MINE!!!

"Selene Vale," Jayden repeated slowly, as though testing the name on his tongue, "You know, for someone who's been driving half the corporate world insane for years, you're surprisingly normal."

A faint smile touched her lips, "Is that your way of saying you're disappointed?"

"No," Elliot replied before Jayden could answer. "I think he's saying he really did expect a seventy-year-old genius hiding inside a laboratory somewhere.

"I did expect glasses," Jayden admitted.

Selene sat back comfortably, offering another small smile, "I'm sorry to disappoint."

"Not disappointed," Elliot said again, his gaze lingering on her a second too long. 

Selene noticed, and unfortunately, Ajax noticed too and it irritated him...which made no sense whatsoever.

This was a business meeting.

Nothing more.

"So," Ajax finally said, steering the conversation back where it belonged. "Let's discuss why we're here."

"Please," Selene answered, folding her hands neatly on the table. 

Ajax slid a folder across the polished surface, and it stopped right in front of her, "We'd like to acquire AX-23."

Ahhh, so the antidote was what they were actually after? It seemed quite crazy that actually wanted to partner with her in the first place. 

Then, she glanced at the folder but didn't touch it.

"No." The answer came immediately.

The three brothers stared at her.

"That was quick." Jayden blinked.

"You asked." 

"And you answered before looking."

"I don't need to look."

The room fell silent again, and Elliot leaned forward slightly, "You're not curious?"

"No."

"Most people would be."

Selene tilted her head, confident oozing off her beautiful pale skin, "Most people don't run Lunaris."

Elliot laughed hard at that. She truly was a very dangerous woman. 

Ajax's fingers tapped once against the table, and then he cleared his throat, "Perhaps we started too abruptly."

"I don't think so."

"You don't?" He narrowed his eyes slightly. 

"No."

She finally looked at the folder for the briefest second, then back at him, "You want AX-23."

"Correct."

"I don't want to sell it."

"Why?"

"Because I don't."

"That's the shortest negotiation I've ever witnessed," Jayden admitted, letting out a low whistle. 

"Then we're done here." She stated calmly, then began gathering her files. 

The triplets looked visibly uncomfortable. No one had casually dismissed them before, especially like this. 

Not in business.

Not in life.

Not ever.

"Ms Hart." Ajax called, and she paused, "You haven't even heard the offer."

Selene looked at him, and suddenly Ajax understood why he had found her intimidating from the second she had stepped in here. 

It wasn't her beauty, money or even her reputation. It was the way she looked at people, like she already knew exactly how much power she had.

And didn't need to prove it.

"I know your offer will involve money," she said.

"It will."

"I have money." She crossed her hands again, waiting for him to throw more offers. 

"It will involve resources."

"I have resources."

"It will involve influence and power,"

That finally brought a real smile to her face, "I own Lunaris." 

Jayden nearly laughed again.

God! She was impossible. And somehow that made her even more fascinating to them.

"You're enjoying this," He accused.

"Enjoying what?" 

"Making us work for it."

Selene considered that, then she shrugged, "A little."

Elliot covered his mouth, trying and failing to hide his amusement.

Ajax shot him a look, but that didn't stop him. 

Elliot looked completely unrepentant, still torn between laughter, fascination, and shock. 

The tension in the room should have been hostile, but instead, it was becoming something else. Something none of them could properly define. Something that made Selene increasingly uncomfortable.

Because her wolf would not settle properly. 

Every instinct she possessed screamed at her to watch these men very, very carefully. She watched their breath, their movements, and every tiny expression that passed through their faces. 

She was supposed to hate it. 

But... something was wrong. Wolfishly wrong. 

Across from her, the triplets weren't doing much better. The pull was subtle enough not to be overwhelming, and big enough for them not to be able to ignore. 

"Let's try this differently." Ajax finally broke the tense silence that had swept the room, and Selene raised an eyebrow. 

"I'm listening."

"Name your price."

The room quieted, and even Elliot stopped smiling. 

Selene stared at him, then she laughed softly as she was now the one amused by the situation, "No."

Jayden blinked, "No?"

"No." She repeated steadily. 

Ajax's expression darkened slightly, and he took a step forward without realising, "Everyone has a price."

"Then you're about to be disappointed."

"You sound very confident."

"You're very correct."

The silence that carried across the room lasted longer this time, and nobody knew why. But one thing was clear, eye contact was never broken.

Carter chose that exact moment to enter, carrying another file in one hand, but his steps slowed immediately when he noticed the atmosphere.

The air in the room was practically crackling with unstable energy that was about to erupt, but he cleared his throat and continued moving anyway, "Sorry to interrupt."

Ajax didn't look away from Selene, "What is it?"

"Updated acquisition projections." He answered, placing down the file. 

Jayden opened it immediately, then cursed, "Jesus."

Elliot grabbed it next, and raised an eyebrow, "That's generous."

Selene didn't react.

Ajax also looked at it before sliding the file over to her side, "Take a look at this,"

This time she did. They all watched her as her eyes moved across the numbers written on it. There were hundreds of millions stated in it, research access, facilities, and so many more benefits that most companies would die for. 

They thought it would definitely convince her this time. 

Her expression didn't't change one bit as she read everything, before simply closing the folder and sliding it back to them, "No."

Nobody spoke.

Nobody.

Ajax stared.

Jayden stared.

Elliot stared.

Selene simply sat there, looking absolutely untouched. As though they'd just offered her a cup of coffee instead of a fortune.

Finally Elliot leaned back. This time, he wasn't smiling at all, "You really aren't going to sell it." He sounded very serious. 

"No."

"Why?"

Selene looked directly at him and shrugged lazily, "Because I don't want to."

It was simple and honest. They ought to have understood that by now. 

It seems like they didn't because the meeting continued for another twenty minutes. Every time the triplets would change tactics, sometimes apply pressure and a huge dose of charm. 

Numbers were increased too, but every road led back to the same answer.

No.

No.

No.

Eventually Selene stood up, and the movement drew every eye in the room.

"I believe we're finished." She stated. 

Ajax watched her pick up her documents, "Are we?" He now looked visibly frustrated. 

"Yes."

"You haven't given us much to work with."

"I wasn't aware that was my responsibility."

Jayden laughed again despite himself, while Elliot shook his head.

Unbelievable. Absolutely unbelievable!

"Thank you for your time, gentlemen." 

Selene turned toward the door and began walking away, but unfortunately, fate apparently had a wicked sense of humor.

The edge of the carpet caught beneath her heel, and although it wasn't enough to make her fall, it was more than enough to make her stumble. 

A sharp curse almost left her mouth as she tried to catch herself. But before she could, a hand shot out and the strong fingers it had closed around her wrist. 

At that very instant, from that contact, the world around them exploded. A much more violent surge than the last one tore through her body so suddenly that her breath vanished.

Heat.

Power.

Something ancient and primal that had been sleeping inside her all her life, and her wolf slammed against the inside of her skin.

*Mine* Cersei Growled. 

The word echoed through her entire being and Selene froze. This couldn't be happening...

The hand around her wrist tightened slightly, and she noticed Ajax had also gone completely still. Every muscle in his body was locked, and his silver eyes were completely widened. 

A pulse of energy ripped through the room again, and Jayden shot upright from his chair while Elliot's grin disappeared completely. 

They all looked bewildered, and were all looking at her.

Selene slowly lifted her gaze, and found her balance once again. She tried to ask Ajax to let go of her wrist, but her lips never parted. 

She was still reeling, and neither of them seemed capable of moving.

Because the bond had recognized itself, and it did not care whether they wanted it to.

Mine.

This time the feeling hit harder, and Selene almost jerked her hand away. 

Almost.

Across the room, Jayden suddenly took a step forward, then he took another. 

His eyes never left her face.

Meanwhile Elliot looked as though someone had just shattered his entire understanding of reality, because there was only one explanation for what they had just felt.

Only one.

It felt impossible, yet the feeling was more real than anything they'd ever felt. 

Selene Vale, the Phantom CEO of Lunaris, the one holding the antidote that could cure them, was their freaking MATE!