HIDING FROM THE MATEBOND

10. An old 'friend'

Calista

The night before I was set to start my new job I was slightly excited trying to plan my outfit and everything. My phone suddenly buzzed with a message from an unknown number. Frowning, I unlocked the screen.

The message was short, but it left me surprised, reading and rereading it, as if it might change.

Your duties tomorrow

6:00 a.m. Get Alpha Aerion’s coffee from Wolfbrew Coffee Shop. Deliver coffee and dry cleaning to his home.

Locations attached.

7:00 a.m. Briefing on tasks for the day.

8:00 a.m Organize pack orders.

9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. Assist with daily pack operations.

That must be Aerion I thought.

My stomach twisted. Six in the morning? Was this really part my job? Running personal errands for Aerion before dawn? I hadn’t anticipated this when I agreed to become his secretary.

How would I manage the hours with Ethan starting preschool in the following weeks? I had planned around a normal 9-to-5 schedule, which I had been promised but this... this schedule blew all of that out of the water.

Had Aerion purposefully overlooked everything? Or was this some sort of test, just to see how much I could handle?

Tomorrow, I would wake up early. I would get the coffee, pick up the dry cleaning, and deliver them as if everything was perfectly normal. Gauge and see what exactly Aerion was playing at.

With a tired sigh, I collapsed onto my bed, staring up at the ceiling. If this was what working for Aerion would entail, I needed to brace myself for the impossible demands. But tomorrow, I would see just how far he intended to push me.

The following morning, I found myself in front of Wolfbrew Coffee Shop at exactly 6:00 a.m. The streets were quiet, the town still wrapped in the lingering peace of night. I rubbed at my eyes, fighting off the sleep that still clung to me as I stepped inside the shop. The barista didn’t even need me to clarify my order once I mentioned Aerion. The black coffee for Alpha Aerion was immediately placed on the counter. It was obviously a routine.

Coffee in hand and Aerion’s freshly pressed dry cleaning over my arm, I made my way toward his estate. I hadn’t set foot near this part of the pack’s territory in years. The grand house loomed ahead, and just seeing it made my chest tighten with old memories I wished I could forget. It was almost a replica of Marcus's the only difference being it looked newer.

As I approached the door, my pulse quickened but I steadied myself as I rang the door bell.

When the door swung open, it wasn’t Aerion I saw first—it was Rose.

She stood in the doorway, casually wearing nothing but one of Aerion’s shirts, her hair tousled.

Lyra immediately perked up.

"Well, isn't that adorable? A territorial move. Too bad we don’t care, right?"

I kept my face neutral, though Lyra's sarcasm made me want to smirk.

Rose on noticing me smiled, but not the kind of smile meant for pleasantries. No, it was sharp and cold.

“You must be Arya, the secretary ” she said, leaning against the frame. “I’m Rose, Aerion’s mate.”

"Mate? Is that what we're calling 'shiny distractions' now? I thought we called them temporary flings."

I almost choked on air, forcing a tight smile instead.

“Nice to meet you ,” I lied, trying to mask Lyra’s amusement as I handed over the coffee and dry cleaning.I couldn’t help that I wanted to get out of there fast enough. Rose hadn't changed in the years I had been gone. She still looked as gorgeous as ever, like an Alpha's dream. It was understandable why both brothers had chosen her for themselves.

Before I could make my quick exit, I heard footsteps coming our way. Aerion appeared at the top of the stairs, his face shifting to confusion when he saw me.

“Arya?” he questioned, as he quickly descended the stairs towards us.

“What are you doing here at this time?”

“I got your message,” I said, holding up my phone to show him.

“It said to deliver these to you.”

Aerion’s brow furrowed as he glanced at my screen.

“I didn’t send that,” he said, the confusion evident in his voice. “I never ask anyone to do these things for me.”

If Aerion hadn’t sent the message, then who had?

Or was he playing at something?

Rose stood off to the side, watching us with that same, unreadable look.

“Go home, Arya,” Aerion said, his tone softer than I expected. “We’ll meet at the office later, at ten.”

I nodded ready to leave but I could feel Rose’s eyes still on me before she suddenly called me back.

“Oh, Arya, before you go,” she said, her tone light but with that same edge I was starting to expect from her. I turned slowly, already bracing myself.

“I wanted to invite you to something.” she said as she looked at Aerion lovingly.

I forced a polite smile. “Invite me?”

Rose’s eyes gleamed as she now moved towards Aerion and leaned against him, “Yes, Aerion and I are having our engagement party in a few days at the pack’s community hall. It’s going to be a huge celebration, and I would love for you to come. After all, you’re are now part of the pack, right?”

I felt my heart lurch, and Lyra, snarled inside me. Rose was watching me closely, a glint of amusement in her eyes, as if she knew exactly how uncomfortable this invitation was making me. She wasn’t just inviting me to a party—she was showing me her place in Aerion’s life and in the pack.

“That’s…really kind of you,” I replied, keeping my voice and face neutral, though I could feel my fingers curling into fists at my sides. “I’ll see if I can make it.”

“Oh, we’re definitely going. Front row, center seat.” Lyra practically cackled.

Rose smiled once again , but this time it didn’t reach her eyes. “Great! It will be fun to have everyone together. The whole pack is buzzing about the party. You’ll even get to meet so many people.”

I nodded, not trusting myself to say much more. The idea of watching her and Aerion play the happy couple in front of the entire pack made my chest tighten. It was hard enough to stand here in his house, but an engagement party? With everyone watching? It felt like a cruel joke.

But I couldn’t back out. If I refused, it would only raise suspicions. And the last thing I needed was to draw more attention to myself, especially with people like Rose watching me so closely.

“Thanks for the invitation,” I managed to say, forcing a strained smile.

“Of course,” Rose said sweetly, though I could see the satisfaction behind her words. She had won this round, and she knew it. She loved playing these mind games. Once I had been naive enough to fall for them but something in me wanted to just give her a taste of her own medicine. It was going to be out of character but there was no way Rose was getting away with that smug look.

Plastering my sweetest smile I turned to Aerion who had been quietly watching our exchange.

" Well, Alpha, I guess I'll be seeing you around. Don't miss me too much before ten," I winked, letting my gaze linger on Aerion for a second longer.

Unlike Aerion who was looked caught offguard, I could feel Rose's glare on me as I gave them a small wave before leaving.

By the time I reached my car, Lyra was practically vibrating with energy.

"Oh, we’re going. And I swear, we’re going to make sure she regrets every second of it."