I blinked several times, my heart skipping. Gosh, Lyra, what is wrong with you? I quickly bowed.
He walked closer, each step slow and deliberate. The scent around him hit me instantly — warm, deep, and familiar. My breath caught as our eyes met. In that split second, every scene from my strange dreams rushed through my head. My heart pounded so hard I could feel it in my ears, and heat rushed down between my thighs. This was… different.
"I asked you a question," he repeated, his tone sharper now. "How did you get in here?"
"I… I… my name is Lyra," I stammered, forcing the words out.
The truth was, almost all the interns in this room had seen the Alpha before. Most of them were either related to him or their parents worked for him. But I wasn't one of them.
"I was given a placement here," I added, trying to keep my voice steady.
I turned, everyone's heads were still bowed — even Alina's. The tension in the room felt heavy, pressing down on my chest.
"Come to my office," he said firmly.
Something inside me cracked at those words. I knew it — I was going to be rejected before I'd even started. I never truly wanted to come here, but to be pushed away like this? It stung more than I expected.
He walked into his office, his beta following him. I swallowed hard and followed behind.
The moment I stepped inside, the scent grew stronger — exactly like the man from my dreams. No… maybe I'm imagining things, I told myself. It's just a normal scent.
He sat down in his chair, I stood stiff in front of his desk, my palms damp. His beta opened a file and placed it in front of him.
I used the opportunity to scan the room. The walls were painted black, sleek and clean. Portraits of the previous Alphas hung on the wall, each frame lined perfectly in order — and right in the center was Alpha Verruk himself. His gaze in the painting was just as intense as the real one that just stared at me earlier.
"Alright. Get it ready," he said, and his beta gave a small nod before leaving the office.
He turned back to me, his eyes slowly moving from my head to my toes. His expression didn't give anything away. I held my breath without meaning to.
He leaned slightly on the desk, his gaze locked on mine.
"You're Lyra?" he asked.
I nodded quickly.
"Take it," he said.
I blinked, confused. "Take what?"
"The file. Right there." He pointed at the desk.
I nodded again, my hands shaking a little as I reached for the file.
"Give me a fresh typing work on it," he said.
I just nodded again, ready to leave, but then opened my mouth. "But—"
"Just type it according to the page," he cut me off.
I bit my lower lip and nodded again, then turned and walked out of the office.
The moment I stepped out, all eyes turned to me. I could feel them watching, their faces full of questions they didn't have to ask out loud.
"You always land yourself in trouble," Raze said with a smirk.
"What did she do now?" Vera shot back.
I didn't say anything. I just sat down, switched on the desktop, and opened the file.
"This is a lot," Vera said, peeking at the file on my hands "How are you supposed to type all that?" Her voice carried pity, and I hated that it made sense.
"This is just how unlucky you are, Lyra," Alina said from across her desk with her usual smirk. "Everywhere you go, people will dislike you because you're weak and wolfless."
"Ouch," Lorn added, like it was some kind of joke.
I let out a quiet sigh. She wasn't entirely wrong. Other than my mum, I'd never really had anyone on my side.
I ignored them and focused on the screen, my fingers moving on the keyboard. While everyone else was practicing a simple website creation, I was here typing out a full contract document.
It was already 5:30, and I still had three more pages to go. My fingers were starting to ache, and my eyes burned from staring at the screen too long.
"Sorry, sweetie. I wish I could help," Vera said softly. "But Alpha isn't the type who likes people interfering. If I try, it'll only make things worse for you and me."
I forced a small smile and nodded. I understood… but that didn't make it easier.
"V, I won't come home today. I'm going to Lorn's house," Raze said to Vera and playfully pushed on her head before walking off with Lorn.
Alina let out a dramatic sigh. "That's unbearable. First day at work and you've already made a dangerous enemy," she said, clicking her tongue in mock pity.
"See you tomorrow, okay?" Vera said, giving my shoulder a gentle pat before heading out.
"Alina, aren't we leaving?" Kara asked.
"I'm waiting for my king," Alina replied, blushing. "We have dinner together."
Kara just nodded and left, leaving me and Alina behind.
I watched as Alina pulled out a small mirror from her bag. She applied a fresh coat of red lipstick, fixed her makeup, then slowly unbuttoned two buttons of her blouse to reveal more of her cleavage. When she was satisfied with how she looked, she stood up confidently and walked straight into his office.
The glass wall wasn't transparent from the outside, but if you were inside, you could see everything outside. It was like the office itself was built to show who mattered and who didn't.
A heavy feeling settled in my chest as I watched her disappear into that room. Envy. Jealousy. It stung. Her life looked so perfect — soon to be Luna, loved, chosen.
Me? I didn't even have a crush. I didn't even know if my mate would want me when I finally met him. If I ever met him at all.
A tear slipped down my cheek and fell onto the paper. I quickly wiped it away, but more threatened to follow.
"Why am I so unlucky?" I whispered to myself.
Alina stepped out of the office in a rush, her cheeks slightly flushed. Our eyes met for a second — she looked different, almost softer — then she gave me a small, unreadable smile before hurrying off.
I didn't care to think too much about it. I was finally on the last page of the document.
My phone buzzed beside the keyboard. A message from Mum.
"I'm going to the temple. I might not come home tonight. Your food is in the microwave."
A small smile tugged at my lips, but then another tear slid down my cheek. It was always just her and me against the world. If I didn't stay strong, who would be strong for her?
The sound of the office door swinging open made me jump. I quickly wiped the tears away and forced my focus back to the screen.
He walked toward me — slow, steady steps that filled the room with his presence. The scent wrapped around me, warm and intense, stealing the air from my lungs.
My heartbeat picked up, loud enough I was sure he could hear it.
He stopped right behind me. I could feel the heat of his body before I even saw him. My hands started to tremble on the keyboard. I bit my lower lip, trying to concentrate, but it was useless.
Then he leaned down. His chest brushed lightly against my back, and his breath ghosted against my ear.
My heart stopped.