Chapter 13 – Alpha Axel

Leal’s jaw almost dropped. The woman was drop-dead gorgeous. Her outfit, which consisted of a black halter dress with an open chest that revealed her healthy breasts and a pair of black six-inch peep-toe platform slickback heels, was partnered with her beautiful features, making her look like a supermodel.

But when she remembered why she had the chance to meet this woman in the first place, she pursed her lips in a thin line. When the woman finally closed the door, Leal followed her eyes to her and watched her strut the silent hallway, seeming not to notice her. A wave of insecurity suddenly hit Leal like a ruthless storm.

Look at that woman who just came out of his office! She looked so confident with the air of being an elite around her. Really, what made her come to his office, looking like a trash bag with little to no confidence, and even attempt to talk to him? Someone like Axel, who belongs in the high society, wouldn’t want to be associated with her.

Sighing to herself, Leal went to the elevator and pressed the basement floor. The lady had probably left and now she’s the next one to use the luxurious elevator, making it look so shabby and low-class.

When Riye returned, she frowned to see a deserted place, with her boss’ guest gone in a blink. How long has she been gone? She knows that girl is important to her boss! She’ll be doomed! Slightly panicking, she connected to the guard’s line on the base floor.

“Where’s the girl?”

[Uh, up there?] The guard from the other line asked dumbfoundedly. Riye irritatedly rolled her eyes.

“Will I ask if she’s right here? Of course, she’s not! Alarm the others or else we’ll both be doomed!”

She ended the call and debated if she’d inform her boss. Should she just tell him after she convinces her to come back up here? When Riye remembered how her boss’ tone pitched when the girl first walked out, she sighed heavily and walked to the office. She was about to knock when she saw her desk’s telephone. Suddenly, her face lightened up.

Why face the Boss with wobbling knees when she could connect to his line and hide in her desk?

“U-Uhm, Sir...” The nervousness immediately returned to her system when her line connected to her boss’.

[What is it?]

“The, uh, girl that walked out on you before was here just a moment ago, Sir.” Riye nervously bit her polished nails. She heard a sudden thump on the other line, and a few shuffling noises before he replied.

[Let her in.]

“Uh, Sir, I went to get her coffee because Margaret was still inside but when I returned, she was gone—”

[Riye.] His cold voice made her shudder.

“Y-Yes, Sir?”

[You know what to do. Don’t let her go.] And then the line went dead. She aggressively swallowed the lump in her throat before standing up from her chair. What the Alpha says, she obeys.

With her shoulders slumped and her eyes downcast, Leal couldn’t pay much attention to where she was heading. Luckily, she memorized the way out when they entered. Just a solid twenty minutes ago, she was so determined to ask him out-of-this-world questions to keep her sane, completely not caring about her appearance and level in society, but when the beautiful woman stepped out of his office, she felt as if she had been harshly slapped in the face.

He had so many women to bother, so why her? And why was he even in that dark alley at midnight to save her? Was it all planned? Was it a setup again, like college? Of course! There’s no way werewolves really exist. Why did she believe him? Because she saw it? What if they were just paid actors in werewolf costumes? That made more sense.

And him treating her as a joke also made more sense than him actually taking a genuine interest in her.

Nobody takes her seriously, except Izzy. No man sees her for herself, but for her stand and way of living and laughs at it. That’s her. That’s how messed up she is. She’s been a laughing stock for most of her life, being disowned by her father, mocked by Axel, and abused by Dion. That’s Leal Horryn.

While laughing humorlessly at her low self-esteem, she bumped her head into a wall. Grunting softly, her hand flew to her forehead and took a turn to avoid the wall. When the wall moved, she stood frozen in shock. The wall moved?! Her eyes traveled upwards and saw that it wasn’t a wall. It was the guard that escorted her to the office earlier.

“Hi, can you take me back to the entrance gate?” She kindly smiled, before it turned to a wince when he didn’t move an inch.

Leal’s eyes wandered to the building’s floor-to-ceiling windows when steel roller shutters automatically enveloped them. Her whole body was alarmed, especially when it started dimming inside, indicating the loss of sunlight from the windows.

“U-Uhm, Sir, what’s happening?” she nervously asked. Leal’s breath hitched when bulky men in suits like last night started appearing everywhere, encircling her. When the employees on the base floor realized what was happening, they immediately put down their papers, encircling her as well.

Nervousness crept into her system when almost everyone on the floor was glaring down at her, all of whom had scary expressions on their faces. What did she do?!

“W-What’s happening...” she whispered to herself, looking around, feeling enclosed in this large building with predators. “I-I’ve done nothing wrong...”

The wild beating of her heart seemed to be the only thing that she could hear, hammering her ears. But that thought shattered when they heard the loud ding! of the elevator. Slowly, their eyes darted to see who was inside the elevator. But Leal didn’t turn around. From his intoxicating scent alone, she could already tell.

“The Boss is here...”

“Did she anger the Alpha?”

Only two words stood out to her out of all the murmurs of the employees around her: the Boss and the Alpha. The footsteps were nearing her, but she still refused to face him, make her realize how high up he was all over again, and how she could never reach him. All his confusing gestures, she knows it’s all just a part of another ridiculing trap.

“Turn around, Schatzi,” he said from behind. Reluctantly, she turned around but avoided his eyes. Now, they were in the middle of the people.

He tried to catch her eyes, but she only had it on the floor. Nevertheless, he still asked, free for everyone to hear. “Have you eaten?”

Leal stayed silent.

“Good thing you haven’t wounded any of the Epsilons yet, unlike last time.”

She looked up at him with furrowed brows. She couldn’t imagine wounding even one of these muscled guards!

“There was a ‘last time’?”

“You forgot? That’s weird. Wanna come to my office to talk about it?”

The crease in her forehead deepened, realizing what he meant. He’s asking her to his office, where his girlfriend went just a few moments ago! While Leal was taking her time processing what he asked, Axel dismissed the guards and the alert employees, leaving them alone in the middle.

“So?” He urged when she kept silent.

Before Leal could voice out her answer, though, a female voice interrupted from behind her.

“Axel,” purred a sultry voice from behind. The woman passed by her, strutting towards a frowning Axel, leaving a trail of her rosy scent. It was the previous woman, with the same black halter dress and six-inch heels, with pin-straight jet black hair.

“Margaret? Why are you still here?”

“I got caught up in the building lockdown, Alpha.” Though flirty, there was still a hint of respect in her voice and tone, especially when she addressed him with the same word Leal’s been hearing from everyone around—Alpha.

“Alpha?” She whispered under her breath.

She didn’t mean to catch the two’s eyes, but she did. Courtesy of their heightened hearing, they perfectly heard what she said. Margaret’s eyes fell on her, her scrutinizing gaze sizing her from top to bottom.

“Yes, Alpha. Don’t you know who you’re talking to?” Margaret frowned at her.

“U-Uh.. Axel Elcort?”

“How did she even enter here—” She scoffed, then met Axel’s threatening glare. That was when realization dawned on her. “Oh, is she your— your, uh...”

He slowly nodded, as Leal repeatedly looked at Axel and Margaret. She’s not catching up.

“I think I’m disturbing something here, I-I’ll just go...” Leal tried to excuse herself to evade the two’s stare-off, but Axel grabbed her by the wrist, breaking eye contact with Margaret who whispered incoherent curses under her breath.

“No. You’re coming with me. You want to say something, that’s why you came here, right?” Leal meekly nodded. That was before she saw Margaret and got insecure for no apparent reason. “We’re talking about it, then.”

She didn’t know how it happened but she somehow weakened against his touch, despite how weird it may sound. It was like flickers of tiny lightning strikes crawled from his hands to her skin, paralyzing her strength thus forcing her to silently follow him.

Their little scene on the base floor caused waves of rumors in the company, some even taking pity on Margaret, who was left alone while the two rode the elevator. Huffing, she marched outside the building. The nosy employees, somehow found out that Leal was their Alpha’s mate, and are now doing a background check on her. But as odd as it may seem, they couldn’t find anything about her family background or clan. This news reached Tyrone and Ryker, piquing their curiosity as well.

“Have they searched for her file in the Ministry of Wolves’ archives?” asked Tyrone.

“Surprisingly, the Ministry denied access. They said that profile is in their top confidential storage, with no virtual copy,” replied Ryker, who was busy typing on his laptop.

Tyrone placed his clenched fist under his chin, thinking deeply. “Why is her file in their top confidential storage? Is she a high-profiled wolf? Axel’s file is also in there, right?”

“We don’t know. Right now, she looks very much human to me. Except for that stunt on the base floor.”

“Hmm. That’s strange.”