Soraya's POV
"You're late," he said, voice cool but not entirely cold.
My mouth opened but no words came out.
Mr. James, who had just emerged from the aisle behind me, rushed to my defense. "Apologies, sir. There was traffic..."
Ethan lifted a hand to silence him. His eyes hadn't left mine.
Was he… sniffing the air?
No. Of course not. He couldn't sense me. No one could.
"Traffic," I finally said, barely above a whisper.
He studied me for a second longer before turning to Mr. James. "I'll need her upstairs. My secretary called in sick. She'll have to assist me with the new recruit interviews."
"She.. she will?" Mr. James stammered.
"She will," Ethan confirmed. And then he was gone, striding out of the mini-mart section and toward the private elevators at the far end of the lobby.
I stood frozen. How did he even know who I was?
Mr. James looked as surprised as I was. Then his eyes narrowed. "Where's your sister?"
"Sister?" I blinked, then realized what he meant. "Maya? Outside."
He sighed. "Go get her. And be in the CEO's office in ten minutes. If he's pissed again, I'm not covering for you."
"Yes, sir."
I hurried back outside, spotting Maya where she always was—by the curb near the executive car entrance, eyes wide, scanning for Ethan's sleek car like a hawk.
"You won't believe what just happened," I said.
She spun around. "Did you see him? I've been here ten minutes. His car's not here yet!"
"That's because he already came in."
"No way." She looked genuinely offended. "His car is not even here."
"Well, he is inside and you missed him. Again."
Maya gasped. "Soraya, I swear..."
"Oh, and he knows me."
She blinked. "What?"
"And he told Mr. James I'll be filling in for his secretary today. I'm supposed to go to his office."
"You're lying."
"I'm not."
Maya looked like she was about to combust from a mix of excitement, confusion, and pure jealousy. "You better tell me everything when you get back."
But before I could reply, a sharp voice called my name from the door. "Soraya!"
I flinched. Mr. James again.
Maya nudged me. "Go. Go! And if you touch his arm or anything, I want details."
I took a deep breath and rushed back in.
But something in my chest was buzzing—my wolf… was pacing.
And for the first time in a long time, I felt it too.
Something was shifting.
Something was beginning.
My mind reeled as I made my way toward the top floor, nerves prickling my skin with every step.
When I reached the secretary's office, I paused.
Oh, goddess.
There were papers everywhere.
Stacks upon stacks of them littered the desk, the drawers, even on one of the guest chairs in the corner. Envelopes, contracts, a blinking desktop screen with fifteen unread notifications.
How long has his secretary being away? I wondered as I stood by the desk, uncertain, trying to decide where to start.
What had I gotten myself into?
The glass door behind me opened with a soft hiss, and I turned just as Ethan Vander stepped into the room.
"About time you came," he said simply, walking past me and towards the door of the main office like the chaos behind the desk wasn't his fault.
"Yeah, just..." I tried to respond, but he didn't let me finish.
"I need those documents signed. Filter out the trash. Check my emails for appointments. And remind me fifteen minutes before each appointment."
And just like that, he disappeared into his office, the door clicking shut behind him.
I blinked at the space he'd just vacated.
What just happened?
Did he just... order me around like I was his full-time PA? He hadn't even asked if I knew what I was doing. Didn't care. Just handed me three full tasks in one breath and vanished.
Instantly, I wanted to hate him.
But I couldn't.
No one that dangerously attractive should be allowed to walk and talk and give orders like that. It was unfair. Completely and cosmically unfair.
Still, I dropped my bag and settled behind the desk, tryng to channel whatever energy Maya would have used in this moment. Unfortunately, all I could think about was how Ethan's voice sounded when he said "fifteen minutes."
Calm, commanding, and deep.
I shook the thought away and reached for the nearest pile of documents when... T
The door opened again.
"You're the reason I missed my coffee this morning," Ethan said bluntly, walking back in.
I stared at him, confused. "What?"
He didn't clarify. Just glanced at the empty space on the desk where, I assumed, his coffee usually sat.
It took everything in me not to point out that I had only been drafted into this madness five minutes ago.
Instead, I crossed my arms. "You want coffee?"
"Yes. I usually get it thirty minutes before now. You're already behind."
I bit back a snort. "You didn't even tell me you wanted coffee."
He raised a brow. "I assumed competence."
Ouch.
But again, before I could reply, he added, "The new recruits will be here soon. Get it quickly."
Then he vanished back into his office like he hadn't just insulted me to my face.
I exhaled slowly, fists clenched. I wasn't here to brew coffee. I wasn't even trained for this role. What was I doing?
And yet... despite the annoyance, my wolf purred in the back of my mind, enjoying the proximity of him.
Stupid creature.
I stood up and headed out to get the coffee anyway. Because apparently, when your CEO looks like a Greek god and smells like expensive designer perfume that lingers even after he's gone—you get the damn coffee, even if every part of you wants to throw it at him instead.
Even if your wolf likes him more than it should.
As I stepped into the hallway, heels clicking against polished tile, I nearly collided with a tall, stunning woman walking in the opposite direction. Sleek black dress. Long auburn hair. She didn't acknowledge me, didn't slow down—just kept striding confidently toward the CEO's office like she owned the damn floor.
I paused, frowning. A new recruit? Maybe. But I didn't stop her.
Let her wait. I was already fetching coffee like an unpaid intern in hell.
Still, there's was something about her walk...
The confident.
I shook the feeling off—but my wolf didn't.
She growled, just once.
Low.
Like a warning.