The Alpha's Fated Mate Is an Outcast-Chapter 22

"Hurry, Kid!"

’I am!’ Alexis ran through the hallway to the foyer, trying to put on her loafers.

Augustus and Lyndon, who were already lining up with the other staff because, of course, Keelion was arriving at the foyer, glanced at her, clear irritation flashing in their eyes.

"I’m so sorry!" She rushed into the foyer, apologizing and bowing rapidly at the two men. "Something just went wrong, and I over..."

The two men rapidly shook their heads and signaled her to stop talking.

"Kid...behind you."

Alexis’s words trailed off, and she slowly turned, only to stiffen at the sight of Keelion, whose sets of blue were staring her down with no tinge of emotions in them.

She couldn’t read him—she couldn’t tell what was going on in his head. The man was like ice and fire. Hot one moment, and then utterly as cold as ice in the next.

She stared down at the marble floor. She didn’t know what to say, where to even begin. Should she apologize? Would that be disrespectful? Was she forbidden from speaking to Keelion in front of people?

"Get in line, Alexis, or we’re screwed." Reia’s voice rang in her head, and she nodded to herself, shifting back on her feet until she was standing in line with the rest of the staff.

Apologies solved things half of the time.

And as if instinctively, she bowed as deep as she could, apologizing, "I’m sorry, A-alpha, I didn’t mean to be late. It will never happen again."

She eventually lifted her head, hoping to see some sort of lightness to his screwed-up gaze, but what she rather saw was a hardened stare, as if he was seconds away from storming towards her and putting her miserable life to an end.

It was similar but worse than the look he’d given her yesterday when he saw her with Augustus. And quickly, she glanced beside her at Augustus, whom she was standing a bit too close to.

Her eyes rose back to meet Keelion’s, and as if the warning in them were crystal clear, Alexis pushed herself away from Augustus, giving distance between the both of them.

The man’s fingers twitched, and he fisted them. Though it wasn’t noticeable by anyone, he breathed deeply, shutting his eyes, before blinking apart his light-colored lashes.

This time, his gaze no longer stayed on Alexis but rather strayed away towards the rest of the staff. "You’re dismissed."

They bowed one more time, taking turns to leave, and when Alexis proceeded to, she flinched, very much able to feel those eyes on her. When she looked back, Keelion didn’t avert his gaze, instead, he held it, hands shoved into the pocket of his slacks that just fit him too well.

"Wow, kid," Sereia breathed out right next to her, rubbing up against her leg. "This is a startling amount of tension, I can’t breathe. Are you sure this man doesn’t want to keep us, I mean..."

’What are you even talking about?’ Alexis questioned, quickly averting her gaze and puttering away as quickly as she could on her feet. ’Keep us? He looked like he could kill me!’

"Yeah, in bed," Sereia scoffed.

"You’re out of your min—" She stopped as soon as Augustus stood in front of her.

"Alexis Ruderth, care to explain why you were late?"

The man folded his arms.

Alexis waved her hands defensively. "I just lost track of time. I haven’t slept well these days, so..." She slightly bowed at him. "I’m sorry. It won’t happen again."

"It better not," Lyndon chimed in and grunted under his breath, pink eyes looking rather tired as if he’d been awake the entire night. "For a scrawny beta, you’re a serious work. It makes no sense to me why the alpha would hire someone like you. You don’t exactly have some talent, and you are too weak. You look like you would break anytime, any day."

"I’m stronger than I look, sir," she assured.

"Really?" Lyndon arched a brow at her, gaze shifting to one of the boxes on the floor.

Alexis gave him a crooked, awkward smile. "The weight really just caught me off guard."

"I’m sure it did."

Augustus groaned under his breath, irritated.

"Get him to work."

————

The way she’d run in, looking like a mess, barely properly knotted ties, loafers that were yet to settle under her feet, and suit jackets that were yet to be even buttoned up, leaving her white shirt that was tucked into her slacks visible.

The only thing that was properly done was her hair. Oiled just fine, combed to round her head like a halo.

Keelion fisted his hands.

Every muscle in his body tensed, and he ran his fingers through his perfectly slicked-back hair. He closed his eyes for a second, grunting at the sets of light brown that popped into his view.

It pissed him off, Alexis fucking pissed him off, and he couldn’t even pin his finger on why.

"Sir," his assistant from outside his office called. "There is someone here to see you." freewёbnoνel.com

"Who?" He frowned.

"Ms. Solof."

His entire expression turned irritable, and he watched Althea walk in.

"What are you doing at my company?" was his first question.

Althea blinked at him. "Fane, what’s going on? Have I done something wrong? You seem awfully distracted these days, and you act like you don’t want to see me anymore. Like, there is someone else, and I’m—"

The man was off his seat, appearing before her in mere seconds, enough to stumble her back on her feet till her back hit the wall. He moved in on her, clouding her with a warning gaze.

"I don’t want to remind you over and over again not to take every step past the boundary I gave you. You and I are nothing, this is all just an arrangement to give my pack peace. Do you understand me?"

She fluttered her lashes at him, teeth biting down on her lips. "But...why does there have to be a boundary? You’ll eventually make me your luna, won’t you? Why are you pushing me away? Why won’t you mark me, own me like you are supposed to? I don’t—"

A frustrated groan vibrated at the back of his throat, and he glanced at the door.

"Get out."

"What?"

"Do not make me repeat myself."

But instead of leaving, Althea cupped his cheek, smashing her lips against his. His first instinct was to push her away—she wasn’t what he needed or wanted, but he didn’t.

Why even push her away? She was eventually going to be his Luna—every single one of his damn pack recognized her. Why the fuck was he suddenly fighting it like he hadn’t chosen her himself in the first place?

Alexis was his mate, but she wasn’t meant for him—the girl wasn’t. She was in no way suited for him, not unless he was planning to set her up to die.

Gripping Althea by the hair, he took control of the kiss, forcing it deeper, wanting it whether his wolf decided so or not. The damn thing was too caught up in having a mate—it was forgetting any slight mistake, and the so-called mate was done for.

[This is useless, Keelion. Neither you nor I want this, and you know it. We have a mate, we’ve found her; none of this nonsense will fix it.

’You better shut the fuck up, Nyx. Keep your damn opinion to yourself.’

[This is not an opinion. She is our mate!—]

"SHUT THE FUCK UP!" He lost it so suddenly, that Althea jolted, quickly opening her eyes.

She swallowed. "Fane...?"

"That’s enough," the man said to her. "Leave."

"Fane, I—"

"I said. LEAVE," he gritted out, blue eyes switching instantly to a pool of black, the voice no longer sounding much like Keelions. It sounded as deep and rough, but somehow, much colder and animalistic.

Althea nodded quickly, turning and rushing out of the office.

The black lightened, slowly returning to the pure tint of crystal blue. "You damn devil."

[Aren’t we both? You and I, Keelion, we are one. And that girl, she’s ours]