Aria’s POV
I stood there like an idiot.
My mouth opened. Closed. Opened again.
No words came out.
Kael had just torn up my resignation letter. Announced he was moving his office to this building. Told me I’d be his personal assistant. And casually mentioned he was selecting a LUNA at a mating ceremony.
That I had to organize.
What kind of sick joke was this?
"Any questions?" He asked it like he’d just assigned me a routine filing task.
A million. I had a million questions.
But my brain had completely short-circuited.
"Good." He picked up a folder from Director Black’s desk. "Your new workspace is already prepared. Top floor. Secretary’s office. Right outside mine."
He walked past me toward the door.
"I expect you there in fifteen minutes."
And then he was gone.
I stood alone in Director Black’s office. Staring at the trash can where my torn resignation letter lay in pieces.
What just happened?
---
Fifteen minutes later, I was standing in my new workspace.
It was... nice.
Annoyingly nice.
A proper desk. A comfortable chair. Floor-to-ceiling windows with a view of the entire city. A small plant in the corner that someone had clearly placed there for decoration.
And directly ahead of me, separated only by a glass wall, was Kael’s office.
I could see everything.
His massive mahogany desk. His leather chair. The documents spread across his workspace. Every single movement he made.
This was torture.
This was deliberate, calculated torture.
"Ms. Moon."
I jumped.
Patricia appeared beside me. The same woman who’d shown me around on my first day. She was smiling. Completely oblivious to my internal crisis.
"Welcome to the top floor! I’ll be helping you get settled in."
"Thanks." The word came out flat.
"The Alpha specifically requested this arrangement." She gestured around the space. "He said you’d be handling all his personal correspondence and scheduling from now on."
"Is there anything you need? Coffee? Water? A tour of the facilities?"
"I’m fine. Thank you."
Patricia nodded. Handed me a thick folder.
"These are your new responsibilities. The Alpha wanted you to start immediately."
She left.
I sank into my chair. Stared at the folder.
Then stared at the glass wall.
At Kael.
He was already working. Phone pressed to his ear. One hand gesturing as he talked. His brow furrowed in concentration.
Professional.
Completely, utterly professional.
Just like he’d promised.
Calls came in. Documents needed signing. Meetings needed scheduling. The workflow was intense but manageable.
And through it all, Kael stayed in his office.
He didn’t come out to check on me. Didn’t make any excuse to talk to me. Didn’t even glance in my direction.
Just worked.
Like I was any other assistant.
Like last night had never happened.
By noon, I’d organized his entire calendar for the next two weeks. Sorted through forty-seven emails. Drafted responses to fifteen urgent inquiries.
My stomach growled.
I looked at the clock. 12:47 PM.
Had I even eaten breakfast today?
No. I’d been too nervous. Too focused on getting to the office and quitting before Kael showed up.
That plan had worked out great.
I glanced toward his office.
He was still on the phone. Still focused. Still not paying any attention to me.
My eyes lingered longer than they should have.
The way his jaw moved when he talked. The way his fingers drummed against the desk when he was thinking. The way his shoulders filled out that perfectly tailored suit.
The phone on my desk rang. I grabbed it like a lifeline.
"Alpha’s office."
"Ms. Moon." Kael’s voice came through the speaker. Deep. Professional. "I need the file on my desk in five minutes."
He hung up before I could respond.
I blinked at the phone.
I found the file. Walked to his door. Knocked.
"Come in."
I pushed the door open. Crossed the room. Placed the file on his desk.
He didn’t look up. Just grabbed it. Started flipping through the pages.
"Thank you."
Two words. Nothing more.
I turned to leave.
"Ms. Moon."
I stopped.
"The mating ceremony." His voice was still focused on the file. Still not looking at me. "I need a preliminary proposal by end of day."
"Yes, sir."
The word tasted bitter on my tongue. But I said it anyway.
---
5:47 PM.
The proposal was done.
I sat back in my chair. Looked at the document on my screen.
Twenty-three pages. Venue options. Guest lists. Catering menus. Entertainment suggestions. A complete timeline from start to finish.
It was good work. Thorough. Professional.
And it hurt to look at.
Because I’d been to a mating ceremony before.
Three years ago.
With Kael.
The memory washed over me before I could stop it.
That night. The lights. The music. The way his hand had felt in mine as we walked through the crowd together.
That impossible, world-changing moment. It had been the most terrifying and beautiful experience of my life.
I blinked. Realized my eyes were wet.
I saved the document. Printed it. Gathered the pages into a neat stack.
I walked to Kael’s door. Knocked.
"Enter."
He was still at his desk. Still working. The setting sun cast golden light across his features.
He looked tired.
Good. He should be tired. Hopefully he’d been up all night feeling guilty about what he did to Cassius.
He turned to the proposal. Flipped to the last page. The guest list.
His brow furrowed.
"There’s a problem."
My heart stuttered. "What problem?"
He looked up at me. Held my gaze.
"Why isn’t your name on this list?"
The question didn’t register at first.
"My... name?"
"Yes. Your name." He tapped the page. "This is a comprehensive list of all single wolves in the territory. Everyone who’s eligible to attend." His eyes locked onto mine. "But I don’t see Aria Moon anywhere."
My mouth went dry.
He leaned back in his chair. That casual, confident posture. "I said I was inviting all single people to this ceremony. And your employee file says unmarried, doesn’t it?"