Chapter Seventeen

Aurora POV

I’ve spent hours in this room, and I’ve got nothing to do. Sandra gave me work, sure, but it’s done. If it was meant to last me the entire day, it didn’t.

There’s no way, though, that I’m going to go into that meeting and ask Killian what to do next. He has made it clear he doesn’t want me anywhere near him.

Normally, I would get the drinks throughout the meeting, but I’ve noticed the new worker has been. So it tells me everything that I need to know—he doesn’t want me near him.

He’s not even looked in my direction. For hours that meeting has been going on. He’s moved around the room, looked out, but not once did he glance at me.

Maybe it’s for the best? My wolf is pacing and getting closer to the edge. With him so close, and me unable to avoid seeing him, everything is getting worse.

Plus, I have nothing to concentrate on. I know I’ll be in trouble when I get home. I started to call him Alpha, which I’ve never done here, but panicked.

The moment our bodies touched, the bond hit so hard I could barely breathe. I could feel his wolf close, so I panicked and then ran away to give him the space that he needed.

Standing, I close the blinds, but leave the door open. Leaning back in the chair, I close my eyes. Maybe I could just sleep until it’s time to go? I feel my body relax and force my mind to focus on anything but the feel of the bond.

I’m not sure how long I’m like this for before I hear footsteps. I snap up straight, ready to face Killian—only it isn’t.

“They are in a meeting. Any idea what I’ve to do with this?” The man walks in and places something on the desk.

He shouldn’t give it to me, but I don’t say that. Opening the folder, I stare at it.

“Mr. Ainsley, it’s a pleasure to meet you. As you pointed out, they are busy, but I’m happy to keep it here until they are free.” I smile politely at him.

“How about you keep me company while I wait for them to finish?” He leans against the desk and smiles. “I’m Lucas,” he says, holding out his hand.

“Aurora, Sir,” I reply as I shake his hand.

“Please, call me Lucas,” he says with a wink. “I don’t think I’ve seen you here before, are you new?” he asks.

“No, I do more temp and cover work for if they need extra hands.”

His eyes flick to the papers I was working on, and he smiles. “You’re very good at what you do, Aurora. You should be working full time.”

Maybe I am, but full time is not about to happen. “Thank you, Lucas. Unfortunately, there’s no permanent slots at this place,” I lie.

Smiling, he leans closer and speaks quietly, “I have a spot at mine, but...” he stops and looks at my lips. “I would much rather if you were willing to accept an offer for a date?”

He smiles and waits. Nodding, I pass my phone to him, and he puts his number in it. I watch as he messages himself and saves the number.

“Well, this very dull business trip just got exciting,” he says with a soft smile.

My heart hammers so quickly at how he’s looking at me, but my wolf is disgusted by it. I’m so damn torn right now.

“What is going on in here?” Killian’s voice echoes around the small space, and I jump, startled.

“Ah, Mr. Blackmoor, I was bringing the files you requested and got talking to Aurora.” Lucas stands. “Her work is exceptional, she should really have a full-time job here,” he explains.

“She’s my step-daughter. She’s here to fill a spot for a short while, nothing more,” Killian grits out.

“That’s even better. It means you won’t be bothered when I take her out on a date,” Lucas says.

Killian’s eyes widen, and his glare comes to me. “Mr. Ainsley, please follow me,” Killian snaps and walks out.

Lucas smiles at me. “I’ll message you to confirm a day,” he says with a small smile before walking out.

This isn’t good. I know it isn’t. I can see Killian stood with Lucas going through the files, but his face shows he’s angry, and he keeps glaring at me.

Standing, I close the door and the blind. Maybe if Killian can’t see me, he won’t feel so angry? I stare at the phone and pick it up, and sure enough, Lucas has saved his number.

Placing down the phone, I ignore it. It was foolish for me to agree. I’m a werewolf, he’s a human.

The door crashes shut behind him, rattling the frame as Killian storms in. His eyes are ablaze, his energy so sharp and crackling it steals the breath straight from my lungs. “Good,” he mutters, voice low and dark. “The blinds are already closed.”

He takes one deliberate step closer, his gaze devouring me whole. “Stand up,” he says, voice like steel wrapped in velvet. “Now.”

There’s no hesitation in me. My body obeys instinctively, rising on command as if his voice is wired to my bones.

He grabs my wrist and pulls me to the side of the desk with too much force and inarguably dominant. Then, with a sharp shove between my shoulder blades, he bends me forward until my chest grazes the polished surface. My palms splay out on the cool wood, breath catching in my throat as heat blooms across my skin.

“Do you have any idea how foolish that stunt was?” His voice is low but venom-laced, each syllable lashing through the tension in the room.

The sound of fabric shifting comes next, followed by the whisper of my skirt being dragged up over my hips. The air kisses the exposed skin of my thighs, and still, I can’t move. I don’t dare.

“Don’t speak,” he growls, so close now that I feel the heat of his breath ghosting across the back of my neck. “Silence yourself.”

Before I can even brace, leather cracks against my skin with a sharp sting. I yelp, the sound muffled by my own hand clamping over my mouth. The pain is brief, but the shudder it sends through me lingers like smoke.

“You almost called me Alpha.” His voice drips with barely leashed fury, but beneath it, something raw and possessive pulses. “Do you have any idea what that would mean? What it would do to me... to us?”

Another strike. My breath leaves in a strangled gasp, my fingers curling tighter over my lips as I fight the urge to cry out.

“You’re not here to flirt. Not here to let some pathetic human put his hands on what isn’t his.” His voice turns to gravel, broken and burning at the edges. “You’re mine, whether you accept it or not.”

The third strike lands, and my legs tremble.

“You are not some woman for them to toy with. You are not for their amusement. You are not for them.” His voice lowers to a whisper now, thick with something darker, something aching. “They will never touch you. They will never see you the way I do.”

His hand slides over the curve of my ass, rough and reverent all at once, as if he’s trying to brand the truth into my skin.

“You belong to me, Aurora,” he murmurs, each word a promise forged in fire. “And I won’t let you forget it.”

I don’t answer, I just pant heavily, trying to steady my breathing. I hear his deep growl from behind me, and his scent becomes so much stronger, I know his wolf is closer to the edge.