James is in trouble

He might as well be leading her to the lion's den.

Xavier thought as he stepped to the side, making room for Annette to leave the elevator ahead of him.

He was in shock when he spotted Annette McKinney in the lobby today, she was the last person he was expecting to see.

She stepped out of the lift, giving him a small nod of the head and walked past him. Xavier took the opportunity to study her; he swept his gaze over her body while she wasn't paying attention. 

And damn, she was no longer the little girl he once knew; she had grown into a beautiful woman and a hot one at that. Her once slender figure has developed into an irresistible hourglass figure, taking the look of a seductress that can bring any man to his knees. 

She had her hair in a ponytail; the length of her hair reached her ass. She had on a simple dress that gave a perfect outline of her curves but not too much. 

She looks like a seductress without even trying. She was absolutely gorgeous. As he studied her, a feeling swept through him—the feeling of lust. Heat flooded this body straight to his cock. 

His wolf was restless, growling in lust. While she wasn't looking, he had to quickly adjust to release the tightness in his trousers. He had to stop himself from letting out a groan, praying she didn't see him checking her out. With a neutral look on his face, he followed her. But she has always been in control of him. 

Curse the control she had over him, had always had over him, even when they were young. In the past, when his father was the alpha of the pack, there had been the policy of not associating with humans, but he had always done otherwise.

Now he was the alpha.

"You have a beautiful office and huge," she said, walking towards the floor to ceiling windows and taking in the view of the city below before surveying the office. 

"I like my space," he said while taking a seat behind his desk.

"Have a seat," he said to her, pointing at one of the seats in front of his desk.

Getting comfortable in his chair, his eyes settled on her; he could tell that he made her uncomfortable. He could detect it; his wolf could smell anxiousness and worries; it flooded his office.

Evidently, the situation was something worse than just James getting into trouble again. Very critical if she had to come to him seeking help after all these years. Whatever the case maybe, it did not concern him.

She had been on his mind for years that he was sure of, in his thoughts, in his dream for as long as he could remember, and for that reason, he must have her before she leaves.

And now he was in control because she wanted something from him.

"So tell me, what trouble has James stirred up this time around?"

He had been keeping track of her all these years. He had a folder of all her activities in his drawer, and he had to fight the urge to take it out and flip through. He kept telling himself that the reason for the file is to know what her money-hungry aunt is up to and if she has found another way into the pack or Michaelson fortune. 

But it was all lies, he simply wanted to know more about the woman standing before him.

She was not like her aunt, who decided to marry a rich husband and live off his wealth. Annette had gotten a degree in business, gotten a job in order to afford tuition free, and rented a small apartment in the calm part of the city. 

When she had enough money, she started her own pastry business in the city. The information he got says that her business is visible, lucrative, and has a good reputation.

Not a lot impressed Xavier, but she manages to do so, and he doesn't intend on letting her know that.

"He has been out of control lately," she said, twiddling her thumb but stopping when she became aware of her action and folded her hands on her laps.

"He is looking at starting his own business in other to assist himself as well as support the family which we need,"

"So you stay with your cousin and aunt?" he asked, already knowing the answer from the file he had on her. 

From what the file says, Josephine is a parasite who stopped working the moment Annette started making money.

"Yes, we all live together, things are a little bit tight. My aunt has not been able to get a job, so James is trying to earn some money." She said with a sigh, her gaze meeting his.

"His contribution has really helped a lot, and I was able to save some money when his earnings increased." 

He nobbed his head at what she was saying because he totally understood her. Some may assume that because he was a Michaelson, he did not understand what it means to save and that he had everything early, but that is far from the truth.

During his time at the university, he had been on a budget; whatever he had, he had saved for or earned through working for his father. Since he was smart and understood the world of business at an early age, he made more money than people his age.