I wanted things I can’t have.
My wolf snarls, pushing against my control, demanding to know why we’re denying our mate.
I ignore him and start the car. I pull out of the parking lot and get away from her.
My phone rings a few minutes after I hit the road. It’s Darius. I stare at his name for a moment, then answer. I owe him that much.
“Hello.”
“Hey.” Darius’s voice is careful, almost tentative. “Do you have a minute to talk?”
I pull over on the side of the road before replying. “Yes.”
“I wanted to check in about what happened in my office.” He pauses. “Did Sienna do something to upset you? Say something inappropriate? I know you two just met, but if there was an interaction I’m not aware of—”
I stop him. “No. She didn’t do anything wrong.”
“Okay.” Relief in his tone. “Good. I was worried there might have been some incident at the welcome party that I missed.”
Guilt twists my gut. He’s being so careful, so diplomatic. Making sure his employee didn’t offend a visiting alpha.
“There was no incident,” I assure him. “This is entirely on my end.”
“Can I ask what the concern is?” He sounds confused. “I’m not trying to question your judgment, Lucas. I just want to understand.”
I quietly bang my forehead against the steering wheel a couple of times. “I’m just worried about how well she can do the job.”
Silence for a moment.
“I see,” Darius says slowly. “Here’s my problem, then. Sienna has been working on this merger framework since we first discussed the alliance. She knows every detail, every projection, every contingency plan. She’s been building this from day one.”
I close my eyes and lean back against the seat. I know where this is going.
“If I reassign her now,” Darius continues, “whoever takes over would need to start from scratch. Even with her notes, even with her files, they’d need weeks just to get up to speed on what she has already done. We’re looking at significant delays. Possibly months.”
The merger timeline plays out in my head. What he’s talking about would push everything back. Assessment phase, planning phase, implementation. It could derail the entire project.
“I didn’t realize she was that involved already,” I admit quietly.
“She’s been the point person for this merger since the beginning,” Darius says. “She was already working on it before her predecessor retired. She earned that promotion, Lucas. Not just in general, but specifically because of this project.”
The guilt gets worse.
“I’m asking you as a partner in this alliance,” Darius continues carefully. “Could you give her a chance? One meeting. Let her present the merger framework she’s built. See how she works. After that, if you still have concerns, we’ll figure something out. But at least give her the opportunity to show you what she can do.”
It’s a reasonable request. More than reasonable, considering I just tried to have his chief strategic advisor removed for nocause. My head drops in defeat. I can’t think of any valid justification to refuse.
“Alright,” I agree.
“Thank you.” The relief in Darius’s voice is clear. “I appreciate you being flexible on this.”
I feel like an asshole. “I apologize for springing it on you,” I tell him, meaning every word.
“We’ll figure it out,” Darius says. “See you tomorrow.”
The call ends, and I throw my phone onto the passenger seat.
Just my fucking luck.
