Arielle's pov;
I could always tell when he approached his office. A musk scent would fill the room. My heart would beat a little faster and my breath got a little shorter. This was always the case even for that morning.
"Good morning Mr Quinnell," I whispered as he walked in.
"Morning Arielle." "Can I see you for a moment in my office?" He replied his voice cold.
It always was but that morning it was a little bit colder than usual.
"Yes sir." I replied obligingly following him into his office.
I knew exactly why he had called me into his office and I dreaded whatever it was that he was about to say to me. A little part of me though hopped that it was going to be a positive response but deep down I knew that that was just wishful thinking.
I had feelings for Mr Quinnell. Working as his personal assistant for five years now. In all that time I had never once seen him as anything more than the menacing figure that he set himself out to be. All that had suddenly changed one day. Since then all I ever wanted was for him to see me as a woman not as an employee.
"What is this Arielle?" he asked holding up his phone to my face.
In that moment I did not know what to say to him. I just stood there my feet frozen to the ground. The previous night I had had way too many drinks and ended up confessing my feelings to him on the phone and when he hung up on me I had written a lengthy text explaining what I felt for him and in lengthy detail at that.
"I asked what is the meaning of this damn it!" His voice echoed through the office and in that moment I felt my legs get wobbly.
"I am so sorry sir, I…..I….."
"You what? Finish your damn sentences!"
This was the first time he ever used such a tone with me. He had never raised his voice at me before. I had heard him shout at his other subordinates but he had never shouted at me. To me he was always so sweet and gentle and he treated me like a cub. I felt tears burn my eyes threatening to flow if I said one more word and a lump rise to my throat blocking my voice.
"Talk I said!"
In this moment I took several steps back retreating to the locked door with my hands behind my back and my head facing the ground. Seeing me retreat, he moved from behind his desk and headed towards me. He took my hand from behind my back and firmly squeezed it and with his other hand he cupped my face and lifted it to look at him.
"Listen to me Arielle." His eyes turned black. I saw in them rage burning deep.
I felt my heart sink. I knew clearly that the words to follow would not only crush my heart into powder but burn the living hell out of me. Here he was the man I thought to be my one true mate about to reject me and to my face at that after I had contemplated for months whether to confess or not to. I knew the consequences of my actions would either be grave or completely fulfilling. If he accepted me I would have found my mate but if he did not then I would be doomed.
"You are nothing to me. You mean absolutely nothing." "You are just a low rank Omega and you dared to confess your feelings for The Alpha?"
That hurt. It hurt worse than I would have ever imagined. It felt like my soul had just left my body. I felt like a carcass in that moment. I could no longer fight back the tears so I removed my face from his hand and let the tears flow. As the warm tears rolled down my cheeks I realized just what a grave mistake I had made and in that moment there was nothing I wanted more than for the earth to open up and swallow me.
"And just so you know I would never claim you as my mate in a million years. You are just a weakling and how could you ever imagine of becoming the Luna of my pack? You could never! Get that in your head!"
These words cut me. They cut deeper than any celestial blade could. I broke free from his arms.
"Excuse me." I said exiting the room.
I could no longer stand being anywhere around him so I headed out. I spent the whole day running errands. Holding myself together even though my body threatened to break down at every turn.
As I walked home that night I felt listless and empty.
I tried calling Scout, my best friend, but I kept getting redirected to voicemail. I felt short of breath and my heart felt like it had a heavy weight pressing on it. I wanted to just be somewhere far away from myself. I then got a text from Scout.
'Hi Ari, meet me at Westend Club, I'll be waiting, love you'
This was not a time that I wanted to go to any club but I knew that if I went home I would just end up crying all night so I just went to meet Scout.
I told him everything that had happened and at the very end I was at the verge of tears.
"Come here Ari," Scout said pulling me in for a hug. "He is simply not worthy of you and I am pretty sure that he isn't your mate." Scout said with such surety in his eyes that I found comforting.
But still I knew that Mr Quinnell was my mate. I was very sure of it.
" Scout you know that if I don't find my mate soon I will die alone." I whispered in between sniffles.
"No, you won't die alone and besides I already know who your fated mate is." He said pulling himself out of the hug and looking me in the eyes to show that he was not joking.