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***THIS NOVEL IS SOLELY PUBLISHED ON WEBNOVEL. LEGAL ACTION WILL BE TAKEN IF THIS IS RECREATED OR REPUBLISHED WITHOUT WRITTEN CONSENT OF THE AUTHOR***
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RYAN
The next morning, me and the guys had an intense training session with Mark and the warriors. When training was over, I went to my room to shower and wash my hair. After I dried my hair, I went to my closet and got dressed. I put on my dark grey suit with my light blue shirt and gold tie. I put on my light brown shoes with matching belt. 'I can't wait to lay eyes on my lovely. My Luna.' I said with a smile. I went downstairs for breakfast to find Mrs. Jones was in the kitchen. She took care of me after my Mom died. She took on the maternal role for all intensive purposes. I even called her Ma when my father wasn't around. Her kids were like siblings to me. We went to school together. Celebrated all of life's milestones together. I gave her a quick squeeze and said "Good morning, Ma." She squealed with surprise and swatted at me. I laughed grabbing the orange juice from the fridge. "Good morning you silly thing.", she smiled at me, "You're in a good mood today." She said. I shrugged. "Looking forward to my Italy trip. Do you want me to bring you something back?" I asked. "Just yourself." she said placing a plate of fruit eggs and sausage in front of me. "You say that every time I go away" I smirked. "And you always come back" she said pinching my cheek.
Paul came in dressed in his usual black suit and tie with white shirt. He is shorter than me by 4" , fair skin with a bald head. He has broad shoulders and his physique is similar to mine. He has dark brown eyes with thin lips. His natural demeanor is happy go lucky but when he is in bodyguard mode, he gives off a scary tense vibe. "Good morning, Mrs. Jones", he said with a smile. "Good morning, Paul. Happiness seems to be contagious today." She said placing his plate on the counter. "It's going to be a good day.", he smiled at her. She smiled back and patted his shoulder. "Eat fast. After this, I have a meeting with the Witches. I want to get to the office before Evanora." I said. He nodded and smiled. We quickly finished our breakfast. I headed to the conference room (located on the main floor of the pack house) and Paul went to the garage to sweep the SUV for bugs.
I walked in and found three Omegas at work. One was setting out tea and pastries, one was wiping down the surfaces and one was setting out vases of roses per my request. I want them to be as relaxed as possible. They finished their work and left. Mom wanted this room to be calming and bright. She painted the walls a very pale yellow and had sheer white curtains hung on the windows. The furniture was made out of a bright birchwood with gold hardware. The chairs around the conference table are a bright tan color with plush cushions. It's very inviting. I took my seat at the head of the table and waited.
Shortly after, there was a knock on the door to the conference room . "Come in.", I called out. A warrior walked in with three women. The older woman who looked to be in her 50's. Her dark brown hair had streaks of gray running through it. Her eyes were yellow speckled with black flecks (a sign of a witch). She seemed frail from hunger but still had a shapely frame. The two younger women seemed to be of a similar age somewhere between 20 and 25. One had fire red hair and the other had a golden blonde. Both were slender and clung to the elder as if one of them would disappear. Seeing them so frightened made me want to protect them.
"Good morning." I said as I stood to greet them. "Please have a seat." They huddled close together and moved as one to take the seats about three feet away from mine. They wore tunic dresses and hooded cloaks that were dingy and tattered. 'They must've gone through something horrific.', I said to myself. "I heard you've had troubles with rogues.", I said reclaiming my seat. "Yes, sir. They keep raiding our coven. Taking only supplies and potions at first. Leaving us to rebuild. But now they started attacking us. Killing, raping, and kidnapping our members. Night before last, they raided again. It was four of them this time. Two took Nadia. One came after us. We managed to kill him. The last one went after Janet. We killed him too but not before...", the older woman said glancing at the blonde. The blonde lowered her head with a steady stream of silent tears rolling down her cheek. "We are all that's left.", she said and the blonde woman let out a soft sob. Wolves and Witches have not been enemies but we avoid each other and don't trust one another easily. But this... My heart broke for them.
I softened my features and held her gaze letting them know I'm not a threat to them. "I'm sorry. That's truly tragic. I promise you are safe here.", I said. I sat back and folded my hands. "What are your names?" I asked. They looked at each other and then the eldest one spoke again. "I am Minerva. This is Janet (blonde) and Penelope(red head).", she said tipping her head towards them as she spoke their names. I nodded toward them in acknowledgement. "My name is Ryan. How may I help you?" They looked at each other and the Penelope spoke. "We seek asylum. We can live off the land so we don't need much in the way of food. In exchange we will help you in any way we can. We know how to make tinctures, potions and trinkets that will help heal or protect against magical attacks.", she said. That could be helpful. "How do I know I can trust you? Why would you trust me after what's happened to you?" I asked.
They nodded to each other and pulled out a few satchels. I leaned back. "Even though we Witches like to stay in the shadows, we still know about your reputation. You are fair and kind. Humble and noble. We know that you protect those you love and saved your pack after your father nearly brought it to ruins. You're not just respected in the wolf community but in ours as well.", she said. She took a deep breath then continued. "This is called Moonstone. Being wolves, it will help you connect to the Moon Goddess and invoke her motherly protection against magical attacks. They will also help to protect against poisoning from wolfsbane.", she said handing me an amulet with a light colored gem in the center. I admit that I was curious. "We brought enough for 300 warriors but if more is needed, we will need time to collect resources." I looked at her thoughtfully. "How do I know these work?". She pulled out a small jar containing wolfsbane. When it's touched to a wolf's skin, it makes the skin of the wolf sizzle. It's extremely toxic to our kind. I stood up and took a step back. She threw her hands up, "Please, Alpha Ryan, I mean you no harm! But it is best to give you a demonstration." I took a breath relaxing a bit. I didn't want to scare them but I didn't fully trust them either. ' Get in here. Bring the warrior ', I said to Paul through the mindlink.
A few seconds later Paul entered with the warrior behind him. Paul looked at Penelope and his eyes went wide. He sniffed the air. "Mate.", he said and I nearly hit the floor. A Witch is his mate?! He moved towards her and she huddled closer to Minerva. "Wait, Paul! They're traumatized!", I said. He stopped in his tracks and looked at me. So many emotions flashed over his face. "Focus" I said. He took a breath but I could see he was fighting his instinct to hold her. "They have offered us a gift in exchange for asylum. I called you in here to be present for the test." He gathered himself and nodded. I placed the amulet on the table and nodded to Minerva. She removed the herb from the jar and I presented my hand. Minerva touched the herb to the back of my hand and it slowly began to sizzle. I picked up the amulet and the sizzling stopped almost immediately. "It works! " I said in amazement. She removed the herb and put it back in the jar, "Please help us.", she pleaded. I nodded. "Of course. I'll have a house set up for you with food and clothes. I'll give you two female warriors to ensure your safety until you feel safe with us. They won't let anyone harm you. I will announce our alliance immediately. For now, please go to the pack hospital for a check up so we can start you all back on the road to good health." I slowly took my seat.
'Paul, I know you want to be with her but she has been through a lot. Allow the doctors to look her over and get her healthy again. For now, just give her space.', I said through Mindlink. He looked at Penelope and whimpered but took a few large steps back. Penelope turned to look at him and spoke softly ."I am aware of what a mate means to werewolves. Especially a fated mate. I am not rejecting you.", she said still clinging to Minerva. Paul visibly relaxed some and said,"I didn't mean to frighten you. I'll give you space." He took a card out of his chest pocket. "Call me whenever you need, for whatever you need.", he said sliding his card across the table and stepping back. She reached a shaky hand toward the card and picked it up. Paul smiled slightly. She furled her brow a bit and brought it closer to her nose "Warm maple syrup and sage.", she smiled a bit. He smiled with hearts in his eyes. "Is that my scent?", he asked. She nodded. "You smell like pink roses and freshly cut cantaloupe." He said. I softly smiled at this sweet and careful interaction between mates. Penelope dug in the satchel and pulled out an amulet. She placed it on the table and slid it towards Paul, "Keep this close.", she said. He carefully reached for the amulet and placed it around his neck.
I called for Shayla to come to the conference room through mindlink. When she arrived I explained everything. She smiled at Paul and took the satchels. "I'm Shayla, the Gamma female of the Moon Lake pack. If you ladies please follow me, I'll take you to introduce you to the warriors that will be with you. They will protect you with their lives, even if the threat is coming from a pack member. They will only answer to you and the Alpha. Then we'll get you over to the hospital. Afterwards we'll sort out the rest.", said Shayla in a gentle voice. Minerva turned to me with tears in her eyes and said softly "Thank you so much Alpha." I smiled softly, "I'm glad to help." The ladies stood and walked out the room moving as one.
I hugged Paul "I'm happy for you man! Your mate! Congrats!" I said. Paul hugged me back, "Thanks man. I just wish I could have found her sooner.", he said with a tinge of sadness in his voice. "She's here now and once she's recovered I'm sure you two will be very happy together.", I said clapping his shoulder. He smiled "She's beautiful." I nodded. "You two make a good looking couple."I said. ' Now I want to see my mate.', I said through mindlink. "Let's go."
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We got into the truck and drove off. After a few minutes, I asked through mindlink, 'Last night, when we dropped Evanora off, you looked hurt when she reacted the way she did. May I ask why?' He looked nervous. He took a deep breath, 'Well, honestly, I was confused at first. I really wanted her to like me.' I growled. 'As a friend! As a friend!' he said throwing up a hand. I calmed down. 'When you said that she was your fated mate it all made sense. I was sad because I felt rejected by my Luna. My wolf even whimpered.' he explained. 'I just wanted her to be happy.' I nodded in understanding, 'I get it. Make sure you stay close today. Cynthia is coming in. She always comes with bodyguards. If she doesn't take what I have to say in stride, I need you and Maggs to keep Evanora safe.' 'You got it, Alpha.' Paul responded.
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When we got to the office, Maggs let me know Cynthia was due at 10:30. I checked the time on my watch. 7:22am. I went to my office to check my schedule. I called Sophia and let her know that I'm free anytime before 10am so she could bring the background check. I went to my personal bathroom to make sure I look good when Evanora arrived. I washed my face and hands then moisturized. When I came out, Evanora was at the espresso machine with her back to me. I quietly approached her then leaned in and asked "Is that for me?" "Y-Ye..", she hesitated as she turned to face me. I cooked an eyebrow at her letting her know that I knew she was about to lie to me. "No.", she corrected herself, "but you can have this one." I smiled satisfied, "Thank you. Please keep that for yourself. The one you made yesterday morning was perfect. Could you make another one for me?", I asked sitting on her desk. "A-actually, we have the same tastes.", she said turning to the counter picking up the mug. "This one is made the same way as the one from yesterday. Also there's a file next to you that contains the contract for the Italy trip. It needs your approval by the end of the day.", she stated turning to hand me the mug. 'Goddess she's beautiful. I need to smell her scent.' I thought to myself. I got up and took the mug out of her hands. I got closer. She froze. I leaned in and inhaled deeply. I grabbed some napkins from the organizer on the counter behind her as my excuse for getting close. I heard her inhale deeply. 'She's enjoying my scent too!' I said to myself. My wolf howled happily. As I was pulling back, I couldn't help but whisper in her ear. "Thank you." I smiled at her satisfied with the results. She was blushing. I took the file from her desk then turned to go back to my office.
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I went over Cynthia's proposal and the numbers were off. The profit projections are completely inflated and if that's off she had to be bleeding money. Cynthia started the movie studio on her own. She didn't even try to get investors. She figured she would get more profits that way. I've helped her over the years by procuring the equipment she needed and giving it to her at cost. I even helped by promoting her movies. They definitely got good coverage but they were bad movies. She invested too much into the movies then they flopped. Hence the debt. At this rate she'll be broke by the Fall. This was supposed to be her way to build her wealth and gain her freedom. She's second in line for the throne, so her getting mated and bearing children is all that she is good for in her father's eyes. She wanted to be with her fated mate but her father planned to marry her off to a friend with power. When none of his friends accepted his offer, so he started looking to marry her off to one of their sons. My father had the bright idea to marry me off to her in hopes of producing an heir to the European throne. He constantly pushed her on me when I was a teenager and being that Cynthia was older than me, she thought (and still thinks) that she can seduce me. When I turned 18, my father threatened to disown me if I didn't marry her. He didn't disown me but I haven't spoken to him since the Alpha ceremony.
I've told Cynthia several times, I'm waiting for my mate but she just keeps trying. Showing up with little notice and when she does she's always scantily clad. Enough is enough.
I'm going to offer to pay off her debt and suggest that she sells the studio. As far as, she and I goes there is no us and there never will be.
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Maggs and Sophia stepped off the elevator smiling and chatting. I assume about me and Evanora because I heard Sophia say, "I'm looking forward to meeting her." and Maggs replied "She just went to pick up the pastry order." Sophia shrugged, "I'm sure I'll meet her soon. I'll stop by later to pick up the baby clothes for Mrs. Cooper." Maggs nodded and Sophia made her way to my office.
"Hey Mr Bossman. I got the back background check. Since Maggs did one recently, I just added the info she didn't have.", she said and sat down in the chair across from me. "What'd you find out? Did anyone stand out? ", I asked.
"There was one person that did pop up, Thomas Donovan, second son of Alpha Theodore Donovan. They dated for her junior and senior years of high school. I found her friend Erica Andrews and spoke to her. She said that he proposed at our Luna's graduation party and her father flipped because he didn't ask for her hand." I smirked, "Our Luna? " I asked. "Duh. You don't think you get to keep her to yourself do you? Me and Shayla have been praying for her arrival. Anyway, a couple of weeks later her parents died in a car accident. The official story is that they were on their way home from a chef's convention that they attend almost every year and her father fell asleep at the wheel. They went over a cliff but didn't die on impact. Apparently the body's were mauled by a wolf. The official cause of death is blood loss. Her and Thomas reconnected a month later. He wanted to get back together but Luna only wanted to be friends. He started to stalk her and attempted to rape her. She went to the cops but since there weren't any witnesses to the attempted rape she could only file an order of protection. Erica's parents helped her sell her parents house, garden and business before she moved away. She's been running ever since. She moved to Aurora and lived there for a year and a half but he found her. She left her job and moved here.", said Sophia. I nodded listening and going through the paperwork, "I'm kind of impressed.", said Sophia. I gave her a confused look. She rolled her eyes and explained, "Luna has lived with humans her whole life. She has no real combat training, no wolf and so far has been able to stay ahead of him and in one piece. I think once she's properly trained, she's gonna be fierce." I smiled and said, "I think so too. Excellent work. You went above and beyond. Thank you." She smiled and said, "You're welcome, Alpha." She stood and started walking towards the door, "See you back at the pack house.", she said as she waved lazily.
I went through the report. 'Did this fucker kill her parents?' I pulled out the coroner's report. It said several brown animal hairs were found at the scene and in a dent on the side of the car. They were identified as canis lupus (wolf). I searched her high school with the name Thomas Donovan. A kid with freckles and brown hair popped up. I sat back and rubbed my chin. Not all wolves have hair color the same as their human form but most do. So there's like a 75% chance that he killed her parents. 'This fucking guy'. I felt my rage begin rise. I got up and started pacing. I turned off my computer and took a deep breath. I needed calm down. Donovan... I think I met his father before.
The elevator sounded interrupting my thoughts. I turned to see my lovely (Evanora) step off. I needed to be close to her. I went to the conference room and helped her get the proposal binders in order. I made sure to stand close so that I could inhale her scent. Talking to her is so easy. I could feel our bond getting stronger by the minute. I needed as much of her as possible before Cynthia got here. Shortly after Maggs came and told us she was going down to bring Cynthia up. Eva rushed to get a platter for the pastries and set them in the middle of the conference table. The elevator bell rang announcing Cynthia's arrival. 'What the hell is she wearing?'. I'm sure Cynthia is attractive to some men but I don't see the appeal. She's so thin you can almost see the bones of her rib cage. She has no need for a bra because she barely has any breasts, no hips and no butt. She looks like she's two steps from dying. She came with two bodyguards and her assistant John. One body guard stood at the elevator with his hands clasped in front him. Maggs escorted the rest to the conference room.
I stood by the head of the table. "Nice to see you Cynthia. How are you?", I said with a forced smile stepping forward. "It's always wonderful to see YOU, Ryan darling.", she said giving me her hand palm down as if she intended for me to kiss it. I took her hand and shook it. Slightly embarrassed, she turned to my lovely and looked her over. "Who's this charming young lady?" she asked. "This is Evanora. She's training to replace Maggs.", I said with a genuine smile. "Nice to meet you", Eva said extending a hand. Cynthia took it and held it for a moment, "And you as well.", she said eyeing Eva curiously. "Would you like an espresso?", Eva offered. Cynthia made a smug face said, "Yes. Give me a double shot soy latte with one shot of vanilla, one spoon of brown sugar with lots of low fat foam and just a dash of nutmeg.", as she took the seat that John pulled out for her. "Sure thing, Cynthia." Eva replied. Cynthia stared at my lovely with a fierce look in her eyes. I wanted to dig them out for looking at my lovely with such malice. "You may address me as Ms. Perch or Madam. We are barely acquainted. Only those I have a repore with may call me by my first name." Cynthia stated. "I apologize Ms. Perch.", Eva said quickly. She then turned to John, "And you sir?", John looked up from his notepad. "Oh. Hi," he stood extending his hand, "Jonathan Davenport. You can call me John." He gave my lovely a genuine warm smile and she shook his hand. "I'll have a regular latte." He said reclaiming his seat. My lovely nodded and exited the conference room.
Eva brought them their drinks, she gave the bodyguards water then went to her desk. I know she's studying the specs for the trip but I want her close. I need her close. I got up and went to the door then said, "Grab a notebook and join the meeting. This is a great opportunity for you to learn what it is we do as a company." I went back to my seat. As my lovely was coming into the conference room, Cynthia said "You know, green is one of my favorite colors. That shade really brings out your eyes.", she said cooly. "However, this is a business meeting. Aren't you dressed a little too casual for the office?", Cynthia asked. "Cynthia," I said in a firm tone, "You requested this meeting at the last minute knowing I'm preparing to leave for Italy in two days. I only agreed because of our family's mutual respect and long standing friendship. I will not tolerate you trying to belittle my employees to inflate you fragile ego."
Cynthia appeared flustered. I turned to my lovely with a soft smile, "You look beautiful and you're dressed completely appropriately." She blushed and tucked her hair behind her ear. Cynthia sat up and smoothed her clothes trying not to show her jealousy.
"Now," I said standing. "As you know, Ryan Enterprises Ryan Enterprises started out as a real estate company. We have branched out in several areas since our establishment 8 years ago. We have made some excellent business moves and quickly became a household name due to our success in various fields. However, we are one of the largest media companies in the world, so a good portion of our income stems from online media, such as managing ootube influencers and internet media sources like JTF (Just The Facts) and TWIA (This week in America). However, we are one of the largest media companies in the world. We deal in everything from newspapers, to social media from commercials to movies. We even sell medid products such as various cameras, lighting and sound equipment, editing software ware etc. We also assist in improving profits of every company we deal with in different ways which bolsters not only our profit margins but our reputation as well." Cynthia rolled her eyes knowing that that speech was for Eva's benefit. "Cynthia is here to sell a movie studio whose profits has slightly dropped in the last three quarters", I said handing out copies of the proposal. I picked up the remote and turned on the monitor. "Cynthia would you like to take it from here?" I asked changing my seat to the opposite side of the table waving to my lovely and Maggs to join me.
They got up and switched chairs Maggs offering my lovely the seat closest to Me. Eva blushed a bit taking the chair. Cynthia couldn't hide her displeasure as she turned and started her presentation. She spoke about potential profits and the possibility of expansion due the the amount of space on the property. Eva looked over the numbers and made a face. I watched her wheels turning as she was writing something on a piece of paper. She leaned over and whispered something to Maggs. Maggs looked at Eva and shook her head. My lovely whispered to Maggs again. Maggs took the paper from her hand and gave it a quick once over. Maggs whispered something back to Eva. After a few minutes, Maggs slipped the paper back to Eva and whispered something while nodding in my direction. My lovely nodded and swallowed hard. She leaned towards me and whispered "Her numbers are off. According to this she has lost a lot more than she claims and the numbers for potential profits seems a bit inflated." I took the paper from her and looked it over. She caught it?? Either Cynthia is bad at padding her numbers or Eva is just that smart. I'm impressed.
I was dying to feel her on my lips. I leaned in to whisper and made sure my lips lightly grazed her ear. "I know." I said then leaned back slightly to look at her face. She was as red as an apple. Smiling I leaned in again whispering "Beautiful and smart. I'm impressed." "Uhmmm.", Cynthia cleared her throat both visibly peeved and jealous, " I'd appreciate your attention, Ryan darling. After all, you know what this studio means to me." I stood. It's time to put an end to this nonsense. "Actually, I'd like to speak to you in private if you don't mind." I said. Salivating at the thought Cynthia quickly agreed. "Ladies, Gentlemen, please give us the room." I said. Cynthia nodded for her body guard to leave as well. Everyone exited the conference and sat in the lounge area. I picked up the remote and darkened the glass walls and door. I don't want Cynthia to feel embarrassed or exposed while we're talking. It would just make things worse.
"Finally, some privacy. I was disappointed to see the conference room set up. I was hoping for a much less formal setting.", Cynthia said trying to be seductive. She stepped forward and tried to put her hands on my chest. I stepped back and said, "How much money have you actually lost?" She stopped in her tracks and looked at me with wide eyes and a red face. "It's all there in black and white." , she said. I grunted. "This would be a lot easier and quicker if you were honest about what you want." She smiled and said "I want you. I want to be your wife and bare your pups." I rolled my eyes and let out a deep breath. "Focus on things you might ACTUALLY be able to get from me. I told you years ago that's NOT going to happen.", I said with finality. "I stood here and watched you flirt with that silly little tart. You say you're not available for anyone but your mate and yet..." Cynthia stopped talking and looked towards the door. "Is she your mate?", she asked like the words were venom dripping from her tongue. I stepped closer going into Alpha mode. (Although Cynthia has Alpha blood, she is weak because of her diet. Everything she consumes is non fat or plant based. Wolves need meat to be strong and plenty of it.) "If she was, do you think it would be wise to disrespect her or threaten her in front of me?", I asked her with a deep growl rumbling in my chest. Cynthia was forced to bow her head. "My non-interest in you has been long standing. I entertained you as a boy under my father instructions. Truth be told I am not attracted to you nor will I ever be. I've tried to be polite and spare your feelings but you seem to be set on ignoring the hints, so let me be absolutely clear. You and I are never going to happen. You will never share my bed. You will never be my Luna. You will never bare my pups. I will never have feelings for you. I will never desire you and after today I will never be alone in a room with you again." I could see tears falling from her eyes.
I lowered my aura and offered her a seat. As she took the seat I reached for tissues and handed them to her then pulled out a chair to face her. "I am however willing to help your financial situation. I DO know what this studio means to you and how much you poured into it." She looked up at me. Her makeup smudged making her look her age. "I know how cruel ambitious father's can be. Using their kids to try to accomplish the things they couldn't in life. Marrying for power instead of love and forcing their kids to do the same." I said. She nodded wiping away tears. "Is John your mate?" I asked. She looked at me with shock and fear in her eyes, "How did you know? she asked. "No man follows a woman like that unless he loves her. When you're not looking he is admiring you. Why would you throw away your fated mate chasing someone who has absolutely no interest in you? Do you know the pain he is in right now? Being close to you but not being able to have you or tell you what he's feeling? Why would you put him through that just to please your father?", I asked. She bowed her head again, this time of her own free will. "Father said he'd kill him. That's why I needed this studio to work. So that we could disappear. I don't really have any interest in you anymore. I just wanted to get close so that I could get some money.", Cynthia admitted. "Did it ever occur to you to simply ask? I may not be sexually interested in you but I do consider you a friend. I could've helped if you had just been honest from the beginning. " I said.
"Now," I continued, "What can I do to really help you?" She looked at me with hope in her eyes and said softly "Well, I have to sell the studio and all of the equipment to pay off debts but I'll still need about 5 million for my plan to work. The Queen of South America is willing to grant us protection. She even found a pack that's willing to accept us." I took a deep breath. Finally some progress. "Ok. 5 million is a lot.", I said. "I have two million. I just need three million to reach my goal.", she said. "First, let's work on getting your studio sold. How much is your debt?" I asked. " About 1.5 million." She responded. I took a deep breath and said "I will cover your debt. I have a realtor in Italy. I'll see if he has any connections in England that can help sell your studio. I'll need you to take a proper inventory of the equipment you have and I'll find buyers for you. Once everything is sold off we'll see how much you have in total. I'll cover the difference if need be." I leaned forward and said "It's going to take some time but this will work.", I took her hands giving them a reassuring pat. She smiled as relief washed over her. I took out my checkbook and wrote a check for 1.5 million and handed it to her. Her eyes bulged when she saw the amount. I stood and walked towards the door "You'll hear from me when I hear from the realtor. In the meantime, pay your debts and do the inventory." She fixed her makeup as best she could but started crying tears of joy. She walked up to me and gave me a hug. It was awkward. I patted her back and shimyed out of her grip. I held open the door and she walked out with her head held high but still had tears on her face. "Come along Jonathan", she said without turning her head making a beeline for the door. Maggs escorted them to the garage. I stepped out behind her and went straight to my office to call my realtor. He said he did have a contact in England and would get back to me in a couple of days. I let him know that this is an urgent matter and top dollar is needed for the property. He said he understood and would call me back as soon as he heard from his contact. After I got off the phone, I took a moment to be happy about finally putting an end to Cynthia's insufferable pursuit of me.
I walked back to the conference room as my lovely was collecting the presentation folders and sat on the table. "Thank you for pointing out the adjustments. I'm surprised you caught it.", I said smiling. "It was just a simple matter of doing the math.", she stated as she emptied the presentation folders. "Did everything work out the way you wanted?", she asked. "Yes actually. I think we're both satisfied with the outcome.", I said nodding with a proud smirk. Maggs stepped off the elevator and headed for us. "Good work Eva! That was a great catch! I told you she's a keeper!", Maggs exclaimed pulling my lovely into a hug, "You did so well." I smiled, "Indeed. When you're finished here, I'm taking you ladies to lunch.", I said standing and heading to my office to search for the invoices for the equipment I had previously sold to Cynthia so I can begin looking up the market value and depreciation. I printed what was needed. I'll work on this when we get back.
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I took my time looking through the papers I printed. I began looking for buyers immediately. According, to the invoices I had of what was sold to Cynthia, compared to market value and asking prices of the equipment, Cynthia stood to make a little more than 1 million in profit. 'Excellent. Now if we can sell her property for 3 million or better she can go and live the life she wants with her mate.'
I looked at the time. It was 6 already. This day flew by. I'd been stealing glances of Eva all day. I looked up and my eyes lingered for more than a minute. I saw Maggs was leaving to go home. I waved and she waved back. Alone at last. I can talk to her about Thomas but I don't want to push her. I got up from my desk and walked over to the door of my office. I cracked it open and asked, "Eva, could you bring me the specs and blueprints?" She nodded in acknowledgement. I went back to my desk and took my seat.
She walked in and handed me the folder of the specs for the property in Italy. "Did you go over the specs?", I asked taking the folder. "Yes, I did.", my lovely nodded once. "Did you understand it all?" I asked flipping through the papers. "Yes", she replied. "And what do you think?", I asked. She bit her lip and moved to the front of my desk opposite of me. "Well..." she hesitated, "I think the asking price is too high especially for the amount of renovations that would need to be done." I nodded, looking her in the eye, "What would you suggest?" My lovely twisted her fingers and said, "Italy Is known for fashion, food, wine and its scenic beauty. Depending on the amount of employees you have or the amount of space that you would need, there are several other options that I believe would be great for your European headquarters. They would cost less to purchase and renovate. Also, a few of the properties have extra space on the land. You could build villas or a helipad and it would still come out cheaper than buying the first property. A couple of the properties have beautiful scenery." I looked at her thoughtfully and asked, "Any pros for the original property?" She took a breath and twisted her fingers then said "Well, the location is good for foot traffic being that its close to the center of Milan. You could down size the lobby and renovate to create boutique store fronts to rent out. Being that it's in a metropolitan area it would be easy to entertain visiting clients." I smiled, "Those are all very good points. You definitely do have more to learn but I can tell you pick up on things quickly." My lovely smiled back at me.
"May I ask you a personal question?", I asked rising from my desk. She nodded as I moved closer. "Your Birthday falls during the trip. Do you want to stay behind so you can celebrate with your friends and family?" I asked. She hung her head, "My adoptive parents died when I was 18. I don't have any siblings and things between me and my friends are... complicated.", she said softly. I stepped closer, gently pinched her chin between my thumb and index finger and lifted her head to meet my gaze. "Are you okay?", I asked. All I want to do is keep her safe and make her happy. "Yes", she said. I dropped my hand and put it in my pocket. "One more personal question. Why did you move so far from your hometown?", I asked. I could tell she was thinking about what to say. "The truth", I said. She took a deep breath and said, "Two reasons. The sweet memories I have from growing up there turned bitter the last few years and a crazy stalker ex." I tensed at the words crazy stalker ex. "What's his name?", I asked with a low growl. "Honestly, I don't want to tell you only because I haven't spoken his name in months. I don't want to bring that energy into my new life.", She said. 'Why is she protecting him? 'I folded my arms across my chest. "I promise to tell you if something happens but I'd rather not speak him into existence.", she said. I nodded in understanding. I stepped closer and took her hands off her arms then wrapped my hands over hers and said, "I hope that in time you'll feel comfortable talking about it with me. You're a long way from home and I can't imagine what happened to make you leave. But I want you to know that you're safe here and if there's anything that I can do to help, Evanora, please let me know." I wrapped her arms around my waist and pulled her into a hug. I inhaled deeply. The scent of vanilla and freshly baked peach pie filled my nose and I relaxed.
We sat down and went over my schedule for tomorrow. I delegated a few tasks to her that would help the day run smoother. After we had our to do lists done for tomorrow, I made sure all the files for the trip were packed in my briefcase. I grabbed all the garbage bags from the entire office while Eva gathered her things. We got on the elevator and went down to the garage. Paul was standing next to the SUV with his hands behind his back. I went to toss the garbage in the dumpster off to the side of the elevator and listen to them chat. "Good evening, sis.", he chuckled. She smiled and asked "Sup bro? How was your day?" He smiled widely and said, "Good. About to head home and watch some anime." She replied, "I love anime. My favorite one right now is about a bunch of teens going to a prestigious cooking school in Japan." He nodded and said "I saw that one. It's good. Right now, I'm watching one where this kid and his sister becomes a hunter team and they chase down demons." Eva nodded, "Cool. Text me the title I'll check it out.", she said. I stood back not saying a word just watching them interact. "Will do. You want a ride home? Your house is on our way home.", said Paul. "Thanks bro, but my car is right there. I can drive.", she said. He looked a little disappointed. "Ok. Get home safe. Let us know when you get in.", said Paul. She smiled warmly. I like the fact that they interact so well. "Ok. I will. Goodnight.", she said waving to both of us. "Goodnight.", we both said in unison. She hopped in her car and drove off. We followed her out of the garage but didn't follow her home.
"Long day?" Paul asked. "Long but productive. I'll tell you about it once we get home." I said. Paul and I were on our way to the pack house. Something was nagging me. I felt uneasy. 'We should check on Eva before we go to the pack house.', I said to myself. "Let's drive past Evanora's. It on the way." Paul smiled. He said through the mindlink, 'I get it. I can't wait to get back to the pack house. I was going to check in on my mate at the hospital tonight.' I responded, 'That's a good idea. Everything happened pretty quickly this morning. make sure you check on the other two while you're there.' My phone rang. I looked and it said My lovely. I answered smiling, " Hey Eva. What's up?" In panicked hushed tones Eva said "He found me! He was here!" I said in a calm tone, "I'm on my way. Is there a room with a lock?" I asked. Paul visibly tensed. "The bathroom.", she responded. "Go in there and lock the door. If there's a window in there lock it. Take a weapon and sit with your back against a solid wall. Stay on the phone but don't talk.", I said. "Get to Eva's house. It's an emergency." I told Paul. He responded, "We'll be there in five minutes.", and he floored the gas pedal. I told Eva "We'll be there in five minutes. Stay on the phone Eva." I listened intently. I heard footsteps then a lock hitched and another. Then I heard Eva breathing heavy. "Two minutes. Stay where you are. I'll break down the doors when I get there. Don't move." I said. Her breathing slowed. I heard a door creek open. "He's in my apartment.", she whispered. "Hurry!" I yelled at Paul. But he couldn't drive faster. We were already at top speed. I'll rip Thomas to shreds if he touches her! I could hear nails being dragged along the bathroom door then something metal fell to the floor. Slow steps sounded through the phone then stopped. I heard the shower curtain being thrown back. "There you are!", said Thomas. I saw red. I growled feeling helpless. "AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH", Eva screamed in terror. I heard a squishy sound. Thomas roared and then I heard a loud slap. Eva dropped the phone. I heard a loud thud then my lovely whimper, "No, Thomas. Stop. Please.. just leave me alone." Then dragging sounds. My heart was racing. "If I can't have you, no one can.", Thomas said as we finally pulled up to the front off her house. I jumped out the car, ran up the steps then hit the front door at full force. It splintered and shattered to pieces. I followed Eva's scent to the second door on the right and shattered it too. Thomas turned to see me coming at him. He got on all fours, and leapt through the closed window scattering glass shards everywhere. I dropped to his knees next to Eva. Worriedly, I checked her for wounds. She was bad. She had a dislocated shoulder, two cracked ribs and her windpipe was partially crushed. I picked her up gently and laid her on the bed. "I'll go after him", Paul said. "No! Get an Ice pack!" I said worried she might have a broken jaw. She doesn't have her wolf yet. Can she heal from this? "Eva? Eva? Can you hear me?" I asked. "Open your eyes lovely. " Her eyes fluttered open but was still dazed "Help me", she muttered. "I'm here. I got you." I said. Paul came back and passed me the ice pack then I put it on her cheek. "Talk to me, lovely. You gotta stay focused. Can you hear me?" I asked. She nodded. "Have you started packing?" I asked. She tried shake her head. "No, no, lovely. Don't move. I need you to use you words." I said. "No. I was going to start packing tonight" she said weakly. 'Get Sophia over here. Tell her to bring a few of our best warriors.' I said to Paul through the mind link. Eva's eye rolled to the back of her head then fluttered shut.
I picked up Eva again and carried her carefully to our SUV and Paul followed close behind.