~Lina~
I held the phone up like a trophy. Yeah, that's right, a trophy, and the trophy just happened to have footage of my boss, my boss-who-is-also-a-freaking-werewolf, kneeling naked in front of me like I was the universe's gift to his poor, pathetic little alpha soul.
Kael's eyes went wide. Like, cartoon wide, like he might literally explode. His chest was heaving, he was still trembling from the shift, and there was no shirt, no pants, nothing except a strategically-placed knot of hairless human dignity or, okay, complete lack of it. And now his brain realized I had this. And I was holding it up like it was a fucking crowning achievement in the game of "How to Ruin Kael's Life Without Trying."
"Oh," I said slowly, savoring every second, letting the moment stretch so painfully that his knees wobbled just watching me. "Ohhhhhhhh, you thought you could just…what? pull some Alpha bullshit, pin me down, almost chew my face off after making the job I finally landed myself a hellhole? Okay sir think again, and then you'll walk away Scott-free, huh?"
Kael's mouth opened, closed, opened again. I swear his brain had entered buffering mode. His jaw twitched. His hands tried to move toward the phone. Tried. But then he froze like some cartoon wolf caught in a trap, because the….
"It's the bond.." he muttered
"The fucking luna–mate bond. I need to calm myself down before I can get it, the bond is still too new."
I didn't understand him but oh well. Oh, sweet, savage, merciless bond, keeping him from just snatching me up and terrifying me into deleting the damn thing.
"You lying ass bitch, I knew you didn't mean it when you told me you'd delete the footage on that day.!!" but I clearly saw the raw edges of panic bleeding through that grumpy, alpha shit he usually wrapped himself in like a cozy sweater. "Lina..you can't, you don't and you won't"
"I do," I said. "I can, and I'm gonna. Ohhhh, this is going to be fun, Kael, so much fun." I waved the phone like a conductor waving a baton at an orchestra of chaos, and if I had been any smug-er I would have spontaneously combusted from sheer, unholy glee. "Look at you. Naked. Kneeling. My property now. My little alpha puppy is mine. You literally almost ate me three minutes ago, and now you're begging your puppy-brain to tell me I'm not going to ruin your life, and I'm like…sweetheart, the bar is so low and I'm not even close to it yet."
His hands twitched. His fangs peeked out just slightly,
enough to actually scare me, more like the universe's way of whispering, "Yes. You have him. Enjoy it." His whole body shook, not in anger no, no, no this was actual panic, li he was suddenly realizing every lever he ever pulled in life has been pointing toward THIS EXACT MOMENT, and somehow you didn't see it coming.
Jax, who had been standing there looking like a man who just realized he'd accidentally walked into a live volcano, suddenly screamed, and I mean full-on scream, like somebody had asked him to solve quantum physics using only a rubber duck. "WHAT THE FUCK IS HAPPENING?!"
"Relax," I said calmly, because obviously the universe owes me at least some credit for my composure. "He's fine. It's just my Alpha boss, naked, kneeling in front of me, panicking because I have footage. Totally normal."
Kael's entire body stiffened. He literally looked like he might collapse into himself and disappear entirely. "Lina. Delete it."
I blinked. Slow. Very slow. Eyes wide. Finger pointing at the phone. "Delete it?" I repeated, letting the word hang "Oh honey, no."
"Yes. Delete the video. Now." He swallowed hard, eyes darting everywhere, claws flexing, and for a second I thought he was going to…well, I don't know, evaporate? Implode? Morph into a bear and maul the carpet? All seemed possible.
I tilted my head, smiling like I had just discovered the meaning of life in his panic. "You mean delete the only leverage I have over you? The thing that proves to the entire world that you are, in fact, a giant, trembling, naked man-child who melts like ice cream in front of me?"
"Yes. Delete it. Now." Panic had officially replaced every other emotion in his face. He wasn't alpha. He wasn't the boss. He wasn't CEO. He was a naked, panicking, trembling mess who probably needed a cookie and a nap.
"Kael," I said, voice softening just slightly because, okay, let's be real, I do love watching him freak out. "I'm going to be honest. I could delete it. I could also watch you squirm for the next twenty-four hours while you grovel, beg, offer me everything, and contemplate your life choices."
He flinched, which was maybe the cutest thing I'd ever seen. And then he snarled. Well, okay, growled. Like a very small, very angry dog. "Do not. Beg."
Jax, ever the practical man, made a noise somewhere between a sob and a scream and threw himself at Kael, grabbing the first random coat he could find off a hanger in the office and yanking it over the naked man. "FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, LINA. DELETE IT. WE ARE BEGGING. PLEASE!"
Kael growled again. Louder this time. "Do not beg her Jax. I am the Alpha. I AM THE ALPHA!"
"Yeah, Alpha," Jax snapped, his voice cracking like a kid who just learned Santa isn't real, "you were literally on your knees five minutes ago, dripping wet, shaking, whining like a literal puppy! And now you're telling me not to beg?! BRO. BRO. BRO HOW DOES THIS WORK?"
I nearly choked on my own laughter. "Correct," I said. "Every word of that."
Kael's jaw dropped. He went silent. Then the frantic twitching of his hands started again, claws flexing as he tried to get closer to me and the phone at the same time and failing miserably because, again, the bond. He wanted me, yes, but he couldn't touch me without his wolf losing its goddamn mind and probably taking me along for the ride.
I crossed my legs, leaned back, and grinned like a cat watching a very distressed dog try to do calculus. "So," I said, letting the pause drag on like molten lava, "what are you willing to offer me if I don't destroy your career and pride right now? Be specific. I don't take vague apologies."
He blinked. Fast. Panic-fueled, panicked blinking. "Offer…offer? I…what do you…what do you want?"
"Leverage," I said. "I want leverage. I want…oh, I don't know, maybe total, absolute, unholy, alpha compliance whenever it suits me. Maybe free coffee. Maybe the occasional walk of shame after you try to bite me. Maybe…" I trailed off, letting the sentence hang like a guillotine, "…maybe just a general acknowledgment that I'm terrifying and powerful and you are, apparently, a very large, very desperate man in desperate need of reassurance that you are not about to be ruined."
Kael opened his mouth. Closed it. Opened it again. Hands flexing. Fingers twitching. Fangs peeking. "Fuck. YoUuu"
"Wrong answer," I said. "I guess this is where the video goes to the internet ."
He made a noise, half-growl, half-groan, that honestly sounded like a wounded animal and possibly a dying adult male trying to negotiate with a toddler, it made my eyes widen and my mouth open so wide, I . "I…will…give you…whatever you want," he rasped. "Just…don't do it..."
"Lina please "
"Fine! I need you to stay off my path, and everything I do in this company, do not intervene! Well you're my boss, so treat me like you treat the others!! Equally and probably better."