THE ALPHA'S ELDRITCH FATED MATE

Chapter 5: THE REPORT.

Jethro's pov:

The ticking of the clock on the wall was the only sound in the silent office. I had finished the work for the day hours ago, but there was no way I was going home just yet. Not when I knew she’d be coming in soon. I tapped my fingers on the desk, trying to maintain the semblance of focus, though my mind was far from the paperwork scattered in front of me. It was her Lilian, my Mate that occupied my thoughts.

Damn it. Why was I waiting for her? I wasn’t interested in the report she was about to hand over. That was just an excuse to have her close to me. The real reason was far more complicated, and it bothered me to admit it even to myself. I wanted to see her. To feel her presence. My wolf, Devon, growled softly in my mind, urging me to acknowledge what I already knew.

She’s our mate. Even if she is human she was given to us by the moon goddess Devon kept mumbling in my head

I shifted uncomfortably in my chair. That truth was something I couldn't deny, no matter how much I wanted to. The fact that she was human made it all worse. A human, of all things. My mate wasn’t supposed to be fragile, weak, unaware of the world I lived in. Yet here she was, unknowingly drawing my attention to her, just with her scent .

I leaned back in my chair, letting out a frustrated breath. There was a knock at the door, and even before the sound faded, I caught her scent sweet like vanilla and something else I couldn’t quite place, something that made my wolf stir.

“Come in,” I called, my voice quicker than I had intended.

The door creaked open, and there she was, standing in the doorway with the report in hand. Her eyes, bright blue, her killer shape is something anyone would find hard to take their look off

“I should tell her to wear more of those in the future” I thought lustfully.

“You p*****t” Devon mocked and I immediately came back to my senses

met mine for a brief second before she looked down, almost too quickly. I felt the pull stronger than ever and it took every ounce of willpower not to let it show on my face.

“Here’s the report, Mr. Blackwood,” she said, her voice steady but soft.

I didn’t care about the damn report. The truth was, I cared far too much about her. My fingers brushed the folder as I took it, but my eyes stayed on her. She had no idea. No clue about what she meant to me or what it meant for her. A part of me wanted to grab her, pull her into a deep hug and feel her heartbeat, but the rest of me, the Alpha, the part that knew how to control himself took over.

“This is a mess,” I snapped, louder than I’d intended. Her body stiffened at the harshness of my tone, and the faintest flicker of fear crossed her eyes. A cold knot of guilt twisted in my chest, but I shoved it down. She couldn’t see the real reason behind my anger.

“Do you think this company is a joke? Go and redo the entire thing.” I slammed the folder onto the desk, the noise making her flinch.

Her lips pressed into a thin line, and for a moment, I saw a spark of defiance in her eyes. It was fleeting, but it was there. Despite her fear, there was a fight in her, and I couldn’t help but admire that. But she simply nodded, her face a mask of quiet resolve as she turned and walked out without another word.

Well done, Devon growled at me. You made our mate afraid of us.

“Shut up,” I muttered under my breath, though I knew he was right. I didn’t need my wolf pointing out the obvious. My fingers drummed on the desk, restless. Her scent lingered in the air, teasing me, and I couldn’t help but wonder if I should go after her, check to make sure she was okay. But that would make me look weak, and I couldn’t afford that. Not here.

Stay cool. Act like it doesn’t matter, I reminded myself. But it did matter. And that was the problem.

The office started to empty out as the minutes passed, the sound of footsteps and voices growing distant until it was nearly silent. I could still sense her, though I still felt her presence in the building. She hadn’t left yet. Good. That was what I wanted. I don't think I would be able to have a goodnight rest without getting close to her at least to know where she stays. I didn't want her to leave on her own.

The door creaked open, and Daniel, my Beta, stepped in. His eyes flicked around the room, noticing I was still here, his voice mildly curious.

“You’re still here? I thought you’d have left by now.” He paused, then added, “Our Luna is still in the office. Why’s she here so late?”

I glared at him, not in the mood for his nosy questions. “Mind your own business, Daniel.”

He raised an eyebrow, a knowing smirk playing at the corner of his lips. “Take it easy on her, Jethro. She’s just an intern.”

“I don’t need advice from you,” I snapped. My voice came out rougher than I intended, but I didn’t care. Daniel had a habit of pushing where he wasn’t needed, and I wasn’t about to let him dig into what I was feeling.

He chuckled, raising his hands in mock surrender. “Fine, fine. I’ll stay out of it.”

He turned to leave, but his amusement lingered in the air, irritating me further. As the door closed behind him, I let out a frustrated breath. I wasn’t taking it easy on her. I couldn’t. She was human, inasmuch as it annoys me I needed to go hard on her if she was going to survive in my world, she needed to be tougher than she looked.

Another knock on the door. This time, it was softer, more hesitant. I could practically hear her heart pounding from the other side of the door.

“Come in,” I called, trying to keep my voice calm, but the tension still slipped through.

Lilian stepped inside, her eyes focused on the floor as she approached my desk. The report was clutched in her hands, and I could see the way her fingers trembled ever so slightly. Damn it. She was afraid of me. And yet, I couldn’t help but feel a twisted sense of satisfaction knowing that she was here, facing me, even after everything.

I couldn't deny that I love this part of her and it almost made me chuckle. It would have been hard to believe that the lady who had earlier had a heated argument with me could be so calm and submissive.

She handed me the report, her head still bowed. I took it and skimmed through it, keeping my expression cold and detached. The report was better than fine, actually but I couldn’t let her see that. Not yet.

“Do better next time,” I said, my voice low and sharp. “Or I might be forced to reconsider having you here.”

She nodded quickly, her lips pressed into a thin line. Without another word, she turned and left the room, leaving behind the scent of fear and something that made my chest tighten in a way I wasn’t used to.

The moment the door closed behind her, I stood up, gathering my things. It was already dark outside, and there was no way I was letting her leave alone. Not in this city. This was just a planned out thing so I could get to know where she stays.

“Offer her a ride,” Devon urged, his presence pushing against my control.

I was already heading toward the door before I could argue with him. It wasn’t just my wolf that wanted to protect her. I want to protect her also.