Chapter 3: Fighting Instinct

‘Because Mr. Wynters, some of us have different goals in life.’ The words danced through Ash’s mind the next day as he sat in his office. The intel he had gotten from one of the others had turned out to be merely a rumor and he was trying to do damage control as emails and text messages popped up on his computer and phone. He was about ready to throw the d*mn thing out the window for the mistake that one of his team members had made.

‘Have you seen the text messages from everyone in the group?’ Was the latest message he had received from Liam, his beta and closest friend. A long sigh left him as he had slumped back in his chair and began to type.

‘Yes, I have, thank you for pointing it out. I’m trying to handle it but they all seem keen on getting rid of the new guy.’ Ash responded to the text, watching it become ‘read’ once the message had gone through. He locked the screen when he saw the bubble with the three dots pop up to show that Liam was no doubt typing a response. He didn’t want to have to deal with any of this today.

He tried to focus back on the task at hand, which was doing inventory for his current office building. The list of items seemed to go on forever as he scrolled through it, a lot of it was secretarial stuff. Not that he could blame any of them, they always misplaced the pens they had or they took them home with them and never brought them back. After a few moments, he groaned as he rested his forehead against his desk, unable to focus any longer as memories from the bar began to worm their way to the front of his mind.

***

TWO NIGHTS AGO

The omega that he had claimed as his mate had stared at him, wide-eyed with shock after his confession before a sweet smile had spread across her features. He felt his heart skip a beat at that as he watched her for a few moments as she messed with the glass in her hands, turning it this way and that as though she couldn’t keep still after his outburst.

“I think you’re mine too…” She admitted after a few moments before she fully turned to Ash, the smell of alcohol coming off of her in waves and for the first time since she had sat beside him that night, he realized she must be intoxicated.

“Do you wanna dance?” He asked in a gentler tone than what he would have used with anyone else, but to his surprise, she had shook her head no in response.

“Can’t dance. But… I’d rather get to know you.” She said as she looked up at him with those blue eyes that he couldn’t say no to, no matter how much he knew he shouldn’t give away information in a public setting like this with so many people listening.

“My name is Ash Wynters…” He began, and for the rest of the night, he had answered almost any question she had about him. There were a few that he didn’t, but she didn’t seem phased that he hadn’t answered them. By the time the night had ended, he had felt as though he had gotten to know her in a way as he offered to drive her home but she had declined, and instead had kissed his cheek and wished him a good night.

*****

CURRENT DAY

Ash realized now that he had made more of a fool of himself than what he had really wanted to. He had given away too much information to a girl he barely knew, who was now working for his company and made it well known that she didn’t like him. An annoyed groan had left him at the thought as he picked his head back up just in enough of time to see the current bane of his existence standing in the open doorway.

“Can I help you Thea?” He questioned as she had made her way inside his office, his tone much colder than what it had been before as she sat across from him.

“It’s Ms. Veryne to you, we’ve established this already.” She responded with a snort, a low growl coming from him at the thought of her being so disrespectful not only to him as a boss, but to him as an alpha as well.

“What. Do. You. Need.” He snarled, though immediate regret filled him at the sight of her flinching away from him. “I don’t have time to entertain my employees with the same stories I entertained my fated mate with two nights ago. So either spit it out or come back on your lunch break.”

She looked up at him, the same piercing gaze that made it feel as though time had slowed. He was fighting his instincts at this point, his wolf desperately wanting to go over and comfort her. While the rational side of him knew that she was not someone to be comforted. She could handle herself, and from the looks of it, she would rip him to shreds if he even attempted to comfort.

“I need a weekend off. I have upcoming plans that need attending to and I can’t skip them. They are important to my life outside of work.” Thea stated easily, it was a request, it was a simple demand that had her tilting her chin up as though she expected him to challenge her.

“You’ve been here… For a day, and you expect a weekend off? And you didn’t say it in your interview with Martha?” Ash chuckled as he stood. He ran his fingers through his hair as he sighed and seemed to be thinking. “Fine.”

The challenge was over, and Thea had won. He had lost that small part of him to the instinct he had been trying so hard to fight. His wolf was pleased for the moment that they had given her something that she had wanted and she had seemed thrilled at the idea of getting her way. He slumped back in his chair once she had stood and walked out of his office.

A growl left him as he glared down at his hands. “It can’t happen again you stupid mutt.” He muttered to his wolf as he went back to work, he had a meeting coming up and he needed to be prepared.