Chapter 23
Daniel POV
“Hello Mr. Summer, I’m Charlie Phillips.” Her sweet melodious voice was too much, I felt a surge of lust flow through me. I grabbed onto her, half convinced she was a hallucination, and kissed her with everything I had. I poured the sorrow and frustration my search for her had created into the kiss. My love and adoration for her, every emotion that had been destroying me for months went into that kiss. She moaned into my mouth, and I smelt her arousal, my body had a life of its own as the only thought running through my head was to mate and mark her. I lifted her as gently as I could, I was at war with myself my wolf wanted to be savage, take her quickly and aggressively, to dominate and claim her, while my human side wanted to cherish and worship her. I set her down on the desk and my hands slid under her skirt, I needed to be inside her. The moment my fingers gripped her panties, she pushed me away. I was hurt and confused, I knew she wanted me, I could smell it. And then it hit me, she had no idea I was real and rather than explain it I had jumped the gun. She probably thought she had lost her mind and I made it worse. She ran from the office red-cheeked and on the verge of tears. My chest constricted painfully as I realised it was all my fault. I had caused her pain, caused her to question her sanity. I was frozen for a second, angry with myself for blowing it so spectacularly. Until my wolf propelled me forward after her. I chased her through the office like a man possessed, I had no idea where she was going but I would follow her to the ends of the earth if I needed to. She flew past a girl at a desk and slammed an office door shut. By the time I reached it I could hear her muffled cries. It broke my heart; I was the cause of her pain. I needed to explain somehow.
“Charlie, it’s Daniel, please open the door. I need to talk to you.” It took a few painfully long moments before she slowly opened the door. I was awkwardly aware of the eyes on me, as I slipped inside the office. Goddess, she was stunning even when she was crying, but I hated that I had caused her tears. An idea flashed in my mind, but it was a long shot, that could push her over the edge.
“I’m sorry I ran out like that; I’m not feeling well. I think I need to see a doctor.” My heart broke all over again, it was too much for her, I had really screwed up, I just wanted to hold her, I needed to feel her, I needed reassurance that she was really in front of me because I couldn’t quite believe it.
“You’re not crazy and I can prove it if you’ll let me. I told you I was real, but I didn’t know how to make you believe me, everything you’ve seen and felt in your dreams, I’ve seen and felt too in mine.” I couldn’t bear to see the tears on her cheeks anymore. My hands moved to wipe them away before I could stop myself. “The first time I saw you, I thought you were a vision, I didn’t think you were actually there, or I didn’t want to believe you could be, because it’s impossible, but you were. You didn’t see me, I watched you run, and play in the wildflowers, in the moonlight. You were wearing a white cotton nighty, and you were the most beautiful woman I had ever seen.” The words were flying out of my mouth before I could stop or filter them. She just stared at me her beautiful mouth opened, I couldn’t help getting mesmerised by her perfect, plump, pink lips. I kissed her again, I was a drowning man, and she was air, I was dying of thirst, and she was water. The mate bond was driving me and being so close to her, her scent was overriding my self-control. I forced myself to release her lips, pressing my forehead against hers, but I couldn’t remove my hands from her gorgeous face. I couldn’t let go of her and I didn’t want to. I never wanted to let her out of my sight ever again. “I need to take you somewhere, show you something, it's going to be scary at first, but I promise you’ll be safe the whole time. Will you come with me?” I was begging, pride be damned, I didn’t care, I would get on my knees in front of the whole pack if she asked me to. She was my world, despite everything I had been taught my whole life, pack, mate, family, self, in that order, the most important to last. I had no problem putting my pack and my family before myself but as I stood with her face cupped in my hands, I knew I wouldn’t put anything before her. I would burn the world to the ground, sacrifice everything as long as she stayed next to me. Then I heard her say it.
“Yes, I will go with you.” I couldn’t contain my joy, I wrapped her in my arms, her tiny body fit perfectly, she was made to fit against me, always. I released her, reluctantly, and took her hand, we needed to get to my office, I was going to have to borrow my brother’s car. I mind-linked him to ask for his keys.
“Yeah, of course, but what are you doing? We still have things to talk about!” His reply irked me. I needed to take care of my mate; I would go insane without her. There hadn’t been many circumstances of it happening in the past, but there had been a few, mostly an Alpha's mate had been killed to weaken a pack during a war, and a loss that great, drove most to suicide. None had been rejected by their mate, and I wasn’t about to be the first. I looked back at her, her head was down, that’s when the whispers all around us registered. I stopped to glare at them all, they were disrespecting their Luna, I wanted to eviscerate every last one of them. I growled my disapproval, my Alpha aura permeated the floor, they bared their necks immediately, I sent one last glare around me, I didn’t care about the humans. They would fall in line too or I would taste their blood, I would destroy everyone in the building if it pleased her. I tried to pull her along, but she was rooted to the spot cowering behind me. I let my anger get the better of me and I had terrified her. She was as white as a sheet, and trembling, I watched her almost collapse and panicked. I grabbed her face and waist, hoping it would be enough to stop her from fainting.
“It’s okay, you’re okay,” I whispered, I didn’t know what else to do, so I picked her up like she was my bride, silently hoping I got to carry her over the threshold one day. She deserved a big, beautiful wedding, she deserved a Luna ceremony, she deserved the world, and I would do my best to give it to her. I carried her through the office daring someone to say anything. When we got to Ms Michaels’ desk, I didn’t need to say a word, one look at Charlie in my arms and she ran to open the door to my office. I nodded my appreciation; the woman deserved a raise. I placed her on one of the chairs and knelt beside her, it was my rightful place, kneeling before my goddess. I couldn’t stop my hands from touching her, I needed to feel her, do something to calm her I just didn’t know what, I was just as lost as she was. The door burst open, and every instinct screamed at me to protect her. I growled as Ben ran into the room, my wolf didn’t want another male around my mate, at least not until she was marked.
“Whoa, Daniel what’s going on?” He mind-linked me while raising his hands.
“She’s fragile right now and I don’t want anyone scaring her,” I growled back angrily, I wasn’t fully in control and my voice was gravelly, a sure-fire way for anyone to know I was on the verge of shifting, as my wolf fought for control.
“For goddess’s sake Daniel, I’m not going to hurt her, I came to see if you both were alright!” Ben suddenly bellowed. “The whole office is in chaos with gossip and speculation about why Charlie got her job and who she is to you.” He tried to explain. “I understand and I don’t want to hurt her but there have been rumours. Someone is attempting a coup. There are rumours you have become unhinged. Your absence hasn’t gone unnoticed, and we need to come up with a plan. I called an emergency pack meeting on Monday, and the majority still believe in your leadership. But there is a growing number, especially amongst the older generations that think we need new blood in charge. And I think the threat is coming from within Appletree.” He mind-linked, aware he had already said too much in front of Charlie but every glace her way angered my wolf more.
“I don’t care, I will kill anyone foolish enough to challenge me. And that’s the only way they will be able to depose me, then I will slaughter everyone who even thought about betraying me and banish anyone who stands with them.” I snarled, my wolf itching for blood. I felt her hand on my shoulder and my whole body relaxed, I needed her scent to calm my wolf. “I’m sorry,” I whispered to her, my nose in the crook of her neck. I didn’t care if Ben heard me, Alphas don’t apologise, but I would do anything for her, and he needed to know it. She shivered and let out the sexiest little whine. I couldn’t help but smile, I liked that I affected her as much as she affected me.
“You need to say something to EVERYONE.” He stated. “The whole pack.” He added through mind-link, ruining the first moment of peace I had felt in months.
“I will when the time is right,” I replied unable to remove my nose from her neck, it was the only thing keeping my wolf from taking control and ripping my brother, the room and possibly half the building to pieces.
“Fine, what’s the plan?” Ben asked aloud.
“I’m going to make sure my mate is okay, show her my wolf then when she is ready, I will introduce her to the pack as their Luna. I will quash any ideas about rebellion and if you leave now, you will live it see it, because I am barely holding my wolf back. The pack can wait until she is ready. End of discussion.” I mind-linked him, putting my Alpha tone behind it. I turned back to Charlie, my breath caught in my throat at how terrible she looked but she was still so beautiful.
“My keys are by the elevator, I left them there this morning so you could drive around while I’m busy keeping this company running and trying to prevent a civil war.” He mind-linked back.
“Thank you.” I replied as I attempted to convey my gratitude. He left closing the door behind him. I needed to feel her skin on mine, my hand was on her cheek before I could stop myself. I needed to do something, I thought and prayed it worked.
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