The Burdened Bond

Back in the penthouse office, the harsh white lights hammered against the back of my eyes.

"What's wrong?" Gavin walked in behind me.

"I'm fine." I dug my fingers into my throbbing temples. "My noise-canceling headphones got knocked off in the crowd. My head hurts."

Those custom headphones were my only armor. My blood was broken. I could not filter out raw background noise or low-frequency vibrations. Without them, every sound turned into a needle driving into my brain.

Gavin's face darkened. He said nothing. He locked the door behind him and crossed the room to the glass wall.

He pressed a button. The soundproof curtain engaged, and the office fell silent instantly.

"The summit is going into closed sessions. Stay here." He leaned down, planting both hands on the arms of my swivel chair. He trapped me in place.

His cedar scent rolled over me. Pure, suffocating Alpha command.

"Don't go outside. The hallway is crawling with rival scouts. You can't take the hit right now." He locked eyes with me. His voice was an order. "Give me one hour. Once the meeting wraps, I'll take you back to your place myself."

"Gavin, I can just call a car—"

"I said, I'll take you." He cut me off without hesitation.

He lifted his hand toward my cheek. His fingers stopped an inch from my skin. He pulled back, cold and stiff, turned on his heel, and slammed the door behind him.

I sank back into the chair. I pulled my pocket terminal from my bag. The screen flickered twice and died.

The low hum of the central AC swelled in the dark. It scraped against my raw nerves like a dull blade.

I could not leave.

High-ranking Alphas were walking those halls. Without my custom headphones, an outcast like me would collapse under the weight of their unchecked auras.

All I could do was wait.

Dusk turned into night. Five hours passed.

The low-frequency hum made bile rise in my throat. Finally, the door flew open.

Gavin stormed in. He ripped off his tie. His collar was open, his damp hair clung to his forehead, and dark fury rolled off him in waves.

He closed the distance fast and grabbed my wrist. "Why is your terminal off?"

"It died." My voice was raspy from dry air. "I've been waiting for you."

His brow pulled tight. His eyes ran over my pale face. His throat moved, but he asked nothing. He reached down and took my bag. "Let's go."

He walked fast. His broad back was a solid wall, cutting me off from the hall.

Then his scent caught the draft between us.

Underneath the heavy cedar, a second scent hit my nose. A sharp, sweet chill.

It was the signature perfume of Tessa Sterling.

She was the only woman in Seattle who wore it.

My chest tightened without warning.

Had he really just been in a closed-door meeting on the top floor?

Down in the parking garage, the black Maybach tore through the downpour.

Gavin gripped the wheel with one hand. With the other, he checked data on an encrypted drive. The console light cast a pale glow over a lab report. I could only catch a few words: sedative compound, quota transfer.

He never said a word.

The other woman's scent drifted through the car vents, wrapping around my throat, making it hard to breathe.

The car screeched to a halt outside my building.

A black SUV with the Sterling pack crest sat parked near the curb. Its headlights cut through the storm, glaring right at our windshield.

The doors opened. Two tall young wolves climbed out. They marched up to the driver's side and slammed their fists against Gavin's window.

"Gavin! Where did you stash the batch of purified serum Tessa set aside? The joint audit almost locked us out tonight!"

The window cracked open two inches.

Gavin's gaze turned predatory. His Alpha aura spilled into the rain, pushing the mist back. "We follow the contract. Be at headquarters at nine tomorrow for the handover. Now get lost."

One of the wolves leaned in. His eyes drifted past Gavin and landed on me in the passenger seat. A cold smirk pulled at his lips. "So that's why you skipped the handover meeting. Playing bodyguard again? You're taking the Alpha seat of your pack, Gavin. Playing babysitter to a broken wolf who can't even stand background noise makes you a joke."

My hands curled into fists on my lap. My nails bit into my palms.

Before I could speak, the driver's door flew open.

Gavin slammed the door shut. He grabbed the wolf by the collar and slammed him down hard against the hood.

Dark gold flared in his eyes. His voice was deathly quiet. "Shut up. She's just a family obligation. An old friend's kid I promised to look after. Say another word, and I'll break your jaw."

The rain poured down, but every syllable hit my ears like a hammer.

Family obligation.

Look after.

To him, the bond tying us together was nothing more than an annoying duty he had to stomach.

I could not stay in that car for another second.

I kicked open the passenger door and stumbled into the freezing rain.

"Nadia, stop!" Gavin barked behind me.

Water blinded my eyes. My ruined balance failed me on the slick stone steps.

My knee hit the sharp edge of the stone. Sharp pain flared down the nerve.

Before I could push myself up, arms locked around me.

Gavin hooked one arm under my knees and clamped the other across my back, pulling me tight against his chest.

The downpour soaked his hair, streaming down the hard lines of his jaw.

He looked down at me. Pure fury and panic burned in his dark eyes. His grip on my ribs was so tight it bruised.

"This is you walking on your own?" His teeth were clenched, his gaze burning into my bleeding knee. "What the hell are you doing?!"