Ashanti's POV
My breathing came to a fast halt as my mate's rejection rang in my head. He said it with an emotional deadness, like a cold fish.
The man had such a provoking character that pissed me off so badly. If the stupid mating bond wasn't affecting my senses, I'd want nothing to do with such a rude human.
Instant distaste filled my mouth. Even my wolf was annoyed at him for treating us like we were unworthy of his attention.
"Why?" I demanded without thinking.
"Excuse me?"
"You know what I mean, sir," my voice trembled from anger. "Why waste my time with all those questions if you didn't plan to employ me? Are you also implying that all your staff have a degree?"
His hand rose the sleeve of his white-as-snow button-down shirt. "It's not my fault you didn't do your research before applying to my company. Unfortunately, you're not a good fit for the role."
The flippancy of his tone made me want to scream. I shot him a glare, and his eyes twinkled with amusement.
Typical male.
All my life, I've had to deal with worse males who acted high and mighty and expected women to bow to them like they were demigods.
But with Chadwick, it was a little different. The mating bond rose a hot feverish intensity from my wolf who wanted me to give in to the mating pleasure, almost bursting my brain with pure heat.
I ignored Bea. My human self was insulted. No matter who I was, he had no right to speak to me in that manner.
"Your ego is wounded because you have never been rejected, much less by your mate," my inner thoughts mocked me.
Holding back from speaking an insult, I focused on remaining in his presence, carefully controlling my voice and tone.
"You're right about my under qualification. But that's no excuse to treat people like trash."
Smirking, he leaned into his seat. "You've got some nerves. Do you expect me to hire a high-school dropout as my secretary? You're lucky I even granted you an interview."
I crossed my arms in hostility. "You can choke on your pity, sir, because you look like a tyrannical boss who barks commands at your staff and makes their lives wretched in exchange for peanuts, so thank you for not hiring me."
Chadwick's face darkened at my words, but he said nothing. Mate or not, I would never let this weak human belittle me.
My heart raced like a galloping horse, and I knew I had to leave before my anger took over and my lycan traits showed. A sick part of me wanted to bare my sharp canines at him and tell him to go fuck a cactus.
Instead, I got my legs moving but stopped when my eyes caught the sight of the werewolf simulation robot at the door. An amused smirk played on my lips as I noticed the error in detail.
"You don't even know how many toes a wolf has. Standard back feet have four. For such a big company, I expected perfection."
His face scrunched like a squeezed lemon with a warning look in his eyes.
"Get out before I escort you with security."
Outside the door, a satisfied smile spread on my lips. The proud fool needed a reality check. Just because we're fated mates doesn't mean he gets a free pass to insult me.
"Well done," Bea applauded. "Our mate must learn to respect us. Although it would have given me so much pleasure to let him claim us."
Shame and desire mingled hot in my throat. Did I do the right thing by walking away from my mate? I wished we'd met under different circumstances. Or better still, I wish I could break the mating bond.
Unfortunately, the only way of doing this was to fuck him out of my system and reject him on the night of the full moon.
"Remember, today is our running day," Bea continued. "We need to let out some steam."
I returned to the apartment and met chaos. The living room resembled a battleground, and every possession was scattered. From the coffee table to the chairs. My body froze, and my mouth fell open in horror.
Swallowing rapidly, I felt a burn of bile in the back of my throat, knowing that Dave was the unwelcome bastard behind this. With red lipstick, he wrote 'slut' and 'sex addict' on the cream wall in the living room.
Hate sparked within me. Dave has a partnership with the devil to ruin my life. The bastard had the guts to break in here to violate this place, I grew so angry that I screamed.
This was fucked up.
Fumbling with the phone, I called the authorities to accuse Dave of trespassing and ask for a restraining order. Bea was pissed, wishing I destroyed Dave when I had the chance.
The door was a wreck and I had to change the locks and replace the broken table. I had little money left with me to solve this financial burden.
My heart became heavy with grief. This was becoming impossibly hard to bear. My thoughts became rough and painful as I remembered Chadwick's earlier rejection, Dave's destruction, back to the lycan pack when my dad promised to make my life a living hell if I didn't marry Seth Darkwood.
Holding myself rigidly, I couldn't stop the deep sobs that strained my insides. As much as I tried to deny it, my spirit was broken.
****
I spent a reasonable amount of my afternoon in the police station and returned home to find Harrison and Carmen looking around at the horrible chaos.
"What happened here?" Carmen asked.
"It's my fault," my voice broke miserably. "Ever since I brought my wretched self here, it's been from one problem to another. I shouldn't have come here."
Harrison and Carmen exchanged glances and Harrison, though uneasy, placed a hand on my shoulder. "Nonsense. As long as the police are aware of this, you have nothing to fear."
We sat in silence, none of us knowing what to say. I was emotionally drained and tormented with thoughts on how to fix the situation.
"How was the interview?" Carmen asked softly.
"I didn't qualify," I scoffed. "But I'll find another job. I always do."
Harrison scooted closer and made me rest my head on his shoulder. "I'll personally make sure I get you a better job, even if I have to announce it to my friends in the queer bar. I'm sure they'll be willing to lend a hand."
"There's a branch of our former establishment a bus stop away. I'm sure Matthew, our former branch manager, can help you," Carmen said.
Harrison and I exchanged glances, and despite how sad I was, we burst out laughing and Carmen looked lost.
"Did I say anything funny?"
"No," I said between laughs. "Have you forgotten I resigned because Matthew lied about being single just to have sex with me, and when I found out about his heavily pregnant innocent wife, he cried on his knees and said he would divorce her once she has the baby?"
Carmen's mouth gaped in shock. "Tell me, Ashanti, how many guys have you slept with?"
My laughter rippled through the air, and Harrison joined me.
"I needed that," I laughed.
Chadwick After that angry redhead walked out of my office, Ken walked in and I transferred my aggression to him, venting about how I felt insulted that a semi-literate girl insulted me. Ken sat opposite me, silent for a second and burst out lauhhing like a demon on steroids the next second. The more he laughed, the more my annoyance fueled. Crossing my arms, I drew in slow, steady breaths irritated that he had the guts to laugh at my expense. "How's this funny?” "You poor thing. What do you want me to do? Breastfeed you?” he said between fits, his shoulders shaking as he tried to calm down. "It's your damn fault, you pie face," I wagged a finger at him. "Because what else would give that girl the audacity to walk in here and challenge me with such an insult “ “You're making it sound even more ridiculous when you put it like that,” Ken regarded me with amusement. “Maybe this is a wake-up call for you to loosen up, Chad. It feels like nobody can challenge you, and that's not al
Ashanti Tonight was one of those nights where my wolf refused to align with me. Instead, it tormented me to the point that I lost my spatial movements. A burning sensation like fire hit my chest. My breathing became shallow and rapid as I struggled to catch my breath, and tears welled up in my eyes, threatening to spill over. "Bea, please stop," I pleaded to my wolf, leaning against the wall for support. "I'm tired of having sex with random men, and even if I had the means to do so, we have found our mate and the urge for other men has evaporated." "I want him," Bea howled while my body quaked with the force of held-in pain. My fingernails bit into my palm so I could focus on the pain instead. "I want to fuck my mate. Get him for me!” "Selfish bastard," I said out loud. "Sometimes I feel like ripping you away from me and leaving you to die." "If wishes were horses," Bea mocked. The full moon was just around the corner, and Bea was itching to break free, causing a mania that I co
Ashanti My gaze went distant, and I became confused like a broken compass. What the heck was going on? To be sure that I was not dreaming, I stared at the text, reading it again and again until the lines became blurry. How is it possible to reject an unqualified applicant on the spot and call them back? It didn't make any sense to me. I wanted to call Ken to be sure this wasn't a prank but it was almost midnight. Biting back my excitement, I wondered what Ken had said to Chadwick that made him change his mind. Feeling proud and jittery at the same time, I became aloof, raising a corner of my upper lip. Proud because Chadwick insulted me. It hurt to hear my mate utter nasty words to me. I tsk, wondering how else I expected a snobbish, pompous human to behave. Despite his rudeness, this was a miracle and worth sharing with my housemates. I bounced out, rushing forward to the living room. Harrison and Carmen were sprawled on the three-seater sofa watching a recent blockbuster re
Ashanti He walked away, and I stood there like a fool until I noticed the receptionist's gaze on me. She gave me a kind smile. "Is he always in a foul mood?" I asked, and she shook her head. "Not that I know of. He has never spoken to me before, and he's always very busy. Maybe he just has a natural dislike for you because you still have an extra five minutes' grace before the lateness line is ruled." I frowned, wondering why my mate loved to belittle me. Was it because I dared to challenge him yesterday? Toxic experiences with my dad and Dave made me think twice, but this dude was my mate. I wasn't so keen on the money and benefits that came with working here, even though it was a bonus, but my main reason for being here was to be close to my mate. A miracle I had Ken on my side. Ken was busy behind his desk, he gave me a thumbs up, asking me to give him a second. "I see you got my text," he smiled when he was done typing. "Welcome aboard." "Thanks," my smile faltered, and he
Chad’s POV Rage burned in my heart and choked my vision. I couldn't tell if this company I inherited from my grandfather was a blessing or a curse. I wasn't born rich; I never met my dad, and this sudden transformation took me years to grasp, but it was choking me now, and I needed to cry out. "Seriously, guys, I can't take it anymore," I said, sweating despite the air conditioning. "How can those faceless toads send their minions here to drive me crazy every time there's a shareholders meeting and turn the place into a battleground? Today they ask for higher dividend payouts, tomorrow they ask for a larger portion of the company's this or that." "Honey, please don't get worked up over them," my mom pleaded, her tone soothing and filled with sympathy. "Why won't I? I am human with flesh and blood running in my veins, and I walk here tirelessly, yet they keep demanding more and more. It's like they're trying to drain the life out of me." My mom stood behind my seat, placing a hand
AshantiBoredom and lack of stimulation were killing me in this office. I yawned and doodled, feeling a heaviness in my muscles.Ken and Chadwick had gone for a business lunch, and from the look of things, I suspected they wouldn't be coming back. I tried everything possible to keep myself busy: bought a novel on Kindle, listened to true crime podcasts, and even rearranged the workspace to make it visually appealing. The only thing I didn't do was connect with colleagues because I knew that was going to be a disaster.Before Ken stepped out, he walked into my office. I thought he was going to bring up the weirdness in Chad's office, but he didn't."I need to introduce you to some important people, John, James, and Jude. They are among top executives whom you have to get acquainted with.""What's with the similar names?" I grinned. "Were they part of a secret naming club or something?"Ken cracked up into a wide smile. "A unique coincidence. I never stop teasing them about it."We wal
AshantiMy heart raced like an overwound clock as I waited for Harrison to say something, but he remained silent, and the silence was eating at me."Harrison, please, I beg you, say something," my voice trembled. "I know this revelation will change everything between us, but I need to hear your thoughts. I won't blame you if you are disgusted or even hate me."He remained mute as if there were a stone in his tongue. Cars drove past, and the more Harrison remained silent, the more my dread grew.Why the hell did I open my big mouth to traumatize him? Plus I was going to get kicked out of the apartment for sure. "I... My thoughts are blank. I don't even know what to say or where to begin. Is this some sort of prank?"I shook my head. "That's what I am, Harrison.""Hold on, werewolves like in the movies?"I was this close to saying movies did not depict half of what real werewolves looked and acted like, but I swallowed my words.Harrison's mouth opened and closed like a fish, lightly t
AshantiMy eyelids were heavy with exhaustion, and I sagged into my chair at the office. It wasn't even midday yet, and all I wanted was to sleep. I had drowned myself in coffee, but that barely kept me awake, and I had to constantly move around, making sure to use excessive concealer under my eyes.Ken called for me, and I lightly slapped my cheeks to wake up and got my ass up to his office. Ken was always busy, and I hadn't seen Chad all morning."Have you ever handled calendar and schedule management before?" he asked me without lifting his head off the laptop."Of course," I cleared my throat."Good, you're going to manage my meetings and that of the executive members. Make sure the appointments and events are properly organized and communicated, and henceforth, you'll have to handle some of my emails, phone calls, and messages."I nodded, forgetting that he wasn't staring at me. He lifted his head, meeting my eyes. "Will that be overwhelming for you?""Of course not; it's someth