Page 13 of Haze

She was expecting O’Brien. The slightest shake of her head shows her obvious disapproval.

Don’t worry, faolan. We’ll sort out our issues right quick.

Her name plays back in my head. Kathleen. Strong name for a strong woman.

Drawing her eyes off me, she refocuses on Doctor Thorpe. All business, she addresses him, “As an update, I did submit a request last week for further review from the independent lab.”

“That’s wonderful. If I hear back from them, I’ll let you know. It would be nice to get a clinical trial underway before the break.” He dismisses us, offering his hand out to shoo us from his office before speaking to her again. “With any luck, it will be sooner rather than later. I would be so proud to see your contribution to medicine highlighted this year.”

Lena nods but says nothing.

This time when she walks away, there isn’t a crowd for her to get lost in. I follow her white lab coat, which is blocking my view of her luscious ass, back down the hallway toward the labs I was shown earlier today.

She uses her key card for the door, and when she glances back at me, I can see hesitation cross her face as she toys with the idea of locking me out of the lab. I ready my card in the event she tries.

There’s nowhere I won’t follow you, faolan.

I accompany her through one door into a large lab space. She walks past a bank of countertops and then through a door off the left of the lab that leads into a small office.

Closing the office door behind me, I lock it and let out a low growl.

Lena’s body tenses, but she forces her shoulders down before turning back to me.

Oh, faolan. You’re so much braver than all those temporary fixtures in my life.

I admire her control and dedication. It takes a strong woman, even if she is an Alpha wolf, to keep this kind of control around me.

“O’Leary, is it?” Lena questions immediately. “Because last I checked, you were an O’Brien. Does Doctor Thorpe know?”

I nod, stepping closer. “I’ve left Ireland and had to leave the last name behind. It’s customary for those in my position to use their mother’s maiden name. I’m an O’Leary now and plan to petition to join my mate’s pack, your pack. I’ll take whichever name I need.”

“This won’t work. You need to quit. Leave. Anything but this job. And sure as fuck, not this pack,” she orders, glaring at me.

Her teeth click when she closes her jaw. I’m so close she has to raise her chin to look up at me.

It’s adorable that she tries to tell me what to do. But I highly doubt even Miss Kathleen Alden, the Ardelean Alpha Female, will be able to give me an Alpha command my wolf will be forced to follow. It’s rumored The Leviathan can, but from my experiences with Revecca Ardelean, it’s not a gift all Ardelean Alphas share.

Shaking my head, I step closer.

The way she so insistently objects pleases me, and I give her a half smile. “I won’t be quitting or leaving. You know that, Kathleen.”

Lena’s breaths are shallower with my proximity. She holds her head high as she shakes it at me. Unlike most women of my past, when I encroach on her space, she stands her ground, like the Alpha Female she is.

Her eyes knit together, but a smirk paints her mouth. “Fine. If you want to be that way, I’ll let Cade deal with you. You won’t be staying, whether you leave on your own accord or when he and The Leviathan force you to.”

Her older brother is a worthy adversary. I’m not threatened by him. He’s another Alpha doing the best he can for his pack.

I step closer again and drop my voice to just above a whisper. “Don’t be this way, Kathleen. You feel it. Your wolf and mine, they need each other.”

Bringing her, my beautiful Alpha Female, to submission will be all the sweeter knowing she’s trying to fight the connection between us. The day she chooses to be on her knees before me is my new purpose in life.

“Lena,” she corrects me and brings her hand to rest on the center of my chest. “You’ll call me Lena, like everyone else. You are like everyone else.”

Lena’s hand on me wasn’t expected. The pressure of her palm isn’t forceful. I let her feel my heartbeat and give her a soft rumble of approval. Her eyes flutter up to mine. Despite the chemistry between us, her wolf isn’t pressed forward to meet mine.

What will it take for you to let your wolf bond with mine? I want to ask her but now isn’t the time. Not for this. But I won’t waste the opportunity to bond in other ways.

Much like at the bar, Lena’s not truly chasing me off. The pressure of her hand on my chest is some defense mechanism to buffer her space.

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