An Alpha's Promise

Colin “I don’t think you’ve met Sorrell, but she is our go-getter. Ever since she came on board and took over one of the teams, the Crescent Valley branch has increased our key performance indicators. Now, come to think of it, I don’t think she has helped in your area.” Paul keeps going on and on about this branch supervisor while my wolf, Celian, is going crazy. She’s been here. It’s her, it’s our mate. You can’t be sure. It’s been years. I reply. I could never forget what she smells like. There’s no possible way we are talking about the same person: Cataleya, my mate, but I guess there’s no denying it. Celian and I could smell her sweet summer scent, a mixture of citrus and the sea, all around the building. Even after all this time, we recognize her scent; 11 years, to be precise. I feel like my senses are being heightened just by the realization that my mate has frequently been here at my company. I could tell the frequency, by the different variations of intensity of her scent. So many questions invade my thoughts. For starters, how is this possible? How long has she been here? Only my beta, Alex, and his daughter, Emely, knew I had found my mate and who she was before I walked away from her. While my mind is processing the situation, an employee who looks like an intern is doing his best to pass by invisibly as we are walking by. I never really understood why employees hide when they see their boss. Believe me, I see them. Paul stops the intern to ask him where Cataleya is so I could “meet her”. The kid replies that Sorell is out on the field, probably on a roof with a team. Paul chuckles, and while he chuckles, everything that is Paul jiggles with him. “That girl, we have to pry her off the field and into the office. She’s a bit of a free spirit but her assistant, Stacy, handles a lot of the reports. They balance each other, though, and it works out great for us. Their numbers are always on point. Sorell has been busting her as-” Paul stops mid-sentence when he sees my expression talking about Cataleya’s ass. Paul clears his throat “… herself. Sorell’s been busting herself and her team for the Alpha Team promotion. Although... Stacy should be here, she doesn’t go onto the field. Stacy should be able to give you a rundown of the daily operations.” Paul tells me, waving his hand dismissively. Regret and proudness fill my chest when I hear Paul talk about how hardworking Cataleya is. “Stacy, STACY!” He calls franticly. Paul is a nice guy, short, bald, and round, but when he gets into uncomfortable situations and doesn’t know how to act or what to say, he sweats like crazy. “You know what, Paul? How ‘bout we keep my visit low-key? That way I can get to know the new team players better, in a more comfortable scenario,” I opt for telling Paul, putting him out of his misery. Thankfully, he answers, “Sure thing, boss.” Sounding relieved. I swear he has high blood pressure. I don’t consider myself a micromanager. If the work gets done, I honestly don’t care how it gets done, within reason, of course. It’s taking all my willpower not to let Celian take over and go find Cataleya. Instead, I kept the rest of my day busy with meetings and audits, purposely avoiding any possible breaks so I could “meet” this new fantastic supervisor. I asked my IT guy for everything pertaining to Cataleya, her projects, and her team. As well as an extensive background check on her team. She needs to be safe. Even if we aren’t marked … “Yet” Celian chimes in. …just by being my mate, Cataleya is a target. There’s a knock on my door. I look up and I see a petite, mousey girl. I have to say girl because she can’t be over 18. “How can I help you?” I ask, confused. “I hear you’re looking for this.” She holds up a file, walks inside, and hands it to me. “Cataleya Sorell’s file.” My face must reveal that I’m both impressed and pissed. How did she know I was looking into Cataleya. “You’re asking yourself; how do I know?” I lean back into my chair, cross my arms, and nod. “I’m Cataleya’s assistant, Stacy. It’s my job to know everything about Cataleya within the company. I have alerts on her file and the teams. I traced the request back to your computer. So here you go. Saved you the trouble and, also, if I’m being honest, I wanted to know who was snooping. You can never be too careful you know.” I guess I was wrong about her not being over 18. “Thank you,” I answer. As she’s turning around to leave, Paul passes by the office. “Ah, Stacy, there you are. I see you’ve met Colin.” I stand up to shake her hand. “Pleasure to meet you, Colin Xiot.” I introduce myself, grinning because I could see Stacy realize who I am. Her eyes take up half her face. “Please don’t fire me.” “Not at all, Stacy. I’m sure your skills will be beneficial in the future. Thank you for keeping the team safe.” I open the file and read she started as an intern in the company, after what looks like a gap year, and has worked her way up, crushing numbers and exceeding expectations, recently just started in this leadership role. That’s why I haven’t heard of her, and she already has her eyes on the Alpha Team Position. Cataleya’s file is impressive. Her file also mentions that she’s not married, which doesn’t mean she doesn’t have somebody in her life, as well as she doesn’t claim any dependents. I also catch a glimpse at her time sheets, she crunches in a lot of hours, more than a lot of her coworkers. After reading it I have so many conflicting feelings and my mind is a mess. I decide to leave early for the day and go for a run. Celian is itching to get out. Maybe that’ll calm him down. He’s been restless ever since we smelled Cataleya’s scent. As I’m walking out of the main building, I always stop by the warehouse to see if everything is in order or if the teams need a huddle. Suddenly, Celian is agitated and howling. I scan the room, realizing why Celian is going crazy. She’s here. Mate is here. MATE! My eyes land on Cataleya and everything around us disappears. I focus on her. My step falters and that reminds my lungs to breathe. I TOLD YOU IT WAS OUR MATE. I could never forget her refreshing scent. It’s true. Cataleya smells like summer. She’s wearing the company's uniform. With her cargo pants, utility belt, and boots, she looks fearless. It was surprising seeing Cataleya dress like this. She looks different. Gone was the carefree nineteen-year-old I fell in love with. In her place, there’s this other breathtaking version of Cataleya. She’s still about the same height, 5ft, but her weight and curves have changed, for the better. She was always beautiful, only now she looks stronger. Cataleya has her hair in two French braids. It looks shorter and darker than I remember. Maybe she dyed it. With her hair being twisted in the braids, her neck is exposed. Celian howls in my head. Mark her. SHUT UP, she’s human, remember, and she doesn’t know we are shifters. Let me talk to her first. Cataleya appears to be one of the guys, part of the team, someone who isn’t afraid of getting her hands dirty. Within her beauty, I notice her exhaustion, being on a roof all day isn’t an effortless task. My respect for her grows and my heart constricts. I clear my throat and address everybody. “Well, team, I think everyone did a great job today. There’ll be a lot of changes coming. That means a lot more hours and a lot more work. Today, let’s head home early.” Whistles and cheers erupt from the team. I catch a glimpse of Cataleya’s reaction when she sees me. She looks like she saw a ghost. Panic, rage, sadness, and anger, all pass through her face, her eyes darting around the room, looking for an escape route. Stacy, her assistant, leans into her ear and whispers, “That’s one of the owners.” Cataleya whips her head to look at Stacy, perplexed, not actually saying anything. Thank Goddess for my wolf's hearing. After gathering her stuff, Cataleya starts to walk away quickly, worriedly. Maybe she needs to get home to her family or get as far from me as possible. I certainly wouldn’t blame her. “I wouldn’t want the significant others, wives, or husbands upset about me keeping you all working late.” Out of the corner of my eye, I see her flinch when I mention the wives and husbands. I’d hoped after all this time she would have someone. It’s what made it easier to live with my decision to walk away from the woman the Goddess chose for me. I must’ve been staring in her direction because Stacy, comes up next to me and says, “In case you’re wondering, no, she doesn’t have a husband. Honestly, she doesn’t even date, not for lack of suitors, that’s for sure. One day we went out drinking and had one too many. She let it slip that some bastard broke her heart, and it took her a while to get better, but I don’t think she really got over it. I think she just doesn’t want to let her guard down. Such a shame because she’s one of the kindest souls I know, bless her heart.” I don’t know how or what to reply. I’m that bastard.