~Lina~
"Relax," I said, brushing past him like I wasn't actively provoking a wild animal. "I'm going to my desk. You go… Alpha somewhere."
But he followed me.
Of course he did.
Like a giant, stressed, angry wolf-shaped shadow.
"Stop following me," I snapped over my shoulder.
"I'm not following you," he said, following me. "I'm escorting you."
"That's literally following."
"Luna… don't argue with me."
I nearly tripped. "DON'T CALL ME THAT."
He made a strangled noise in his throat. "I can't help it! My wolf keeps…..keeps pushing the word out. He calls you that. He… he won't shut up."
"Good," I said. "Tell him I said 'hi'"
Kael looked personally betrayed.
**
When I reached my desk Jax practically threw himself into the nearest chair like he had been waiting for me to save him from a tornado.
"Lina," he hissed, grabbing my sleeve like a dying soldier. "Thank God you're here. He's been pacing since six in the morning. SIX. Like a tiger. Or a rabid raccoon. I thought he was going to claw through a window…"
"I wasn't pacing," Kael snapped.
"You paced a dent into the carpet," Jax snapped back.
Kael bared his teeth. "You want another one?"
I clapped once.
They both stopped talking like I'd pressed a giant mute button.
Kael inhaled sharply. His eyes flicked to the small red heart sticker on my top.
Oh, this was going to be easy.
"Lina," he said stiffly. "What exactly are you planning today?"
"Work."
"That's not what your outfit says."
"Oh?" I looked down innocently. "What does it say?"
He choked. Actually choked. "It says …it screams, it yells , LINA YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHAT IT SAYS."
Jax covered his face. "Oh my God."
I leaned back in my chair. "Kael, are you threatened by my skirt?"
"I'm threatened by EVERYONE who can see you in it."
"Ohhhh," I said slowly. "So you are jealous."
He froze. His wolf pushed forward again. I could see it in his eyes glowing, hungry, possessive.
"I'm not… jealous," he said, lying worse than a toddler hiding a cookie behind their back. "I'm simply… concerned."
"Concerned," I repeated. "Uh-huh. Sure."
"That outfit is dangerous."
"It's fabric."
"It's a f$#@# WEAPON."
I blinked at him. "Are you hearing yourself?"
"Yes," Jax muttered. "And so is half the floor because he's been talking at FULL VOLUME since sunrise."
Kael growled under his breath. "Be quiet."
"You be quiet!"
"Both of you shut up," I snapped. "I'm trying to work."
Kael exhaled sharply. "I can't focus."
"Not my problem."
"It IS your problem," he said, voice lowering like he was about to confess to murder. "Because my wolf is losing his mind. You walk and he wants to follow. You breathe and he wants to…."
"Oh," I said, grinning wickedly. "So you ARE suffering."
He glared. "Yes! I AM SUFFERING. ARE YOU HAPPY?"
"Very," I said.
Jax whispered, "I'm going to scream."
**
Ten minutes later, step two of my plan began.
And by step two, I mean: I let another male coworker talk to me.
His name was Ren. Nice guy. Terrible haircut. He walked over to my desk holding a stack of papers and smiling like a golden retriever.
"Hey Lina!" he said. "Morning!"
Before I could reply, Kael teleported.
I swear to GOD he did not walk.
He did not run.
He MATERIALIZED.
Right beside me.
Jaw clenched.
Chest rising fast.
Hands flexing like he was ready to tear Ren limb from limb.
Ren froze. "Oh! Mr. Wu! I didn't see you there."
"Leave," Kael said.
Ren blinked. "Uh… I actually need Lina's signature…"
"She doesn't sign things anymore."
I turned to him. "I DO sign things."
"Not today," he said.
Ren forced a smile. "Okay… I'll just come back…"
"No," Kael growled.
"NO?" Ren squeaked.
"Give ME the papers. I'll decide if she needs them."
My jaw fell open. "WHAT?! No! Give them here, Ren."
Ren shakily held out the papers. Kael snatched them mid-air, ripped the top page by accident, cursed under his breath, then shoved the stack onto my desk like a toddler throwing a tantrum.
"Don't talk to her again," he muttered.
I gasped. "Kael! What the hell?!"
He pointed at Ren. "And YOU… move."
Ren fled like I'd released a demon.
Jax popped up from behind a desk. "WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU TWO?!"
Kael ran his hands through his hair, pacing. "I can't…. I swear to God … if one more man breathes near her…"
"You'll WHAT?" I demanded.
"EXPLODE," he snapped. "I WILL ACTUALLY EXPLODE."
I put a hand on my hip. "Kael, this is exactly what I meant when I said treat me equally at work."
"I AM treating you equally," he argued.
"No you're treating me like a chew toy."
"A SPECIAL chew toy."
"OH MY GOD…."
Jax sat down on the floor. "I'm quitting. I'm quitting today. I'm quitting right now."
**
But I wasn't done.
Lunch break came.
And I turned my flirting up to maximum chaos.
And I saw this shift in his eyes that actually scared me for this first time, like really scared me.