Chapter 4 In a Dark Corner

— Eveline —

I was sitting on a stranger’s laps doing things no reasonable girl would do, at the workplace, amongst the most influential people around, and I couldn’t care less.

I’ve had friends tell me about their mates, and how it was nothing like, well, anything or anyone else. And the stories always felt surreal, exaggerated, girl fantasies at best. Oh, how wrong was I?

After high school, my brother gave me an ultimatum, school or work. Kaden was always the one to give the ultimatums. He was older than me by fifteen years and was already Alpha when I was born. When I was young, I’d been infuriated by the fact that he was always the one doing discipline, telling me no. It’s only after the triplets were born, and I was a little older, that I realize how chaotic things could get at home without it. Dad had had a health scare and had become super laid back with us. Or maybe it was a gender thing, or a responsibility thing. From what I learned, he’s always been really harsh on Kaden. But my sisters and I, we were like little princesses and Mom was barely less indulgent. They were having their second chance at a family, Dad was not Alpha anymore—giving the position away when he thought he was about to bite it—and he acted like he was on a constant holiday.

But when I began working after graduation, and saw a bit of what actually happens behind the curtain, I was blown away.

Kaden never asked me to keep up with his schedule, thanks the heavens, because I could never do 80 hours a week, seven days a week. Some weeks are quieter, but some are even worse. On top of that, he trains and workouts whenever he can, and he’s been doing it since he was a teen. Studying while working, and expending the businesses and pack. The last few generations of Alphas had done great for our pack, but none on the scale of Kaden. And that’s not mentioning all the time he spends away.

No matter how many times he told me and the girls to get our shit together and do something more useful than shopping, or partying, or gossiping, or indulging in whatever, never did I get a wake up call like actually watching him work.

It made me feel so wasteful of my time and efforts. It made most of my conversations, and activities, and hobbies suddenly sound so silly and pointless.

Transitioning to work was hard. Like really hard. And I kept messing up. He was surprisingly kind to me. I saw him bark orders all day and get angry at stupid mistakes of others. But he told me, “make the effort, and I’m gonna help you, mess around and I’ll kick you out without a second thought,” and I believed him.

It’s been two years now, and it’s kinda fun. And I really love the ambassador-like part of it. I think it plays to my strengths. I’ve put in the efforts, learned the faces and names, polished my appearance to something more mature, learned the parlance. And I’ve been rocking this ever since.

It’s getting harder and harder for me to imagine doing anything else.

I was going to get myself another flute of Champagne, in a nice hall, surrounded by important people, and I was crushing this.

And then I smelled him.

It was like home, and the sun, and laughter, and the wilds, bottled up in the most powerful cologne I’ve ever smelled. But rather than overwhelm my senses and give me a headache—like a too strong perfume would—instead it drew me in like a freaking Axe body spray commercial. Like pheromones, and hypnotism, and libido condensed in an irresistible air-current. I felt like Pépé Le Pew drifting in the air following behind someone I hadn’t even seen.

I tried—really tried—not to make a fool out of myself. Not to start pushing people out of the way. I made a quick and polite excuse when someone tried to stop me to talk. At some point I thought I could smell him everywhere and got so confused.

Had I lost his tracks?

I was beginning to hyperventilate when a breeze from outside reached me.

I rushed out.

He was there, right there, in front of me.

I’d say a hair under six feet, so in my heels we were pretty close to the same height. Dark brown hair, brown eyes. His hair looked artfully tussled, his suit impeccable, his skin naturally tanned, and his smile contagious.

It was hard to believe that I was finally in front of my mate. I tried to recall everything people told me about mates, but it was like my thoughts were swimming in vodka-laced jello.

I tried to keep acting like a respectable woman, and was half afraid I’d do something ridiculous or stupid that would make him recoil. He was a few years older, I guessed, and was probably not into overgrown teenagers. So I kept everything in check.

Until he mentioned kissing me.

My legs became cold pastas which made the fact that I was sitting a blessing, but what followed… Whatever grace, and dignity, and maturity I was wrapping myself in tonight was gone. It took everything in me not to groan at the thoughts that crossed my mind.

“Eva!” came a familiar voice and I froze with my hands down Darren’s shoulders, his lips right above my breasts. As if he could read my thoughts, he stopped and looked at me as I looked at Mads by the door.

His eyes were a little big and worried.

“Are you okay?” Mads asked, coming to me.

“Yes!” I said quickly.

Then I noticed Darren’s hair going every which way. It looked like he had styled it with a lawnmower. I tried to smooth out the damage I did, then I noticed how this looked from Mads perspective. And I was still straddling Darren, my dress hiked up on my thighs. Nothing screamed respectable dignitary about me right now. And I could only imagine what he was thinking while watching the little sister of his boss getting freaky in the yard, with the son of our host at that.

He marched to us, and I quickly got up, put my dress down and tried to put my hair back in place. Darren getting that something was happening, got up and took a look at Mads.

Mads looked at me suspiciously then said, “I just came to inform you that Alpha Devon is pulling in right now and would like to meet with you, before doing his meeting with Alpha Bjornson.”

“Oh, crap!” I muttered. “I’ll be right in.”

He nodded at me, then moved back in without sparing Darren a glance, but I knew he was staying close. It was kind of his job to do so.

“Ehm.” I turned to Darren.

“Is everything okay?”

“Yes.”

“Who is he?”

“My bodyguard.”

He raised an eyebrow at me.

“My brother doesn’t like me to travel on my own, especially for business,” I explained.

“I guess you have work to do?” He gestured at the door. He looked a little sad to cut this short. It was cute on him. And flattering.

“Yeah. I didn’t think he’d be in this early.”

He checked his watch. “It’s pretty late actually.”

I smiled sheepishly, which got his eyes to lower to my lips, which made my stomach do a backflip. But I couldn’t contain the giggles at the ridiculousness of his looks.

“What?” he asked confused.

“It’s your hair. I did quite a number on it.”

He put his fingers through his hair, and I tried to help him tame it back while giggling, which got him smiling again. He didn’t look too self-conscious and mostly let me do it, enjoying the whole thing.

I was smiling too much I felt like I was overexerting my facial muscles in the best way.

When I turned to go back in, I felt his fingers lace through mine as he joined me inside.

— Darren —

I had half a mind dragging her in a dark corner to do all sorts of things to that woman, but I guess ruining her career was not the best way to ease a woman into a relationship. So I reeled everything in, and just enjoyed the feeling of her hand in mine.

Did I just think in terms of relationship?

Huh?

Once inside, her head whipped around and I checked what got her attention.

Some guy was walking in.

He was tall, like really tall, like a head above mine tall. Hair so black it was nearly blue, dark eyes, an expensive all-black suit, and a don’t-mess-with-me expression on his face that seemed to be his default setting, or maybe he’s just eaten something that wasn’t fresh.

A few people got out of the way. Actually, he didn’t have to waltz around people, they just parted for him. Him and Moses. And then I heard someone close-by utter, “I was never told the bloody Hellhound was coming.”

The Hellhound?

Well, fuck!