8

IRIS’S POV

Darius didn't move. He kept me pinned between his chest and the desk, the heat of his body like a brand on my back.

"Like I said sweetheart, Start with the red file," he repeated, his breath stirring the fine hair on my neck. It wasn't a request; it was an order.

I tried to focus on the numbers. Assets, liabilities, revenue. The words blurred. How could I focus on creative accounting when the Alpha of the Wolfe Pack was using my chair as a prison?

"I can't concentrate like this," I whispered, my voice tight.

"Yes, you can," he countered, his voice low and firm. "You're disciplined. You handle your father's finances and his secrets. This is just another secret, Iris. Learn to work through the feeling."

He finally released the pressure on my spine and moved to the chair beside me. But the air didn't clear. His scent remained, thick and demanding, wrapping around me like a second skin.

We worked for hours. The quiet hum of the ancient pack house was the only sound, broken only by the scratch of my pen and the crisp turn of a page.

Darius wasn't pretending to work. He was sharp, asking pointed questions about asset valuation and the large, unexplained transfers. He was ruthless, tearing apart the excuses my father’s lawyers had created.

"This transfer here," he pointed to a ledger entry. "Fifty million. Where did it go? The records just say 'future investment.'"

I leaned over, my elbow brushing his arm. A simple touch, but the shock went straight to my core. I pulled back instantly.

"It's a holding account," I explained, keeping my voice steady. "It funds the pack's off-the-books security operations. It’s for technology and weapons we can't show the human government."

He stared at the number, his jaw tight. "Your father's finances are dangerously intertwined with pack secrets. This entire audit risks exposing things far beyond insider trading."

"That's why I handle them," I said, meeting his gaze. "I know how to hide the truth."

"You hide the numbers well," he agreed, his eyes dropping to my mouth. "But you're terrible at hiding what you want."

I quickly looked back at the file, my cheeks burning. The conversation had shifted again, easily sliding from politics to the forbidden.

The sun started to peek through the window, painting the room in gray light. It was almost dawn.

Darius rubbed his tired eyes. "That's enough for tonight. I'll pass this data to Conrick. He needs to run parallel checks on the companies involved with Jerome."

He stood up, stretching his broad shoulders. I watched him, unable to look away, the memory of his body shielding mine in the courtyard still fresh.

He caught my gaze. A slow, knowing smile touched his lips.

"We need to keep this routine," he said, his voice dropping to that dangerous whisper again. "You were here all night. You were working hard. Tell anyone who asks that we didn't stop until dawn."

"I will," I promised.

He started toward the door, then paused, his back to me. "Iris."

"Yes?"

"Your attempts at hiding my scent are over. But be careful. Venus is not stupid. She will use anything against you."

He left the room, leaving me alone with the mess of files and the lingering, dominant proof of his presence.

 (Later that morning)

I walked into the breakfast room, exhaustion weighing on my bones. I had showered, but I hadn't slept. I still smelled clean, but my wolf knew the musk was there, woven deep into my skin.

Venus was already there, looking perfect in a tailored silk robe. She was drinking tea, her eyes sharp and unsettling.

"Well, look who finally arrived," Venus said, her tone sweet, but her eyes held needles. "Did the big, bad Alpha Wolfe keep you busy all night?"

I kept my face blank, reminding myself of Darius's words: Calm. Focused.

"Alpha Wolfe is thorough," I replied, pulling out my chair. "The audit is complex. We have to clear up every discrepancy before the wedding. Father needs this merger."

"Discrepancies," Venus repeated, sipping her tea slowly. "Or secrets?"

I met her gaze evenly. "Are you suggesting Father is keeping secrets, Venus? You sound nervous."

She laughed, a thin, brittle sound. "Of course not. I'm just concerned for you, dear sister. You look exhausted. It must be difficult working so closely with a man you barely know. I wouldn't blame you if you found him... intimidating."

She was baiting me, fishing for a reaction. If I showed fear, she would know I was hiding something. If I showed attraction, the secret was out.

"Alpha Wolfe is professional," I stated simply. "He is focused on securing the alliance. Just like I am focused on the accounting."

Venus dropped the sweetness. Her green eyes narrowed. "I saw him, Iris. Last night, after the attack. I saw him stand over you in the courtyard."

My heart stalled. "He was protecting Father's territory. He protected everyone."

"He didn't shield me, Iris," she snapped, her voice low and dangerous. "He shielded you. He put himself between a rogue and you, while I was standing closer to the main fight."

I gripped my coffee cup. "You were safer than me. I was kneeling, exposed, helping a guard. It was an instinctual movement to protect the weakest link."

She leaned forward, her voice a poisonous whisper. "Don't lie to me. I know you, Iris. You crave his attention. You're always trying to make yourself small so someone strong has to notice you."

I felt a surge of cold fury. This was about more than Darius, this was about the years of resentment.

"I crave nothing, Venus. Unlike you, I am simply doing my duty. Get over it." I pushed my chair back, the scrape of wood against the floor loud in the silent room. "I have more work to do with the Alpha. You should focus on your wedding plans."

I walked out, leaving her staring after me. I had kept my cool, but the exchange had left me shaking. Venus was close. Too close.

(Midday)

The pack was buzzing with news of the rogue attack. Alpha Ronan was trying to reassure the elders, insisting the attack was just random bandits. But everyone knew the truth. Jerome was challenging us.

As I walked back to the office, Conrick stepped out of a private security briefing, blocking the hallway. He looked tired, his face shadowed, and his anger was sharp.

"Iris," he said, his voice flat. He didn't use the polite 'Miss Calder.'

"Conrick," I replied, standing my ground.

"You need to stop," he commanded. "Now. Every moment you spend with Darius is a bomb waiting to explode. You are a threat to his title."

"I am following my father's direct orders," I stated. "I am handling the audit. I am not having a secret affair."

"Don't lie to me," he hissed, taking a step closer. "My senses are sharper than yours. I know what happened in the clearing a few days ago. I know what happened in the storage room. And I saw him shield you last night. His wolf is compromised."

He was close enough that I could smell the leather and iron of his own Beta scent. He was dominant, protective of his Alpha, and utterly cold.

"I can't control the Alpha," I said, trying to push past him.

He slammed his hand on the wall beside my head, trapping me. "You can control your choices. When he commands you to work, you keep distance. You maintain protocol. You don't lean into his touch like a lovesick pup."

His eyes searched mine, looking for the weakness. "This alliance means everything to the North. If Darius loses his Alpha status, our pack falls. Jerome is waiting. And you are handing him the weapon."

The sheer weight of the political stakes hit me then. This wasn't just a forbidden kiss. It was the potential downfall of an entire Alpha line.

"I understand the risk," I whispered, my throat dry.

"Do you?" he challenged. "Because if you do understand, you would leave the territory. You would make an excuse and run. You would sacrifice your own lust to save his pack."

He pulled his hand back, releasing me. "He is too disciplined to run from duty, but his wolf will always choose you. The burden is yours, Iris. Get control of this, or you will be the reason he is declared rogue."

He walked away without another word, his anger a cold blade.

I stumbled into the office, my mind reeling. The burden is yours. Conrick’s words rang true. Darius was the Alpha of duty. He wouldn't run. But I could.

If I truly cared about his pack, his title, and preventing a war, I had to stop this myself. I had to create distance that Darius wouldn't allow.

I sat at the desk, looking at the piles of ledgers. I had to finish the audit, but I also had to find a way out of the guest wing. A public, professional reason to remove myself from Darius's immediate grasp.

I pulled open the largest ledger, suddenly focused not just on the numbers, but on the escape. I had to be smart, quick, and completely believable.

The only way to save Darius from his wolf was to save him from me.