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He wasn’t unfamiliar with this. It gave him a sense of nostalgia because when Karen eventually moved out, it took her considerable time to pack up those items.
There was something odd about a bare bathroom with only his belongings in it. There was an ache left behind from not seeing someone else’s belongings in his home as well as an emptiness that reminded him that he was alone, so it was comforting to see his shelves full to bursting.
He waited for her to settle or suddenly back away from him. He was doing his darndest not to overwhelm her. He hoped she would realise he was it for her.
Since he had no idea whether he was her mate, he didn’t wish to say he was her mate. Nevertheless, whenever a male took a good look at her, he felt like yelling, “She’s mine,” and acting all caveman.
Harper hadn’t mentioned mates, so he didn’t bring the subject up. She became agitated as soon as Nick mentioned other females, snapping, “I don’t want to talk about it.”
Her irritation made him hopeful.
It could mean nothing, but her beast was always present in her eyes, almost daring them to do something.
Nick received a ping from his email account. He was sitting in his office at the hub, manually going through each message on his own.
Taking a deep breath, he scanned through a list of complaints and deleted them individually. It was maddening to see how much crap they had come through in the emails. After pinching the bridge of his nose, he heard what sounded like a tentative knock on the door.
“Hello?”
“Harper?” he asked as he sat up and straightened his shirt, confused and stunned she would come here.
A smile spread across her face as she poked her head around the door. When he asked her, “What are you doing here?” She paused, making him realise how harsh he sounded. He explained, “I mean today in the hub.”
“Oh,” she said with a relieved sigh. “I have finished drafting a proposal and have submitted it to the Alphas. Since I’m here, I thought I would drop in and say hello.”
The moment someone walked past his office, he felt pale, and his throat constricted.
Standing so swiftly that he felt lightheaded, he quickly rushed to the door. He pulled her into his office, rushing to shift her out of the way and close it behind them. Then, to prevent anyone from seeing inside, he switched on the blinds he had installed inside the glass.
“What’s wrong?” she asked, glancing behind her with concern.
“What’s wrong?” he hissed, slamming his hand against his face, trying not to let his temper explode. However, he could feel it bubbling to the surface. “It’s possible that the traitor could attack, and now you have just made yourself a target.” He was breathing hard.
She arched an eyebrow. “How? I brought my paperwork to the Alphas for the shop I wish to open in town. As far as your traitor is concerned, I may need to speak with you. Aside from that, he’s not able to smell anything.”
Nick almost growled. He wanted to shake her, so he pinched the bridge of his nose. Did she have no sense? “I don’t want you to be hurt. There is no way I can handle that.”
He didn’t want to see her suffer, and it would be awful if it were because of someone he had helped put in place in Moon.
Didn’t she understand that?
He rubbed his chest and watched her stand so innocently. He thought to himself, ‘No, she didn’t.’ He sighed heavily and moved to the chair next to his desk. As he leaned against it, he rubbed his tense jaw.
“Nick?” she asked tentatively.
“I don’t want you to be hurt, and I assumed you understood that. If they use you as a hostage…” he trailed off as anger and terror poured through him.
He was sick of the traitor’s spectre hanging over him. But, at the same time, did he want to know who it was? It would be difficult in either case.
When he found out who it was, he would be forced to associate his actions with a face. The actions of this traitor were contrary to everything Nick believed in. They were in direct opposition to everything he was trying to accomplish.
None of them were looking forward to facing this situation, but Nick was less so. Having their trust betrayed by those they trusted. How did he reconcile that?
“I can’t have your blood on my hands,” he declared emphatically.
“I’m sorry,” she responded, her eyes lowering. “I didn’t think it would be a problem.”
Because he felt terrible for making her look so glum, he kept his voice as light as possible. “I don’t want to take a chance on it, even though it’s unlikely. I don’t want to make light of this and put you at risk, and I don’t want to risk any harm coming to you. I care deeply about you and can’t bear the thought of anything happening to you.”
