Theo's P.O.V.
I dashed down the street, clutching a stack of files like my life depended on it, praying I wouldn't miss the morning meeting. My boss had made it crystal clear, do not be late. And yet here I was, sprinting to make it to the office in one piece.
Luck? Not on my side today. First, the train got delayed because of an accident. Then the taxi I called broke down in the middle of a ghost town. Now, I wasn't even sure I'd make it to the meeting room in time.
As soon as I hit the lobby gates, I picked up the pace. That's when I spotted Chester, my coworker. The second he saw me running like a lunatic, he rushed over, face a mix of panic and weirdly cheerful energy. He snatched the folder bag from my hands and fell in step with me. By the time we got to the elevators, I was gasping for air, but at least the elevator wasn't already heading down.
"You got lucky, man. The client's running late," he said, patting my sweaty back.
"For real?"
"Yeah. They said they're stuck at the airport. The car that was supposed to pick them up broke down or something."
"Oh wow, that's...that's a freaking miracle." I wasn't even kidding. It felt like the universe cut me some slack for once. My ridiculous last-minute prayers had actually worked.
But my relief didn't last long.
Chester started nudging me with the toe of his shoe, trying to get me to stand up straight. I didn't get what he was doing, until I noticed the sheer panic on his face. His expression had drained of all color.
I stood up fast and turned around to see what he was looking at, and yeah. My heart dropped.
Right behind us stood a group of sharply dressed men in suits that probably cost more than my monthly rent. They were staring us down, faces like stone, eyes full of judgment and enough pressure to make my knees wobble. I instinctively took a step back and ended up bumping right into Chester.
They didn't say a word.
No greetings, no expressions. Just pure intimidation. I tried to look away, pretending like I was listening to Chester, but the guy betrayed me, he bowed his head respectfully and greeted them like royalty.
And then he called the man in the expensive suit Mr. Wayne.
"Do you know who we are?" one of the other men asked, cool and direct.
"Are you Sir Elliot? I'm Chester Harris, assistant manager of the relations division. This is my boss, Theodore Rainer," Chester said, pointing right at me.
"W—wait! What?" I shot them both a nervous look. These guys are our clients? No way, how did I not know about this?!
"What, seriously? You forgot our top client? That's Matthew Wayne, Alpha of the Howling Crimson Pack. He was referred to us by Alpha Killian."
An Alpha?
I blinked. The guy? That guy is an Alpha?
Panic set in. I didn't want to piss off someone that important, so I quickly extended my hand in greeting. But it wasn't Mr. Wayne who answered, it was the man Chester had called Elliot.
"How's the presentation looking this morning, Mr. Rainer?" Elliot asked with a polite but pointed smile.
My nerves were fried. The Alpha had this chilly, dead-serious look that could freeze coffee, but Elliot, his came off a little more approachable, like the kind of guy you could almost relax around.
Honestly, I was being way too dramatic about being late. The clients didn't even seem all that bothered.
I'd worked myself up thinking I'd get chewed out, or worse, fired, for screwing up, but none of that happened. These guys, despite their vibe, actually had the decency not to crush a guy just trying to scrape together a living.
Sure, it's not like they don't care about money. But I've got way more respect for people who hustle to earn their cash than for the ones who inherit empires built on family legacies and old money.
That afternoon, my team and I crushed the meeting. We helped lock in a major contract with an Alpha who runs a territory called Landrabaros, and yeah, that's the Howling Crimson Pack's turf.
Feeling suffocated in the office, I decided to step outside for some fresh air. My head was pounding from all the weird, unplaceable scents swirling through the building. It hit me like a brick, dizzying and nauseating. My stomach clenched like it was throwing a fit.
Despite feeling like a mess, I tried to push through the morning. I kept up appearances, pretending everything was fine while those strange smells kept clawing at my senses. I figured once the meeting wrapped, things would settle. And yeah, the Alpha actually liked the presentation Elliot and I gave. Said he'd be back in a few days with good news.
When Elliot invited me to lunch, I passed. Asked him instead to grab me some snacks and a bottle of orange juice, with extra ice to cool me down.
Now I was parked under the tree by the office building, soaking in the breeze while waiting for Elliot to show up with my order. The wind played with my hair, tickling my skin and making me smile in that lazy, oddly comforting way.
The weather wasn't too hot, and the breeze made it bearable. I was starting to finally unwind when my phone buzzed. It was Chester.
"Theo, you still outside?" he asked.
"Of course. Did you grab what I asked for?" I replied, catching a nervous edge in his voice.
"No—uh, not yet. Thing is Mr. Shane was looking for you. I told him you were in the restroom. Should I say something else?"
"Don't bother. Just tell him I need fifteen more minutes. I'll be back after that."
"You sure?"
Something about his tone threw me off. I asked what was really going on, but Chester dodged the question and shifted the topic. Then he wrapped things up by saying he'd be back with my snacks soon.
"That was weird..." I muttered, staring at my phone's screen.
I set it down on the grassy patch next to me and leaned back, letting my eyes drift shut, hoping for a quick nap.
"It's a bit warm, but this breeze isn't half bad, huh?"
A voice spoke out of nowhere, yanking me from the edge of sleep. I snapped my eyes open and looked around.
And there he was, Matthew Wayne. Sitting under the same tree like he'd been there the whole time. I could've sworn he left earlier.
"I didn't expect sitting out here could be so peaceful."
"Ah—Alpha? I thought you—"
"Still on the clock, aren't you?"
"Oh. Yeah. Just felt a little off indoors. I figured getting some air might clear my head before jumping back in." I scrambled to get the words out, flustered.
Without warning, he sat beside me. Not too close, but definitely not casual either. It wasn't exactly uncomfortable, but still, this was unexpected. We'd just met this morning, and now he was acting like we were old friends.
"You're sharp. How long have you been in the business?" he asked, casually starting a conversation.
What is even happening right now? Why are we chatting like this is normal?
"This might help with that headache," he said, handing me a bottle of sports drink.
Seriously? We didn't even know each other like that.
Still, a guy like him didn't move without reason. He was an Alpha of one of the most powerful Packs out there and a wildly successful businessman. Everything he did had purpose. Precision. Calculated execution, that's what got him to the top.
So something had to be off about that meeting. No way he genuinely approved of our pitch if I had messed it up by showing up late. Maybe this was his roundabout way of nudging me to apologize and smooth things over, so we could lock in the deal without a hitch?
"Forgive me, Alpha... but are you unhappy with the presentation and thinking about changing the terms?" I asked, cautiously.
"Do I look unhappy to you?"
I shook my head, awkward. "No, but I thought maybe, if something didn't sit right, it might be better to ask you informally now rather than risk misunderstanding the agreement later."
Better to get clarity now than deal with disappointment, especially from someone with that much power. I'd rather face him than my general manager if things went south.
He just smiled and stared at me for a second, unblinking.
"W—what's happening?"
"Your pheromones are unstable. Have you seen a doctor?"
"What? No. I don't need a doctor. I'm just lightheaded from rushing this morning. Woke up late, panicked, ran out the door, forgot to eat... the usual," I rambled, and instantly regretted opening my mouth that much.
"Still, unstable pheromones could mean something. Like maybe... you're pregnant."
"What?!"
I shot up like I'd been electrocuted. Pregnant? Was he out of his mind?
I stared at him, confused and more than a little freaked out. Who even was this guy?
"Isn't it common for omegas to go through pheromone changes during early pregnancy?" he added, like it was the most reasonable thing in the world.
I don't know why, but that made my blood boil.
So this was how he wanted to come at me? Using my status to humiliate me? Bringing up my biology like it's some kind of flaw? Just to dig at me for being late?
How Alpha of him. Arrogant much?
"Hey, Alpha. Maybe you hit your head somewhere along the way, but let's get one thing straight. Yeah, I'm an omega, and yeah, I'm having pheromone shifts. But I am not pregnant, got it?" I snapped.
That had to be the most ridiculous thing I'd ever heard. Pregnancy? What the hell is that?!
"I don't care if you're my client or the guy who signs my paycheck, or the Alpha from the some Pack! You don't get to say dumb stuff like that. Who do you think I am? Just stop with the nonsense."
And with that, I left him sitting there on the grass. Alone under the tree. Still an Alpha, but now, one I wanted absolutely nothing to do with.