Chapter 9

Caroline's POV

I heard the office door opening, accompanied by a familiar, cheerful voice.

"Good morning, Caroline. How are you?" Clara walked into the office with a warm smile, placing her bag aside before turning her attention to me.

"Good morning, Clara. I'm fine, how are you?" I was standing, organizing some documents, and when I turned around, I noticed her wearing the same expression as Eleanor and the boutique assistant earlier. I was dressed in my new outfit—the dress, my new heels, and that ridiculously provocative lingerie that Eleanor had insisted I buy.

"Caroline Bennett, you look like you just stepped off the cover of a fashion magazine! Girl, you are absolutely stunning in that dress," Clara exclaimed, her eyes widening with approval.

"Thank you," I replied, feeling my cheeks warm with embarrassment and wondering if perhaps I'd gone too far with this transformation. But she quickly dispelled my concerns.

"You know, you're going to make quite an impression on the Alpha—I mean, the boss. He arrives today. I was actually surprised because they weren't scheduled to return until Friday, but it seems Draven decided to expedite things and finish everything from here." She paused and added with a gentle nudge, "Oh, and please stop being so formal with me." I smiled at her request but didn't mention that I already knew the boss was coming. "Well, let's get to work."

The morning passed quickly, and I went to lunch with Clara. She's truly remarkable—intelligent, friendly, and genuinely kind. We shared many laughs during our meal as she inquired about everything regarding me and Liam. Upon returning to the office, we resumed our tasks.

"Caroline, I need to head down to accounting on the sixth floor. It might take a while, but you're already familiar with everything. Contact me if anything comes up," Clara said before departing, leaving me to continue working alone.

I stood to retrieve some documents from the filing cabinet behind my desk. As I bent down to open the third drawer, I heard a wolf-like whistle cutting through the silence. I straightened slowly, and when I turned toward the door, I found myself face to face with two men openly staring at me. My wolf, Rory, immediately became alert within me.

I assessed them quickly—one wore a huge grin, clearly the source of the whistle, while the other maintained a serious, almost displeased expression. Both were undeniably handsome; together they formed an impossible-to-ignore duo, as if they'd been crafted specifically for female admiration. They certainly caused every she-wolf who crossed their path to take notice. I had to inhale deeply to clear my thoughts before stepping forward.

"Good afternoon, gentlemen. How may I assist you?" I kept my voice professional despite Rory's curious stirring.

The smiling one clapped the other's shoulder and extended his hand in greeting.

"Good afternoon! I'm Ryan Cole, Beta of Thorne Enterprises. It's a pleasure to meet you. You must be Alpha Draven's new assistant, right?" His energy was infectious, and I could sense his wolf's playful nature.

I returned a professional smile and shook his hand, maintaining my composure.

"Yes, I'm the new assistant, Caroline Bennett. It's a pleasure to meet you, Beta Cole." Clara had already briefed me about him, mentioning that he had an assistant who had traveled with them since she couldn't make the trip.

Ryan Cole was an impressively tall man, easily surpassing six feet two inches, well built with playful chocolate-brown eyes. His smile gave him incredible charm, complemented by a perfectly maintained goatee that suited his handsome face. He couldn't have been more than thirty-five. He wore a black suit with a white shirt and red tie, exuding elegance with his clear voice, natural charm, and friendliness.

"Let me make the introductions. Caroline, this charming fellow here is Alpha Draven—your boss." Ryan glanced between my boss and me, his eyes dancing with amusement that I didn't share. My boss was regarding me like I was a threat to be neutralized.

I was stunned by my boss's overwhelming presence. Draven Thorne was simply breathtaking. As tall as Ryan, also in his thirties, powerfully built with well-groomed brown hair, a strong jawline, and mesmerizing features. But his eyes were something else entirely—they were an intense, almost violet blue. He wore a navy suit with a light blue shirt and blue tie, which only intensified the impact of those eyes. I found myself holding my breath the moment our gazes locked; I was lost in their depths.

"The bond tension is palpable, folks," Ryan said with a knowing laugh, snapping me back to reality. I quickly extended my hand, trying to ignore the strange pull I felt.

"Alpha Thorne," was all I managed to say. My boss looked me up and down with an assessing gaze, shook my hand, and I felt an electric current race through my entire body. Rory whined softly within me, confused by the sensation.

"Miss Bennett, I'll outline your responsibilities shortly. Come, Ryan, I need to speak with you before you head to your office," he said while holding my hand, our eyes still connected in what felt like a primal recognition.

The two of them walked into my boss's office, and I collapsed into my chair, my legs suddenly weak as water. My boss was incredibly handsome, but it was already evident that he was exceedingly stern. But most disturbing were those eyes—violet blue, much to my distress. I realized with a jolt that I must have a fixation on eyes of that color. When my son was born, I had researched his unusual eye color, which matched his father's exactly, and discovered that less than one percent of the world's population possessed eyes of that shade. They were extraordinarily rare, and I already knew three people with that distinctive color. My legs trembled, and my heart raced wildly. My mind flashed back to that night at the pack's masquerade ball, to those violet blue eyes that had forever altered my life. After that encounter, no other male had captured my interest; no other man had touched me.

I was still processing this shock when I saw a woman burst into my office like a tempest, with Linda, the receptionist, trailing behind her, insisting she needed to be announced properly. But today was certainly proving to be a chaotic day in the pack's business headquarters!