ONCE YOU'RE MINE

“I've told you countless times. Stop taking this trash. You don't need it.” He picked up the bottle of suppressant pills on the table and emptied it on the floor.

He slouched into a chair in front of kelvin, with a ridiculous grin plastered on his face.

Julia shot him a glare and snatched the container back from his hand.

She crouched down and quietly picked up the pink pills scattered all over the floor.

“Get out.” Kelvin raised his head.

Max Hawthorne traced his fingers lightly across Kelvin's face.

He leaned in to kiss him, but Kelvin evaded it.

“I said get out!” Kelvin hissed.

Max clicked his tongue.

“Oh, come on, I had a fever. Don't be so feisty.” He sank back into his chair.

“Tell that to a dog.”

“Oh, this one?” He pointed to Julia and gave her a snarky look.

Kelvin nodded for her to leave, and she glared at Max before exiting the room.

“An Alpha without pheromones is just a dog, Kel. I don't like you keeping her around. Get rid of her too.” he made smug face.

“Who do you think you are? Say that again and I'll have your scent glands ripped out and fed to street dogs,” Kelvin snapped.

“Hahaha… you know how to make good jokes… hah.” Max held his stomach, laughing.

Kelvin stared at him, deadpan.

Joke or not, he dared not call Julia a dog anymore, or else it wouldn't be just threats.

“Seeing you get so protective over another Alpha breaks my heart so much. For a fiancé, you don't treat me well at all.”

“Is that why you did that?” Kelvin stood up, arranging the documents on his table.

“Did what?” Max had a big smile on his face, like he had won a trophy.

His eyes followed Kelvin's back and rested on his butt.

Kelvin paused and turned around.

“You didn't keep your end of the deal, motherfucker. Why?”

Though he wasn't surprised. Max was a known jerk. Ask him for bread, he'll give you a big rock.

How ridiculous he was, to have once considered trusting him.

“It's just one contract, Kel. Just one.” Max stood up and walked towards Kelvin, who was putting on his coat.

“There's a lot more I can give you, baby. Once you're mine.” He slipped his hands around Kelvin's waist and drew him close.

“Of course there'll be more. More disappearances at the most important times. Get off me, you fucker.” Max held him tight, keeping him from moving.

“Shh, all of this happened because of a dishonest contractor. Nothing to worry about. I'll make him pay.”

“Stay off it. I'll handle it myself.” He tried to push Max off.

“Come on, let me get a taste of that alluring scent. Your heat period is close, right?” He kissed Kelvin's neck, trailing his lips from his nape down his chest.

“Get off me!” He struggled to get out of his grip.

“Director. We're late.” Julia burst open the door, and Max stopped.

“You don't train your dogs well, do you?” He eyed Julia, his pheromones rising in the air.

Kelvin held his nose and brushed past him.

“Stop this… and leave—I'll …call you.” Kelvin choked.

“I'll wait.” Max smiled at Julia, who held a hard stare until he shut the door behind him.

“Ugh—uhhk—” Kelvin coughed, struggling to catch his breath.

That obnoxious fucker. What was he thinking, pouring his throat-stuffing pheromones all over the place?

Kelvin leaned against the wall for a moment, trying to steady his breathing. His chest felt tight, and the lingering scent made his stomach churn. He hated how easily Max could affect him without even trying. Or perhaps that was the problem—Max knew exactly what he was doing.

“Are you okay, boss?” Julia handed him a glass of water.

“Thank you. I know you don't like having him around. Sorry, Julia.” He sighed.

“It's fine, boss. It's not like you enjoy having him around either.” She hissed and collected the empty glass.

“You are right. I'm tired of his snarky shit face. I guess it's time we discard him.”

Julia paused. She looked at him through the lenses of her glasses, clearly surprised by how calmly he had said it.

“Discard him?”

“He's no longer useful.” not in the bedroom either. Kelvin couldn't forget how a hot, younger stranger, out-did all Max had ever done in a single weekend.

Max has proven himself to be useless.

He won't help Kelvin get the construction company. If he's not careful, next time, he might lose everything along with it.

“The contractor…” Kelvin arranged his suit in a mirror while Julia stood behind him.

“He kept saying he didn't know the name of the man he sold the project to. He said he was forced to do it,” Julia answered.

“Do you think he was?” He turned to face her.

“No, sir. I think he got his ass shoved up with a shit ton of cash from the higher-ups.”

Kelvin laughed and patted her shoulder.

Julia adjusted her glasses and spoke. “Director, you've been acting up since today…”

“You think so?”

She nodded. Her boss had been surprisingly calm, in a strange way. Usually, when situations like this happened, he would be raging and swearing to tear Max apart in revenge.

Yet here he was, standing there with a smile on his face.

Strange indeed.

“You didn't take any suppressant today, and you are doing great. I'm glad.” She smiled.

“Thank you, Jul. Let's get going. Today is a long day.” Kelvin walked out the door.

Julia followed him, but her eyes lingered on the empty suppressant bottle in her hand.

Something was different about Kelvin today.

She slipped the bottle into her bag and hurried after him. She pushed the thought aside and quickened her steps. There were more important things to worry about now.

Kelvin walked out of the building, adjusting his coat as he headed toward the parking lot.

He stopped when he spotted the familiar black car parked a short distance away.

The driver's window rolled down.

Max rested one arm against the window, a lazy smile playing on his lips.

“Care for a ride?”