Chapter 22

Thorne’s POV

Aurora bows as she apologizes, and I sigh. I can’t figure out why she keeps making mistakes. When she first started, everything was perfect. She worked hard and fast, excelling at every task I gave her.

Now, she’s messed up several times, and all within three days.

Is she starting to slack off because she feels more comfortable? I look at her, still bowing to show her sincerity. She doesn’t look comfortable. I’ve also noticed her away from her desk several times in the last two days. Today, she left her desk- not to complete tasks- at least twice. Yesterday, too.

I look back at the paper in front of me and shake my head.

“I don’t want apologies. I want you to do your work properly.”

Aurora nods and stands back up. As she does, I notice her face growing pale and white. She blinks slowly, almost groggily, and her body sways.

“I promise to work harder and to make sure I don’t make any more mistakes,” she says. Her voice is suddenly raspy, like she hasn’t had anything to drink in a while. “I’ll fix this without delay, too. I won’t… It won’t happen again.”

Her words begin to slur together as she promises to do better.

Something is wrong. I can feel it in the air. It’s written all over her face, and it’s in her pained voice.

Had something happened that I’m not aware of?

“Aurora—”

“I’ll go fix it now,” she says softly, turning. I stand, reaching for her when her body sways and her legs give out.

Rushing toward her, I sweep her up before she can hit the floor, watching as her eyes flutter closed.

“Aurora?” I shake her gently and carry her to the small couch in the corner. “Aurora, what’s wrong?”

Maybe there was a reason she’s been doing badly with her tasks. I gently lay her on the couch, brushing a few pieces of her pretty silver hair behind her ear and listening as she breathes unsteadily. Shit.

“I-I’m okay,” she murmurs when I press my hand to her forehead. She shrugs the motion off and finally opens her eyes, adding, “I’m just tired. You don’t have to worry about me.”

“Don’t have to worry? You nearly fainted,” I growl, surprised at the worry filling my chest. “You don’t get pale and shaky just from a lack of sleep, Aurora.”

She doesn’t say anything for a moment, merely stares at me with creased eyebrows and soft, confused eyes. I realize, too late, that I’m extremely close to her. My hand is on her hip, my face is close to hers, and my arm is still under her neck.

Pulling back and standing up, I clear my throat before saying, “You need to go home, or to the hospital.”

And I need to get my head checked. I can’t get attached to Aurora. Our agreement is nothing more than a physical relationship, and right now, it does not count. I move a few steps away, clenching my fist.

“I don’t need to go to the hospital,” she says, pushing to sit up. I want to make her lay back down, but I force myself to stay still and far away from her. Even when she looks up at me, her face still pale as she says, “I just need to rest.”

“Fine. I’ll have my Beta drive you home,” I tell her while pulling my phone out. I send Jace a message to explain the situation and to come get Aurora. Is this why she’s been slacking off? I glance at her, noticing how she breathes slowly while staying completely still.

How long have you been sick?

The words are on the tip of my tongue when Jace enters my office. He looks between the two of us before settling his eyes on Aurora. Then, she smiles at him. My wolf growls inside me, and a spike of jealousy burrows deep in my gut.

She didn’t smile at me like that.

“Because you basically told her she was worthless,” my wolf growls angrily.

I did, and I regret that.

“She probably got sick because she was worried you would fire her after the other day,” he adds, and I grit my teeth. This can’t be blamed on me. It’s her job to do her work properly, and my job to tell her if it isn’t right.

However, as I watch Aurora quietly accept the bottled water Jace passes to her, I realize she’s not looking at me. In fact, she’s actively avoiding my gaze. Is my wolf right?

Then, I remember my words from moments ago. If you can’t do your job properly, you won’t have one.

Angry, I growl, which makes Aurora jump like a frightened cat. Jace glares at me, and our mind link opens.

“Dude, she’s already scared. Stop looking at her like you’re going to rip her head off,” he scolds in my mind.

“I didn’t mean to. Just…” I sigh. Aurora eyes me warily, and I feel the sting of my claws sinking into my palms.

“Get her home,” I order, moving back to my desk and sitting down. “I don’t want you here if you’re not feeling well. You can come back when you can work properly.”

Jace’s eyes widen, and I internally curse myself when her face falls.

Silence fills the room for a moment before Jace whispers something and helps Aurora stand. I keep my eyes glued to my computer screen as they leave my office.

“Make sure she’s comfortable and takes some medicine when you get to the house,” I tell Jace through our mind link.

“Sure thing, Alpha, but you shouldn’t have snapped at her like that.”

“Mind yourself,” I growl before cutting the telepathy off and trying to focus on work. She can’t turn into a distraction, so I need the distance. She doesn’t really need to worry, but I can’t say that to her. I’ve gotten too attached, and I need to back off. She’s human and this could never truly work between us.

Once I’ve let her fulfill the contract a bit longer, I’ll let her go back to her boring human life.

I glance at the clock in the corner of my computer screen before forcing my eyes back to the contract I had been reviewing before Aurora came to my office. I read through it, but my mind wanders.

For the third time, I force my focus back to the contract, reading through the second clause again, and again. When I try for a third time, I pinch the bridge of my nose.

I can’t stop thinking about her.

Aurora didn’t want to go to the hospital, but did she need to? Maybe I should’ve told Jace to take her anyway just in case. If she’s truly sick, she won’t get better with just a little bit of sleep. I also wonder how long she’s been feeling sick and wondering how she got sick.

Was it something she ate, or have I really been working her too hard?

Something she ate… or drank…

My mind goes back to the club the other night, and everything else falls away. She was trapped in that back room for a while, from what she said, but she never said if they had given her anything to eat or drink. Maybe something they did is what made her sick.

I shake my head to clear my thoughts. She would have said something.

Pulling my phone out, I dial her number. It rings through to voicemail, so I call again. Three calls later, worry settles in my chest. She might be hurt or need help. What if she fainted and hurt herself?

Telling myself that I’m just checking on her as her boss, I grab my car keys and head out of my office.