6

IRIS’S POV

My legs were still shaking when I finally found the strength to push the heavy storage room door open. The hallway was empty now, the air still thick with the metallic tang of my arousal and his lingering, dominant scent. I leaned against the doorframe, trying to gather myself.

He’d left. Just like that.

I touched my throat, where his fingers had pressed, and then my lips, still swollen from his brutal kiss. A single tear tracked down my cheek, not of sorrow, but of pure, destructive frustration. I was furious at him for leaving, furious at myself for melting, and terrified of the sheer proximity.

His scent. I was now actively leaking my own scent, a clear sign of arousal and recent climax, mixed inextricably with Darius's musky claim. If anyone—Alpha Ronan, my mother, or worse, Venus caught this scent on me, they would know immediately.

My mind raced. Perfume. Lots of it.

I stumbled back to my room, feeling the sticky trail of his cum running down my inner thigh. It was a walk of shame, a trail of evidence that could blow up my family’s world.

I peeled off the damp dress and threw it into the far corner of my closet. Then I went to my vanity, pulling out every bottle of essential oil and perfume I owned. Lavender, rose, vanilla, anything heavy and cloying. I doused myself in a mix of scents—my neck, my wrists, my stomach, and especially my thighs. I wasn't just masking his scent; I was attempting to obliterate it with an artificial cloud.

The smell was overwhelming, almost sickening, but it beat the alternative.

The next morning, I arrived late to breakfast, still light-headed from the fumes and the emotional whiplash of the previous night. The air was charged, and Venus, radiant and smug, was holding court.

“The wedding date is set,” she announced, preening. “Father and Alpha Wolfe agreed on a short engagement. Early next month.”

My fork clattered onto my plate. Early next month. That was less than four weeks away.

Alpha Ronan looked pleased. “Indeed. We need to finalize the Calder Industries audit quickly, as the merger cannot proceed until the board is satisfied.” He looked directly at me. “Iris, you will be assisting Alpha Wolfe personally with the company's financial records. His board insists on conducting their own audit, and you know the books better than anyone.”

I froze. My breath caught, and the sickly-sweet scent of mixed perfumes seemed to choke me.

"Personally assisting Alpha Wolfe."

This was my father's attempt at inclusion, his pragmatic move to ensure the smooth running of the family business. It was also an unintentional, cruel sentence. He was forcing me into constant, necessary proximity with the man whose scent I was desperately trying to hide, the man who was marrying my sister.

Venus’s smile faltered, her green eyes narrowing slightly, catching the slight tension in the room.

“Father,” she interjected smoothly, “surely Conrick, Alpha Wolfe's Beta, is handling the financial review? Iris has her own duties.”

“Conrick will oversee the security and legal aspects,” Father said, waving a hand dismissively. “But Iris handles our creative accounting. Her skill set is crucial here.” He didn't miss a beat, turning back to me. “You will be working from the guest wing's private office, effective immediately. Alpha Wolfe requires you to be available at all hours for clarification and document retrieval.”

I felt the blood drain from my face. The guest wing. The closest, most private space to the man who I could barely resist.

“But…” I started, trying to formulate an excuse.

“No ‘buts,’ Iris,” Father warned, his voice taking on a familiar, commanding edge. “Your cooperation is essential to the future of this pack and this family. Do not let your personal distrac…" he paused, correcting himself "disdain for politics interfere with your duty.”

He thought I was just being timid and difficult. He didn't know the truth.

I felt a slight tingling sensation on my skin—the residual presence of Darius’s scent, pushing through the wall of perfume I had constructed. The mark was already there, subtle but persistent.

I didn't meet Venus's gaze as I stood up, nodding stiffly. “Yes, Father.”

My forced proximity had begun.

Later that afternoon, I was huddled in the private office of the guest wing, documents spread across a polished mahogany desk. The air in this wing felt heavier, more charged. My mixed-perfume cloud was now battling Darius's natural Alpha musk that permeated the space.

The office door opened, and he walked in, his suit impeccably tailored, his long dark hair falling just so. He didn’t need to be Alpha to command a room, but it certainly helped.

“Calder,” he greeted, his voice low and formal. He placed a thick file on the desk, his hand brushing mine almost imperceptibly as he did so.

I flinched back, my heart immediately beginning its frantic, desperate rhythm.

“Alpha Wolfe,” I replied, mimicking his cool, professional tone.

He leaned against the desk, his blue eyes raking over my face. “You smell… aggressive. Did you shower in a flower shop?”

My cheeks burned. “I have a headache. The scent masks it.”

He smirked, a quick, dangerous flash of white teeth. “A headache. Right.” He dropped the pretense and leaned in closer, his voice dropping to a seductive rasp. “You know, Iris, your perfume is fighting my scent. And my wolf does not like to be challenged.”

He reached out and traced the outline of my jaw with his index finger. The contact was instant, electric, and terrifying.

“We are working together now,” he whispered, his eyes dark with unmasked desire. “Your father arranged for us to be in each other’s pockets. If you wanted space, you shouldn’t have come after me in the hallway.”

I pulled back sharply, my professional façade cracking. “I came after you to demand an explanation, not to be cornered and used again!”

He chuckled, a low, rich sound that made my stomach clench. “And yet, you came. You know, that frantic mix of scents only highlights the fact that you’re desperate to hide something. You’re going to draw more attention this way.”

He stood upright, his Alpha aura filling the small space.

“We have an audit to pass, Iris,” he said, his tone switching back to business, a cold, calculated mask. “And a wedding to plan. Keep your distance, or I’ll be forced to take measures that won’t be pleasant for either of us.”

The hypocrisy was blinding. He was the one who claimed me, yet I was the one responsible for the distance.

I pushed a stack of files towards him, my hand trembling. “Start with the asset portfolio. It's marked with a red tab. Alpha Ronan needs this merger to happen.”

He took the files, his eyes never leaving mine. He knew. He knew that I was lying about the distance, that I craved his touch even as I feared it. The forced, inescapable proximity was already winning. Our forbidden affair was already bleeding into my professional life, and Venus hadn't even started asking questions yet.

Just as he turned to leave, the intercom on the desk buzzed. It was the head of security.

“Alpha Ronan, Alpha Wolfe,” the voice crackled. “We have detected a breach on the west perimeter. A rogue scouting party. We’ve engaged.”

Darius stopped dead in his tracks, his composure instantly switching from calculated lover to ruthless Alpha. His Beta was right, the chaos was beginning.

He looked at me, his blue eyes flashing gold. “Well, Calder. Looks like our work will have to wait.”

He didn't wait for a reply, simply grabbed his jacket, and stormed out, ready for the fight. This attack was far from random.