CHAPTER THREE

JORDAN

The elevator comes to a halt and opens, and I step out.

He’s there.

The same alpha from earlier.

The one I’d told to back off before getting into the elevator.

And now he’s here… waiting for me?

My eyes widen as I find him there, leaning casually against the wall, as if he had all the time in the world, waiting for me to step out of the elevator.

What the hell? How did he get here before me?

I’d left him behind. I clearly remembered the doors sliding shut on his annoying smirk, his face still there as I pressed the button to go up. Yet here he is. Calm. Unbothered. Like this was some kind of game.

My chest tightens, and I clench my jaw, forcing my face into a straight, unreadable expression. He doesn’t deserve to see even an inch of fear. Not from me. But inside, panic flutters in my chest like a trapped bird.

Had he taken the stairs? Had he known which floor I’d get off on? Was he following me from the start?

He pushes off the wall with that same oily confidence, taking a step toward me. I instinctively take one back. My body is heating up, my skin tightening with the signs I’ve been ignoring since morning.

“Rough day at work?” he asks, voice too smooth. “You look tense. You should consider a new job. Something more… flexible.”

I give him a flat look. “Back off. I already told you, I’m not interested.”

“Why not?” he presses, taking another step closer. “The company’s workload is hell. You shouldn’t have to deal with all that stress. Come work for me. I’ll take care of you.”

His scent, thick, rotten, almost suffocating, hits me before I can respond. The bastard is releasing his pheromones. On purpose. Trying to weaken me. Perhaps, he doesn’t buy the fact that I am an Alpha.

My breath catches. My knees nearly give, the sudden rush of heat crawling up my spine like fire. No. Not now. Not here.

He smiles, seeing me falter. But before he can say anything else—

“That’s enough.”

That voice.

Cold. Commanding. Dangerous.

The man stiffens, his smirk vanishing instantly as he turns. And standing there is he. My rival. Alaric.

He hadn’t raised his voice, but the warning in his tone was sharp enough to slice through steel.

“I didn’t know he was yours,” the man says quickly, backing away.

“He’s not,” Alaric replies, gaze never leaving me. “But he’s an alpha.” His tone hardens. “Show some damn respect.”

The man mutters something under his breath and retreats quickly, the hallway going still.

I breathe in, trying to catch my balance, but it’s too late. The heat is rising, burning under my skin, clawing its way out. My scent is thick now, I know it. The tightness in my stomach, the ache spreading between my legs, the dizziness in my head…

No. No. No.

I bolt into the nearest bathroom, slamming the door shut. My fingers fumble with the small pill bottle in my pocket, shaking violently as I open it. I tip it to pour a pill into my palm, but they slip out of my sweaty grip.

Clink. Clink. Clink—SPLASH.

I watch in horror as they scatter across the floor, one rolling… right into the toilet bowl.

“Shit.” My voice cracks.

I kneel, shaking hands gripping the cold edge of the sink. My body is trembling. I need to breathe. I need to calm down. But I can’t think straight.

My phone. I grab it, pressing the emergency button to call for a suppressant. But just then, the door swings open.

I freeze.

Alaric stands there. His tall frame fills the doorway, eyes locked on me.

For a second, he doesn’t say a word. His eyes flicker down my body, then back up to my flushed face. He must see it. Smell it. The heat. The way I’m breaking down in real time.

I flinch, gripping the sink tighter. “Get out,” I rasp, trying to keep my voice firm.

He doesn't move. Just stands there, eyes wide, jaw clenched. Like he hadn’t expected to see me like this.

I turn my face away, breathing hard through my nose. My mind is screaming a thousand things at once; how disgusting I must look right now, how weak, how vulnerable. My heart is racing. My hands won’t stop shaking. My stomach turns with panic, embarrassment, and fear.

How much did he see? How long had he been watching?

I don’t want him here.

I don’t want anyone to see me like this.

I squeeze my eyes shut, willing him to disappear. My whole body feels like it’s on fire. Not just with heat, but with shame. Terror.

He knows.

He saw it. The scent, the way I stumbled… the way my hands are trembling even now. He’s piecing it together. Alaric Wren isn’t an idiot. And if he figures out what I really am—what I’ve been hiding—then it’s over.

My chest tightens with the force of the thought.

It’s over.

My career, my reputation, the life I fought like hell to build. If he tells anyone…