Hayley followed her team lead swiftly as they approached the CEO's office. With a double knock, she heard a deep, masculine voice utter, "Come in," and they both stepped inside. As Hayley entered, her eyes widened, and her nostrils flared as she suddenly became engulfed by a deep, masculine scent and energy that seemed like a combination of earth, citrus, and spice - a scent she never knew she found so alluring and calming.
"Sir, you called for us," her team lead beside her spoke up loudly and politely. While Hayley took the time to observe her surroundings, she noticed that the CEO's office was a space with dark wood accents, floor-to-ceiling windows, and a plush, emerald-green carpet. The room was adorned with sleek, modern furnishings and subtle, elegant artwork. Behind the massive, mahogany desk, the CEO sat, his piercing gaze commanding attention, his blue eyes gleaming like polished onyx as he surveyed his domain.
He sat quietly, observing both of them as if he had not heard what Vivian, his team lead for the marketing department, had asked. "So, she is really the one," he thought to himself. Ryan had been driving through that particular street on a quest that Jerry, his best friend, had sent him on when his superhearing caught a howl from the woods, and the wolf didn't sound like someone from his pack. So, with curiosity and caution, he decided to go check it out.
When he found one of them pouncing, and a young girl who captivated him for a moment with her raven-black hair that framed a face that was both delicate and determined, but now etched with fear, he was taken aback. Her piercing grey eyes, wide with alarm, sparkled like stars in the dark, revealing a deep-seated terror that threatened to consume her. Such pure beauty. Without reasoning, his first instinct was to protect her. An urge so strong that even his body couldn't resist as it shifted on its own and fought for what was his, as his wolf screamed, "Mine!"
At first, he ignored it, but as he carried her to the roadside, her scent engulfed him in the most complete way. She smelled of rose petals and vanilla, a scent that calmed him in every sense, giving him the comfort he never thought he could attain. It was crazy how he got these feelings from a stranger. "Could she be the one?" he wondered, as he stormed off to his car after taking her out of the woods.
The next day, he thought of her and only her, and it was beginning to annoy him. How a stranger could evoke so many emotions. Only for her to show up at his company the next day, when he had no idea they were taking new interns. After the silence and cold stare from Ryan, he finally spoke, "Vivian, who authorized the admission of new interns without telling me first?"
Vivian trembled in fear at his icy tone. With shaky breaths and trembling hands, she answered, "Sir, you said we shouldn't bother you with such basic tasks, so I and your secretary handled it." She breathed, "Oh, this is a major task, and next time it is done, I want to be involved. Is this the only intern you accepted?" Ryan asked, as his sharp blue eyes pierced towards Hayley, who quickly turned her head to the floor, as she had been quietly observing the CEO since.
"Yes, sir, she is the only one," Vivian answered politely. "Alright. You are dismissed, the both of you," Ryan said, as his gaze lingered on Hayley for a while before turning his head down to the paperwork on his table. As they came out of his office and were about to enter the elevator, Hayley saw someone that she never ever thought she'd see again.
As she decided to walk past him and ignore him, he dragged her by the hand harshly until she came face to face with him, and said to her with a dirty smirk, "Hey, princess, missed me?"