Evaline:
I couldn’t drag River into this. Not even as a lie, not even as an excuse. Bringing him into Alpha Grey’s very determined little negotiation would only complicate things further.
So I took a slow breath, forced my spine straight, and sifted through my options until one finally felt...usable.
When I lifted my eyes to his, I made my expression calm... steady, almost serene. A kind of truth, even if not the whole truth.
"You may or may not know this," I began gently, "but I’m dating Draven Thorne."
If I was expecting even a flicker of surprise, a twitch of an eyelash, the slightest shift of tension across his shoulders...well, I was disappointed. Elion Grey didn’t react at all. Not even a blink. He was harder to read than River on his best brooding day. For a mont, I almost admired him.
I continued, "And because of that, my loyalty currently lies with him. With him and the Rogue Community. So if you are offering your assistant’s position... aren’t you worried I might reveal important information about your pack to him or his brothers?"
Of course I wouldn’t do that. Ever. Even thinking about it felt wrong.
But that wasn’t the point. The point was giving him a reason strong enough for him to finally let this go.
However, he didn’t even hesitate. His lips softened into the faintest smile before he said, with annoying confidence, "You wouldn’t do anything of the sort."
I froze.
I actually forgot to breathe for a second.
He reached beside him, picked up a folder, opened it, and slid it across the table toward .
I stared down.
There were eleven profiles inside - nas, photos, evaluations, notes - and beside each na were little boxes, so checked green, most crossed red.
Eleven candidates.
And only one had every single box checked green.
Mine.
"You are not the only one I have considered," he said, his voice warm but matter-of-fact. "I have been looking for a reliable assistant since the day I beca Alpha. Months of searching, background checks, observation, vetting..."
My heart hamred at the word observation. How much had he seen? What exactly had he read in my file? How deeply had he followed my work?
He rested an elbow on the arm of the couch, leaning slightly forward.
"And after all this ti," he continued, "you are the only candidate who ets every requirent. Including loyalty."
Heat crept into my cheeks - confusion, shock, so mix of pride and defensiveness all tangled together.
He trusted ?
More than those ten others?
His expression gentled further. "I’m not asking you to dive into pack politics or secrets. Not imdiately. Not even soon. You’d handle the work here, at the Council Headquarters. Mostly shifter-world governance, welfare, security - nothing that involves my pack’s internal issues. I’m not putting that weight on you."
His words were careful, deliberate. He sounded almost... reassuring .
It made things worse.
Because I really didn’t have another reason to give him.
I exhaled, my shoulders drooping a little as I surrendered. "I just... I don’t think Draven would like it if I took the job."
I silently apologized to Draven for dragging his na into this.
For the first ti, Alpha Grey’s expression actually changed. His right eyebrow arched... not dramatically, just a subtle rise filled with aning.
"Does it matter," he asked quietly, "if your boyfriend likes your job?"
"Yes," I replied instantly.
No pause. No thinking. Nothing but truth.
And then he stunned again.
"Should it matter to you what your boyfriend wants... more than what you want?"
The air left my lungs.
I felt it. Like soone had reached into my chest and pressed right where the bruise was.
And he wasn’t done.
"You haven’t declined this offer even once for a reason that belongs to you." His voice wasn’t unkind. Just firm. "Not one reason that shows you don’t want the job. Every reason you have given is tied to soone else. Your studies, your boyfriend, his brothers, what soone might think, what soone else might want."
My throat tightened.
He kept going.
"I can already tell you are interested. You would have considered it seriously... maybe even accepted it already... if it were offered by soone else. That’s why this is unfair. To ..." His eyes t mine, steady, intense. "...and to yourself."
The worst part was that he wasn’t wrong.
I was interested.
The challenge. The trust. The responsibility. The opportunity.
And yes... the money. The independence.
I wanted all of it.
But wanting sothing didn’t erase the tangled knots of my life.
Could I really add ’working under another Alpha’ to the chaos?
Alpha Grey suddenly leaned back, easing the tension in his posture as if sensing he had pushed enough for now.
"Miss Evaline," he said softly, "I won’t pressure you. I won’t ask again right now."
Relief washed through ... but only for a second.
"However..." he added, and damn him, I felt my body tense all over again, "...I have one last offer for you."
I stared at him warily.
He didn’t smile, didn’t soften, didn’t look away. He just spoke, very calmly, as if he were stating sothing inevitable.
"Secrets of our heritage."
I blinked. "What?"
He folded his hands loosely together. "Like how you have healing abilities even though you weren’t born a healer. Why that is possible. What it ans."
My breath lodged halfway in my chest.
What...?
He watched the shock spread across my face. He must have known exactly what kind of reaction his words would cause because there was sothing nearly sympathetic in his gaze.
I opened my mouth. "Alpha Grey-what do you an by-"
He stood.
Just stood, simple and smooth, cutting off everything I was about to demand.
"We’ll talk," he said, "once you have an answer for my offer."
I rose halfway from my seat, heart thudding. "Alpha, wait-explain what you-"
"That’s all for today, Miss Evaline." He moved toward the office door and opened it for , polite but unmoving. "Go. Think. Decide."
I wanted to grab his collar and shake the explanation out of him.
I wanted to understand what the hell he knew.
But his expression... unreadable, calm, resolute... told the conversation was over.
"At least tell how you-"
"Once you have the answer I need." His voice was soft. Certain. "Only then."
I clenched my fists, furious and shaken and overwhelmingly curious all at once.
He gestured again, silently, waiting for to step out.
I did.
Because I had no choice.
And as the door closed behind , all I could hear was the soft, maddening echo of his last words:
Secrets of our heritage.
How you have healing powers despite not being born a healer.
And now... he expected to choose.
Reviews
All reviews (0)