The Alpha’s Forbidden Bond

Chapter 4 — Things I Wasn’t Supposed to See

Elera’s POV

Working upstairs was nothing like marketing.

It was quieter, but not peaceful. More like the silence was intentional, like everyone here had learned how to speak less and notice more. Every step I took felt heavier than it should, even though the floor was softer, the lighting warmer, and the air cleaner.

Kael’s words still echoed in my head.

“You were transferred.”

No warning. No choice. Just change.

I kept telling myself it was just work. Just a company decision. Nothing strange.

But every time I thought that, my chest reacted like it didn’t believe me.

“Elera.”

I looked up from my desk. Riven was standing nearby, holding a small folder. He looked calmer than everyone else here, like the chaos of this place didn’t reach him the same way.

“Yes?” I asked.

He placed the folder gently on my desk. “Your tasks for today.”

I nodded slowly. “Thank you.”

He didn’t move away immediately. Instead, he studied me for a moment like he was trying to understand something I wasn’t saying out loud.

“You didn’t sleep well again,” he said quietly.

It wasn’t a question.

I sighed. “Is it that obvious?”

“It is to me.”

That answer made me pause.

I looked down at the folder instead of him. “I’m just adjusting.”

“Or resisting,” he said softly.

I frowned slightly. “Is there a difference?”

Riven didn’t answer right away. When he finally did, his voice was quieter than before. “Yes.”

That single word stayed with me longer than it should have.

Before I could ask anything else, the atmosphere in the room shifted.

I felt it before I saw him.

Kael.

My grip on the folder tightened slightly without me realizing it. I hated that my body reacted before my thoughts did.

He entered the office area without speaking first, dressed the same as yesterday—dark suit, controlled posture, expression unreadable. But this time, his gaze didn’t immediately land on me.

It moved around the room.

Like he was checking something.

Or someone.

Then finally, his eyes found mine.

And the pressure in my chest returned again.

Not painful.

Just… noticeable.

“You’re late,” he said to Riven.

Riven didn’t look bothered. “I wasn’t scheduled to arrive earlier.”

Kael didn’t respond to that. His attention shifted to me instead.

“Come with me.”

Two words.

Simple.

But they hit differently when he said them.

I hesitated. “Why?”

A faint pause.

“Meeting,” he answered.

That was all.

No details. No explanation.

I stood slowly, forcing myself not to overthink it, and followed him out of the office. Riven didn’t stop us, but I felt his gaze on us as we left.

The hallway outside was quieter than the rest of the floor. Kael walked slightly ahead of me, his steps steady, unhurried. I struggled to match his pace without looking like I was trying too hard.

After a few seconds, I spoke.

“What kind of meeting?”

He didn’t look back. “Executives.”

That didn’t help.

“That’s… vague,” I muttered.

A short pause.

“You’ll understand when you’re there.”

I frowned at his back. “That’s what people say when they don’t want to explain things.”

For the first time, he glanced at me slightly.

Not fully turning.

Just enough for me to see it.

“I’m not avoiding it,” he said.

I almost laughed. “It feels like it.”

Silence followed again, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. It was controlled. Like he was choosing what to say carefully.

We reached a set of double doors at the end of the hallway. Two guards stood outside them, and the moment they saw Kael, they stepped aside immediately.

That alone told me enough.

Whatever was behind those doors mattered.

A lot.

Kael pushed the door open and stepped inside first. I followed after a second of hesitation.

The room was large.

Too large.

A long table sat in the center, surrounded by several people already seated. Expensive clothes. Sharp expressions. The kind of people who didn’t need introductions because they assumed everyone already knew who they were.

And then I noticed her.

Nyra.

She was sitting near the far end of the table, perfectly composed. Blonde hair, sharp eyes, elegant posture. The moment she saw me, her expression shifted slightly.

Not surprise.

Recognition.

And something else I couldn’t name right away.

Kael didn’t introduce me.

He simply stood beside me.

That alone made several people at the table look at me differently.

Like I didn’t belong there.

I swallowed quietly, suddenly aware of how out of place I was.

One of the men at the table finally spoke. “Kael, who is this?”

His tone wasn’t curious.

It was questioning.

Kael answered without hesitation. “Someone under my supervision.”

Nyra’s fingers tightened slightly around her pen.

I noticed.

And for some reason, that made my chest feel heavier.

Another man chuckled lightly. “She looks human.”

The room went slightly quieter after that.

My body tensed immediately.

Kael’s voice dropped slightly. “She is.”

Something in his tone shut the conversation down faster than I expected.

But Nyra leaned forward slightly. “Then why is she here?”

Her eyes were on me now.

Direct.

Measuring.

Unfriendly.

Kael answered again, calm but firm. “Because I decided it.”

That was it.

No explanation.

But it was enough to make the atmosphere shift.

I didn’t understand what was happening, but I understood something else clearly.

They didn’t like me here.

And Nyra liked me the least.

I forced myself to stay still, even though my instincts were screaming at me to leave the room.

The meeting continued, but I barely heard most of it. Words like “territory,” “bloodlines,” and “stability” were mentioned, but nothing fully made sense.

All I could feel was the attention in the room shifting toward me more than I was comfortable with.

At some point, Kael stepped slightly closer to my side.

Not enough for anyone to comment.

But enough for me to notice.

And strangely… it helped.

Like my body reacted less when he was near.

That realization made me even more confused.

The meeting eventually ended without warning. People started standing, conversations breaking off into smaller groups.

Nyra stood too, but before leaving, she looked at me one last time.

This time, her expression wasn’t just cold.

It was warning.

Then she walked away.

When the room finally cleared, I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding.

Kael noticed.

“You handled it well,” he said.

I looked at him immediately. “That felt like a test.”

He didn’t deny it.

And somehow, that bothered me more than an answer would have.

Riven appeared at the doorway moments later, as if he had been waiting nearby the entire time.

“First meeting,” he said lightly. “How was it?”

I stared at him. “Confusing.”

That made him smile slightly.

Kael, however, didn’t.

He simply watched me for a moment longer than necessary.

And for the first time, I realized something I didn’t want to admit yet.

This wasn’t just work anymore.

And I was already too deep to walk away easily.