Chapter 8
Freya
I was about to knock on Paxton's office door when I heard Lyra's soft, tearful voice floating through the wood.
"Pax, why would you arrange things this way? Do you think I'm not good enough? I can improve. I promise."
I paused, my hand hovering in mid-air. Part of me wanted to walk away and return later, but my wolf bristled at the thought of retreating from what was still technically my territory. I was still Paxton's marked mate, after all, even if that status was on borrowed time.
"I'm trying so hard to learn the wolf business rules," Lyra continued, her voice breaking with a perfectly timed sob. "I want to help you, to stand by your side supporting Sterling Enterprises... like Freya does."
The calculated pause before "Freya" wasn't lost on me. I knocked firmly, not waiting for a response before entering.
Paxton sat behind his desk, his expression softening as he looked at Lyra, who dabbed at the corners of her eyes with a white handkerchief. He spoke to her in a gentle tone I barely recognized.
"Bringing Freya over is to help you, Lyra. Freya has been with the company longer and understands business operations. She can guide you."
I cleared my throat. "Alpha Paxton, Apex Company's issue has been resolved. It was their technicians violating the wolf business protocol, not our equipment." I kept my amber eyes level, my voice steady and professional.
Paxton nodded slightly before coldly stating, "From now on, you'll work here. No need to return to the Strategic Department."
I went rigid. Five years I'd spent clawing my way up in Strategic, building something that was mine at Sterling Enterprises. And just like that, he was taking it all away with a few words.
Lyra sat perched on the edge of what appeared to be a newly installed desk next to mine, her lips turning downward in a practiced pout. "Freya, what Pax is trying to say is that I'm new to all this stuff. He's hoping you can help me figure out how things operate in Sterling enterprise."
The smug smile on her pale face made my wolf growl internally. This was encroachment, plain and simple. The Alpha and Beta were invading my small corner of professional territory, and they weren't even trying to hide it.
I moved to my desk and began organizing my files without responding. The sooner I focused on work, the sooner I could—
"Pax, try this."
I looked up to see Lyra pulling a specialized thermos from her bag. She approached Paxton's desk with practiced grace. "I made this soup this morning with herbs and traditional wolf recipes."
She poured some into a cup, blew on it gently, then held it to his lips.
My stomach turned as I watched this display. My wolf instincts recognized it immediately for what it was—a Beta's submissive courtship gesture. To perform it in front of an Alpha's marked mate was a deliberate challenge.
Paxton opened his mouth slightly and took a sip. Lyra's eyes gleamed with expectation. "How is it, Pax?"
"Don't worry about this stuff anymore," Paxton said with a nod. "Let someone else deal with it."
Lyra shot me a triumphant glance before turning back to Paxton with a practiced look of vulnerability. "Are you worried about me, Pax?"
Paxton remained silent, which was as good as confirmation. I felt a chill spread through me as I remembered all the mornings I'd risen early to prepare things for Paxton over our five years together. Not once had he expressed concern for my well-being.
I turned away from their performance and sat at my desk, suppressing the faint Alpha instincts that urged me to challenge them both. Instead, I buried myself in reviewing contracts.
"Sister, could you make copies of these wolf territory agreements on my desk?" Lyra's voice dripped with the condescension a Beta might show to a lower-ranked wolf.
I continued examining the contract in front of me, my amber eyes fixed on the document as if I hadn't heard her.
"Pax," Lyra's voice shifted to something fragile and hurt, "you just mentioned copying that document, but when I told Freya, she completely ignored me."
Paxton's eyes flashed gold. "Freya, didn't you hear what Lyra said?" His voice carried the unmistakable pressure of an Alpha command.
Anger surged through me. "I heard very clearly," I replied, looking directly at him. "You arranged for Secretary Lyra Welch to handle it, didn't you? What does that have to do with me, your marked mate?"
"She isn't available right now," Paxton replied coldly, brooking no argument. "You've handled these matters plenty of times before."
I glanced at Lyra, who sat comfortably on the sofa, her expression smug.
Standing up, I turned to face Paxton directly, my amber eyes meeting his. "May I ask which is more important—copying a document or reviewing a multi-million dollar contract involving wolf territory security?"
I picked up the contract from my desk. "If there are problems with this contract, not only will the company have to pay massive damages, but wolf secrets could be exposed to the human." I pointed to the signature line. "The reviewer is Lyra Welch."
Lyra suddenly looked uncomfortable. She snatched the contract from my hand. "I signed this contract with the human company. I've already consulted on it, and there aren't any issues."
I couldn't help the cold smile that formed on my lips. "This contract states that Sterling Enterprises will purchase components for smart monitoring systems from Apex Company. The Sterling territories only use the special 'safe version.' This contract only lists model numbers and quantities without specifying 'safe version.' Apex's components come in 'safe' and 'standard' versions with a huge price difference. According to this contract, if they provide the 'standard version,' those cameras won't filter out wolf transformation images."
Lyra was speechless, panic flashing in her eyes. She turned to Paxton, tears forming. "Pax, I've only been at the company for a few days. How could I know about these wolf security protocols? If Freya knew, why didn't she warn me? What good would exposing wolf secrets do for her?"
I felt my lips curve upward slightly, my inner Alpha savoring this small victory in our territory dispute. "Lyra, if you're unclear about something, you should study carefully. Since you signed this contract, you should understand that if our identities are exposed because of it, you'll answer to the entire pack."
"Pax," Lyra's voice grew more pitiful, tears now streaming down her cheeks, "I really didn't know about this. Why is Freya so determined to target me?"
Paxton's face remained stern, his golden wolf eyes flickering as he turned to Lyra. "In the future, you must consult with Freya on company and pack matters. This isn't an ordinary business issue—it's a major concern affecting the safety of the entire pack."
Lyra's expression froze in disbelief as she stared at Paxton. "Pax! You can't—"