Alpha Kaidan returned to his office, but the conversation with Naomi followed him all the way there. He closed the door behind him and walked toward his desk, trying to push the thoughts away.
Reports waited for him; several matters concerning the pack needed his attention, and a meeting with the council was scheduled later in the week, which John had already reminded him about twice. Normally, he would have gone through everything without distraction, but today, his mind kept returning to the same words.
Now you know.
That was what Naomi had said after he asked why she hadn’t told him she was leaving. There had been no anger in her voice, no accusation, nothing that would have given him an excuse to argue with her.
She had answered him and returned to her work.
Alpha Kaidan sat behind his desk and picked up the first report. He read the first few lines before realising he hadn’t taken in a single word; he put it down.
He reached for another document; the same thing happened. With a frustrated sigh, he leaned back in his chair and rubbed his forehead. He couldn’t understand why he was suddenly having trouble concentrating. Nothing had changed in the pack: no immediate threat, no urgent problem demanding his attention.
The only thing that had changed was Naomi, and somehow, that was enough to distract him.
A knock sounded on the door.
"Come in."
John entered with a folder tucked under his arm. "Sir, these are the updated reports from the eastern territory."
Alpha Kaidan nodded. "Put them there." John placed the folder on the desk, but instead of leaving, he remained standing.
Alpha Kaidan noticed. "What?"
John hesitated. "Nothing, sir."
"Then why are you still standing there?"
John gave him a brief look before answering. "You seem distracted."
Alpha Kaidan’s expression hardened. "I’m not."
"Yes, sir." The answer came too quickly.
Alpha Kaidan looked at him. John cleared his throat. "I mean, if you say you’re not, then you’re not."
"Good."
John nodded, but there was a faint amusement in his expression that irritated Alpha Kaidan.
"Is there something else?"
"Actually, sir, I wanted to confirm whether you still want the meeting with the western territory representatives moved to Friday."
"Yes."
"And the healer quarters requested additional supplies."
Alpha Kaidan looked up. "The healer quarters?"
"Yes, sir. They sent the request this morning. Apparently, the number of patients has increased since Madam Naomi started working there.
Something shifted in Alpha Kaidan’s expression.
"How many supplies did they request?"
John opened the folder. "Quite a few. Medicinal herbs, bandages, pain medication, and some equipment."
"Approve it."
John looked at him. "All of it?"
"Yes."
"Alright, sir."
John closed the folder, but Alpha Kaidan stopped him before he could leave.
"Is Naomi managing everything properly?"
John turned around. "She seems to be."
"She seems to be?"
"Yes, sir. I’ve heard good things about her work."
Alpha Kaidan frowned. "From who?"
"The healers. Some of the patients too."
He leaned back in his chair. "What exactly are they saying?"
John’s eyebrows lifted slightly, but he wisely kept his expression neutral.
"They say Madam Naomi is good at what she does. She’s patient with the older members, and she doesn’t rush through examinations."
Alpha Kaidan said nothing. John waited.
"She has always been good with people," Alpha Kaidan said eventually.
"Yes, sir."
Another pause followed.
John looked as though he wanted to say something, but Alpha Kaidan gave him a warning look.
"You can go."
"Yes, sir."
After John left, Alpha Kaidan stared at the closed door.
He didn’t know why he’d asked those questions.
He already knew Naomi was intelligent. He knew she had spent years training to become a healer. He had paid for her education because of their contract, but somehow, he had never bothered to find out what she actually wanted to do with the life he had helped fund.
Now everyone else seemed to know. His eyes fell on the reports on his desk; he forced himself to focus.
This time, he managed to read through the first page.
Then another knock came before he could answer; the door opened, and Serena stepped inside.
She smiled when she saw him.
"Alpha Kaidan." He looked up. "What are you doing here?"
"I wanted to see you."
She walked toward his desk and stopped in front of him. "You’ve been avoiding me."
"I’ve been working."
"I know." Serena smiled. "But you weren’t at breakfast for long, and then you disappeared." Alpha Kaidan said nothing.
Serena studied him carefully. "You went to see Naomi." He looked at her. "Yes." Something flickered across her face before she quickly hid it.
"Why?"
"She was at the healer’s quarters." "I know."
Alpha Kaidan’s eyes narrowed slightly; Serena smiled softly. "Everyone knows she’s spending a lot of time there."
"She has patients."
"Of course."
Something about the way Serena said it made him uncomfortable. He picked up another report.
"I needed to speak with her."
"About what?"
"I don’t remember."
Serena stared at him for a moment before moving closer. "You’ve been thinking about her a lot lately."
Alpha Kaidan looked up sharply. "I haven’t."
Serena gave him a small smile. "You don’t have to defend yourself to me." "I wasn’t defending myself."
"Then don’t."
She reached across the desk and took his hand. "I just don’t want you to worry about someone who clearly doesn’t want your attention anymore."
Alpha Kaidan’s eyes dropped to their joined hands.
"She didn’t say that."
"She didn’t have to."
Serena’s voice remained gentle. "You went all the way to the healer’s quarters to speak to her, and she told you she was busy."
Alpha Kaidan’s jaw tightened. Serena noticed.
"I don’t mean it as an insult, Alpha Kaidan. I’m only saying that maybe you should stop chasing someone who has already decided to walk away."
He pulled his hand away. "I wasn’t chasing her."
Serena smiled faintly. "Then what were you doing?"
He didn’t answer.
She moved around the desk and stood beside him.
"You have me," she whispered. "You always have."
Alpha Kaidan looked at her.
For years, hearing those words would have comforted him; now they only made him think about the woman who had once waited for him every evening and no longer did.
He stood abruptly. "I have work to finish."
Serena stepped back. "Of course."
There was disappointment in her voice, but Alpha Kaidan didn’t respond. She walked toward the door, then paused.
"Alpha Kaidan?"
He looked at her. "I hope you remember that I’m the one who came back to you."
The door closed behind her. Alpha Kaidan remained standing beside his desk.
He knew Serena had been through something terrible. He knew she had disappeared for years and returned with wounds and a story he still hadn’t completely understood.
He also knew he had once loved her enough to believe he could never want anyone else, but lately something had changed. Not enough for him to understand it, not enough for him to call it love, but enough for him to notice when Naomi wasn’t looking at him, enough for him to notice when she walked away, enough for him to want her to turn around. He returned to his chair and sat down, forcing his attention back to the reports.
A few minutes later, John knocked again. "Sir?" "Come in." John entered with another document. "There’s one more thing. Madam Naomi requested that her healer quarters remain open later in the evenings. She wants to make sure members who work during the day can still receive treatment." Alpha Kaidan looked up. "When did she request that?" "This morning, sir." "Approve it." John nodded. "Yes, sir." He turned to leave. "John." "Yes, sir?" Alpha Kaidan hesitated. "Make sure she has everything she needs."
John looked at him for a second. "Of course, sir." After John left, Alpha Kaidan sat quietly behind his desk, telling himself it was simply his responsibility as Alpha to make sure the healer quarters were properly equipped; that was all. At least, that was what he wanted to believe.