Chapter 16
Hades’ POV
Aeson’s words hung in the air like an unexpected thunderclap. Did I just hear that right? He was suggesting a transfer for her-to his pack? My gaze snapped to him, narrowing slightly. Aeson wasn’t one to play nice with strangers, much less invite them into his inner circle. He was cautious, guarded, borderline obsessive about who entered Dead Moon Pack. Yet here he was, not only hiring this wolfless woman as our assistant but now offering her a place in his
pack?
I barely managed to mask my surprise, though I could feel it bubbling beneath the surface. Caiden, however, didn’t even try to hide it. His head tilted slightly, amber eyes flicking between Aeson and her, mouth slightly agape.
“What?” he muttered under his breath, though loud enough for me to catch.
I tore my gaze from Aeson to her, studying her reaction. She seemed hesitant, reluctant even, like she didn’t want to jump at the offer. Was she being pretentious? I scoffed internally. Of course, she was. She couldn’t possibly pass up the opportunity, not when it was practically being handed to her on a silver platter.
My wolf, however, wasn’t as convinced. “You’re too cold,” he chided, his voice low and disapproving.
“She’s not worth the warmth,” I snapped back silently.
Her silence stretched, the awkwardness growing thicker with each passing second.
Finally, Aeson cleared his throat, his tone calm but firm. “You can think about it and let me know your response tomorrow.”
She nodded quickly, her lips parting as she mumbled a quiet, “Thank you, Alpha Aeson.”
Aeson straightened, his expression unreadable. “That’s all,” he said. But then, as if suddenly remembering he wasn’t the only one in the room, he turned his gaze to Caiden first. “Anything else you’d like to inquire from our new assistant?”
Caiden grinned at her, his usual laid-back demeanor returning. “Nope. I’m cool with her,” he said, his tone light. Unlikely of him. Caiden was rarely this relaxed around newcomers, let alone someone like her.
Aeson’s attention shifted to me next, his brow arching slightly. “Hades?”
I leaned back in my chair, feigning disinterest, even as I felt their stares pressing against me. “No,” I said flatly, letting the words cut like ice. “I just want her out of my sight.”
The disapproving weight of their gazes was immediate, more potent than I cared to admit. Caiden’s eyes flashed with something that looked suspiciously like disappointment, and even Aeson’s stoic mask faltered for a fraction of a second. But I refused to acknowledge it. Let them be disappointed. It wasn’t their problem.
Aeson turned back to her, his voice softening just enough to be noticeable. “Do you have anything you’d like to ask?”
She hesitated, glancing between us before shaking her head. “No. I just… I appreciate you all for giving me this opportunity,” she said, her voice steady but careful, as if walking a tightrope.
My lip curled into a sneer. “Don’t get too comfortable,” I said, my tone sharp enough to cut. “You’re going to lose the position sooner than you expect.”
Her gaze snapped to mine, her eyes wide with a mix of surprise and defiance. For a moment, I thought she’d look away, retreat into herself like most would under my scrutiny. But she didn’t. Instead, she straightened her posture, meeting my glare head-on.
“I’ll do my best to prove myself,” she said, her voice firm, unwavering.
I stared at her, unable to hide the flicker of irritation that crossed my face. Her courage, her audacity—it was too big for someone like her. A wolfless one, standing here, speaking as though she had a place among us. It grated on my nerves, made my wolf stir uneasily within me.
1/2
And yet… something about her kept pulling at me. The defiance in her eyes, the way her words carried weight despite her lack of power-it shouldn’t have mattered. She shouldn’t have mattered. But she did.
Because she was mine.
My fucking mate.
1 clenched my fists under the table, nails digging into my palms as I fought the storm brewing inside me. She didn’t know. She couldn’t know. But I did. And it made her defiance, her presence, all the more unbearable.
The room fell silent, tension crackling like static in the air. Aeson’s eyes flicked between us, his expression unreadable, while Caiden watched with a faint
frown.
I tore my gaze from her, forcing myself to look anywhere but at her. If I stared any longer, I might’ve done something I couldn’t take back.
“That’s all,” Aeson finally said, his voice cutting through the silence.
