dangerous. The bored look on his face completely disappears, replaced by a deep, dark obsession.

I want to run away because he looks so terrifying, but my feet feel like they are glued to the floor. I can only stare at him as he stops right in front of me. He is so close I can feel the intense heat radiating from his large body.

"Who are you?" Aiden asks. His voice is not a normal human voice. It is a deep, low growl that vibrates right through the floorboards and into my bones.

"I... I am Chloe," I stutter, my voice shaking with fear. "I am just the new junior assistant."

Aiden narrows his eyes. He leans in closer, his silver eyes looking down at my neck, then back to my face. I can see deep confusion in his eyes, mixed with a strange, angry frustration. He looks at me like he is searching for something that isn't there. To him, I look completely fragile and weak. I do not have any special aura. I just smell like a normal human.

But he keeps staring at me.

Suddenly, before I can say another word, Aiden reaches out his large hand. His long fingers wrap firmly around my wrist.

The moment his skin touches mine, a literal spark of fire burns between us. I gasp from the shock of the heat, trying to pull my hand back. But his grip is like a pair of iron handcuffs. He looks down at our touching skin, his jaw clenching so tightly that the muscles in his face shake.

"You are coming with me," he growls loudly.

"Wait! Let go of me! That hurts!" I cry out. It doesn't actually hurt my strong body, but I am terrified by his wild behavior.

Before anyone in the office can move or speak, Aiden ruthlessly drags me toward his private elevator. Marcus follows quickly behind us, his face pale with shock. Aiden pushes me into the elevator, the heavy steel doors slide shut, and we begin to rise toward the top floor.

I pulled my hand away from him, backing into the corner of the elevator. My breath is coming in short gasps. I look at this powerful billionaire, completely terrified of what he is going to do to an ordinary human girl like me.