Zara

"Wow! Beautiful color, Zara. You’ll love it. It suits you much better than black," Miranda told me, wide-eyed and smiling her usual sunny smile, as I entered. It was only thanks to her incredible caring and easy-going nature that she had lasted so long with Alpha Kane.

"Thank you." I beamed at her as we settled into her office.

She laid out the file she kept on the board of directors. The sharks of the business world who chose and decided the future of others. I knew that even Alpha Kane needed to keep them happy and content.

Alpha Kane told me I would spend the day with Miranda to learn more about them.

Taking some sticky notes, I began writing down names and sticking them on their heads. As soon as my gaze fell on them, their names were the first thing I saw.

We continued on our way until late evening, and Charlie came in with food and drinks, beaming with delight. He waved the takeout bags at us.

"Are you ladies working that hard? I’m here for a boost."

I plopped down in my chair with relief and, throwing mine on the table, exclaimed,

"Food ... You can feel it tightening up, you know." He didn’t say "breasts"; he simply looked at his area, letting us know what he was talking about.

"I knew it, I always knew it wasn’t real." Miranda turned her thin nose up in disgust.

I sat relaxed in my chair, enjoying a slice of pizza, and asked. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

"Who?"

Charlie turned to me, snorted, and clicked his tongue.

"Cassie Bilock. The star of our winter gala. Rehearsals begin in two days, and Mr. Sterling will be personally selecting the models. But everyone knows she’ll be a regular. She’s been the company’s star attraction for the last two years." He leaned even closer to me before muttering his next words.

"Word is she and CEO slept under the sheets, and that’s how she got the role." His words made the pizza slice get stuck in my throat, and I couldn’t breathe.

"Zara?" I jumped up from his seat and rushed over to pat me on the back while I coughed and coughed.

Miranda did the same until she pulled out the pizza slice and handed me a napkin.

The door to the office opened at that very moment, he holding my hand and stroking my back.

I turned my head toward the door, and the entire doorway was filled with an annoying Alpha Kane.

"What’s going on here?" Alpha Kane demanded. His obsidian, empty gaze, full of malice, darted from me to Miranda and settled on the poor guy.

As if he’d been electrocuted, he jumped away from me.

"Uh... Zara has pizza stuck in his throat. We were just slapping her on the back," Miranda explained awkwardly, without looking up.

The menacing look faded slightly, but didn’t disappear completely.

"You guys were supposed to be working, not throwing pizza parties." Alpha Kane glared at the confused Miranda.

’What were we? His corporate slaves? Or robots who didn’t need to eat or drink to function.’ Nova was annoying, too.

’You are right.’ I appreciated my wolf.

Then Alpha Kane continued his tirade, turning to him.

"And why did you even do that?"

"Here? Come down and finish the job I’m paying you for." He gave me an apologetic look and hurried away. Slipping past asshole Alpha proved no easy task, as he took up all the space in the doorway. Charlie barely managed to squeeze through, like a sly mouse, and Alpha Kane’s sharp gaze never left him until he was gone.

’Asshole, Alpha.’ I muttered.

Then Alpha Kane focused on me as he read my mind. I picked up a glass of water and calmly took a few sips.

"Go to my office, Zara," Alpha Kane said sharply, and stalked off like a madman.

Miranda looked at me sympathetically.

"It’s okay, I’ll deal with him." Rising wearily from my seat, I trudged toward his office.

’Now, I never shut my big mouth in front of Alpha.’ I told Nova.

’Be careful, Zara, he is our Alpha.’ Nova rolled her eyes.

"Come in," Alpha’s voice boomed from the speaker. I threw the door open and walked in, expecting him to be in a bad mood.

Alpha Kane paced the endless expanse, resting his chin on his thumb and forefinger, as if lost in deep thought that had robbed him of sleep.

"Sir!" I called out as respectfully as I could. Actually, at that time, I wanted to call him fucking Alpha.

Alpha Kane turned his head and tried to pierce me with his furious gaze. I crossed my arms over my chest, refusing to give in to his fear.

As far as I could tell, his posture struck me as a bit possessive.

"Why do you always have lunch with them? Shouldn’t you, my girlfriend, have lunch with me?" Alpha Kane demanded, stopping and looking at me.

I couldn’t believe this wolf. Did he even hear himself and realize how ridiculous it sounded?

"Because they are my friends, and we share similar tastes in food, and you refuse to eat anything I try to share with you," I replied, glaring at him.

’I wasn’t going to let him control my life just because I was his secretary with benefits.’ I was determined.

"So, Charlie is your friend now? Or is he more than just a friend? Have you considered how it would affect your reputation if word got out that you were more interested in him than me?" Alpha Kane accused, his black eyes filled with such pumped-up anger.

But Alpha Kane infuriated me.

"So what if he is? I won’t let you dictate my life. Say it loud and clear. We won’t stand on ceremony, and you’re not my real boyfriend. Who I date or sleep with is none of your business," I fumed, matching his tone. I can’t shut my big mouth anymore.

’Huge mistake.’ Nova rolled her eyes.

’I damn care.’

I seemed to have triggered the beast, and now it was coming at me with flared nostrils and dark, angry eyes.