During lunch, I met Ophelia and Adrian downstairs from the building. My little boy looked adorable in the new clothes I’d bought him, his dark brown curls catching the sunlight, but what drew attention most were those eyes -deep blue with silver flecks that looked exactly like…
“Mommy!” Adrian launched himself into my arms, his smile capable of melting my heart entirely.
The elementary school was wonderful. Adrian passed his interview with flying colors and immediately began playing with the other children. Interestingly, the other kids seemed naturally drawn to him, clustering around him like he was their chosen leader. The teacher commented that she’d rarely seen such natural leadership qualities in someone so young.
“He’s delightful,” the teacher said softly, curiosity flickering in her eyes. “You and your husband have done an excellent job raising him.”
I just smiled awkwardly without responding.
I settled back into my workspace around half past one, still smiling from Adrian’s enthusiastic chatter about his new classroom. With Claire still away, I began sorting through the documents I’d reviewed earlier. Sunbeams poured in from the massive windows, painting warm stripes across my desk.
A sudden ring shattered the quiet.
My pulse quickened. This must be it -my inaugural call at my new position. I wiped my palms on my skirt and lifted the receiver.
“Good afternoon, Nightshadow Industries executive suite. How may I assist you?”
Dead air greeted me. Had the connection failed? Then came a sound -an exasperated exhale that spoke volumes. The voice that followed made my breath catch.
Gravelly. Commanding. Laced with barely restrained annoyance and an undercurrent of authority that seemed to pulse through the phone line.
“I need Claire.”
My wolf cowered instinctively. I gripped the receiver tighter, willing my voice not to waver.
“She’s currently unavailable, sir. Perhaps I could take a message or assist you myself?”
An uncomfortable silence stretched between us. I could sense his displeasure building like storm clouds.
“And who might you be?”
My fingers dug into the desk’s edge.
“Seraphina, sir,” I managed, forcing confidence into my tone. “I’ve just started as the new executive assistant.”
“Listen carefully. When I arrive, Claire needs to be there-waiting. Not catching up on emails. Not finishing her coffee. There.”
“Understood, sir. I’ll relay that immediately.” Something made me add, “Should I let her know who’s requesting her presence?”
The response came like thunder.
“Your BOSS!” The words seemed to vibrate through the handset.
Click. The line went silent.
I remained motionless, phone still clutched in my hand, the dial tone buzzing in my ear. My fingers trembled as I finally replaced the receiver. A strange mixture of dread and adrenaline coursed through me.
“Dear Moon,” I breathed, pressing my palms against my flushed cheeks.
What had I just done? My first day, and I’d already provoked the Alpha who controlled this entire organization.
“Seraphina?”
I startled so violently my chair rolled backward. Claire stood at the entrance, her expression shifting to alarm. “You’ve gone completely pale. What’s wrong?”
It took me three attempts to form words. “He phoned.”
Her eyebrows lifted. “And?”
“You were out, which apparently was… problematic. He wants you ready when he arrives. Right away.” I exhaled shakily. “He wasn’t pleased. At all. Possibly furious.”
To my complete bewilderment, Claire burst into delighted laughter.
“Oh, Seraphina,” she chuckled, settling into her chair with obvious amusement dancing in her eyes. “You look perfectly intact to me. Do you know what happened to the last girl who answered one of his calls?”
I shook my head mutely.
“She quit. Immediately. Didn’t even finish out the day.” Claire’s smile widened. “And you’re still here. That’s rather impressive.”
“Impressive?” My voice came out as a squeak.
“I think I just sealed my own professional death warrant.”
Damien’s POV
The pack territory negotiations had concluded hours ago, but I couldn’t focus on anything except that voice from this afternoon’s phone call. Sitting in my suite at the Moonstone Hotel, I stared at the tumbler of whiskey in my hand, replaying that calm yet resilient feminine voice in my mind.
As an Alpha, I was accustomed to immediate submission and awe. But there had been something different in her voice -something that made my inner wolf restless, as if we’d encountered her before somewhere, though I couldn’t place where.
“You terrified that poor woman,” my wolf Alex grumbled in my mind. “She’s probably already quit.”
The thought bothered me more than it should have. Most assistants fled after a single encounter with my temper, leaving Claire to clean up the mess. But something about this Seraphina Knight intrigued me -the way she’d maintained her composure despite my obvious fury, the slight tremor in her voice that suggested fear but not submission.
Just then, Claire called.
“Good evening, Alpha. I hear you frightened my replacement?” Her tone carried that familiar note of mockery that only she could get away with after decades of service to my family.
“So,” I leaned back in my chair, “care to explain how you managed to find someone who doesn’t immediately quit after hearing my voice?”
“Her name is Seraphina Knight. Silver Moon Harbor Business School graduate, exceptional abilities. Single mother, works harder than anyone I’ve ever supervised.” Claire paused deliberately, and I could practically hear her smiling through the phone. “More importantly -she didn’t run away after you scared her. She’s still there working, which tells me she has real backbone.”
“Single mother?” Something about that detail caught my attention.
“Four-year-old son named Adrian. Sweet boy – she showed me his photo.” Claire’s voice softened. “She’s had a hard life, Damien. But she’s not looking for pity or handouts. She just wants to work.”
After hanging up, I immediately pulled up Seraphina’s employment file on my laptop. Twenty-three years old, graduated summa cum laude from Silver Moon Harbor Business School, previous employment at smaller firms with glowing recommendations. No photograph attached -HR’s standard privacy protocol for new hires.
Her cover letter was professional but brief, mentioning her desire to work for a company that valued merit over connections.
My phone chimed with an email notification. Sender: [email protected]
*Subject: Daily Summary – October 15th*
*Mr. Nightshadow,*
*Please find attached a summary of today’s activities and several items requiring your attention upon your return. I’ve also taken the liberty of organizing your calendar for the upcoming week based on priority levels.*
*I apologize again for any confusion during our phone conversation earlier. I look forward to meeting you in person to discuss how I can best support your objectives.*
*Best regards,*
*Seraphina Knight*
*Senior Assistant to the CEO*
I clicked open the attachments, bracing myself for the usual tedious litany of meeting times and conference room bookings. What I found instead made me sit back in genuine surprise.
The report wasn’t just a simple schedule. She’d organized everything perfectly, spotted potential conflicts in my calendar that even I hadn’t noticed, and added smart suggestions for making my workday more efficient.
She’d been in the position for all of eight hours and was already anticipating problems before they materialized.
“Well, well,” Alex said with unmistakable respect in his tone. “This one’s not just doing the job -she’s actually good at it.”
But I still felt unsettled, and I knew exactly why. The familiar ache of loneliness pressed against my chest -a constant reminder of what I’d been searching for but couldn’t find.
“You’re brooding again,” Alex observed dryly in my mind.
“I’m not brooding,” I muttered aloud, downing the rest of my whiskey. “I’m thinking.”
For so many years, I’d been unable to find my mate, growing increasingly cynical about the possibility of finding someone who could match my intensity and understand the weight of leadership. I’d had brief encounters, meaningless affairs with women drawn to my wealth and status, but nothing that stirred my wolf beyond basic physical attraction.
Except for once, five years ago.
The memory hit me with unexpected force -a moonlit night during the pre-Lunar Assembly celebration, a mysterious woman in an emerald dress whose scent had driven me wild with desire. Even now, five years later, I could still recall every detail: the way her green eyes had sparkled with mischief and vulnerability, the soft gasp she’d made when I first touched her, the perfect synchronization of our bodies moving together as if we’d been created for each other.
But when I’d awakened the next morning, she was gone. An emergency call from the northern border -a territorial dispute that threatened to escalate into full conflict -had dragged me away at dawn. I’d been forced to choose between duty and desire, and duty had won, as it always did.
By the time I returned to the hotel that evening, she’d vanished without a trace. I’d left my personal calling card on her pillow -a golden wolf pendant engraved with ‘D’ -hoping desperately that she might contact me. But years had passed without a word.
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