54

A knock snapped me out of my thoughts. It was Noah, my brother.

"Have you calmed down?" he asked.

"You would react like me if you still hadn't found Rose."

"Kian. Believe me, I can understand you very well. When I turned eighteen, I couldn't wait to find my mate. Every day the longing grew more. A year of searching had already exhausted me mentally. You've had to endure it for six years. But believe me you will find her. Then you will forget this emptiness you feel now. It'll be like you've been together your whole life."

"Thank you, Noah. I hope you're right."

"Of course I'm right, I'm the alpha." He started to laugh, which I laughed back. Noah has always been there for me, for as long as I can remember. I was only sixteen when my parents left. Noah used to big responsibility at just 18. He had to take care of an idiot teenager, my little sister who was only six at the time and the whole pack. After all he had succeeded my father. But he had his job pretty well done, personally I couldn't have done it. Plus he had Rose by his side. She acted like a mother but she was the mother of the pack after all. Our Luna.

"Has Jacob spoken to you yet?" asks Noah.

"Yeah, don't worry. I'll take care of this thing this time. How about if you don't go on vacation now. Enjoy the togetherness with Rose before my little niece is born!"

"I will think about it. I don't want you to have to take all the responsibility. You have a lot to do in the company itself, but also as a beta."

"Do not worry about me."

(...)

I glared at the new interns angrily. I knew it wasn't their fault. Still, I was angry. How could you be late on the first day? Five of the six newcomers stared at the floor in awe. I took a deep breath and said to Jacob, "Which of you is missing?"

"Miss Mason Ava is not here yet."

Again I got goosebumps at this name. How did I know this person? Despite it. Even if it were my best friend, I wouldn't let him compete again.

"Jacob, if she still appears, throw her out straight away! I'm fine with being a minute late, but half an hour? She blew her chance."

Suddenly a strange feeling came over me. A warm and indescribable feeling. My heart clenched and my senses went haywire. At that moment a door opened and I looked speechless at the girl who came through the door with bright red cheeks, tousled hair and a desperate look. My lungs constricted, so I could hardly breathe. I had finally found her, my beautiful mate.

For me at that moment the world was still. A small smile formed on my face. I probably looked like a little boy in love. But could you really blame me? I've been looking for my mate for ages.

"Miss Mason!" Jason cleared his throat. I remembered telling him to throw her out earlier. Before he could continue, however, I cut him off. "...come into my office with me!"

All eyes fell on me, but I was only interested in one pair of eyes. She looked at me for the first time. Her beautiful brown eyes met mine and my heart jumped. Briefly, the girl - Ava - looked at me anxiously before furrowing her eyebrows. I looked at her confused. Was there a reason why she was now looking at me hostilely? I was just imagining it. Why would she look at me like that? I hadn't done anything to her. Not yet anyway. It was difficult for me to stop myself from pouncing on her. To finally take her in my arms after all this long wait, to tag her and officially make her mine.

Jason cleared his throat and asked the other interns to go with him. I glanced at Ava to follow me into my office. Maybe that was a bad idea. Being alone in a room with her would be difficult given my self-control. I could smell that she was human. Not a werewolf like me. So I had to take it slow. I couldn't overwhelm her.

When I got to my office, I asked Ava to sit down. I sat across from her and took a deep breath. Just don't think about tagging them here and now. Although that cost me a great effort. Ava didn't seem nervous like she had when she was late coming into the hall. She just looked at me monotonously. Before I could say anything, she said, "Why am I here? With you? I thought someone else would take care of us. I never expected you here!"

Despite the anger in her voice, she gave me goosebumps. Her voice sounded like liquid honey and pulling me together was damn hard.

"Who were you expecting?" I ask, giving her my smile. Usually this worked for women. However, for her, it had the opposite effect. She gave me an even more hostile look.

"Noah Black. If I had known you were here, I would have gladly given up this position."

Ouch. That my mate spoke to me like that hurt somehow. Why did she reject me like that? I didn't do anything to her? I ignored even the fact that she was late. Okay, I would even tolerate it if she didn't do anything here. She could sit on my lap all day and I would still hire her. I will do that too. Now I had finally found my motivation to go to work.

"Really? Even if I want to hire you as my personal secretary?" I asked bluntly.

Something sparkled in her eyes, but went out immediately. She got up from the seat and said sarcastically, "Mr Black, thank you for this great offer. However, I don't want to work with you. Even if it cost me my career. I just don't want anything to do with you."

She turned her back on me and was about to leave. I got up in a panic and shouted, "Wait!"

Ava turned and looked at me intently.

"Why don't you take this chance? Did I say something wrong?" I asked desperately. What did my mate have against me?

"Do you remember me?" she asked quietly. I didn't hear any anger this time, only a certain hurt.

"No, I don't remember ever seeing you!" I said confused. I would know if I met my mate.

"Then that's another reason to go, Kian!" she said angrily and disappeared through the door.

Hearing my name out of her mouth gave me goosebumps. I didn't know what exactly had just happened. Maybe she mistook me for someone? But how did she know my name was Kian? Most likely from TV or the internet.

I ran a hand through my hair angrily and swept most of my documents off the desk. I had found my mate and she despised me? Maybe I should go after her? Maybe I should give her time? No matter what I did, the situation just sucked.

(...)

"What's the matter, Kian?" my brother asked in the evening. I hadn't spoken a word since meeting my mate. I had crept into my room like a little boy. I didn't want to talk to anyone or eat anything. So my brother came into my room and sat on the edge of the bed.

"I found her, Noah."

"Who?" he asked confused.

"My mate."

"What? How? Where? Tell me everything! I knew you would find her soon."

“She was one of the interns. She's just so...so perfect and she...loathes me for some inexplicable reason."

"You're probably just imagining it. Why did you just say she was one of the interns?"

"When she saw me, she left straight away. She didn't want anything to do with me. What did I do wrong, Noah? I feel even emptier from before. I want her with me and never let go."

"Oh Kian. I don't know how to help you with that. Maybe you talk to her again? Your address is on your application. visit her Talk to her. Ask her what she has against you."

I straightened up off the bed and gave my brother a grateful look.

"I'll go straight to her."

"No, it's late now. Talk to her tomorrow."

Groaning, I let myself fall again and thought of her. Her beautiful brown eyes. Hadn't I seen those eyes before?