The Alpha CEO's Human Mate

Responsibilities

Kyle could tell he’d hit a nerve with Nikita in the way her eyes narrowed in on him. She looked like she was fighting herself to keep from scowling. He watched her take a deep breath, and then she opened her mouth to speak.

“I understand the responsibilities that come with this position, and I am confident that I am up to the challenge. I have worked in leadership roles before, all while being a mother of two children and going to school full time,” Nikita pointed out sternly. “Your company had no problem assigning me to be team leads before. Why is the fact that I am a mother, an issue now? I believe my experience has prepared me well for this position,” Nikita insisted, knowing in her bones that she was the perfect candidate.

She needed the money, yes. But she also knew no one could do this job better than her. And if they were going to reject her just because she was a mother, they were going to face a lawsuit.

Kyle was surprised by the unwavering determination evident in Nikita’s voice. He also caught onto her tactic where she’d basically tried to corner him by stating he wouldn’t hire her due to being a mother. That would be gender-biased hiring. It would be discrimination and a total legal disaster for his company.

“I have hired many females who are also mothers,” Kyle retorted crossly.

“Just not in executive roles?” Nikita fluttered her eyelashes at him prettily as she looked pointedly towards Pam.

Pam, everyone knew, was lesbian and did not want children. She always told everyone her dogs were her kids and she could never see herself becoming a mother. It had cost her quite a few relationships on the way. But Pam stood firm in the belief that she did not need kids in her life to complete it. Each woman had the right to her own opinion.

Kyle did his best to tamp down on the sense of pride he felt in him at Nikita’s daring, blunt remarks. She was pretty ballsy trying to call him. He couldn’t help but admire her for it. She’d risk pissing him off, which many avoided, just to get this promotion. To corner him into giving her the job or face litigation in court. Smart, shrewd, and tactical.

“There’s never been anyone capable,” Kyle countered smoothly. His eyebrows furrowed as he began to look down at her file and think. “Hmmmm..…” he trailed off for a minute, contemplating everything.

If she became the Executive Chemist, they’d be working closely together. It was a disaster waiting to happen.

He looked up at Nikita. “This position requires extensive knowledge of the industry, as well as the ability to make difficult decisions. How do you plan on dealing with that? You do know we require no less then ten years of experience and the only reason we’re considering you is because of Chris here.” Kyle jerked his thumb towards his managing director.

Nikita gave a nod, agreeing with Kyle’s words. She gave herself a minute to compose her response in her head before finally speaking carefully.

“I believe in keeping myself up-to-date with the latest advancements in the industry, and I am always willing to learn,” Nikita countered. “As for making tough decisions, I have always consulted with my team before making any major decisions and will continue to do so. You only have to look at my achievements within my work file to know what I can deliver,” Nikita nodded to the file placed in front of Kyle. “If you look back at my performance when I was the lab tech supervisor in the off-site lab, you’ll see how I handled cases of potential contamination. Als, if you recall that time the reactors failed and how I managed to prevent radiation contamination to the employees as well as polluting the soil,” Nikita ended.

Kyle’s eyes widened in surprise, remembering the fiasco and how well the lab team had handled it. He recalled approving a five-thousand dollar bonus to the supervisor who’d been responsible for making sure his company didn’t end up with a crippling lawsuit and EPA fines.

“That was you?” Kyle couldn’t help but blurt out.

Nikita nodded, blushing demurely at the way the man looked at her in a new light. Respect, pride, and admiration flowed from his gaze. The look he was giving her made warmth erupt in the pit of her stomach. No man had ever looked at her like that. Nikita berated herself. This was her boss!

Kyle sat back in his chair, completely speechless, as he checked the papers in her file to confirm her story. She really was the best person for this job, he admitted to himself internally once he’d counter-checked everything.

“What do you think is your biggest strength as a chemist?” Chris asked coolly, giving Kyle the side-eye as if to say ‘I told you so’.

“My attention to detail. I am meticulous in my work and always strive for accuracy. I also have excellent problem-solving skills,” Nikita responded evenly, looking at Chris with a thankful smile.

This was the easiest question so far, in her opinion. She only wished her problem-solving skills extended to her personal life as well. She really needed this promotion. Her savings had all but dried up. She needed to provide a better life for her girls.

“Were you also the one who found out our suppliers were sending us defective chemicals?” Kyle asked with narrowed eyes, looking at Nikita with an expression she couldn’t quite decipher.

Nikita inclined her head slightly, confirming Kyle’s statement. “I was working as the chemical production manager here in the headquarters when I was first hired. If you recall, Mr. Sinclair, we were facing a lot of quality control issues with our products. After conducting a thorough investigation, I discovered that the issue was with our suppliers. I then worked with my team to find new suppliers and implement a more rigorous quality control process, which resulted in a significant improvement in our product quality.”

“Nikita…honey…” Pam spoke up gradually. “I think we know enough now about you. I just have to let you know that this position also requires excellent communication skills. I have to ask….how do you plan on communicating with your team and other stakeholders?”

“I would keep open-door policy,” Nikita countered, looking at Pam with an assuring smile. “It’s why I’ve been successful so far in this company. Communicating with stakeholders will definitely be something new for me but clear and concise communication, ensuring that everyone is on the same page is going to be my main approach,” Nikita ended with a smile.

Her nerves had subsided, and she was sitting up straighter. She was talking more confidently now. Kyle liked this version of Nikita better than the nervous and scared woman who had initially entered his office.

“That’s good to know,” Kyle stated brusquely, now scrabbling for excuses not to promote her.

If she was so good at working off-site, maybe he could just designate her as General Manager labs. She’d stay away from him and hop over the entire country making sure his labs were in order. He tried to ignore the guilt over wanting to put her in a position that required insane amounts of travel and told himself he could afford to compensate her handsomely.

“You know….this position also requires excellent leadership skills. How do you plan on leading your team?” Kyle pressed.

“I believe in leading by example and setting clear expectations for my team. I make an effort to build strong relationships with my team members and create a positive work environment. There is a vast difference between being a leader and a boss. I intend to lead,” Nikita ended with conviction.

Kyle had to stop himself from thinking of her as his Luna and leading a pack with him.

He was an alpha lone wolf. He didn’t even want or need a pack! Kyle clenched his jaw shut tightly to prevent himself from eliciting a growl of dominance. He needed to get rid of her, and fast.

“It seems,” said Kyle grimly, “That your extensive experience and skills make you a strong candidate for this position. However, I still have some concerns about whether you can handle the responsibilities that come with this role. I will have to talk with my team and we will get back to you if we decide to bring you on into this highly-“ Kyle stressed the word before proceeding. “-sought after executive position.”

Nikita briefly wondered if she should merely nod in silent compliance but her fiery Latina will got the best of her.

“I understand your concerns, Mr. Sinclair,” Nikita replied firmly. “But I assure you that I am confident in my abilities and ready to take on this role. I am committed to working hard and delivering results,” she ended, exuding a confidence she hadn’t felt at the beginning of the interview.

“Kyle,” Chris began eagerly. “I have to disagree with you. I have worked with Nikita for the last year, and I can attest to her capabilities as a chemist and a leader. She has excellent leadership skills and has been instrumental in driving the success of our company. I think she is more than capable of handling the responsibilities of this role.”

Kyle shot Chris a glare, and sorely wished he could mind-link him to shut up. But he couldn’t mind-link since they weren’t in a pack and were just lone-wolves.

“Well, Chris,” Kyle bit out with a fake smile. “I appreciate your input. But I still have some reservations about whether Nikita is the right fit for this position. We can discuss this at a later time.” Kyle turned to nod at Nikita. “Thank you for your time…Miss Flores.” His voice was cool and brooked no argument.

Nikita stood up, grabbing her purse and turned to walk away. She stood still for a minute and then turned to look back at Kyle.

“If I may,” Nikita said, standing resolutely in front of the CEO whom many cowered from. “I understand that you have concerns, but I would like to assure you that I am committed to this role and willing to put in the work to prove myself. I have the skills and experience, and I am eager to take on this challenge. I would be an asset,” Nikita ended.

Kyle passed a gaze of admiration over her form, realizing one thing he had definitely been correct about; her true beauty lay in the quiet resilience she exuded, rather than just what was visible on the outside. It was beautiful and breathtaking to see the fire in her eyes mixed with the resolute press of her lips. She was a force to be reckoned with, and he briefly wondered if there was anything he could not do with her by his side.

“Okay, Nikita,” Kyle said softly, staring at her in fascination. “Thank you for your honesty. I appreciate that you are willing to work hard and prove yourself. Based on what you have told me today, I think you may be a good fit for this role. I will have to discuss this with the rest of the team, but I will let you know our decision soon,” Kyle reiterated, except he did so with a warm-hearted tone that had definitely been absent before.

“Thank you, Sir,” Nikita said with relief. She’d gotten through to him, it seemed. She hoped. “I appreciate the opportunity to interview for this position.”

With that parting statement, she left the CEO’s office feeling like she’d actually accomplished something.

Kyle sat back, wondering if he’d just shot himself in the foot by practically agreeing to promote her into a position where she’d be working closely with him. How was he going to avoid her if he had to see her every day?