Chapter 6

Chapter 6: (Christian's POV)

The morning run usually cleared my head. Ten miles through the city, my wolf reveling in our shared strength. But today, every step took me farther from what I really wanted.

“Sophie.”

Even thinking her name made my wolf restless. We'd left her sleeping, looking like a dream in my sheets. Just a quick run, then back to wake her properly.

My wolf had other ideas. “Mark her. Claim her. Make her ours.”

“Patience,” I muttered, stepping into the elevator with two cups of ridiculously expensive coffee. The things humans would pay for beans was almost as ridiculous as what they'd pay for a car.

The penthouse was quiet. Too quiet.

My wolf knew before I did. The bed was empty, sheets cold.

The coffee cups hit the floor. I didn't care about the mess.

“Sophie?” My voice echoed through empty rooms. Her scent lingered everywhere – vanilla, lightning, and something uniquely her. But it was fading.

My wolf howled in distress. “Find her!”

I traced her path through the penthouse. The bathroom held the strongest traces. Anxiety. Confusion. Fear? The thought of her afraid – of me, of us – made my wolf pace.

A crumpled paper by the bed caught my eye. Her handwriting, half-formed words scratched out. She'd tried to leave a note. My wolf didn't know whether to be pleased she'd considered explaining or angry she left.

My phone buzzed. Sarah from HR.

“Mr. Knight? About the new hire paperwork for Sophie Turner…”

I hung up. Rude, but I couldn't think about corporate protocol right now. Not when her scent was fading from my sheets with every passing minute.

“MATE”, my wolf insisted. “She's our MATE.”

“I know.” And I did know. Had known from the moment I scented her in that bar.

Memories of last night flooded back. The way she'd challenged me, matched me. Her brilliance, her strength. The way she'd felt in my arms, like she was made to be there.

The way she'd noticed the banned books on pack reform. The spark in her eyes when she talked about evolution and change. Everything I'd been looking for, wrapped in a package that drove my wolf crazy.

My beta's third call went straight to voicemail. Pack business could wait. Even the territory dispute with the northern packs seemed trivial compared to finding Sophie.

The shower didn't help. If anything, washing away her scent made it worse. Made it feel less real, like maybe I'd imagined the whole thing.

But my wolf knew better. “Real. Mate. Ours.”

The next day, I dressed in a suit, and tie, my shoes polished to military precision. The CEO armor I wore like a second skin. I caught myself fixing my tie three times, wanting to look perfect when I saw her again.

If I saw her again.

“When”, my wolf corrected. “When we see her again.”

James, my driver, noticed something was off. Twenty years in my service had taught him to read my moods.

“Everything alright, sir?”

I caught myself scanning the crowds again, searching for a glimpse of her. “Fine.”

Every female with long dark hair made my wolf surge forward. Every whiff of vanilla had me turning my head. This wasn't like me. I didn't lose control. I didn't let emotions cloud my judgment.

But Sophie… Sophie changed everything.

The lobby of Knight Industries gleamed with its usual corporate efficiency. My assistant fell into step beside me, tablet ready.

“Your 9 AM cancelled. HR needs signatures on the new hire packets. The Shadow Ridge beta called about territory disputes. And the new employee orientation starts at 10.”

I stopped walking. “The orientation?”

“Yes, sir. Twenty new hires. Including that strategic operations manager you personally recruited. Sophie Turner?”

My wolf surged forward so fast I nearly shifted right there in the lobby.

“Move the orientation to the executive conference room,” I said, trying to sound normal. “I'll handle it personally.”

“But sir, your schedule-”

“Clear it.”

She knew better than to argue with that tone.

In my office, Sophie's employee file mocked me. Her photo didn't do her justice – too corporate, too contained. It didn't show the fire in her eyes when she argued about pack politics. The strength in her spine when she talked about her career.

The file was inches thick. Resumes, recommendations, performance reviews. I'd collected them all, watching her career from afar. Planning how to bring her into my world.

I hadn't planned on the mate bond. Hadn't expected my wolf to recognize her so completely.

My wolf hadn't stopped pacing since we'd found the empty bed. “Find her. Claim her. Keep her.”

“Soon,” I promised him.

The orientation room would tell me everything I needed to know. If she showed up, it meant she still wanted the job. Still wanted a place in my corporate world, even if she was running from the rest of it.

If she didn't show up…

My wolf snarled at the thought.

The file photo stared up at me. Strategic Operations Manager. I'd created the position for her months ago, after watching her from afar. After realizing, she was exactly what both my company and my pack needed.

I just hadn't expected her to be what I needed too.

“MATE”, my wolf howled again.

For once, we were in perfect agreement.

The clock struck 10.

Time to find out if Sophie Turner was ready to face her future – all of it.

I straightened my tie and headed for the conference room, my wolf practically vibrating with anticipation.

The door handle felt cool under my palm. One deep breath. Two.

Let the games begin.