Ryan and Suzan went to the restaurant and ordered a meal for themselves.
"So Ryan, I haven't been seeing you in the pack for a while now," she said.
Suzan was his pack member. She knew he was a werewolf.
"It's not Ryan, it's Alpha," he said, glaring at her.
"Oh, okay… so Alpha, how about you come home sometime today and have dinner with my parents?" she asked.
"You know what? I'm done with this. I can't stand you. And for the dinner—go to hell," he said angrily.
"But Alpha, I love you. You haven't found your mate yet. I probably know you don't even have one, so please, accept me," she pleaded.
He was furious. Ryan wanted to kill her for talking about his mate like that.
"I'll kill you if you say one more thing about my mate. I have already found her, and I won't let you talk any nonsense about her!" he growled. His wolf, Ray, had already taken over. He left the shocked Suzan behind, went to his car, and drove off.
Wait—he had already found his mate? But he didn't say anything. Suzan had even rejected her own mate so she could be with him, and now he had found his? She was mad. If she ever got the chance to meet his mate, she would kill her.
Mia was exhausted after running around fixing meetings. She hadn't had breakfast, and now she was starving. Because she only had money for one square meal a day, she had to deal with the hunger.
She was still working on some paperwork when she fell asleep.
Ryan entered his office, angry at himself. Why did he tell Suzan about his mate? Now everyone would know, and they would start asking questions.
He called his assistant. He just wanted to see Mia's face. Only her smile could calm his nerves. He called her, but she didn't pick up, which was unusual.
So he went to her office—and saw her sleeping. She looked so pretty. His wolf purred.
He carefully carried her to lay her on the couch, but she woke up.
"Sir, I'm so sorry for sleeping," she said quickly, hurrying to her feet.
He looked at her and smiled. She looked so cute, and her lips… he wanted to kiss those full, pink lips. His body was already reacting to her.
"I just wanted to wake you and tell you to go get my coffee," he said coldly.
What's wrong with you, acting cold to your mate? his wolf mindlinked him.
"Um… okay," she said softly. Just then, her stomach grumbled. She blushed in embarrassment.
"Sorry… I haven't eaten since morning. I'm just a bit hungry," she said shyly.
What the hell? Does she want to kill herself? he thought, now furious.
"Why haven't you eaten?" he asked angrily.
"Sir, please, it's not what it seems—" she stammered.
"Okay, I want you to go get yourself a meal," he ordered.
"Sir, I don't… I can't," she said quietly.
"I'm not asking you, I'm ordering you!" he shouted.
"Sir… I don't have the money," she admitted sadly.
His cold demeanor softened. So that was why. His mate was suffering like this? How many days had she endured this kind of hunger?
"Alright. Go to the cafeteria and get some food. I'll cover the bill," he said gently, even smiling a little.
"No, you can't—" she said, surprised.
"I can, and I will. So hurry up and eat. We have a meeting to attend, and I want you to eat a lot. I have enough money to pay, so enjoy yourself," he said, then walked away.
Mia was so happy that her boss gave her money to buy food. She hurried to the cafeteria, ate, and then returned to meet him in his office.
"Sir, the meeting is about to start," she said.
She glanced at him. He looked very tired. She couldn't help but stare—he was drop-dead gorgeous, with jet-black hair and a sharp jawline. He looked like a Greek god.
"Sir, are you feeling okay?" she asked.
He badly wanted to mark her, but he had to wait until she was ready. He didn't want to scare her.
When he heard her voice, he lost control. His wolf took over, and before he knew it, he kissed her. She struggled, but he held her tightly in his arms.
Suddenly, Mia pushed him away and ran to her office. She was angry. What right did he have to just kiss her like that?
Ryan cursed his wolf. It wasn't his fault—he just couldn't control himself around his mate.
When he stepped outside, he saw Mia.
"Sir, we should get going. The meeting has already started," she said.
"Okay," he replied, and walked to his car. The ride was silent. They avoided looking at each other.
He could hear her heart racing. She was afraid. He sighed. He had tried his best to control his wolf. He looked out the window, ignoring the tension.
Mia couldn't believe her hot boss had kissed her. She was both shocked and angry. He had the guts to kiss her while seeing other girls? She sat nervously in the car, avoiding his gaze.
They finally reached the meeting room. Mia prepared everything he needed and then stepped out. Outside, she distracted herself with games on her phone.
When the meeting was over, they were about to leave when she noticed something odd.
"Sir, where are we going?" she asked.
"I'm taking you to a restaurant for dinner," he said.
"But sir—" she started, but he interrupted.
"And please, stop calling me sir. I don't like it."
"Okay… sir. I mean, Mr. Ryan," she said shyly.
They entered the restaurant and sat down.
"Go ahead and order," he said.
She stared at the menu, frozen. The prices were outrageous—she couldn't pay for any of it.
"I'll pay. Go ahead and order," he reassured her.
"If I may ask, sir… why are you doing all this for me?" she asked.
"You worked really hard today. This is my little way of saying thank you. And for what happened earlier… I'm sorry," he said.
"It's fine, Mr. Ryan," she said softly.
"When we're not at the company, call me Ryan, okay?" he said with a smile.
"Okay… Ryan," she said.
Hearing his name on her lips made him feel warm inside.
Mia began eating, and she couldn't help but moan at how good the food was. Ryan heard it and felt his body heat up. He decided to start a conversation.
"So, Mia, can we talk like two normal people? Would you like to be my friend?" he asked.
"Of course, Ryan," she said with a smile.
"Good. So, where are you from?" he asked.
"I don't really know," she admitted.
Ryan already knew—he had investigated her background. She was an orphan, abandoned in the forest as a baby. But he still wanted to hear it from her.
"Why is that?" he asked gently.
"I never met my parents. I was found by the owner of the orphanage. Wild animals were about to tear me apart when she saved me," Mia said sadly.
His heart ached. So she never had a perfect childhood…
"What about you, Ryan? Where are you from?" she asked.
"I come from the Blood— I mean, from a small village nearby," he quickly corrected.
"Oh, okay," she said.
"So… do you have a boyfriend?" he asked, testing her.
"Nope. I don't know why, but I'm not really interested in boys right now," she said honestly.
He felt happy. That meant he had a chance with her. He was going to make her fall for him.
"Alright," he said, trying to hide his smile.
When they finished eating and were about to leave, Suzan appeared.