Chapter 95
Aurora’s POV
It’s surprisingly quiet, other than the whispers that move through the office. I expected to be bothered or harassed by Ivy or Jack when I got back to the office, but neither showed up. Even Angeline hasn’t come, which makes me wonder exactly what happened after Thorne promised to take care of Ivy and Angeline.
Suddenly, it’s all I can think about. Did he punish them? Is that what he meant when he said he would take care of things? If so, where are they now? Are they going to come back soon and make things even worse, or did they learn their lesson?
Someone like Ivy doesn’t seem like a person who will take kindly to being reprimanded or punished. I don’t think that she’ll be happy whenever she does eventually return.
Standing, I peer around the room again and find nothing out of the ordinary. A few people stare, but they do nothing more than whisper. In fact, each time I’ve gotten up from my desk today, I’ve felt their eyes on me. Just like now.
I try to remind myself that Thorne will be back soon, and we’re going to lunch together. However, it doesn’t stop the unease from creeping in as I walk down the hallway. It doesn’t matter though. As long as the three main troublemakers aren’t here, the whispers hold no weight.
“Aurora.”
Looking up, I find a man standing a few feet in front of me. He smiles when I look at him and steps closer, leading me to step back. I tighten my hold on the file I’m delivering and make sure to keep distance between us.
“I’ve been wanting to introduce myself to you,” the man says. “I’m Ace.”
I nod, unsure of why he’s talking to me. “Did you need something?”
“I’d like to take you out to lunch. You’re a beautiful woman, and I’m unmated—”
“I’m sorry. I think you’ve probably gotten the wrong idea,” I tell him while stepping back again. I peer over his shoulder to where Jace’s office is. It’s at the end of the hall, but with him in the way, I can’t get there without passing the man.
Would he let me pass?
“I need to get back to work,” I say, taking my chance to slip past him when he turns slightly. Though, I’m not fast enough because his hand shoots out and wraps around my wrist. The file in my hand flutters to the ground as I try to pull away.
“Is lunch too much to ask for? I’ll even pay,” he says. “Isn’t that what you like? For men to pay you to spend time with them?”
I can’t hold back the gasp. “Let go of me.”
“Is my status not high enough?” He growls, pulling me back. I stumble, nearly falling, and my shoulder screams in protest. The pain from the other day returns like a fire coming to life, and I groan.
“I said let go,” I demand, digging my nails into his hand at my wrist. If I pull, I risk the chance of popping my shoulder back out of place. Anders said it could happen if I’m not careful.
The man doesn’t listen, even as I dig my nails in so deep that I draw blood. That is, until suddenly, he freezes and looks behind me. Someone steps up behind me, and I can feel the large presence easily.
Turning, I expect to find Thorne standing behind me, but it’s Anders. I tilt my head back, noticing the narrowed eyes and icy glare he’s sending toward Ace. Then, he moves. He darts around me, grabs Ace by the back of his neck, and lifts him off the ground.
“This lovely lady is taken,” the giant doctor says, “So if you want to keep your hand, I suggest you remove it from her wrist.”
Ace immediately drops my hand, and I pull back, watching as he runs away the moment Anders puts him down. A moment later, Anders is prodding my shoulder and rotating my arm, asking, “Are you alright? Hurt anywhere?”
“I’m okay. He jerked my arm, but luckily, you came just in time,” I murmur, offering a small smile. He nods and slowly releases my arm once he sees that I’m not injured. “Did you come to check on me or were you here to see Thorne? He’s out at a meeting right now, but he should be back soon.”
“Thorne will be here shortly, so I’m here to escort you to your mate’s office.”
Butterflies replace the unease. Hearing him call Thorne my mate sets off a spark of happiness within me, and I smile.
“Lead the way,” I say, scooping up the file and following behind Anders. It takes only a few steps before Anders is behind me and nudging me forward. I glance back at him, craning my neck to look up at him, but he doesn’t say anything. He merely nudges me again to keep moving, so I do.
All the way up to the top floor, which is now empty since everyone else is at lunch. I set the file on my desk before heading into Thorne’s office. Somehow, Anders slipped past me and is now whispering in Thorne’s ear.
“For such a large man, you’re very sneaky.”
Anders chuckles, softly flicks my nose, and leaves the office without another word. The friendly gesture makes me smile.
“Are you alright?”
“I’m fine.”
“Are you sure? Anders said someone grabbed you in the hallway,” Thorne says, cupping my face and looking me over.
Smiling, I step back and nod, “I’m just hungry.”
After a moment’s hesitation, Thorne finally smiles, “Then let’s get you fed.”
“They’ll see,” I grumble, pulling back from the kiss as the elevator dings. Thorne shakes his head.
“I don’t care,” he says. “They already know we’re together, and I’m not ashamed of you.”
The sincerity shining from his eyes has my insides turning all warm and fuzzy. We’ve been hiding our relationship for so long that it’s odd to think about not hiding any longer.
Reaching forward, I grab his tie and tug him down. Our lips meet in a soft kiss, sending tingles and sparks through my body.
“Thank you,” I murmur against his lips. “I know you’re not ashamed. It might just take a bit of time for me to get used to showing affection in public.”
He nods, kisses me again, and then pulls me from the elevator to lead me to his office. I ignore the stares and whispers, focusing only on the warmth that radiates from Thorne’s palm to mine. The feeling is different than anything I’ve experienced, more comforting and softer than anything else.
“Anders will check on you again later—”
“Thorne, I said I’m fine,” I tell him as we stop at my desk. “I don’t need Anders to check on me again. I promise that I’ll tell you if I’m feeling uncomfortable or in pain.”
He watches me as if he’s looking for a lie, but he won’t find any. I don’t want him to be worried about me all the time, and the only way that’ll happen is if he knows I’ll talk to him.
“Thorne, I promise…”
An envelope on my desk catches my attention. My name is neatly printed on the front, but it wasn’t here when I left for lunch, so I open it and flip the paper over.
“What the hell is this?”
