Mated To The Billionaire's Wife

Chapter 5: To Protect or Not To Protect

Aaron’s POV

The airline hummed to life just as I slumped down in my business class seat, catching the flight just on time. After throwing a couple of clothes and essentials into a bag, Rez drove me to the airport as fast as he could. To be honest, I didn’t like everything that was happening one bit.

First, Mr. Prentiss refused to discuss with Rez and forced him to drive all the way out from the city to the packhouse to get me. Then, Mr. Prentiss wasn’t satisfied with a video call and pestered me—or, rather, ordered me—to come and see him, not tomorrow, not next week, but immediately. Because of that, I had to postpone my discussion with the Alpha about choosing my mate. On top of that, I had to pack in a rush and it forced Rez to drive ridiculously fast to get me to the airport in time. If there was one thing I hated, it was rushing. I was someone who planned things well and preferred to have everything organized beforehand, which made this whole thing a real pain in the ass.

“Shadow, talk to me, buddy. I miss talking to you,” I mind-linked him, but to no avail.

It didn’t help that I couldn’t talk to Shadow or vent to him since he still refused to talk to me after I declared that I would choose a mate rather than wait for our fated mate. Part of me couldn’t blame him since that was what we believed in, but the practical part of me was sick and tired of seeing all the couples around me as well as hearing everyone comment on my mateless life. Deep down, I hoped that Shadow would understand but he did not which only bummed me out further. The business trip I was taking to New York City clearly didn’t start off on the right foot.

Sighing to myself, I ran my hands through my hair and leaned back against the comfortable seat. Tapping the screen in front of me, I selected a movie and placed the headphones over my ears as I allowed my mind to drift. All I wanted was to not think about anything anymore, not the person I was going to see, not my love life, not my wolf, and not me.

~.~

A little over five hours later, the plane landed on the runway and before I knew it, I was walking out of the arrivals doors to find a placard with my name on it. A sharply dressed man held it up firmly as he looked around at the crowd of people. Inhaling a sharp breath of air, I stood upright and rolled my bag as I walked towards him.

“Mr. Aaron Evans?” he asked me as soon as I towered in front of him.

Nodding at him, I forced out a small smile. “Yes. Shall we?”

Within seconds, I was escorted to a grand limousine that Mr. Prentiss promised. Frankly, I didn’t care for all that and the reason I chose to come was because of how desperate he looked as well as the fear that he might malign my security firm’s name. However, since it was already in front of me, I was too exhausted to argue or deny it, so I quietly sat in the back seat as the limousine drove through the streets effortlessly before stopping in front of a grand luxurious hotel.

“Mr. Evans, you can check in and freshen up. I will be waiting down here for you whenever you are ready to leave to meet Mr. Prentiss,” the driver informed me as soon as he lowered the partition separating us.

“Alright then. I won’t take too long,” I replied before getting down and heading into the hotel.

A quick shower later, I looked at my reflection in the mirror. My all-black outfit reflected how I was feeling while still making me look professional, which was perfectly what I was going for. Satisfied, I picked up my briefcase and headed down to the car.

About half an hour later, the limousine pulled up in front of a big golden gate and the security guard tapped on my window. After handing him my ID and business card, he called Mr. Prentiss and finally, we were allowed to enter. The limousine glided in before stopping in front of a lavish-looking white-and-gold mansion that clearly reflected the Prentiss family wealth.

As soon as I stepped into the living room of the mansion, an average-sized man dressed in an expensive suit approached me with a thin smile on his face. “Mr. Evans, I’m glad you could make it. I must say, I’m very impressed by how fast you work.”

“You did say it was urgent,” I responded briefly as I shook his hand.

Leading me to the couch, he showed me to my seat and took a seat on the couch opposite me. Crossing his legs, he looked me up and down with scrutiny, making my jaw clench in annoyance. It was at times like that I wished that Shadow would talk to me so that we could complain together, but my own wolf and soul had abandoned me.

“Mr. Evans, let me get straight to the point. My business is booming and like every business, there are always enemies. I’ve known about them and didn’t quite worry about them until they threatened my wife,” he explained and suddenly I realized why he was so desperate for my firm’s services.

Sure, I didn’t have a mate, but I could understand how it must have felt for Mr. Prentiss to find out his rival had threatened his wife, his very soulmate. I had to admit, I started to understand why he was so pushy to get me there as soon as I could.

Shaking my head, my forehead furrowed in distress. “That is horrible, Mr. Prentiss.”

“Yes, which is why I need a new bodyguard for her. I fired her old bodyguard for allowing her to be approached by the perpetrator,” he clarified as his palms balled into fists.

Letting out an exhale, I nodded. “Sure. My firm can contract a highly-trained and skilled bodyguard for her.”

“No, no. I didn’t call you down here so that you can send me one of your employees,” he retorted immediately.

My eyebrow arched at him quizzically. “What do you mean? I don’t quite follow.”

“I’ve heard a lot about you, Mr. Evans. Do you remember when you were the bodyguard for Mr. Harry Sanders?” he asked me with a smirk on his face.

My teeth gritted together in my mouth as I realized where he was going with the conversation. “How do you know about that?”

“Mr. Sanders is one of my close business friends and when I told him my problem, he mentioned you personally and how capable you were as his bodyguard,” Mr. Prentiss revealed cunningly.

Leaning forward, I narrowed my eyes at him. “I am not a bodyguard anymore. I own a security company and if you need a bodyguard, I can get you an excellent one.”

“Oh, Mr. Evans, do you take me as a fool? Listen to me carefully, okay? I want you to be the bodyguard for my wife. Understood?” he said, weighing on every single one of his words, implying that I was stupid or something.

Standing up from the couch, I shook my head. “I’m sorry, Mr. Prentiss, I am unable to do that. Why would you want me anyway?”

“Why? Because of everything Harry told me. He explained everything you did, which included all the times you saved him and protected him from possible attacks. You did things that I have never seen other bodyguards do. You’re the best in the business and I want the best for me—I mean, for my wife,” he insisted as he got up and stood in front of me intimidatingly.

Swerving my head from him, I took a step back and clenched my jaw, but Mr. Prentiss stubbornly approached me again threateningly. “You wouldn’t want me to tell my friends and clients that your security firm didn’t cater to my needs, would you? Or, worse, you wouldn’t want my poor weak wife to get hurt by my rivals because some other bodyguard couldn’t protect her like you could, would you?”

The f*cking snake hissed threats in my face and tried to blackmail me into accepting his offer. Although I expected him to threaten me with slandering the name of my security firm, I didn’t expect him to use the safety and life of his own wife as a reason to force me to accept his offer.

Cornered without a way out, I blurted out the only other excuse I could think of, rather foolishly, to be honest. “How can you expect me to be a bodyguard to someone just like that without meeting them?”

“So, that’s the only problem? Then let me solve it for you, Mr. Evans.” Taking a step back and giving me back my personal space, he smiled at me proudly.

Turning his head, he instructed one of his minions, “Call Mrs. Prentiss and ask her to join us immediately.”

A few minutes later, the sound of high heels echoed through the living room from the hallway and my insides did a somersault as if I had eaten something wrong or like I was going to throw up. Pinching the bridge of my nose, I breathed deeply and tried to control myself.

“Mr. Evans, this is Mrs. Prentiss, my wife,” Mr. Prentiss’s voice snapped me out of my discomfort as the sweet smell of lavender filled my nostrils sharply.

Clearing my throat, I stood up and scanned her from bottom to top, starting from the shiny black heels she was wearing. Her legs were slender and she was wearing a knee-length dress with a belt around her waist. By the time my gaze was reaching her chest, I quickly realized what I was doing and cursed myself for being such a horrible person.

So, I hurriedly raised my eyes to face the mysterious lady as I extended my hand towards her. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Prentiss.”

The minute my eyes fell on the billionaire’s stunningly beautiful wife, something stirred in me and Shadow purred, something I had never heard him do before. But, more importantly, my wolf finally broke his stubborn silence and said his first word after twenty-four hours, but it was the last word I ever expected him to declare, a word that would change our lives, forever.

“MATE!”