Chapter 10: Lunch of Horrors.
*Jane*
I stood there, standing at Aaron like a fool. The moment I heard that name, it felt like I’d been punched in the stomach, hard. Loren LZ? Aaron is actually the CEO of LZ?
It would have been a crazy story to laugh about, but LZ wasn’t just any company. It was the largest fashion group in North and South America. More importantly, Aaron was the Alpha of the most powerful B’Lorenz werewolf Pack in the United States.
I blinked, still trying to digest everything. I could feel my wolf rising in distress and confusion. What was Aaron playing at here? The only thing I could hear was the sound of blood rushing
to my ears.
I was still standing there, dumbfounded when he extended his
hand to me. I hesitated for a beat before I forced myself to keep a smile on my face. I quickly shifted into autopilot mode and shook
his hand. As his hand slipped into mine, I resisted the urge to dig
my claws into his palm.
Stay calm, Jane, I heard my wolf say.
“It’s nice to meet you, Luna Jane,” Aaron said, the usual humor
Chapter 10 Lunch of Horrors.
and lightheartedness gone from his tone.
I angled my head. Nice to meet me? So, that was what we were doing? I told myself to remain calm again, though my heartbeat was racing at a tempo any werewolf in the room could surely detect. So, it surprised me that no one seemed to take note.
“It’s nice to meet you too, Alpha Aaron,” I replied, giving his hand
Ja firm shake. His flesh felt warm and familiar against mine. I felt
everything, the slight calluses on his palm, the strength in his
grip, and the way he was looking at me. It was a sense of
familiarity that seemed particularly inappropriate especially in
the current situation.
“Please, just call me Aaron.” His eyes were doing that thing again,
that thing that made me feel… Well, it made me feel.
We stood like that for a moment, staring at each other. Xander
was blissfully unaware of the tension between Aaron and I. I
couldn’t exactly blame him. Xander couldn’t picture me with
anyone else.
“Let’s sit,” Xander’s voice finally pulled us out of the daze we
were in. I yanked my hand out of Aaron’s, wiped it on my pants
and looked away.
Like the dutiful husband he was pretending to be, Xander pulled
out my seat for me. “For my beautiful Luna,” he murmured and
Chapter 10: Lunch of Horrors.
kissed me on the cheek.
I managed a pained smile as the two men took their seats, Xander by my side and Aaron opposite us. How convenient.
“Let’s get right down to business.” My husband grinned in excitement. “You have no idea how ecstatic I am about this collaboration with LZ group. This partnership is of great significance to Blackwood.”
I nodded politely and instinctively positioned myself with my back to the wall. The men began talking about business, but all I could think about was this whole debacle with Aaron. I
wondered when I would get answers, or if that was even ever
going to happen.
The worst part? I couldn’t present Xander’s business as my
‘boyfriend.‘ My husband would have the time of his life rubbing
my face in the fact that the 1
was indeed a fiction of my
imagination.
Focus, my wolf said, pulling me out of my thoughts. I needed to
keep my emotions under control. Aaron is just a business.
partner, nothing more, I repeated like a mantra in my head. The
restaurant suddenly felt small, too small. Aaron’s scent was
overwhelming, choking me.
“And what exactly is your role at Blackwood, Jane?”
I looked up to see Aaron gazing at me. It took a lot for me to respond with a steady, professional voice. “I’m the Chief
Marketing Officer. I oversee all marketing strategies and
activities.”
Aaron raised his eyebrows. “Then it seems we’ll be working closely together in the future.”
I managed a small smile and then looked away, tuning out Xander’s voice as he launched into a long presentation on the
potential benefits of their partnership.
But even as I tried to forget about the situation, I could feel a pair of eyes following my every move. My wolf was on high alert,
itching to turn around and match his gaze.
I succumbed to that urge and matched his gaze. I wasn’t prepared
for the confident smile lingering at the corner of his mouth, or
how intensely he was staring at me.
There was a silent challenge in his eyes. It was almost like he was
daring me to acknowledge the relationship between us. Hazel
was right. He is a scumbag. I felt the rage bubbling up inside. Aaron was definitely playing games with me.
The questions were just piling up. Did he approach me on purpose? Did he already know that I’m Xander’s wife? Would Aaron still carry out our plan?
I could feel my face getting hot, the flush spreading down my neck. But I wasn’t going to let him win, I didn’t want him to think I was admitting defeat. So, I kept my expression calm and placed my hands on my knees. I slipped my hand under the table and gripped the fabric of my suit tightly to prevent fidgeting.
I finally ducked my head, looking away from him. Fuck. I was losing it. I couldn’t stay in this room any longer. It was getting too hot, and the tension was too much for me to handle. My wolf
wanted to stand her ground, but I wanted to run.
I shifted my attention to Xander, who was still talking
animatedly about quarterly projections. If only he knew what
was really happening at this table. I risked a glance at Aaron who
was still watching me with a knowing smile.
Aaron began speaking next, expressing his concerns about the
partnership, and then I heard my name. “If you ever need any…” the corners of his mouth twitched before he continued, “personal help with any of your projects, feel free to contact me.”
I understood the hint. The emphasis on ‘personal‘ wasn’t completely lost on me. No. This was all too much for me to handle. If Aaron looked at me in that way for another second, I might scream.
Before I could talk myself out of it, I pushed my chair back and rose to my feet. “I have to go,” I muttered without thinking.
Chapter 10 Lunch of Horrors.
Xander looked up at me. “Are you okay, honey?”
I nodded. “Y–yes. I just need to use the ladies. I’ll be back soon.”
He stared at me for a second, but didn’t say anything else. He squeezed my hand for a bit and let me go.
As I turned and made my way to the bathroom, I could still feel Aaron’s gaze following me. The man had spent the entire lunch staring at me. Why?
The moment I walked into the bathroom and out of their sight, I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding. My shoulders sagged against the wall, releasing the tension I’d been building up. I needed to get my emotions under control before Xander noticed.
What is going on? What trick is Aaron playing? I pulled out my phone and dialed his number.
