Feral Bonds: Claimed By Rogue Alpha Brothers

Evaline:

Another Saturday. Another day at the Council headquarters.

By now, I thought I would be used to this routine - waking up early on weekend while the rest of the dorm was still sleeping, stepping out in early morning's biting cold, mentally checking off to-do list before the day even began. But this morning felt different, and I knew exactly why.

River.

The entire time - from doing my morning exercises to walking through the grand glass doors of HQ - I had been mentally preparing myself to face him again after what felt like forever. Rehearsing how I would keep my expression neutral, how I would sit at my desk and pretend his presence didn't matter to me, how I would survive the weight of his eyes on me if he decided to look.

But what I didn't prepare for… was not seeing him at all.

"River's not in yet," the front desk lady had casually mentioned when I arrived. And when I asked, she said he wouldn't be coming at all today.

I swallowed back the disappointment that rose like a stubborn lump in my throat. Ever since the Alpha selection ceremony at Nightshade Pack, also the night our mate bond came to life, we hadn't spent real time together. Just brief, unavoidable encounters. The only exception was that one evening of the new year when I got to see his drunken side for the second time.

Since then, he had buried himself in Nightshade Pack affairs. And when that was done, he buried himself in company work. Today was supposed to be different. Today, I thought, maybe we would finally cross paths properly. But no.

He wasn't here.

Of course, there was a huge possibility that he really was busy. River wasn't the kind to shirk responsibilities. But no matter how much I tried to reason with myself, I couldn't push away the nagging thought - he was avoiding me.

Avoiding me, when it was him who had confessed first. Avoiding me, when it was him who looked on the brink of breaking down the moment our bond sparked to life. Avoiding me, when it should have been me running the other way.

The thought soured my mood so much that I didn't realize how hard I was pressing my pencil into the desk until the tip cracked with a sharp snap. My hand jerked, losing balance, and just like that... I was dragged out of my miserable spiral.

Great. One pencil down. One heart... no, mind... still restless.

Realizing just how much his absence was affecting me when I had been preparing for his presence made me even more frustrated. Contradictory emotions - wasn't that my new specialty ever since this bond tied me to him? I buried the thoughts, shoved the broken pencil aside, and forced myself to focus on the file in front of me.

Somehow, painfully, I survived half the day.

After lunch, I dragged myself back into the office, clutching my water bottle like it was the only thing tethering me to sanity. My mind was a mess - equal parts irritation, disappointment, and sarcasm that I didn't dare let spill out loud.

I pushed the door open, stepped inside, and was halfway to my desk when a voice stopped me cold.

"Good afternoon, Miss Evaline."

That voice.

I froze mid-step, as if my body had short-circuited. My gaze snapped toward the boss' desk... and there he was.

Sitting in his chair, attention fixed on a file in his hands, like his presence wasn't the single most noticeable thing in this entire room.

I swallowed hard, my throat suddenly dry. "G-Good afternoon," I managed, though it came out softer than intended.

My heart was pounding against my ribs as though it wanted to leap right out and announce, Yes, I'm ridiculously aware of you. Thank you for finally showing up.

When I didn't move and stayed glued to my spot like an idiot, he finally looked up. His dark green eyes locked onto mine, steady and unreadable. Slowly, he closed the file in his hand, set it down, and rose to his feet.

The distance between us shrank with each step he took. He stopped in front of me, not close enough to step into my personal space, but close enough that I felt the brush of his presence curling around me.

He cleared his throat, surprising me as he looked slightly lost for words. And when he finally spoke, it was to surprise me even further. "I have been busy with work at Nightshade Pack and the company. And there have been… activities in the Rogue community as well."

I blinked, taken aback. His tone was calm, factual, but the explanation - it was almost too precise. Like he wanted to make sure I understood.

All I could manage was a single nod. My voice refused to cooperate, and honestly, I didn't trust it not to betray the storm of emotions inside me.

His gaze lingered on me a moment longer, then shifted slightly, softening in a way I rarely saw. "Do you need days off for your exams?"

The question startled me. But I quickly nodded, grateful for the safer topic. "Yes. My exams are between 25th January and 10th February. There are two weekends in between - 30th and 31st January, and 6th and 7th February. I wanted to request those four days off. And… if possible, maybe less workload during the weekends before my exams start."

I braced myself for him to agree only halfway, or maybe even frown at my request. He wasn't exactly the most lenient boss.

But instead, he nodded without hesitation. "You can take those days off."

My eyes widened slightly. Relief washed over me, but before I could thank him, he added, "And starting tomorrow, you'll only work half-day shifts until your exams are over."

"What?" The word slipped out before I could stop it.

I had expected the bare minimum. Maybe approval for the leave days. Not this.

He must have seen the disbelief on my face, because a flicker of amusement ghosted over his features. "Do well in your exams, Miss Evaline," he said, his voice dropping into that firm, commanding tone again. "Don't ruin my reputation at the Academy or at Council headquarters. As your boss, I expect nothing less."

I stared at him, caught between gratitude and exasperation. Before I could form a proper reply, he turned and walked out of the office, his strides smooth and unhurried.

The moment the door clicked shut behind him, I spoke out a little too loud, "If I had known better, I should have given you a book on how to be a good mate instead of how to be a good boss."

What I didn't know was that he was still standing right outside.

And when my words reached him loud and clear, a small smile broke across his lips.