by Laura Fields
“Yes, actually.” His smile was smug, so she knew something about her job was entertaining.
“What’s so funny?” Axel kept looking smug, so she asked a question that would wipe that haughtiness off his face. “I must be a stripper. No, no, a prostitute. I’m sure I’d be pretty good at it, if you ask me.”
Her planned worked, she noticed with amusement. Axel’s wolf growled in warning through the bond. Jealous much?
“No. You work for me, actually.”
“I what? There was absolutely no way I would ever have agreed to work for you. You have got to be kidding.” Harper was in shock. Where had her backbone been?
“What’s so terrible about working for your alpha? There are excellent job benefits.” He winked at her as payback for the prostitute comment, and she blushed.
“What, do you own your own company? Is that why this house is so nice? And here I’ve been thinking that maybe I had done something worthy with my life. I’m nothing but an office-wife,” she muttered.
“But a very sexy office-wife,” Axel murmured, dragging her chair closer.
He planted a kiss on her cheek and she said, “You know what they say about sleeping with the boss…”
“That it gets you promoted?”
“Not exactly.” She giggled.
She thought at herself, Hold it together, Harper!
Please don’t, Axel’s voice invaded her mind.
Stop eavesdropping on my thoughts!
They are so intriguing, I just can’t help myself. He planted a kiss on her neck.
Harper cleared her throat and leapt off the chair.
“When does work start?” she blurted.
Her sudden movement seemed to amuse him. “I figured we’d take today off, since it’s your first time out of the hospital.”
“No, I feel fine. Besides, I want to see where I work.”
“If you insist, Harper. We can leave in an hour,” he sounded a little bit disappointed, and she couldn’t guess why.
Axel was probably looking forward to spending a whole day alone with her. Well, there would be plenty of time in the future to spend together. Right now, she was eager to learn about her job.
Harper returned to her bedroom and picked out a cute cream skirt and blue matching top. She was shocked too see her closet filled with designer clothing, shoes, and bags, not that she was complaining.
Harper paused before entering the bathroom. Was she finally ready to look at her reflection? Who would she find in the mirror?
She stepped inside and took a cautious glance. Her face was thinner, her brows arched dramatically. I turned out quite nicely, Harper thought. She was no longer a gangly teen with awkward limbs; she was a grown woman.
Harper skipped joyfully down the hallway and into the foyer. She may look like a woman, but she could still act like a kid. Axel shook his head when she arrived and opened the door. Spring was hadn’t yet arrived, so there was still an early morning bite to the air. He had already started the car and for that she was extremely grateful; her skirt wasn’t made for cool weather.
“What’s my title, Axel?” she asked enthusiastically as soon as he put the vehicle into drive.
Harper could imagine herself being the Head of Media, Vice President, Financial Director… Wait a minute, what about college? She had been planning on attending the local college and majoring in business.
Axel hesitated before answering.
Uhoh, Harper thought. That’s never a good thing.
He finally said, “Secretary.”
“Excuse me?” Did she hear him correctly? “I’m your secretary? That’s adding insult to injury. Not that being a secretary is bad; it’s just that you’re my boyfriend and my boss.” She swallowed. The words ‘my boss’ left a bad taste in her mouth. “What happened to college? I was going to study business.”
“Well, I happened. After we met you decided you didn’t need to go to college because you were happy to let me support us.”
Harper laughed. He had to be joking. Either that or her body had been swapped with someone else, because she would have never settled for letting her husband make all the money. At the very least, she would have tried to start an online business at home, or a blog, or something.
She took a deep breath. "Wow, okay, my plans changed. Are you sure that's my only job? I'm not making money anywhere else?"
“Harper, your current position in the company is highly respectable. There’s no reason to be ashamed.”
“Yeah, but I didn’t get the position through hard work and studies. I got it because my boyfriend runs the company,” she complained.
It really wasn’t his fault. She had been the one to accept the job and not go to college, after all. It was just hard to imagine making that decision without a better reason.
“Okay, I’m sorry. So, what does the company do?”
“We produce and ship luxury vehicles.”
Harper whistled. They must be raking in the cash.
“So when was it founded?”
“My father started the business about forty years ago and I simply took over after he was too old to work.” Axel sounded sad, and Harper wanted to know whether or not his parents were still alive, but she was too afraid to ask.
She thought about her current career while gazing at the changed town. There were the old shops and old houses, but occasionally a new structure appeared that reminded her of all the lost memories.
Axel turned into a large parking lot in front of a building. The tower stuck out oddly in this small town, and her stomach twisted with nerves. She had to relive the ‘first day on the job’ feeling.
It’ll be fine, Axel soothed. I’ll be by your side the whole time.
His words reassured her, even though they shouldn’t have.
Okay, Harper thought back as she calmed her fears.
Axel parked in his designated spot and opened the door for her. She took a deep breath before walking inside.
The foyer was massive, and it even had a small fountain in the middle. Golden elevators waited at the back next to a pair of shiny escalators. High windows lit up the room with natural light, and it was all beautiful.
“Wow,” Harper breathed.
Axel took her hand and led her inside the elevator, nodding to the woman sitting at the front desk. It was surprisingly busy for such a small town, and a few people caught Harper’s eyes and smiled at her. She smiled back, having no idea who they were.
The elevator doors slid shut, and she sighed in relief.
Doing great, baby, he said.
Maybe I should have stayed home today.
Say the word and we’ll leave.
Harper wanted to take him up on the offer, but she needed to grow some balls.
No, I can do this, she replied firmly.
I know you can.
The elevator dinged as the doors opened. Axel and Harper had arrived on the 7th floor, the very top.
While they stepped out and began walking down the endless hallway, he said, Since Conner is my beta, he is in charge while I’m busy.
Her wolf internally growled when he mentioned Conner, but Harper ignored her. What are you usually doing?
Mostly making the pack behave. They get rowdy during the winter.
Oh, Harper thought.
There were office doors lining the hall, but they passed all of them until coming upon the last one at the end. Axel help open the glass door for her, and she squeezed passed him. His office was spacious and had a gorgeous view of the town.
She perched on one of the two leather seats across the desk. Axel strode over and sat down at the master chair, spreading his arms and grinning with pure masculine pride.
Harper rolled her eyes. You’re such a man, she thought at him, not sure whether or not it was meant as a compliment.
Just you wait, Axel whispered in her head, making her blush.
“So where is my office? Don’t I get a comfy seat too?” Harper asked with feigned haughtiness.
“It’s right here,” Axel said, patting his thigh.
Harper gasped and tried to spit out a reply, but after that didn’t work she gave up and glared instead. Wolf, however, was amused by her mate’s cleverness. Someone knocked on the door, forcing her infuriating boyfriend out of his seat.
“Jeffery,” Axel said, opening the door.
Jeffery was a cute man with a medium build. He was shifting from foot to foot and wringing his hands in front of him. His nerves might have been due to Axel towering over him or the fact that he was in the presence of his alpha. Jeffery’s unease in front of Axel made Wolf oddly proud.
The poor man glanced at me with surprise. “Harper, I’m glad you’re okay.”
“Yeah, me too.” Harper smiled at him kindly, and an idea formed in her head.
Jeffery began talking about the yearly earnings and taxes, but she tuned him out in order to focus on her revenge. Ah yes, Axel would learn not to mess with her. Harper’s mate could feel her deviousness through the bond, and he shot her a curious glance.
When Jeffery had finished his report and turned to leave, Harper purred, “It was so nice seeing you, Jeffery.”
She gave a slow wink, knowing it was probably overkill. Harper could feel her wolf snort at the gesture. She wasn't amused. Jeffery froze on the spot, his eyes darting to Axel. Oh boy, her mate was livid. His wolf didn’t try to mask his jealousy and anger, instead letting it flow through the bond in a choking force.
“Out,” he commanded Jeffery.
Harper’s wolf knew the order would be impossible for a lesser wolf to ignore. She felt guilty for an instant because she didn’t mean for the man to get in trouble. Jeffery couldn’t have scuttled out any faster than he did. Axel slammed the door shut behind him.
Taking slow steps until he was within reach of her chair, he leaned against the desk and said, "Come here, Harper."
She shook her head, too nervous to move.
"Come here.” Even though Harper couldn't tell the difference, her wolf could.
Axel was issuing an irresistible command. She still held her ground stubbornly. Wolf whined, the noise in her head high and sharp. She couldn't avoid it any longer and was forced to stand.
Harper's approach was slow with defiance. Wolf was uncomfortable at resisting the pack leader like this, but Harper pushed her protests aside. Axel's eyes narrowed with annoyance, but that was the only piece of visible emotion.
"There are many actions of yours that I put up with, Harper, but attempting to make me jealous has never been one of them."
Harper wanted to point out that she didn't just 'attempt', she succeeded. Now probably wasn't the best time to mention that, seeing as she could feel his anger and possessiveness flowing through the bond like a tidal wave. They were nose to nose before the command released its hold on her.
“Kiss me, Harper.” His breath stirred her bangs as Wolf leapt up and down with glee.
“No,” she said, refusing to be forced into a kiss.
“Kiss me,” he whispered the command like a poison. The words snuck down her limbs as they forced her compliance.
“No,” she repeated futilely while leaning forward.
"Perhaps this will spark your memory," Axel said as he closed the distance between their lips.
Harper’s heart beat wildly, and she felt her control slipping over to Wolf. The kiss had definitely sparked something, just not her memory. His lips were soft, gentle, and at complete odds with his dark emotions. Harper growled, half wolf and half human. She wrapped her arms around his neck to pull him closer, and he answered by further opening the bond between them. His emotions were hers and her emotions were his.
From far away, a light knock sounded on the door. They both ignored it for a moment until the person knocked again. Axel growled softly, pulled away, and gently returned Harper to her chair. She was glad he had sat her down, because otherwise she might have fallen to the floor.
Before opening the glass door, Axel glanced at her to make sure she was okay. Harper nodded back dazedly, and Axel said, This is Randel.
A tall, dark skinned man entered, giving Harper a swift nod before telling Axel, “We’ve found another one a few miles out of town. He was killed a few days ago, same bite marks as Ben, but this time there was a note.”
“What did it say?” Axel looked so controlled, and it bothered Harper. She was sure that her faced was flushed and her clothing askew. Her mate, one the other hand, looked as perfect as usual.
Axel’s satisfaction from the kiss morphed into guilt at the news, and his wolf’s unhappiness pulsed clearly through the bond.
‘It cannot be stopped,’ Randel announced. “The message was typed out and taped to his mouth. The police got to him first, and right now they are trying to figure out what animal is responsible.”
Axel cursed under his breath before saying, “Get Conner. We need to schedule a pack meeting.”
“Yes, sir,” Randel said before exiting the office.
Axel returned to Harper’s side, and she immediately asked, “What’s going on?”
He sighed while taking her hand in his. “There is a new group that insists we should go public. They have no idea of the implications, of how much humans truly fear us. Fear is always countered with violence.”
“Did they form a pack?”
“Not yet, although I’m afraid that’s coming soon. They are mostly rogues and the occasional member. Even our pack has a few who believe we should go public, but it has never been a problem until now.”
“So in order to expose their own kind they’ve been staging murders? Won’t that just make the world hate us once they finally figure it out?”
Axel admitted, “I believe that’s what they want. They want humans to fear us.” He pulled Harper to her feet. “You know what, it’s been a long day and I need to make some calls. Would you mind if we call it a day?”
It had only been an hour, but Harper was exhausted. She nodded and followed Axel from his office and into the elevator. He hadn’t let go of her hand, which made her secretly pleased. People were staring, and most of them were a part of the pack. She wasn’t sure how she knew who was pack and who wasn’t, but it had something to do with her wolf.
||||
The ride home was filled with silence. Harper stayed worried about Axel because she could feel his guilt and pain, but there was nothing she could say that would help him. When they arrived at the house, he made sure she didn’t need anything, and then he immediately went into his office.
She rummaged through the entertainment center in search of a good movie. Finding the perfect flick was easy; figuring out how to work the expensive DVD player was not. After ten minutes of fiddling, the opening title finally appeared on the flat screen.
She watched the movie for a good forty minutes before checking on Axel through the bond. He was feeling frustration, guilt, and sadness. Deciding that he needed a distraction, she paused the movie and peeked her head inside the office.
Axel had his feet propped on the desk and was talking on the phone. As soon as he spotted her, he ended the call and gave a weak smile.
“I was just about to watch a movie. Want to join me?”
He hesitated, and she said, “Oh, come on. It’s a good choice. I promise.”
Axel smiled. “Only if there’s popcorn.”
Seven minutes later, bag of popcorn in hand, they were laughing at the ridiculousness of Blue Werewolf Moon. She had felt like having a good laugh, so an old werewolf horror story was obviously the best movie for the job.
Halfway through the film, Harper’s stomach growled. Axel paused on a bloody werewolf leaping in midair and ordered pizza.
“You’re not much on cooking, are you?” she asked after he ended the call.
“You’re to blame; I’ve always had you to cook for me,” he replied.
“You did not just say that!” She grabbed a pillow off the couch and flung it at him.
He caught it and threw th
e pillow back, hitting her squarely on the head.
She laughed and picked up another one while jumping onto the couch. “You’re so sexist! I can’t believe I’ve put up with you all these years.”
Axel deflected the second pillow and then launched himself at her, swinging her back on the couch. They fell in a heap, and Harper couldn’t quit giggling. Axel held her hands together with one of his and tickled her side. No amount of screeching or wiggling could get him to stop.
Harper’s stomach hurt from laughing. Finally, she pried one of her hands free and used it to shove him aside. She sprinted into the kitchen and put the island safely between them. She was panting and laughing, and so was he. Axel feigned to the left and she flinched, making her socks slip on the tile.
Her balance was askew, so began falling in a tangle of long arms and legs. Axel lunged and caught her before she could hit the ground, but it only made her laugh harder.
Harper had a sudden sobering thought. “Hey Axel? Am I different than before?”
He laid his head on her thigh. “Yes, you are.”
“How, exactly?” She was afraid of the answer. It was almost as if the woman she used to be and the woman she was now were two different people.
“You’re happier. I love hearing you laugh like that.”
She smiled. “So have I earned the end of our bonding?”
“You’ll owe me a kiss or two,” he said.
Harper didn’t even have to think about that one. “Deal. You couldn’t have driven a harder bargain?”
He laughed, and sent her the memories until they were playing in her head like a movie.
The bond had formed, and Harper’s emotions crashed through him. Fear. Excitement. Nervousness. There was twenty feet between them, but it felt like a thousand. She took a few steps forward while watching Axel nervously. He strode towards her, and they met each other in the middle. Harper didn’t stop until less than a few inches separated their bodies. Axel held out his hand and tried to keep the idiotic grin off his face. The pack was still silent, watching their every move.
“I’m Axel, Alpha of the Canyon Wolf Pack,”” he said. His wolf had insisted on adding the title so she would know exactly who her mate was.