Marked By My Alpha Boss

Chapter 5

DAMIEN'S POV

The moment I stepped out of the conference room, I inhaled deeply.

Her scent lingered in the air, lavender and vanilla, soft, intoxicating, impossible to ignore. It curled around my senses, teasing, sinking deep into my skin like a brand.

"You look like you enjoyed yourself," Nathan, my Beta and second-in-command, said, falling into step beside me. His voice was laced with a smirk he didn’t bother hiding.

I chuckled under my breath, adjusting the cuff of my shirt. "You have no idea."

Nathan snorted. "Word’s already spreading. Joseph Kosturos? Man’s practically pissing himself. And guess who he's blaming?"

I didn't even hesitate. "Anna."

Nathan slowed his pace just slightly, shooting me a sharp look. "Already on a first-name basis, huh?"

I shrugged, keeping my face neutral even though a small smile tugged at the corner of my mouth. "She’s different."

"Different?" Nathan repeated, lifting a brow. "How different?"

I didn’t answer immediately. Instead, I let the memory of her flash across my mind, the way she stumbled into me, her wide, startled eyes looking straight into mine like she could see straight through every armor I wore.

There had been something there. Something real.

"She's... not like the others," I said finally, my voice quieter than intended.

Nathan gave a low whistle, shaking his head with exaggerated pity. "You're in trouble, boss."

"Probably," I said, laughing under my breath.

We reached the elevators, and as the doors closed, I found myself fidgeting, something I never did.

The brief touch of her hand against my chest, the slight tremble in her fingers when Joseph had grabbed her, it played on repeat in my head.

Not because she looked fragile. No, there was strength in her too. But the hurt—she didn't deserve it.

When the elevator dinged at my floor, I stepped out with a sharp breath and headed straight for my office.

Nathan kept pace beside me, eyeing me like I was some new species he hadn't quite figured out yet.

Inside, I stripped off my jacket and tossed it over the couch. My fingers drummed against the edge of the desk as I sat down, restless energy crackling beneath my skin.

"You gonna tell me what's going on?" Nathan asked, crossing his arms over his chest, refusing to leave.

I ignored him for a second, pulling up Joseph’s company roster on my laptop. My eyes scanned the list, moving too fast, too eager.

There.

Anna Turner. Assistant to Joseph Kosturos, CEO of Kosturos Corporation.

I leaned back in my chair, a slow, satisfied smile pulling at my lips.

"Found you," I murmured to myself.

Nathan let out a snort. "You’re not seriously stalking her already, are you?"

"Gathering information," I corrected smoothly without looking up.

"Same thing," he muttered under his breath, but there was no real judgment behind it.

"Get me everything you can find on her," I said, finally glancing up. "Background, employment history, any connection to Joseph."

Nathan stared at me for a long beat, eyebrows raised so high they nearly disappeared into his hairline. "You’re serious."

"Dead serious."

He sighed dramatically like I just asked him to run a marathon blindfolded. "You're impossible."

"Efficient," I corrected, smirking.

Nathan grumbled under his breath but pulled out his phone, already typing something out. He moved toward the door but paused before leaving.

"This about business," he asked, voice casual, "or something else?"

I leaned back, folding my hands behind my head, staring at the ceiling like the answer would write itself in the paint.

Everything inside me, the man, the wolf, pulled in the same direction. Toward her. Toward Anna.

I thought about the way her voice trembled when she tried to defend herself, how she didn’t cower even when fear tightened every inch of her body.

I thought about the flicker of something deeper in her eyes, something that called to me on a level beyond reason.

My wolf stirred inside me, restless, eager.

Mate.

The word echoed in my mind, unbidden, but I shoved it down ruthlessly. I wasn't about to jump to conclusions based on one accidental encounter.

My mouth moved before my mind could stop it.

I shrugged, a humorless smile tugging at my lips. "I felt a pull towards her, Nathan. The recognition."

Nathan exhaled a long breath, then turned back to face me fully. His expression was serious now, no teasing left. "You’re sure about this?"

The room fell into a thick, buzzing silence.

I met his eyes without hesitation, and I said. "I think she's my mate.”

Nathan stiffened in the doorway, his hand frozen on the handle.

"What?!” His voice was low and unbelievable.