THE ALPHA' HUMAN

THE LINE BETWEEN

IAN POV

"What possessed you to go there in the first place?"

Kaizer's voice cuts through the silence of my office.

He lounges in the leather chair opposite my desk with one ankle resting on the opposite knee, looking far too relaxed for someone who has just informed me that the police have finally taken the creative director into custody.

The office falls quiet again.

Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, the city continues as though nothing happened. Cars crawl through traffic. People walk along pavements with coffees in hand. Completely unaware that a predator almost tore a man apart less than an hour ago.

"I wanted to see her."

The words leave my mouth before I think about them.

Kaizer raises a brow.

"I wanted to make sure she was okay."

His expression doesn't change. "But you already checked on her."

"I know."

"And you were the one who sent me."

"I know."

"And I reported back."

"I know."

He stares at me for a long moment before rubbing a hand over his face. He sighs.

"Ian..."

"I couldn't stay away." I say before he starts questioning me more or lecturing me.

That is the truth.

Ever since Nicole stepped into this building this morning, every instinct inside me has become impossible to ignore.

It starts as a faint pull in my chest.

Then it grows.

A constant awareness. An invisible thread connecting us no matter how many floors separate us. I know exactly when she enters the building. I know when she leaves one room for another.

It is maddening. My wolf doesn't understand distance. He doesn't understand patience. All he understands is one thing.

Mate.

Protect. Claim.

The three instincts loop endlessly in my head until I can barely concentrate on anything else.

I had tried. God knows I tried. I buried myself in reports. Read through contracts. Approved three proposals. Rejected two others. Held a meeting that I barely remember attending.

Nothing worked. Every passing minute only made the ache worse. Eventually, I gave up pretending. I told myself I simply wanted to see whether she had settled into the office.

That was all.

One quick look. Nothing more. Instead...

My jaw clenches.

The memory crashes back with brutal clarity. That disgusting excuse for a man cornering her. His hand on her waist. His fingers .Brushing places they had no right to touch.

Nicole frozen in obvious discomfort.

The world had gone red.

My wolf had erupted with such violence that, for one terrifying second, I genuinely couldn't remember where I was.

Only that someone had touched what belonged to us.

Mine.

The word echoes through my head so loudly my fingernails bite into my palms.

If Nicole hadn't reached me when she did...

The creative director would already be dead.

Not arrested.

Dead.

A slow and painful one.

Honestly, I don't regret wanting it. I only regret failing to do it.

"I know that look." Kaizer folds his arms. "You're thinking about killing him again."

"I'm thinking," I reply evenly, "that prison isn't nearly enough."

His shoulders sag. "I figured."

"He touched her. Without permission. He terrified her." My voice lowers until it barely resembles my own. “I should've ripped his hands off."

Silence.

Not uncomfortable. Just heavy. Kaizer studies me carefully. "So you really would've done it."

I meet his gaze. "Yes."

No hesitation. No shame. Just truth.

He exhales slowly before leaning forward. "That's exactly why I'm worried."

I don't answer.

"You're not thinking with your senses anymore.”

His tone sharpens. "You're thinking with your instincts.”

I look away. Because he's right.

"Ian."

He waits until I meet his eyes again.

"This building is full of humans. If you lose control in front of them, everything falls apart."

I remain silent.

"Our existence. The pack. The company. Everything."

Each word lands with uncomfortable precision.

"We've spent generations keeping ourselves hidden." He gestures towards the windows overlooking the city.

“You can't s*******r people every time someone looks at Nicole."

"I wasn't going to s*******r everyone."

"You were definitely going to s*******r one."

I grimace. I'm supposed to be the one with control. The Alpha. The steady one. The leader. Instead, a single human woman can unravel me with one frightened look.

It should embarrass me. Instead, it terrifies me. Because she still doesn't know. She has no idea why I react the way I do. I have no idea why I keep invading her personal space. Why I keep breathing her in like a starving man.

Why I hugged her the moment I met her. Why I keep calling her mate. From her perspective, I'm simply insane.

I pinch the bridge of my nose.

"How do humans ask someone out?"

The words slip out before I can stop them. The office falls completely silent.

Kaizer blinks once. Then twice.

"I'm sorry." He leans forward.

"I must've misheard you."

I glare at him. "You didn't."

His mouth slowly falls open.