Surprised visit

Chapter 6

~Selena~

I smirked to myself as I straightened up from picking up the pen. I had purposely worn this dress today and I had deliberately bowed down like that for the Alpha to see. To get him tempted. And judging by that look in his eyes, the way his jaw clenched and his hands gripped the edge of his desk, he was definitely getting affected.

My plan was working perfectly.

“I’m so sorry, Alpha,” I said, my voice dripping with false innocence as I pressed a hand to my chest. “I didn’t mean to bow like that. Something felt off.”

“It’s… okay.” His voice came out strained, tight, like he was struggling to maintain his composure.

Inside, I was celebrating. I loved this. Loved seeing the powerful, commanding Alpha Lucien struggle because of me. Loved knowing that I had this effect on him. It made me feel powerful in a way I hadn’t felt since Damon’s rejection.

Perfect, Kyra purred inside my mind. He wants us. I can feel it.

I could feel it too. The tension in the room was thick, electric. Every time his eyes flickered to me, every time he tried to look away and failed, I knew I was getting under his skin.

Good. That was exactly where I wanted to be.

I went over to my place and sat down, crossing my legs slowly and deliberately as I organized the papers on my desk. I could feel his gaze on me even as he tried to focus on his work.

A few minutes later, there was a knock on the door.

“Come in,” Lucien called out.

Rowan walked in, carrying a stack of files. “Alpha, here are the border reports you requested. There are some concerning patterns in the patrol schedules that I think you should see.”

“Thank you, Rowan.” Lucien took the files and began flipping through them. “What exactly are we looking at?”

As Rowan started explaining the details, pointing out specific entries in the reports, I pretended to focus on my own work. I kept my head down, my pen moving across the paper as if I was completely absorbed in what I was doing.

But I was listening. Listening to Lucien’s voice as he responded to Rowan’s observations. And I could tell Lucien was distracted. His responses were shorter than usual. He kept pausing mid-sentence, losing his train of thought. His voice wasn’t as steady and commanding as it normally was.

He was thinking about me. About what had just happened.

I had to bite the inside of my cheek to keep from smiling.

Their conversation continued for several more minutes.

I glanced at my phone discreetly, checking the time. 4:55 PM. Almost time to put the next part of my plan into action.

One of my strategies was simple but effective: do exactly what was expected of me, nothing more, nothing less. Leave at exactly 5 PM when my work hours ended, even if there was still work to be done, even if there was an urgent matter being discussed. Unless, of course, the Alpha specifically asked me to stay.

That was the key. Making him ask. Making him want me around enough to request my presence beyond my required hours.

The minutes ticked by slowly. I kept working, kept pretending to be absorbed in my tasks, all while watching the clock.

4:58 PM.

4:59 PM.

5:00 PM.

The moment the clock hit five, I stood up and began gathering my things. I closed the files I’d been working on, stacked them neatly on the desk, and picked up my bag.

“Where are you going?” Lucien’s voice cut through the room immediately, sharp and surprised.

I turned to look at him, keeping my expression neutral and professional. “I’m going home since it’s 5 PM, Alpha. My work hours are over.” I gestured toward him and Rowan, who were still standing by the desk with the border reports spread out between them. “And besides, I can see you’re busy with Rowan discussing important pack matters. I don’t want to disturb you both.”

Lucien stared at me for a long moment. I could see the conflict playing across his face—the Alpha who was used to people staying as long as he needed them versus the man who was trying to be fair about work hours. Trying to respect boundaries even as he clearly didn’t want me to leave.

The silence stretched between us. Rowan glanced between us, looking confused and slightly uncomfortable.

Finally, Lucien spoke. “You can stay. You’re not disturbing us.”

Exactly.

Inside, I was beaming. This was exactly what I wanted. Him asking me to stay. Him wanting me around. Him making it clear that my presence was desired, not just tolerated.

“Of course, Alpha,” I said, setting my bag back down and returning to my seat. “If you need me, I’m happy to stay.”

I sat back down and reopened my files, pretending to resume my work. But inside, my wolf was jubilating happily, practically dancing with joy.

He wants us here! Kyra sang in my mind. He doesn’t want us to leave! This is working, Selena. Our plan is working!

I had to fight to keep the smile off my face. Everything was going exactly as I’d hoped. Better, even. The Alpha was falling for me, slowly but surely, and he didn’t even realize it yet.

Or maybe he did realize it. Maybe that was why he looked so conflicted every time he looked at me.

Either way, I was winning.

Lucien and Rowan continued their discussion about the border patrols, but now Lucien kept glancing at me every few minutes, as if making sure I was still there. As if he needed to confirm that I’d actually stayed.

I kept my head down, working diligently, playing the part of the dedicated employee. But I was hyperaware of every glance, every look, every moment his attention shifted to me.

About ten minutes passed like this. Then there was another knock on the door.

“Come in,” Lucien called out.

Rowan, who was closer to the door, went to open it. The moment he pulled it open, I saw his entire body go rigid. His eyes went wide with surprise, and then he immediately turned to glare back at me with an expression that was equal parts shocked and angry.

What was going on?

My heart started beating faster. Something was wrong. Very wrong.

I stood up from my seat, my chair scraping against the floor, and walked over to see who was at the door.

My blood ran cold when I saw who it was.

Serena.

My twin sister stood in the doorway, and she looked like she’d dressed for a completely different kind of meeting. She was wearing a tight red dress that left absolutely nothing to the imagination. The neckline plunged dangerously low, showing off her cleavage. The hem barely reached mid-thigh. Her makeup was heavy, dramatic, and her hair was styled in perfect waves that cascaded over her shoulders.

She looked like she was going to a nightclub, not visiting the Alpha’s office.

“What are you doing here?” I asked, my voice sharp with shock and anger.

She didn’t even look at me. Didn’t acknowledge my question at all. Instead, she walked straight past me, her heels clicking against the floor, heading directly toward Alpha Lucien’s desk.

“Alpha Lucien,” she said, her voice dripping with sweetness as she smiled at him. “It’s such an honor to finally meet you properly. I’ve heard so much about you.”

Lucien had stood up when she entered, his expression polite but confused. His eyes moved between Serena and me, clearly trying to understand what was happening. The resemblance between us was impossible to miss we were identical twins, after all. Same face, same eyes, same hair color, same height.

The only difference right now was our clothing and the expressions on our faces.

“Selena,” Lucien said, his eyes settling on me with a questioning look. “You never told me you had a twin sister that looks exactly like you.”

I opened my mouth to reply, but Serena was faster.

“That’s because I was the one who told her not to tell you, Alpha,” Serena said quickly, her voice full of false sincerity. She placed a hand over her heart, as if she was being completely genuine. “I told her not to mention me so she would be able to get the job on her own merit. I didn’t want you to get confused between us, or to think that she got this position because of me or because of our connection. I wanted her to succeed based on her own skills and hard work.”

I stared at her in complete shock, my mouth falling open.