Chapter 6: A Role Too Close

Kaima

The room I was given was beautiful, painted in cream, and it reminded me of home. Long curtains flowed down like a waterfall, swaying slightly as the breeze moved through them.

The bed was soft and comfortable, the morning air streaming in through the window. All throughout last night, I couldn't get some sleep despite the comfort. The unexplainable attraction I felt towards Alpha Nathan and the fact that I didn't know exactly what I was here for kept tugging at me.

I sat at the edge of the bed, my fingers subconsciously fiddling with the embroidery of the blanket, my thoughts drifting back to him as I shifted uneasy—Nathan. The way he spoke to me, the way his touch lingered on my skin, the strange spark.

“Now tell me,” Nyx said, her voice calm, “what are the chances that he could be our mate? Because you just can’t get him—”

“Don’t start, Nyx,” I cut her off.

“You can try to explain it to yourself all you want, Kaima, but you felt that pull, that connection. It wasn’t normal. We've never felt anything like it before.”

My chest heaved. I didn't want to agree, I wanted to argue, but she was right. I felt it, even when I tried to convince myself it was my imagination. It was the realest thing I’d ever felt.

It felt like an invisible thread pulled us together, and Goddess help me, because a part of me wanted it.

“He’s different,” I whispered. “Maybe that's the reason why I'm feeling this way—feeling drawn to him. He doesn't have this air of arrogance, identifiable with most Alphas and he looks at me with… kind eyes.” My chest tightened even as I said it, reliving that moment when his gaze had softened for me.

“Exactly,” Nyx purred in satisfaction. “That’s how a mate looks at his own.”

I shook my head quickly, like I could get rid of the thought. I didn't want to get my hopes high for nothing. “I can’t think of that, Nyx. We are here for a mission from Mother to save him, remember?. She never said anything about him being mine, besides the mate bond didn't snap in place, so maybe it's just in our head.”

Nyx didn't want to agree with me.

But what are we saving him from? She asked quietly.

“I… don’t know.”

Nyx was silent, but I could still feel her restless energy pacing in the back of my mind.

I stood up without thinking, brushing my hands over the jeans I had put on earlier that morning. If I was going to save him from something, then I had to find a way to be close to him. Waiting around wasn’t an option, and maybe the sooner I saved him from whatever this was, the sooner Mother would bless me with my mate.

So I stepped into the hallway.

The mansion was really quiet, sunlight streaming in through the tall windows, making the marble floor gleam.

I walked so quietly, like I didn’t have the right to be here. I wasn’t sure where exactly to find him or what I would say, but I just kept walking.

I took a corner and found myself before a wide door. It wasn’t where we met when I had first come; it was his office. Without thinking, I moved closer, my hand lifted, ready to knock, but before I could, the door shifted slightly open.

My breath caught in my throat.

Nathan was inside.

He stood by his desk tall, strong, radiating that calm authority that drew me in even more. But he wasn’t alone.

A woman was there with him. I peeked through. Her hair was long, blonde, cascading down her back in glassy waves. Her smile was bright when she looked up at him. She was standing close to him—too close. Her hands brushed against his arm as if she belonged to him.

They were laughing together.

I froze as every single part of me went still.

“Who’s she?” Nyx snarled, her voice carrying an unexplainable anger. “Why the hell is she touching him?”

I swallowed hard, my heart tightening with jealousy. I didn’t want to be feeling this way, not when I had no right. It was clear she was his mate, from the way they bonded so easily and naturally. He belonged to someone else. 

So why the hell couldn’t I get him out of my mind?

Standing there, just watching them, it felt like I couldn’t breathe.

I gripped the doorframe, my nails digging into the wood. He looked happy. Why had Mother sent me here then? Why was I being tormented with this cruel pull toward someone who already belongs to someone else?

Without thinking, I pushed the door open and stepped in.

Nathan wasn’t standing anymore; he was seated behind his desk, and the woman was with him. Getting a clear view of her now showed how beautiful she was, poised like a masterpiece that belonged in an art exhibition.

Her smile lit up her face, but when her eyes flicked to me, I couldn’t help but feel unwelcome. Yet she kept a smile on her face.

Nathan’s attention shifted to me fully, his gaze softening the moment it landed on me. He was elegantly dressed, his dark hair well-combed, and his blue eyes, Goddess, those beautiful eyes—looked at me with something that both warmed and unsettled me.

“Kaima,” he said, voice soothing. “Did you sleep well?”

“Yes,” I answered, trying to keep my tone even. “Thank you.”

He studied me for a moment, his gaze conflicted before gesturing toward the woman with him. “This is Elizabeth,” he said, his gaze lingering on her for just a second longer than I’d like before returning to me. “She’s my mate.” He confirmed what I had suspected.

He introduced me to her as the newest member of the pack, but I had already removed myself from the discussion when he had said Mate. My stomach sank heavily.

Elizabeth offered her hand with a warm smile. “Welcome to Nightbane. I hope you feel at home here.”

Her voice was so sweet, kind even. She was more than welcoming. No wonder she was mated to this kind of Alpha. She seemed very gentle and cheerful, the perfect reflection of everything he deserved.

I took her hand in mine, and after a second, I let it drop.

“I really do appreciate that,” I said, returning her smile, but my voice didn't come out as warm as I wanted. Then I turned to Nathan, my heart skipping a beat against my will. “Actually, I wanted to ask something.”

He raised a brow, curious.

“I was wondering if there’s any… job I could do. I don’t want to sit idly. I’d rather work to keep my mind busy.”

He didn’t answer instantly. He just leaned back in his chair, watching me, silence settling between us, his face unreadable.

I contemplated—maybe I was stepping too far.

Finally, his lips curved faintly. “There is one position.”

Nathan’s eyes never left mine. “My personal assistant.”

The words dropped like stones between us. He had paused before saying them, as if he’d questioned whether it was wise to speak them aloud.

Elizabeth glanced at him, and I noticed the way her shoulders stiffened slightly.

Nyx stirred inside of me. “You wanted to get close to him, remember? This is your chance.”

I didn’t let myself hesitate. “I’ll take it,” I said with a quick voice, my voice sharper than I intended.

Something flickered in Nathan’s eyes; it was unreadable. He gave me a slow nod, but the weight of his gaze made my

chest tighten.

Elizabeth appeared excited for me. At least that was what her face showed— but not her eyes.