Claimed by my Lycan Boss

Chapter 6 : First Day as His Secretary

My palms began to sweat a little just as I stepped into the elevator. Scenes from last night kept flashing through my mind. As the elevator dinged past the floor for the club, I exhaled a sigh of relief since I wouldn't need to go back to the place where everything happened.

The doors opened slowly. I stepped out into the office and found my way to Judy quickly. She sat at a desk, tapping away quickly on the keyboard in front of her.

"Good morning, Judy. How are you today? I was told you would be doing my orientation," I stated politely.

Judy looked up at me. I couldn’t quite read how she felt about my role change.

"I'm doing well. Yes, Mr. Hale told me about your promotion. Congratulations," she said flatly. "You'll be his secretary."

"Wait," I stammered. "HIS secretary? Doesn't he, like, own the company?"

When he mentioned a secretarial position, I never imagined he meant it was as his personal secretary.

"Well, of course," Judy answered.

"That hardly seems fair. I mean, shouldn't someone who's been here longer get a position like that? It feels like I've skipped a few steps. I thought I would just be doing grunt work," I explained.

"I don't question Mr. Hale, he always knows what he's doing. If he says you're to be his personal secretary, then I'm sure you're fit for the job," she assured.

I didn't feel assured. I felt caught. As if Hale knew what I was there for. I was sure he had seen through me and was going to call me out on it.

There was nothing I could do about that right now though. Later, I would excuse myself and text my contact to let him know what happened. Hopefully, he would be able to provide me some backup. For now, I could only think of playing dumb.

"Follow me, I'll show you to a temporary desk." Judy stood and strode through the office. "Once Mr. Hale arrives, he'll take you to your official desk on the top floor."

I followed her, doing my best to mentally map my surroundings, even though I wouldn't be spending a lot of time here, apparently.

She showed me a lovely captain's desk, made of dark walnut. There were two computer screens on the desk, along with an assortment of other office supplies.

"Here you are," Judy said, gesturing towards the desk. "I know this is not going to be your personal computer, but I can give you the rundown until Mr. Hale arrives. I can assure you, you'll find the position quite comfortable, although a bit busy sometimes," Judy told me.

I wasn’t here for comfort, but then I nodded and smiled at Judy, taking a seat in the large wingback office chair. “Sounds good, thank you!”

"Every day you're scheduled, you will come in and check your desk for any notes. Then, you'll check your email. That should probably keep you busy enough. You'll have to help schedule Mr. Hale's appointments and meetings, and minimize the clutter of messages he gets. You can determine what he needs to see and what doesn't require his acknowledgement. It will be a learning curve, but he'll help you figure out what's important and what's not," Judy explained.

"Alright," I answered, trying to process all the information she just shared. "Will you help me get logged in to everything?"

"Of course." It seemed that ever since Hale and Declan approved of my being here, Judy’s attitude towards me changed significantly.

She jotted down usernames and passwords and helped me walk through the various systems and programs they used in the office.

After that, she gave me a tour of the office. She introduced me to a few key employees, showed me how to use the copier, made sure I knew where anything important was and told me about how breaks worked and where the break room was, which I was more than allowed to use, even though I wouldn't be staying on this floor.

I was impressed with how friendly everyone was, and most importantly, they seemed happy to work there. Regardless what kind of person Hale Rowe truly was, at a minimum, his company seemed to treat its employees right.

I settled into the desk and began checking emails, clicking through several requesting meetings with Hale, doing my best to match the availability in his schedule. I also took the chance to look for anything suspicious in his schedule, but nothing seemed to stand out to me.

I stood up with holding my glass to get some water for myself. When I turned around, a guy I never met before noticed me, and just came closer.

“I’m David, nice to meet you.” He said, “New secretary? I’ve never seen you before.”

“Today is the first day I work for Mr. Rowe... I mean, Hale Rowe, ” I answered, “By the way, nice to meet you too.”

“It’s difficult to see a pretty lady here,” he said, “Hey, did you want to have a drink after....”

He didn’t finish that sentence and kept silent suddenly. I saw a fearful expression on his face and couldn’t help but snap my head up to see why.

Hale strolled through the office, like a ruler coming to settle in his throne. He was wearing a tailored navy suit, his dark brown hair perfectly combed, and his trimmed beard a true work of art.

He looked at that young guy with a cold gaze, “What?”

“Nothing, and I’m going to work.” David answered, escaping back to his seat just like a rabbit seeing a tiger.

I stared at Hale like everyone else, and I noticed his hair wasn’t wet like last night… What the hell was I thinking comparing my boss’s appearance in the office this morning to when he paid a late night visit to my apartment last night?

I was embarrassed and tried to look away, but I couldn’t. His intoxicating blue eyes were fixed on me and froze me in place, as if I was the prey that he was about to claim.

Sure enough, his eyes narrowed at me. He stopped by my desk, and leaned in to speak to me.

"Follow me." It was a command, disguised in what sounded like a gentle tone of voice.

I stood and followed him obediently into the office, ignoring the curious glances people threw at us.

As I walked, a cold fury washed over me. He had no right to make me feel this way. He had stolen so much from me. I had done nothing wrong. I gritted my teeth in determination. I would not be afraid.

Standing in the elevator with him was perhaps one of the most tense moments of my life. The scent of him seemed to fill the small space, that leather and oak smell reminding me of his closeness from last night.

I wondered for a moment if he had truly intended to kiss me, thinking of how close his mouth had been to mine.

The few seconds that we stood inside those four metal walls were enough to make me feel boiling inside. I just couldn’t tell whether the heat rising in my body was due to fury or something else.

Hale didn’t look at me once, but I could tell he was also uneasy by the way his jaw was clenched and his foot tapped on the floor in a steady rhythm.

The elevator doors opened into a more secluded and emptier floor, and he walked out. I followed in behind him, almost letting out a breath of relief, but doing my best to focus and once again memorize my surroundings.

There wasn't much to look at though. I saw two security guards standing at the beginning of a large hall and two doors stood at the end of it. There was a table outside, which I assumed it was where I was going to be working, but I didn't ask.

Hale nodded at the men and walked toward the door on the left, opening it by placing his thumb on a biometric door lock. He strode inside – not caring to show me around – and took a seat in his tufted leather office chair and gestured to a seat on the opposite side of the desk. He said nothing, but his point was clear.

I sat obediently, cursing myself for following his orders so easily.

"How are you finding the job?" he asked, staring at me intensely.

I swallowed hard and straightened myself on the chair. "It's nice," I answered carefully. I wanted to say I barely had time to get familiar with anything, but I didn't want to risk losing the position before I even started.

He kept looking at me, unmoving, clearly waiting for more.

I considered waiting him out. I let a few breaths pass before I finally decided I would say something else to appease him.

"I think you're making a mistake. It seems like a position like this should go to someone who's been here longer. I understand you believe I'm qualified, but I think there's still something to be said for seniority," I explained.

I smoothed a hand over my blouse. It was a nervous gesture I was trying my best to stop. I crossed my legs at the ankles, my pencil skirt staying perfectly in place. It was part of the reason I had chosen it. It made me feel more confident.

"I don't believe any of my other employees are interested in filling this position," Hale answered simply.

I wondered at his response. It confirmed what I had suspected. He may have charmed them all into believing he was a good boss, but everyone of them had good enough instincts to know to stay away from this man. People knew evil when they saw it, no matter how pretty the packaging was.

He watched me carefully.

I watched him back.

He stood and walked around the desk. He leaned against it casually, an assertive move that made me wonder if now was when he was going to confront me about my true intentions.

"Are you unhappy?" he asked. His voice lowered to a bass thrum.

The way he looked at me made my heart pound. Those stormy eyes met mine and made something warm in my core. If anyone else had been in the room, they would have seen an employer ensuring his employee was settling in well to the job. But something about the way he made my pulse throb made me wonder if I was losing my mind.

His grip tightened on the edge of the desk but his gaze fixed on me.

"No, I'm quite satisfied," I answered him, hoping he didn't notice my voice waver slightly.

He nodded. The tiniest of half smiles tipped up one corner of his mouth. I was thankful I was seated because that simple expression made my knees weak. He was devastatingly handsome, and I couldn't deny that, no matter how much I hated the man.

"Good," he nodded, and his faint smile made me totally at a loss for words.

My mind raced, desperate for a response. It was a polite statement, professional and kind. I should reply in turn.

Before I could think of anything to say, a knock on his door made Hale look up.

"Yes?" he answered, and I turned to see who it was.

Declan and another man I recognized from last night were strolling in. Declan smiled broadly at me.

"Amara, I'm glad to see you. I'll admit, I was relieved when Hale said he was moving you to the office. It's much safer here. Although, it's rare that something like what happened last night happens at all," Declan assured.

"Thank you. I'm just glad everyone is okay," I answered him, glad to see him unharmed.

"You look...drier...than you did last night," the other man mused. He quirked a half smile at me. It was a cute expression, though nowhere near as impactful on me as Hale's.

"I did dry off, luckily," I replied, smiling at him. He seemed friendly.

"I never got to introduce myself last night," the man said, as if he had only just realized it. "My name is Taylor."

I stood and crossed the room to shake his hand.

"Amara Evans."

"I've already heard so much about you," Taylor said.

Declan made a face at Taylor, something between a warning glance and rolling his eyes in exasperation.

What could they possibly have talked about me? It hadn’t even been more than 24 hours since I first stepped into this building.

"All good things," Taylor reassured.

Hale leveled a look at Taylor. It wasn't unkind either, though it was difficult to read, but made Taylor immediately close his mouth before shooting me a warm smile.

"Amara, would you mind giving us a little privacy? We have some things to discuss with Hale," Declan requested.

"Of course. If anyone needs me, I'll be at my desk." I walked toward the door without looking back. I kept waiting for Hale to say something else, but he didn’t. And I had to ignore the way it annoyed me.

But that was certainly for the best.

As soon as I got out, I asked one of the security guards where the bathroom was on this floor, and he pointed it out to me in an opposite corner.

With the door locked, I pulled out my phone, sending a quick text to update my contact. I flushed the toilet, then ran the sink for a few minutes, just in case the guards were listening. Then, I waited for a couple of seconds to see if I would get a response.

My phone was frustratingly silent, but before I headed out, it vibrated in my pocket.

'Keep watching him.'