The Ebony Alpha

Chapter 7: Chase's View

I stared at the computer screen, trying to get some work done, but my brain was elsewhere. Laila had her interview at Iron Strike today, and I struggled to be supportive.

It had only been a few days since she was let go from Stonewall. However, it had been the longest few days of my life. Laila's behavior had been off.

She had many questions about that night, and she didn't seem satisfied with my answers. She wasn't the only one. When Laila passed out after screaming about Ragen, Michelle wanted to take her to the hospital.

I tried my hardest to convince her that all Laila needed was some rest. Michelle finally let it go, but she had been over every day since giving me questioning looks when Laila wasn't paying attention.

While I usually liked Michelle, she was starting to give me the impression that I wasn't the only person in Laila's life keeping a secret. But I couldn’t even begin to figure out what Michelle could be hiding.

To add to my growing frustrations, we hadn’t had s*x since the night before Laila was fired. Laila may not be an affectionate girlfriend, but her s****l appetite was definitely strong. It was rare we went more than 24 hours without s*x. To be honest, being with her was like an addiction, and it wasn’t one I had any intention of overcoming.

I continued to stare at my computer before I leaned back and closed my eyes. Just then, there was a knock at my door. Before I could answer, my dad walked in. I low groan escaped my lips as he sat down.

I had been avoiding my dad since I left the office to attend to Laila. While he had loved and treated Laila like a daughter, he disapproved of our relationship. I understood his concern, but it was his idea for me to be a part of her life. What did he expect to happen?

“How is Laila doing?” my father asked me quietly.

“She is fine,” I started, “There was just a little mishap at work, but it has been cleared up.”

My father looked at me suspiciously. To my surprise, he merely nodded his head and started to get up. I don’t know what came over me, but as he started to open the door, I blurted, “We may have a problem.”

He turned to look back at me. “What kind of problem?” he asked with a raised eyebrow. I was starting to regret my decision to say something, but I pressed forward.

“I think Laila’s suppression is starting to wear off,” I said quietly. I could see my father grow tense and the color drain from his face. He slammed the door and stormed over to my desk.

“What do you mean it is ‘starting to wear off’?” he growled into my face. I could see his eyes had changed from brown to a deep green, which meant that his wolf was ready to take over immediately if necessary.

“She told me when she was in the office with her boss, she started to overheat,” I said before pausing. I started to look away from my father’s glaring eyes. “She said she heard a voice say ‘kill him’ but realized no one in the room had said it,” I finished with a heavy sigh.

“Why are you just now telling me this?” my dad roared, “Do you realize how dangerous this is?”

He threw himself down into the chair across from me. I could see his chest move up aggressively as if he was struggling to breathe. He started to loosen his tie, but it did not seem to help.

“I mean, it was bound to happen, right? Laila comes from a strong lineage. It was a matter of time before her wolf tried to surface,” I said, trying to sound unphased by the situation. But even I knew this was going to lead to problems.

Laila had no clue that she was a werewolf. She lived her life like most humans, thinking we were characters in teenage movies and online s*x stories. Unfortunately, Laila’s wolf was suppressed after her parents died to help her transition into normal human life. While we hoped the spell would last, my father went through a great deal to make sure nothing would cause the spell to fail.

“For someone so smart, you are really f*****g stupid when it comes to that girl,” my father mumbled while wiping his hands down his face. “Laila isn’t supposed to be alive, or did you forget that along with me telling you not to sleep with the girl?” he snapped at me.

We glared at each other, but before one of us could speak, there was a knock at the door. My father barked for them to come in. Stephanie, my secretary, walked in.

“I’m sorry to interrupt, but Mr. Nero, your wife, has been trying to reach you. She says it is urgent,” Stephanie says before smiling at me. I immediately looked away.

“Thanks. I’ll take the call in my office,” my father replied before getting up from his chair. Stephanie closes the door, and my father focuses his attention back on me.

“Let me remind you because your d**k has clearly decided to help you forget everything. Laila’s father was my best friend and Alpha. I have done everything in my power to keep that girl safe, including moving my f*****g company to this city and having you keep an eye out for her. You were supposed to keep your distance, but instead, you are under the delusion that Laila is your mate. She is not. While she may not know what she is, you do. Don’t confuse your feelings with something that has been imposed on you by simply getting too close,” he said to me before he started heading to the door.

“Laila has an interview at Iron Strike,” I said quietly, almost too ashamed for him to hear.

“WHAAAAAAT?” my father roars as he turns back to me. Just then, I realized I had let my love for Laila cloud my better judgment.

Fuck!