"Some men flirt with words. Others? With sheer audacity."
The silence that followed Alaric's final departure from my office was the sort of silence that could either signal peace or imminent execution. Judging from the way my team was looking at me, I was betting on the latter. I did not turn around right away and stood there, staring at the closed door like it might fly back open and that insufferably gorgeous Alpha King would waltz back in with his smug grin and his insufferable flirting. My heart was still racing, but I would sooner set myself on fire than admit that in front of my people. When I finally dared to turn, I met with four pairs of eyes. Juno, Nyra, Kael, and Riv all stared like I had just been caught in bed with the moon goddess herself.
Riven was the first to break. The stoic, never-cracks-a-smile Panther shifter grinned. "Oh, that was priceless," he drawled, leaning back in his chair. "The Alpha King himself is practically purring at you. In your office, in front of us."
"Priceless?" I barked. "It was chaos!"
Nyra folded her arms, arching a brow that could cut glass. "Chaos? Elias was flirting with you so openly, I thought he might propose right then and there. And you—"
"I did not encourage him!" I cut in, horrified.
"—looked like a rabbit caught in a trap," she finished smoothly.
Kael, bless his quiet little genius heart, pushed his glasses up his nose and murmured, "Technically, you did smile at one point."
I spun toward him. "It was a grimace! A grimace of pain! Because my soul was actively leaving my body."
Juno, meanwhile, leaned against the desk with that dangerous little smirk that always made me think he enjoyed watching me suffer. "Soul leaving your body, huh? Interesting way to describe what looked a lot like blushing."
"I did not blush!" I yelled in defense.
"You did," Riv chirped. "I saw it. Red as a ripe apple, and I even thought you might combust, honestly."
This was hell. My office was my sanctuary of control, had become a circus tent, and I was the clown at center stage.
I snatched up a stack of papers just for something to do with my hands. "Enough. Meeting's over. Everyone out. I have work."
"You're deflecting," Nyra sing-songed.
"I'm irritated!" I snapped. "Now, all of you go manage something somewhere that isn't here!"
They did not budge, and all four of them simply stared, like wolves scenting weakness.
Juno tilted his head, eyes glinting. "So, Elias… how long have you been keeping your torrid romance with the Alpha King a secret?"
The sound I made could only be described as strangled. "There is no torrid romance! There is no mild romance! There is nothing but a royal menace who thinks he can waltz into my office, bat his lashes, and—"
"Bat his lashes?" Riv interrupted with a grin. "Didn't realize you noticed the lashes."
I was going to die. Right here, and my pride, my dignity dead, murdered, buried beneath my team's mockery.
"That's it," I declared, throwing the papers down. "I'm leaving, I have Important business to attend to."
Kael frowned. "More important than explaining why the most powerful man alive is making goo-goo eyes at you in broad daylight?"
"Yes!" I snapped, already storming toward the door. "Far more important. It is a matter of life or death."
"What kind of business?" Nyra called after me.
"The kind where I don't have to talk to any of you!"
And with that, I fled.
By the time I reached my cabin in the woods, my nerves were frayed down to the bone. It was my sanctuary, a place nobody dared to intrude. I collapsed onto the couch with a groan, scrubbing a hand over my face. My team was insufferable. The Alpha King was insufferable. The whole damn day was insufferable.
"Flirting with me," I muttered to the empty room. "As if I have time for royal games. As if I want—"
I cut myself off, horrified at where that thought was going. I tried to distract myself. Made tea and sat down to read a book by the fireplace. All the normal things that keep my mind busy. But every time my mind wandered, it circled right back to Alaric's stupid grin, the heat in his eyes, the way he seemed utterly unbothered by my fury.
It was infuriating and maddening. And, worst of all, deeply unsettling in a way I refused to analyze. By the time night fell, I had almost convinced myself I was safe. That I could breathe easily in the quiet. That, just maybe, the world would give me a reprieve.
It was then I heard a loud voice in the backyard, and my stomach dropped. No one was bold enough to come to my cabin, as they knew I had a temper.
"Open the door, Elias."
The voice was unmistakable, smooth, amused, and far too pleased with itself.
Alaric. I froze, teacup halfway to my lips, and thought maybe if I stayed silent, he would think I was not home. Yes. Brilliant plan, and then his persistent voice came through again. "I know you are in there. Your horse car is outside, and the lights are on. I set the cup down with shaking hands, took a deep breath, and marched to the door. When I flung it open, there he was, King Alaric, leaning casually against the frame like he owned the place, smile curling like he had just won a war.
"What the hell are you doing here?" I demanded and wondered why the security sensors I had placed did not go off.
"Visiting," he said smoothly, stepping past me into the cabin before I could stop him. "Nice place, it's quiet, cozy, and suits you."
I gawked at him. "You are trespassing, Alaric."
"I asked and you opened the door," he said with a shrug. "Very politely."
"You're a menace." I snapped and walked away from the door.
"And you're adorable when you're mad." He whispered, and his voice dropped a notch.
My brain is short-circuited. "Excuse me?!"
He wandered around like he had not just dropped a bomb, running his hand along my bookshelf, peering at the fire. "I like it here. Very private. Romantic, even."
"Romantic?" I protested, following him like an outraged shadow.
"Could be." He glanced back at me, eyes glinting. "All depends on who you're here with."
I spluttered, utterly undone. "You—! You cannot just! This is not!" I huffed and then finally muttered, "I hate you,"
Alaric only smiled wider. "No, you don't, and now duty calls." I closed the space between us, ignoring his protests, his arms pushing against my chest as though that could keep me away. "The kingdom needs its king. And you…" I caught his wrist, tugging him flush against me, "…need someone to remind you when to stop overthinking."
His breath hitched, and for a heartbeat, he froze. Then I kissed him hard, deep, until his words dissolved into something far more dangerous. He melted against me, stubborn walls crumbling as if they had been waiting for this collapse all along. I broke the kiss only when we were both breathless, pressing my forehead against him. "I have to go back," I whispered, softer than I meant. "Stay safe here, Elias, and I will find you again, soon."
"Alaric—"
"I'll miss you." The words slipped out before I could stop them, and for once, I did not care how raw they sounded, and then I let go. One step back, a shimmer of power, and I vanished into the night, leaving him behind, furious, beautiful, and utterly unforgettable.