The Beta's Witch

Chapter 5: We're Famliy

ELIJAH’S POV

When Adriana ran out of the room, I expected Aiden to follow. I wanted to get in his face when I watched him stand there a few seconds too long.

Instead I ran after her.

Adriana was one of my favorite employees. She was always smiling, never late, and didn’t take any s**t from the multitude of assholes that walked into Grey Enterprises. She was great with my kids when they visited the office and got along with my wife, Taylor. Even though I was now realizing she had never let me be the friend for her that she was for me, I still cared about her.

The last thing I wanted was for her to get hurt. I was pissed that Aiden wasn’t out here instead.

Adriana was already gone when I got into the common area outside of Lucas’s office. I looked to Freya who shook her head slightly.

Heaving a sigh, I shook the anger off and turned to go back into the office, running right into Aiden.

“What the f**k man?” I yelled.

He looked surprised then pushed passed me. “Where is she?”

“Sofia or Adriana?” I asked bitterly. As the words left my mouth, I realized just how bad they sounded. Aiden grabbed the front of my shirt, shoving me against the wall by Lucas’s door.

“What the hell is your problem?” the barely controlled anger in his voice called to my wolf, Mason.

Strength flooded my limbs as I shoved him, hard. He flew across the room, tumbling the last few feet. Freya’s screaming snapped me to my senses just in time to see Aiden jump off the floor.

He was halfway across the room when Lucas materialized in front of him. I blinked. An Alpha’s strength and speed were unrivaled compared to any other member of a pack, ranked or otherwise.

When he wanted, Lucas could move faster than sound. He stood nose to nose with Aiden, who was vibrating with tension. We both knew never to challenge Lucas was he was in Alpha mode. The predatory grace he exuded as he circled Aiden made me shiver slightly. His gaze snapped toward mine after Aiden lowered his eyes in submission. I quickly followed suit.

“In my office. Now,” he said softly, but you couldn’t mistake the underlying threat in his tone. It shook Aiden and I from our savage haze.

“Alpha I need to find-“ Aiden began.

“NOW!” Lucas roared. I practically dove through the office doors.

Aiden wasn’t too far behind, but he didn’t look as out of place as I felt. He had always been most defiant of the three of us growing up, which was hilarious to our parents. I was the class clown if anything it should have been me. Aiden was Mr. Responsible. The man was cool, calm, and collected, but as soon as authority challenged him, he showed no fear, and barely any respect. He and Lucas had butted heads more than once.

The three of us were like brothers. We lived like brothers and we fought like brothers. Our fathers ran the pack before us, and our children would run the pack after us. We were family, like any wolf pack. I would die for the both of them without hesitation, fighting with Aiden felt wrong. Causing Lucas to go Alpha felt even worse.

A minute later Lucas walked into the room. Without a word he sat behind his desk, pinching the bridge of his nose. He was pissed.

“Care to explain?” he measured.

I looked to Aiden, he was the Beta, it was his responsibility as Lucas’s second to debrief him any time something happened.

“I need to find Adriana.” Aiden responded, the muscles in his jaw tightened.

“You need to tell me what the hell just happened between you and my Gamma!” Lucas exploded. “You traumatized my secretary! Luckily, the poor woman is a wolf, so she wasn’t too shocked when the two of you decided to whip it out like we’re back in high school. She just has the misfortunate of being a member of a pack where her ranked members act like a bunch of children!”

I could practically see the vein bulging in Aiden’s neck. Knowing the two of them, their pride would have them skirting around the issue for hours.

“It was my fault, Alpha,” I relented. “I spoke out of turn and instigated the disagreement.”

Lucas sighed heavily. “Both of you need to get your heads out of you asses. I need my beta and gamma to be level-headed when problems arise.”

“I’m sorry, Lucas,” Aiden said quietly. My head shot up in surprise. “Tobias and I haven’t had much time with our mate. It’s becoming increasingly difficult to stay calm when she keeps slipping through my fingers.” The end of his sentence was forced through his teeth.

I felt like a d**k.

“You both have had time with her that I pray to the Moon Goddess I get,” he continued, “What if Sofia just destroyed my last chance to be with her?”

Lucas’s eyes softened. “Aiden we will help you get her. Adriana is nothing if not resilient. I’ve seen her bounce back from worse; when she wants something, she fights for it.”

“I’m not too sure she still wants me,” Aiden mumbled.

“Do you see the way she looks at you?” I chuckled, “She wants her mate just as badly as you do. The two of you aren’t designed to live without each other.”

“Something else is going on here,” Lucas mused.

“With Adriana?” Aiden sounded dubious.

“I mean what kind of person is so secretive about their life. I think there’s something keeping her from making that connection with the people around the office.”

“Well we won’t have the time to find out if we don’t find a way to keep your psycho ex from attacking her.” I interjected.

Aiden and Lucas’s eyes widened. “I have to find Adriana; she has to be in the building somewhere.” Both Lucas and Aiden jumped up from their chairs and ran for the door. I stayed on the couch.

“I already alerted security about Sofia. Adriana’s car is still here so let’s check her office.” Lucas rambled, hand on the door.

“You won’t find her,” I called after them.

Aiden whipped around. “I don’t have time for your games Elijah. Do you know where she is or not?”

“No,” I directed my question at Lucas, “When Adriana worked for you, did you ever see her eat lunch in the staff room or hang out in the common areas with the other employees?”

Lucas frowned. “Uhh no.”

“I noticed a few months ago that when she’s stressed out, she tends to disappear. I know it’s somewhere in the building, I always checked to make sure her car was still here, but I still haven’t figured out where she goes.” There were a lot of mysteries surrounding Adriana Ryder that I had yet to figure out.

Aiden looked at me strangely. “Why are you so invested in her?”

I shrugged. “Adriana is an amazing woman. She’s smart and capable and she gets along with all of us. I already considered her a part of the family before we found out she was your mate. She’s like a little sister to me.”

Lucas nodded his head in agreement. Aiden’s eyes traveled from Lucas to me, trying to gauge how serious we were, before nodding his head as well. We knew he would do anything to protect our families, it was only natural we felt the same way toward his mate.

“So how the hell do we find her?”

“I have no idea.”

……

ADRIANA’S POV

I didn’t know where I was running to, but when I stopped I knew it was the only place I really could go. I had a few hours before Daniel got home. I knew I could have left Grey Enterprises, but it was my happy place, even when it was the last place I wanted to be.

I sat in the corner of a bare office space on a vacant floor of the building. It was quiet and I loved it.

I let the tears run down my face, not caring to wipe them away. Every interaction I had with Aiden Matthews playing over and over in my head.

 We had barely had a full conversation. Even though something in me felt so good when I was near him, and I felt literally fireworks whenever he touched me, I knew nothing about the man. Well I knew one thing. The part of me that shut people out, that felt the need to be strong, crumbled when I was near him. Something in me felt safe when he was near.

I was thoroughly disgusted with myself. He was a stranger!

So why, when his girlfriend showed up, did it feel like my heart was being ripped out of my chest?

Don’t let anyone get close to you.

I didn’t know what that letter was referring to, but I think I was starting to understand. I had let myself slip just a little when Aiden Matthews walked into my life, and now I was regretting it. I let myself fall for him and he had humiliated me in front of Mr. Grey and Mr. Thomas. An irrational part of me wanted to quit, never to show my face at Grey Enterprises again.

I was so wrapped up in my pity party that I didn’t notice the soft footsteps until they were right on top of my hiding place. I looked up in time to see the door swing open.

A hulking figure loomed at the entrance of the door. It wasn’t until he stepped into the light that I released the breath I was holding.

“Carson?”

“Hey Dri,” He said softly, crouching down in front of me.

I had first met Carson two years ago when he leased one of Grey Enterprises vacant floors for his new software company. At first glance, the man looked more like a professional football player than a tech geek. He had the perfectly sculpted muscles of a body builder, and just as tall as the rest of the men I interacted with at Grey Enterprises.

He exuded a deadly aura that made me want to shrink away from him, at times. A man of few words, I found that I didn’t really have to worry much about him asking difficult questions I couldn’t answer.  He had found me in a very similar position huddled in the corner of the new office I didn’t know he then owned.

That time I had been hiding from Jeff.

Carson waited patiently, as I wiped the tears off my face. When I pulled myself together, he silently offered his hand, helping me stand.

“I’m guessing this is now your floor too” I teased, skirting around the awkwardness.

He rubbed a hand over the back of his dark curls. “Yeah, it was time to expand.”

“Don’t let me keep you.” I tried to smile, knowing I failed miserably before I headed for the door.

“Dri,” he called after me. I stopped, turning slightly to face him. “You know if you need my help all you have to do is ask.”

For the first time since he walked into the room, I met Carson’s eyes. I was startled to see the slight resemblance between him and Aiden. Dark skin, intense stare, angular features. They had the same nose and eyes.

I wanted to ask him about it but thought better. We didn’t ask questions. It was the unspoken rule between our twisted friendship. Sometimes I would escape to his office and just sit quietly, while he worked. I was sure our silent sessions revealed more to him than anything anyone could possibly ask me. It wasn’t enough for him to know me, but enough for me to feel like I could trust him.

“I know,” I said, then left the room.