She remained standing beside the bed while the rain tapped softly against the window.
Only that morning she had left for that government office believing she was one step closer to planning a wedding with the man she loved.
By afternoon she had watched another woman walk into his life.
Before the day was over, the government had assigned her to marry a stranger whose name alone was enough to make powerful people lower their voices.
Life, she realized, could change completely between sunrise and sunset.
But how was she going to face this new man?
Did this mean she would lose her life along the way?
It was now she realised how it was weak to be born a human in this society, because, wolves rarely wanted to be mated to humans.
“Tomorrow I will definitely go to the office and cancel this…
They would have to give me a new pair!” She didn’t mind at all receiving a pair at this time because she didn’t have a way around it.
She couldn’t escape this fate.
After some seconds, she drew a weary breath and made her way toward the bathroom.
Within minutes steam filled the small room as hot water cascaded from the shower.
Lena stepped beneath the spray and closed her eyes, allowing the warmth to wash away the rain that had soaked her from head to toe.
It eased the stiffness in her body and it quieted the trembling in her hands.
But no amount of hot water could wash away the ache settling deeper and deeper inside her heart.
When she finally stepped out of the bathroom, a cloud of warm steam drifted out behind her.
She wrapped herself in one of the hotel’s white robes before using a towel to dry her damp hair as she slowly returned to the bedroom.
The room felt noticeably warmer than before.
At first she assumed it was simply the lingering heat from the shower, but after a few moments she came to an unexpected stop.
Something felt different and she could not explain it.
The air itself seemed unusually warm—not stifling or uncomfortable, but strangely comforting, as though the room had somehow become more inviting during the few minutes she had been away.
Her eyes instinctively lifted toward the air-conditioning unit mounted high on the wall.
The display was dark and it was not running.
Lena frowned slightly.
For a brief moment she wondered whether the hot shower had simply left her body overheated, but the sensation felt different somehow.
It settled gently around her, subtle enough that she eventually dismissed it as nothing more than exhaustion playing tricks on her senses.
Perhaps her mind was simply trying to make sense of everything that had happened.
Shaking the thought aside, she walked over to the bed and sat down on its edge, drawing the robe a little tighter around herself.
Outside, the rain continued to blanket the city in an endless curtain of gray.
The afternoon was slowly giving way to evening as heavy storm clouds swallowed what little remained of the daylight, leaving the skyline cloaked in muted shades of silver and charcoal.
********
Miles away, the upper floors of Ashford Global Holdings remained as active as ever while they arrived back to the building.
Cassian strode through the executive corridor with Adrian walking half a step behind him.
Employees instinctively moved aside as he passed, greeting him with quiet respect before lowering their eyes and continuing on their way.
As much as they respected him, they also feared him, he was a man who could kill without a reason.
Over the years Cassian had built far more than a corporate empire.
He had cultivated a reputation that commanded absolute authority, and very few people possessed the courage to stand in his path.
Neither man spoke again until they reached the Alpha’s private office.
Once the doors closed behind them, Adrian placed a tablet on the desk and brought up the latest security report.
“Our people have confirmed that Miss Hartwell checked into the Riverside Grand Hotel.
She’s alone.”
Cassian glanced briefly at the report before setting it aside.
“I expected as much.”
“You still don’t intend to approach her?”
Cassian slowly walked toward the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the rain-covered city.
“No.”
Adrian watched him thoughtfully.
“Most Alphas wouldn’t have waited this long.
You know you should do something Alpha..”
A faint shadow crossed Cassian’s face, though his voice remained calm.
“Most Alphas haven’t watched their future mate lose the life she intended to build before they ever had the chance to meet her.”
“Adrian…” This story is hosted at novelping.com.
“Yes, Alpha.” Adrian immediately straightened, the warning in Cassian’s tone making him lower his head slightly.
Cassian turned his piercing blue eyes toward him.
“Why do I get the feeling you want me to get rid of this mate?” he asked quietly.
“Hmm?
Why is it that everything you say makes it sound as though you want me to scare my mate away?”
“No, no, Alpha.” Adrian quickly shook his head.
“That’s not what I meant.”
“Then what did you mean?”
Adrian hesitated, suddenly wishing he had kept his mouth shut.
“I’m worried you might become ill from restraining yourself,” he finally admitted.
“This is the first time your wolf has actually awakened.
You’ve spent all these years without feeling the mate bond, and now that it’s finally happened…” He swallowed.
“I just don’t think suppressing those instincts is good for you.”
Cassian stared at him for several seconds without saying a word.
Adrian shifted uncomfortably beneath that unwavering gaze.
“I was only concerned about your health, Alpha.”
Cassian’s expression remained unreadable.
Adrian lowered his eyes, quietly wondering whether opening the door and running away might be the wiser option.
Adrian kept quiet and waited for his instructions but also Cassian went silent.
Suddenly a firm knock interrupted the silence that had began building around the office.
“Come in.”
The office door opened, and the company’s chief physician entered carrying a leather folder tucked neatly beneath one arm.
After offering a respectful nod, he approached the desk.
“Alpha.”