THE ALPHA' HUMAN

FIRST IMPRESSION

NICOLE

"I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

Ian speaks after several seconds of silence, his voice quieter than before. It's almost as though he isn't entirely sure why he called in the first place.

My lips curve into a small smile.

"Oh, I am. Thank you."

"You resume tomorrow, right?"

"Yes."

"If you need anything, just let me know."

I blink.

Why would he—the CEO—care about whether I needed anything?

"Sure. Thank you very much."

"Right. Bye."

"Bye."

The call ends.

"Who was that?"Natalie asks.

"Ian Lockwood."

Her eyes widen.

"As in the owner of the company?"

"Yes."

"What the f**k?" she blurts. "Everyone says he's arrogant, cold, and practically impossible to reach. Even Nathan has never spoken to him before. So why is he calling you? At night? How did you meet? How did he even get your number? Nicole, you better start talking."

The barrage of questions leaves me blinking.

"Okay, okay." I laugh. "It happened during my interview. But..." I lower my voice conspiratorially, "...I genuinely think something is wrong with him mentally."

"What?" She looks genuinely shocked. "Why?"

"He was acting so weird. He hugged me, yelled at me, and kept calling me..." I pause, trying to remember.

"...Mate."

Natalie freezes.

Then her mouth falls open.

"Mate?" she practically screeches. "He called you mate?"

"Yeah..." I answer slowly, confused by her reaction.

"Nicole!"

"What?"

"That's insane."

She leans forward, lowering her own voice dramatically.

"He might actually be a werewolf."

A long groan escapes me. Here we go again.

"Please don't start tonight."

"No, seriously!" she insists. "I read about him on TSC once. They said he might be supernatural."

"I've told you a hundred times to stop believing everything you read on that website."

Theories So Crazy It Might Be True—or TSC—is a website dedicated to the most ridiculous conspiracy theories imaginable.

According to them, famous singers belong to the Illuminati, billionaires are practicing wizards, celebrities fake their own deaths every other week...

One time, they even claimed Bianca Roswell was secretly a vampire because she hadn't seemed to age in over twenty years.

And somehow...

Natalie believed every single post.

"It could be true," she argues stubbornly. "Someone claimed they met him once and saw his eyes change color."

That makes me pause.

"What color?"

She furrows her brows, thinking.

"I think... blue? I'm not sure."

I roll my eyes.

For a second, I'd almost believed her.

Even though Ian's eyes had definitely shifted from brown to gold today...

Blue wasn't gold.

So whoever made that post was obviously lying.

"But still, he called you mate," Natalie continues. "I've read enough supernatural books to know that's what werewolves call their fated partners."

"Okay." I nod absentmindedly.

Not because I agree.

Because arguing with Natalie whenever she dives into one of her conspiracy theories is completely pointless.

"I'm serious, Niiii." She drags out my nickname with an exaggerated whine. "Tell me one thing."

"What?"

"Was he possessive?"

Images from earlier flash through my mind.

The way he'd refused to let Mr. Knight touch me.

The way he'd held me.

Maybe.

But that still didn't mean werewolves existed.

"I believe you," I say instead.

"You don't."

"I do."

"You absolutely don't." She folds her arms with an exaggerated huff.

"I know you're only saying that because you don't want to argue. But one day..." she points a finger at me dramatically.

"...I'll get to tell you, 'I told you so.'" She takes an aggressive bite out of her pizza before turning her attention to her phone.

I smile to myself.

She'll probably forget all about this within the next thirty minutes. Natalie never stayed annoyed for long.

My own smile slowly fades.

Instead, my thoughts drift somewhere far less amusing.

Tomorrow.

My first day at Lockwood Marketing.

And somehow...

I had to find the courage to ask for a salary advance.

~~

I should be excited.

Today is my first day at Lockwood Marketing—my dream company.

Instead, my stomach is twisted into knots.

I sit quietly at my assigned desk in the Creative Department, surrounded by employees who all seem to know exactly what they're doing.

The office buzzes with the soft tapping of keyboards, the occasional ringing of phones, and hushed conversations between coworkers.

Everyone is busy.

The ones chatting keep to their own circles.

No one speaks to me.

I sigh inwardly.

It would be nice if someone could at least tell me who I'm supposed to meet about an emergency payroll.

Or even help me settle in.

"Hey."

I look up.

A young man wearing thick, nerdy glasses smiles warmly at me from the neighboring desk.

"Good morning. You okay?"

Relief washes over me.

Finally.

Someone friendly.

"Good morning." I return his smile. "I'm okay."

"You're Nicole, right? The new graphic designer?"

"Yes." I tilt my head slightly. "I'm guessing you're a graphic designer too?"

He chuckles. "Guilty."

He extends a hand toward me."The name's Jared."

I shake it politely. "Nice to meet you."

"You too." His smile widens. "And if you need anything, I'm your guy."

His friendliness immediately puts me at ease.

"Actually..." I hesitate before deciding to ask. "I do need some help."

"I need to know who I should meet about getting an emergency salary."

His brows lift. "You need your salary now? But... today is literally your first day. Is everything okay?" Concern fills his expression.

"It's a family emergency."

I offer him a small apologetic smile. "I'd rather not talk about it."

He doesn't pry. Instead, he nods in understanding. "That's fair. You'll need approval from the Creative Director first."

"Oh."

"He has to sign the request before HR can process anything."

Hope flickers inside me. "So I just need his signature?"

He lets out an awkward laugh. "Well...let's just say..." he scratches the back of his neck, "...there's a very low chance he'll approve it."

My shoulders sink.

"He isn't exactly... easy to deal with. But," Jared quickly adds, noticing my expression, "if you catch him in a good mood during lunch break, you might have a chance."

I force myself to smile. "I'll take whatever chance I can get."

"Nicole!"

I turn at the sound of my name.

Mr. Knight strides into the department, dressed as impeccably as always.

Conversations pause as employees greet him respectfully. He acknowledges them with brief nods before walking straight toward my desk.

"Good morning, Nicole."

"Good morning, Mr. Knight," Jared and I answer at the same time.

Our eyes meet.

A small laugh escapes both of us.

"Uh..." Mr. Knight looks between us, a slight frown settling on his face. "What's going on here?"

Jared clears his throat. "Oh, nothing."

He gestures between us with an awkward smile. "We were just becoming friends."

Mr. Knight studies him for a moment. Then he smiles. It doesn't quite reach his eyes.

"For your sake..." His gaze lingers on Jared. "...I hope that's all it is."

Something about the way he says it makes the tiny hairs on my arms stand.

It's subtle. Almost impossible to notice. But beneath the smile...

There's unmistakable warning.

Before either of us can respond, an overly sweet voice cuts through the office.

"Mr. Knight."

A woman walks toward us confidently.

Her makeup is heavier than anyone I've ever seen wear to work, yet somehow it suits her. She's undeniably beautiful.

Which makes me wonder just how stunning she'd look without it.

"Rochelle." Mr. Knight smiles warmly. "I was just checking to see whether Nicole is settling in."

Her eyes slide toward me. The smile on her lips remains. Her eyes don't. They're cold. Filled with unmistakable contempt.

Like I've committed some unforgivable offense simply by existing.

"I'm sure she is," Rochelle says sweetly. Then she looks directly at me. "Right, Nicole?"

The sugary tone can't hide the sarcasm underneath.

"Now, now, Rochelle." Mr. Knight chuckles lightly. "Be nice."

Something about the familiarity between them catches my attention. Maybe...

There really is something going on between them.

She hesitates before forcing another smile. "Of course."

Mr. Knight checks his watch. "I should get back to work."

He gives us one last smile. "You all take care."

As soon as he disappears around the corner, Rochelle's smile vanishes completely.

She steps closer to me. Close enough that only Jared and I can hear her.

"There was absolutely no reason for Kai to come all the way here just to check on you."

Kai?

She calls him by his first name. Interesting.

"But he did." Her voice hardens. "So let me make something very clear."

She looks me straight in the eye. "Stay away from him."

A chill creeps down my spine.

"He's mine. Always has been. And always will be."

With one final icy glare, she turns on her heel and walks away as though nothing had happened.

I stare after her.

"...Are they together?"

Jared sighs. "There have been rumors for years. No one has confirmed it. But no one's denied it either. So, they probably are together.”

I nod slowly.

Jared glances toward the hallway to make sure Rochelle is gone before lowering his voice.

"But..." He grins mischievously. "It really isn't normal for Mr. Knight to personally come down here just to check on a new employee."

I laugh. "What are you trying to say?"

"I'm saying..." He wiggles his eyebrows. "...maybe he has the hots for you."

I burst into laughter. He laughs too before becoming serious again.

Then his expression turns solemn. "But seriously, be careful around Rochelle. I'd stay out of her way if I were you."

"I plan to."

Because the last thing I need right now...

...is more trouble.