Lila sat at her desk, her eyes glued to the screen as she worked on yet another client proposal. The hustle and bustle of the office was something she had quickly grown accustomed to, but today, it seemed unusually loud. Every click of a keyboard, every phone ring, and every conversation grated against her. Her head ached, and her body felt unusually heavy, like she was dragging herself through quicksand.
"Hey, Lila," Ryan's familiar voice called from behind her.
She turned slowly, pasting on a polite smile despite the weariness creeping into her bones.
"Can we talk for a moment in the conference room?" he asked, gesturing toward the glass-walled room at the end of the floor.
"Of course," she replied, standing up with more effort than she cared to admit.
Once inside, Ryan motioned for her to sit while he closed the door. He took the seat across from her, his usual approachable smile softening into something closer to concern.
"I wanted to talk to you about the suggestions you made during the strategic meeting yesterday," he began. "The way you pitched the solution to the marketing struggle—it was sharp, innovative, and exactly what we needed. The partners were really impressed."
Lila blinked, surprised. "Oh, thank you. I just...….well, I wasn't sure if it was my place to speak up, but I'm glad it helped."
Ryan nodded. "It more than helped. In fact, I want you to be part of the team handling the implementation of your ideas. It's a great opportunity to showcase what you can do, and I think you're exactly what this project needs."
A surge of pride warmed her chest, momentarily eclipsing the dull ache that had been plaguing her all morning. "I'd be honored to help," she said.
"Great. And just so you know, if you ever have more ideas, don't hesitate to bring them to me. Fresh perspectives are what keeps this company moving forward."
She smiled, feeling a rare sense of accomplishment. But as the moment passed, her energy seemed to drain away again.
Ryan studied her for a moment, his brow furrowing. "Are you okay, though? You look… tired. Pale, even."
Lila hesitated. She couldn't exactly tell him that she felt like she'd been hit by a supernatural truck. "I didn't sleep well last night," she lied. "But I'm fine. Really."
"Alright," Ryan said, though he didn't sound convinced. "But take care of yourself, okay? You're an important part of the team now."
Lila nodded, thanking him again before returning to her desk. But the moment she sat down, a wave of dizziness washed over her, and she gripped the edge of her desk to steady herself.
That evening, back at the apartment, Lila sat cross-legged on her bed, her laptop open as she typed a query into the search bar: Symptoms of a werewolf mating bond.
She scrolled through the results, her frustration growing with each passing second. Most of the articles were laughably unhelpful, written by people who clearly had no idea what they were talking about. Others were too vague, filled with cryptic references to bonds, energy exchanges, and primal instincts.
She slammed the laptop shut, leaning back against her headboard with a groan. The last time she had felt this off was when Caleb marked her, and the connection between them had left her reeling with a mix of emotions she hadn't been ready for. But this time was different. The exhaustion, the headaches, the ache in her chest—they felt more like a punishment than a bond.
And where was the overwhelming pull of desire she'd felt before? That strange, insatiable heat that had consumed her before Caleb's mark was nowhere to be found. Instead, she just felt… empty.
Mia knocked lightly on her door before walking in, a concerned look on her face. "Hey, you've been holed up in here for hours. What's going on?"
Lila sighed, running a hand through her hair. "I think something's wrong with me, Mia."
Mia sat beside her, tilting her head. "What do you mean?"
Lila hesitated before answering. "You remember how I told you about Caleb and the whole… mating bond thing?"
Mia nodded cautiously.
"I think it's affecting me again," Lila admitted. "I've been feeling off—exhausted, dizzy, like my body's shutting down on me. I've been trying to read up on werewolves and the bond, but nothing makes sense."
Mia's brows knitted together in concern. "Why didn't you say something earlier? We need to figure this out. You can't just push through this on your own."
"I didn't want to drag you into this mess," Lila said quietly. "But honestly? I don't know what else to do."
"Well, lucky for you, I happen to be an expert at internet sleuthing," Mia said with a small smile. "Scoot over."
Lila shifted to make room as Mia grabbed her laptop and began typing furiously. They spent the next hour sifting through forums, articles, and even a few obscure research papers. While most of it was unhelpful, Mia managed to find a few promising leads on how to ease the symptoms of a disrupted bond.
"Okay," Mia said, scrolling through one particularly detailed forum post. "This person says that focusing on grounding techniques can help. Stuff like meditating, spending time in nature, and avoiding anything that might deepen the bond further."
Lila frowned. "What does that even mean—'deepening the bond'?"
Mia shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe it means no more werewolf kisses or bites."
Lila rolled her eyes, but a faint smile tugged at her lips. "Thanks for helping me with this, Mia. I don't know what I'd do without you."
"Hey, we're in this together," Mia said, shutting the laptop. "Speaking of which… I wasn't going to mention this, but Caleb called me yesterday."
Lila stiffened, her stomach twisting at the mention of his name. "What did he want?"
"To talk to you," Mia said. "He sounded desperate, but I told him to back off. You don't need that kind of stress right now."
Lila sighed, leaning her head back against the wall. "Thanks, Mia. I just… I can't deal with him right now. I need space. I need to figure out who I am without him—or Adrian—in the picture."
"Fair enough," Mia said. "But just so you know, I've got your back. No matter what."
Lila smiled faintly, her chest tightening with gratitude. For now, she decided, she would focus on herself. The men in her life could wait.
Adrian adjusted his cufflinks, his reflection cold and impassive in the full-length mirror of his penthouse suite. The thought of stepping into his office churned in his gut like acid. Ever since he confirmed that Lila was an intern in his company, he'd gone to great lengths to avoid crossing paths with her. It wasn't that he cared, he told himself. It was a matter of preserving his pride and maintaining distance.
Yet business couldn't be ignored forever. His management team had scheduled a critical meeting he couldn't delegate, and it was at the main office.
Adrian sighed, running a hand through his dark hair. "Brenda," he called out to his assistant over the phone, "make sure the back office entrance and the private elevator are open. I don't want to use the main floors."
"Yes, sir," Brenda responded promptly.Even if Brenda wondered why the boss had such an odd request she knew she had to obey without questions.
The ride to the office was as smooth as ever, but Adrian felt a strange tension building inside him as he approached the building. His driver parked in the reserved underground lot, and Adrian slipped through the back elevator doors without so much as a glance at the bustling main floor.
The meeting started as usual, with data reports, projected revenues, and updates on the company's performance. Adrian listened with half-hearted interest until Ryan, the team leader of the marketing department, took the floor.
Ryan's voice brimmed with enthusiasm. "I just want to highlight a recent win for our team. One of our new interns, Lila Collins, made a fantastic suggestion during a critical meeting with our partners. Her idea turned out to be the breakthrough we needed to secure the deal."
Adrian's jaw tightened, his expression remaining unreadable.
Ryan continued, unaware of Adrian's growing discomfort. "Her insights were sharp, innovative, and delivered with such confidence. She's a natural, and I've already asked her to join the project team. Honestly, she's the kind of talent we could use more of around here."
Adrian cleared his throat, drawing the attention back to himself. "Good work, Ryan. But let's stay focused on the broader objectives."
Ryan nodded quickly, sensing the subtle dismissal. The rest of the meeting continued without incident, but Adrian couldn't shake the faint irritation gnawing at him. He had come here to avoid her, yet her name was being sung like a melody he couldn't escape.
Once the meeting concluded, Adrian retreated to his private office. The idea of Lila excelling in her role both pleased and vexed him. He told himself it didn't matter. He had resolved to keep his distance, and nothing—not her brilliance, not the lingering memories of their shared moments—would change that.
His fingers hovered over his desk as he clenched his fists. "This is just business," he muttered under his breath. But the hollow feeling in his chest suggested otherwise.