Nox watched in disdain as the rat before her began to tremble, shaking uncontrollably, as if it were having a seizure. She stood, kicking the rat in its ribs a second after, the trembling having long become an eyesore. The rat squealed in pain and tried to scuttle away, like the vermin it was. Lila stood, watching the scene before her with apathy, especially as she knew that the dog had bitten the hand, and now it was time for it to be stewed.
"P-please...p-please Ms Nox... let-let me-let me just explain! Please!" A trembling voice rang out, the voice shaking with terror and breathy from the pain. Nox glanced down at the rat before gesturing for Lila to pick the thing up.
"You have a minute to answer my questions," Nox spoke, annoyed that she had to give this rat the time of day. The rat nodded, Nox's powerful aura suffocating him, making his heart beat faster in panic. If his stupidity had reminded him of who this woman was, he'd have been safely in his house, enjoying a gourmet meal prepared by his chefs.
"What deal did you make with Whiteshore?" Nox spoke, her tone so cool and collected you'd have thought she was just on a trip to the grocery store.
George swallowed audibly. Shit. How the fuck did he get found out? He thought that since she was a woman, despite all her fancy titles and whatnot, he'd have the upper hand regardless. When did they investigate him? Did they know that he had been trying to negotiate a sweet deal in exchange for Midnight's company secrets? He still hadn't realized that that information was the only reason he was alive at the moment.
"I-I have-I have no idea what you're talking about, Ms Nox." George eventually said. Nox hummed in response, barely sparing him a glance as she mind-linked Duncan.
'Balor, use the Cethins and investigate George's dealings with the Whiteshore pack. You have two days.' Nox spoke, her orders leaving no room for misunderstandings. 'Yes Alpha, consider it done.' Balor replied, immediately contacting The Cethins and letting them know of their Alpha's orders. Nox glanced at the thing, realising that torture wasn't even worth it, no matter the info.
She then nodded at Lila, who calmly snapped George's neck without a preamble.
"That settles that, now dispose of the rodent before it smells," Nox said, and Lila carried off the corpse of the rat, which the guards put in a body bag before tossing the bag in a river.
Nox sighed, marvelling at how one human nearly cost her her product reputation. She glanced at the clock on the wall, noticing that it had been an hour and a half since the talk with Lila and the dealings with the rat.
She doubted if any cafe' was open at the moment and she wasn't in the mood to find out, so she decided to wait as she focused on the office tasks that she could do despite the distance from the main branch.
Nox loved silence as she worked, a fact that Francene was made aware of, so even when the employees trooped in, Francene did her best to ensure that they did not disturb her Alpha as she worked.
By the time Nox broke her concentration, the employees were all working on the relaunch of Cadhla. Dale knocked on her door, ready to give their progress report.
"Alpha, the relaunch of Cadhla is well underway, the IT department is working on adding the augmented reality feature, and the marketing team has already established contact with Alcee Williams. She has agreed to be the brand ambassador of the company and we are working on her contract as we speak." He said.
"Good work, Dale. How is Lila doing?" She asked.
"She has already assumed her duties as the manager, Alpha. "
"Good. Work with her to complete the relaunch perfectly, and get her and Francene to organize a bonus for the employees once the relaunch is successful." Nox said, dismissing Dale.
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By the time it was 11:00 am, Nox was craving a cup of coffee, not to mention the fact that she had been unable to go out to eat due to the mess when she got here, so she was starving as well. She left Lila with a final set of instructions before informing Dale that she was heading out to grab a bite and walking out of the office.
She saw a coffee shop as she walked, but that was not what drew her attention. She stopped in her tracks, her blood thrumming in her veins, wolf senses kicking in. She could feel it, and before she knew what was happening, she was walking forward at a rapid pace. Shortly after, a scent that nearly sent her into a frenzy hit her nose, spreading around her and causing her to turn her head in it's direction, greedy for more.
The scent carried the soothing, sweet, and refreshing hint of lavender and a sensual, warm tone of jasmine. The two elements combined together to form a scent that was driving her wild, giving her an overwhelming urge to bury her nose in the source of that scent and never leave.
She followed the scent and was led to a beautiful cafe that seemed to serve as a bistro as well, which was interesting. She walked in, her head swiveling in the direction of the scent, which went to a corner booth, where she could just make out a woman with her head bowed.
"Welcome to Alon cafe/bistro Miss, how about I lead you to a table?" A waitress spoke beside her, just as Nox had stopped at the entrance. She ignored the waitress, heading to the booth with steady, refined steps. If she was the type to wear heels, they would have clacked on the ground in a systematic pattern as she calmly made her way to the corner. She finally arrived at the booth and the woman looked up, taking Nox's breath away.
The woman had beautiful, round, emerald-colored eyes, and soft, plump, slightly pink lips that were covered in a layer of clear gloss, making them extremely sensual and seductive. She had a slightly upturned nose that sat delicately on her face, giving her features an ethereal countenance that made her as alluring as a fairy. Her long, light brown hair with blonde highlights framed her face, seemingly giving her an angelic glow. Even the tears that rested delicately along her long lashes and the slight red that tinted the corner of her eyes could not decrease her beauty.
Her emerald eyes flashed blue for a second, confirming that she was a werewolf, that she had felt the mate bond and that she was an omega. Nox sat down, staring at the woman intensely. She was very pleased with the moon goddess' choice for her mate and could not have asked for a better one.
"Hey, beautiful," she paused, "may I know your name?" Nox asked, not really believing the words that were leaving her lips at that moment. The fairy in front of her seemed to have been messing with her mental faculties, not just her senses. The lady stared at her for a second, seemingly mesmerized, before her cheeks turned a light pink. Nox, having noticed the little reaction, felt pride swell in her chest as both her and her wolf realized that their mate was as affected as they were.
"I'm Dunamis, Aylin Dunamis. What's yours?" Aylin spoke, her sweet, soft voice sounding to Nox as beautiful as a symphony of angels.
"Nox, Scarlett Nox, and I, dear Aylin, am your mate." Came the reply, Aylin's eyes widening with realization at the revelation by the Alpha before her.
Her mate? That explained the heavenly scent emanating from Scarlett. It was a mixture of the rich, warm, deep scent of sandalwood, coupled with a refreshing hint of peppermint, which gave it a slightly calm effect.
She supressed an overwhelming urge to burry her face in Scarlett's neck, inhaling that scent for the rest of her life. She found herself muttering Scarlet's name over and over, loving the way it rolled off of her tongue. Aylin's cheeks flushed once more when she realized that Scarlett could hear her clearly, the small smile on Scarlett's face being the primary cause of her reddening cheeks.
If she thought that Scarlett was gorgeous before, with her almond-shaped, violet coloured eyes, straight nose, beautifully shaped lips and obsidian-coloured hair, the small smile lit up her features, reminding her of a goddess. That was the only way to describe her, as her otherwordly beauty concealed a coldness that was reminiscent of a deity.
The waitress, having followed them there, watched the exchange with both envy and awe. As luck would have it, she was a werewolf as well. She herself was still searching for her mate, and the one Alpha who walked in that was exactly her type finds her mate here? So unfair! When was it gonna be her turn too?
She cleared her throat to get their attention and Nox glanced at her, finally remembering her purpose for searching for a cafe` in the first place. She tore her gaze from her mate with great difficulty before looking at the menu and speaking her order out loud.
"Would you like anything?" Nox spoke, turning her attention back to Aylin.
"You don't mind me ordering?" Aylin asked, a bit hesitant to spend Scarlett's money when she had only just met the Alpha. Nox, on the other hand, smiled at her, as if sensing her hesitation.
"Don't worry, you can order this entire restaurant and it wouldn't dent my pocket, so feel free." She said, surprised to see the frown on Aylin's face in response to her statement. Aylin placed her order as well, waiting for the waitress to leave before speaking.
"I don't like how you said that." She finally said, refering to Scarlett's earlier statement. Nox stared at her, wondering what she said that was so wrong. Seeing her confusion, Aylin continued.
"Its rude to those who don't earn that much and seems more like bragging, which I don't like." Aylin said to Nox, who frowned slightly. Bragging?
"I speak only fact, those who feel otherwise have nothing to do with me." She shrugged, regarding her newly-discovered mate with a cool gaze. She was not sure how to feel about this situation, since Aylin and her just seemed to have a different worldview, something Nox could no nothing about.
Aylin seemed to have come to the same conclusion as she quickly shelved the matter, resolving to revisit it when she knew her Alpha better.
The food came and they ate in silence, each in their own thoughts. Nox mid-linked Dale, telling him to bring her a car to her location as she would be driving today. After they finished up with both their meals and desert, they sipped their drinks as they began to coverse again.
"So, what were you doing here with such an upset expression on your face?" Nox asked, regarding Aylin with a careful gaze, watching her every reaction. Aylin flinched,and did not seem to be opposed to telling her, but seemed a bit hesitant to speak.
"Is it something you can't tell me?" Nox spoke, waiting for Aylin's reaction.
"I'm just not sure how to tell you," she said, glancing at the table before them a bit before speaking once more; "The person who was supposed to meet me here for a date broke up with me on the phone, all while in another woman's apartment." She shrugged, seemingly nonchalant, but Nox wasn't buying it. Nox noticed the slight tremble in her lips and the fresh tears that threatened to spill out of her eyes.
Nox knew rage, it was something she was accustomed to, but the burning hot anger that spread through her body like lava was something she had never felt before. A violent, fiery, destructive force spread through her as she contemplated the numerous ways she could end the creature that dared make her mate upset. As if sensing her wrath, Aylin wiped her eyes and grabbed Nox's hand across the table.
This action surprised Nox, instantly satiating both her and her wolf, who had already began to pace, nearly forcing Nox to shift and track the creature that brought tears to their mate's eyes. At that moment, Dale informed her that the car was at the parking lot, and it was her Aston Martin.
"I'm alright now, that person means nothing to me. He had been cheating for a long time now, it was bound to happen." Aylin said, bringing Nox's blood to a boil once again. The man had the audacity to cheat not once, but severally? How the hell would he leave this fairy and go lay with other creatures?
The fact that he had made Aylin upset was a grave enough sin, but the recent statement put the final nail in that creature's coffin. Nox did not want to ask who it was, because she would exterminate the vermin without hesitation.
The waitress came back with the bill, and Nox swiped her card without looking, leaving a generous tip as well before standing up.
"Could I give you a ride?" Nox asked Aylin, who nodded. Any minute spent with the Alpha was well spent. Nox gave her a smile, helping her out of the booth and guiding her out of Alon, her hand firmly placed on the small of Aylin's back.