Chapter 4

Chapter 4

SOPHIA POV

The moment the rejection left my lips, the entire atmosphere around us changed instantly. Derek’s jaw tightened.

The warmth inside his golden eyes disappeared slowly, replaced by something colder. More dangerous.

For one terrifying second, the air around him felt suffocating, almost like an invisible pressure was crushing everything nearby. Even the lights above us flickered slightly.

His Lycan was furious. I could feel it. The possessiveness rolling off him was so intense that my heartbeat became uneven again.

“I don’t accept the rejection,” he said coldly.

His deep voice echoed through the silent office floor, sending chills crawling down my spine. I swallowed hard while forcing myself to remain calm externally.

Good. Let him be angry. As long as he wanted me, I could still use him.

“What?” I whispered softly, pretending to look shocked.

His golden eyes locked onto mine immediately.

“Why did you reject me?” he demanded in an authoritarian voice that sounded more like an order than a question.

The pressure in the room increased again. Any normal person would probably tremble under that stare. But I had survived worse than him.

Still… I lowered my eyes carefully, forcing myself to appear nervous instead of hateful. Because right now, anger would only ruin my plans. I needed him emotionally attached to me. Completely blinded by the mate bond. Only then could I destroy him properly.

“Because…” I paused softly before biting my lower lip slightly. “I thought you didn’t want me… since I’m human.”

I made my voice quieter near the end, allowing sadness to slip into it naturally. A lie. Every word was a lie. But after years of surviving among the warriors who have turned rogue, lying has become second nature to me.

Derek’s expression changed instantly. The coldness inside his eyes softened slightly while his gaze moved slowly across my face. Almost carefully.

“No,” he said immediately.

The firmness in his voice surprised even me.

“I want you, my little human mate.”

My stomach tightened unexpectedly at the possessiveness in his tone. Mate. The word still felt unreal, wrong and dangerous.

“How could I not want you?” he continued while stepping closer slowly. “I have been looking for you for years.”

For a second, confusion flashed inside me. Years? My brows almost furrowed before I quickly stopped myself. No. Focus. Do not let him distract you.

“Really?” I asked quietly while lifting my eyes toward him.

The look in his gaze darkened instantly again. God. The way this man looked at me was dangerous. Like I was something precious. Something he would kill for.

And strangely… That made me uncomfortable. Because this was not how I imagined our first meeting would go. I wanted him to be cruel. Heartless. Easy to hate. Not this.

“Yeah,” he answered deeply.

Then he stretched his hand toward me slightly.

“Come here. Let’s go to my office.”

Only then did I suddenly realize where we were still standing. Outside. In the middle of the office floor. Heat rushed to my face instantly as I looked around quickly.

But the entire floor was empty. Completely empty. Not a single worker remained. A strange silence filled the place now. The only sounds were the faint hum of the air conditioner and my own heartbeat. Derek noticed my expression immediately.

“They are not here,” he said calmly. “I asked them to leave.”

“Oh,” I muttered softly.

But inside? My thoughts were completely different. Perfect. If I wanted, I could try killing him right here. The thought came suddenly and violently. My fingers twitched slightly at my side. But I pushed the thought away immediately.

No. Not yet. Taking down the Lycan King would never be that easy. And honestly… The dangerous aura radiating from him this close made it painfully obvious why nobody dared challenge him openly.

Even now, standing beside him, I could feel the beast inside him watching me carefully. Like a predator guarding its possession. Derek began walking toward the private elevator and I followed quietly behind him. 

Every step deeper into his territory made my chest tighten slightly. The private elevator opened directly into the top office floor. The moment I stepped inside his office, my breath caught briefly.

Magnificent. That was the only word that came to my mind. The office was massive with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the entire city. 

Dark expensive furniture filled the room while silver wolf symbols decorated the walls subtly. Everything screamed wealth, authority, and control. This was not just an office. It was the office of a king.

The scent of leather, cedarwood, and Derek’s intoxicating smell filled the space completely.

My body reacted instantly again. Damn this bond. I hated how aware I became whenever he was near me. Derek walked behind the large black desk before pulling his chair back slightly.

Then unexpectedly… He guided me gently toward the chair instead.

“Sit,” he said softly.

I hesitated for a second before sitting down slowly. The chair turned slightly until I was directly facing him.

Now he stood right in front of me. Tall. Dominant and dangerously handsome. And watching me with an intensity that made it impossible to breathe normally.

For a few seconds, neither of us spoke. The tension between us felt heavy. Almost unbearable. Then finally, Derek crouched slightly in front of me until our eyes met completely again.

His voice became serious this time. Dangerously serious.

“Do you want us to be together as mates?”

The question made my chest tighten. I opened my mouth carefully, already preparing another lie.

But before I could speak. His expression changed instantly. The softness vanished from his face.

His golden eyes sharpened dangerously as if he suddenly remembered something important. Then slowly… Very slowly. He straightened back up.

“And where are you from…” he asked quietly.

The atmosphere inside the office shifted again. Cold. Heavy with suspicion. His eyes locked onto mine with terrifying intensity.

“What is your agenda and goals for entering this company?”