Chapter 107 - The CEO's Office
Monday morning used to be the worst part of the week. Yet, that specific week was odd.
Samantha was so content that she almost went to work singing. Nate had a big smile on his face for the whole time, and Lara's mood wasn't any worse.
The company felt their happiness, and everyone worked with ease in that environment.
Lara couldn't know yet how much her own mood could influence the whole pack: she would make Nate happy, and all the other wolves would sense it. Clueless as she was, she went to her post and waited for someone to tell her what to do for that day.
«Hello, Miss Clayton,» Secretary Jack said while walking into the office. Alpha Nate had long left the building, avoiding the office because he realised Lara didn't know his position yet.
He couldn't be bothered by it, for he was still happy after the family vacation. He decided to just work out of his office for that day and come up with a way to tell Lara about it.
He wanted to feel like that a few hours more, so he postponed the moment of the truth.
As such, Lara was introduced to the CEO's office for the first time. She was told to get familiar with the schedule and disposition of documents, for she might have needed to work there in the future.
It wasn't very clear what her job would have been, and she had noticed that every single employee in the CEO's team was male. And, with the exception of Secretary Jack, middle-aged.
If they needed a young woman in the team, they could have chosen anyone else from the pack.
Lara was a little nervous about that choice. She would feel on guard when with the others, and she feared the first encounter with the CEO because she had the impression he wanted something from her. Yet, she couldn't accuse a man she hadn't met even once.
However, she decided to call Nate after work. Her worries could stand in the way of her job, so it was better to have it sorted out before the situation worsened.
She could think of no reason for the CEO to be interested in her, especially if Nate told him about their cubs. She was a human that met a wolf and had kids. It couldn't be as rare as to interest the boss, right?
On the other hand, being human meant being defenceless against the wolves. Even more, in a pack where they would cover for each other.
Not to mention that most of the men she worked with would stare at her as if she did something wrong, just like they used to in the sales department. At least, the latter had stopped a few days after her first day. She thought they got used to her, and she hoped those in the CEO's team would do as well.
Also, she hadn't met the CEO yet! Was he so busy that he never visited his office during the morning? Oh, it would have been relieving to know, for she wouldn't meet him ever. The reasons he called her there would become meaningless and her life easier.
She sat at the desk and started reading the documents, checking all the clauses of the contracts and the digits in the reports. When she was done with the calculations, she would write the most relevant aspects of the document on a sticky note on the first page. That way, the CEO would waste less time when he came back and had to sign or discard it.
She worked for the whole day, finding some peace in that silent office. Even if it was almost empty, it felt cosy. Also, the big televisor in a corner felt oddly out of place. As if it wasn't in the initial plan for that space and was added later for the CEO to chill after difficult meetings.
She could even spot a puzzle on the lower table, but she couldn't imagine a middle-aged wolf CEO playing games to relax.
When she was done with her work, she greeted Secretary Jack and went home. She couldn't see how the man transformed his polite smile into a frown as soon as she had turned the corner.
He had been moved from babysitting the pups while the Alpha was working to keeping watch over that human woman. He didn't know yet what was happening, but he could guess.
The Alpha had found a woman he liked. Too bad the woman was human... How could she take on herself the duties of the Alpha female? He couldn't imagine a weak human keeping the pack in check and united.
But the pups were adorable, so her genes must have been good either way. He just couldn't understand why Alpha Nate would run out every time Lara Clayton was working. Was he avoiding her for some reason?
But then again, why move her to his team if he didn't want to be in contact with her? Ah, understanding an Alpha was a tough job even for someone as experienced as Secretary Jack.
«CEO Woods,» he said on the phone, «Miss Clayton has left the office.»
Soon after being called, Nate could return to his office and start doing the tasks he had left behind because of his forgetful nature.
If only he could find the courage to explain to Lara. But what would she think of him? What if the little closeness they had built crumbled down?
«This place feels so cosy today,» he commented while crossing the door. His office was filled with his mate's scent. He followed her traces to his desk, and he understood she had used his chair and pens.
The documents were stacked in two piles, some done and some still to review. Lara had attached a sticky note on those she could finish reading, and her calligraphy welcomed his eyes. She wrote round letters, and her hand pressed hard on the paper.
He read the information on the first note, but then he was struck by a realisation. The doubt filled his mind, and he needed a while to find a suitable solution....