Chapter 12 Chapter 12
“Inside”, Stetson said sharply.
Zarlia exchanged glances with Luke who just came out of an elevator, stepping to her side. Stetson grabbed Stacy by the arm and led her into the office, the door shutting behind them with a quiet but final click
Zarlia’s heart thumped in her chest. She couldn’t hear what was happening, but she could feel it—a strange tug inside her, like the air had shifted.
Inside the office, Stacy leaned back against Stetson’s desk, trying to smile through the suffocating energy radiating from him.
“Did you miss me Stetson…” she whispered. “I missed you”
He twitched—irritated. Even after everything, after drugging him, despite his warnings she still managed to show up in front of him with that deceitful smile plastered on her petty face.
“What are you doing here Stacy?”, he managed to remain calm, raking his fingers through his black hair. She smirked, licking her lips.
“I already told you Stetson, I missed you”
“Don’t ever walk into my building uninvited again”
She blinked, “Excuse me?”
He took a step closer, his eyes narrowing. “You heard me”. A flicker of confusion crossed her face before she forced a sultry smile. “Oh, come on, you don’t mean that. I know you, Stetson. You wouldn’t—”
Before she could finish, his hand hit the desk beside her, making her jump. “I said”, he growled, “stay away from me.”
And then, faint but distant, Asher’s voice snarled in his head.
“I could always get rid of this overgrown lipstick—permanently”
Stetson exhaled slowly, fighting the urge to let his wolf take over, offer was quite tempting. “Stay the hell away from me Stacy. You drugged me once. That’s not something I’d forget.
Her smirk faltered. “I—it wasn’t like that. I just—”
“I already found my mate”. His tone sliced through her words, calm but firm. “And I don’t want you anywhere near her or me”
Color drained from her face. “Mate?”
“Yes”. His eyes gleamed—golden for just a second, Asher pushing through. “You’d be smart to stay far away”.
“Stay away from us or I’ll tear your throat out”, Asher hissed inside his mind, the words vibrating like a growl under his skin.
Stetson straightened, tugging at his cuffs, regaining his composure. “Security will escort you out. If you come here again, I won’t be polite”. Stacy’s lips parted, trembling between anger and humiliation. She stepped past him, her perfume sharp and bitter now and yanked open the door.
Zarlia and Luke looked at her instantly, pretending to be in a serious conversation about work as she walked out, heels stabbing the floor.
Stacy never thought she’d see the day. She could remember those times, back then in the pack; she and Stetson were close. She dreamt of being his Luna, befriending him since they were little kids, hoping the moon goddess would understand her desires but now—all her plans were going down the drain.
Why did Stetson have to find his Luna? Her hands formed fists as she entered the elevator, catching a pair of brown eyes on her—Zarlia.
She ignored the employee and continued to pounder. Stacy thought she had hope since Stetson didn’t find a mate on time, she used that time to go closer to him, she thought she had a chance.
“I can kill his mate for you”, Zina, her wolf suggested.
Stetson could push her away for as long as he wants but she knew she was never going to give up. She’d have to deal with this his so-called mate.
Zarlia eyes were still fixed on the elevator Stacy left in, ignoring her ringing phone when Stetson’s solid voice called out. “Miss Shaw” he said, cool and clipped. “My office. Now”
Her stomach dropped. She straightened the stack of folders in her arms twice, then walked towards his office doors as if she had somewhere else to be. She did not.
Luke eyes met hers, unreadable. “He probably wants his coffee”, he muttered.
Zarlia barely stepped over the threshold when Stetson looked up from his desk. He was already standing, that contained kind of movement he reserved for moments when restraint was required. The suppression ring winked in his hand like a threat.
“Did you bring—” he started, then cut off as he saw the empty cup Zarlia placed guiltily on his desk. The rim had red lipstick on it. “Miss Stacy drank it sir”
Heat flared on Zarlia’s cheeks. “I—I got it from the café, black, how you liked it. I didn’t—”
“You walked into the elevator with her”, he finished. His voice had an edge now. He walked towards her, bending down to her level, “Did she do anything or say anything to you?”. She shook her head immediately, her heart thundering in her chest causing her to take a step back. “Make sure you stay away from her at all costs Miss Shaw”
Stetson didn’t miss the irritation that flashed on her face but ignored it.
He didn’t want her to meddle with Stacy, why? A million thoughts ran through her mind. Maybe he didn’t want his one-night stand to mix with his real girlfriend. What a hypocrite.
She desperately wanted to ask why and who exactly was Stacy but sadly she didn’t have the courage to do it. Plus, she was the one who set boundaries first, so asking about his personal life would be breaking her own rules.
“Now” he started, straightening up. “To the real matter at hand”
His voice as suddenly cold, his eyes narrowing at her. “I heard that that pretty mouth of yours almost jeopardized my stand point”.
He strolled towards her as she kept retreating back. “W…what do you mean” she gripped the files in her hands tightly, like it was a life boat. He cornered her against his desk, placing his hands on it beside her.
“What brought the discussion of me being an alpha Miss Shaw”. Her eyes widened remembering a worked describing him of having ‘Alpha energy’. She looked away, her lips trembling.
There he was trying to make sure his identity wasn’t revealed when she knew nothing about it. He didn’t tell her; he wouldn’t tell her.
She swallowed, gathering some courage. “I have questions of my own Mr West”, she straightened up.