What was she thinking?! Why did she kiss him?! A few minutes of playing twenty questions and she was already french kissing him! And she could not even say it was him because it was all her! Gaah! The ride back was awkward and she ran inside the house the second her feet touched the ground.
He called her the next day to tell her that he was going to his pack in a few hours and would not be back till the seventh. She was ok with that, at least she could go to work with the thought of coming face to face with him after the kiss and practically running away at the end, plus the company resumed on the fifth. Enough time for her to get over it and prepare herself for her more or less new working conditions.
She was sure the last few floors still were not finished with their reconstruction and from the files on her laptop,and the email in her inbox she could tell they were not. But most of Deleze had gone through some improvement. Security wise.
The days without Samuel around were dare she say, great. She got to talk with some of her fellow employees and got to know them a little bit. Most of them were dare she say again, actually ok. There were more werewolves and humans around, something she had not taken time to notice before. Deleze used to be swamped in vampires.
She got to meet some ok people, those that obviously had other intentions in mind, those that did not give her so much as a second glance and then those that were absolutely bitches and gossip mongers that would do anything to get their scoop or extra scoops of drama for the day.
“So how is he?”
“How is who?”
“The CEO. I heard he has a thick dick.”
She was so done with those kinds of conversations. Aside from being great, the days were almost hectic. Back on the job, everyone back on the clock, racing to get so much done before the day was over.
Samuel called her every afternoon and every night to ask her how her day went and if she had any problems. He always spoke softly.
Out of blatant curiosity and courtesy she would ask him how his day went. He would just reply that he was doing ok.
Today was the seventh, he had not called her the afternoon or the night before, for some reason her heart fell, she had gotten used to his calls and she would admit she liked them. On a small scale, she caught herself. She had picked up the phone to call him instead but the thought of bothering him when he was doing something important made her put the phone down. Maybe she should have called anyway but what if he did not want her call or maybe he did. She brushed the thoughts and feelings aside and got ready for the day.
He kept his end of the deal. They were nothing but professionalism from him except for lunch which they spent together in the privacy of a high-end restaurant even then he did not say much. Not even when she asked about his trip. Rita was peeved about it the rest of the day.
****
They worked until late, he had not said a word to her other a good morning and then practically nothing at lunch. Something was bothering him. Either that or he was ignoring her.
Rita got up from her seat and made her way to him, this was probably a bad idea but she just had to know what was going on with him. She was worried. Professionally of course and if it benefitted her personally, hey even better right?
He stared intently at his screen, she walked around his desk and gently touched his shoulder. Samuel was on his feet faster than she could blink, next thing she knew she had claws at her neck, an arm tightly, painfully around her shoulders and Samuel was behind her.
Samuel held the intruder close, his claws positioned at their neck, then Rita's scent filled his lungs. “Rita?” He realized his mistake, retracted his claws and released her from his hold. She spun around to face him, her hand clutching her neck.
He had a scared expression on his face. “I'm so sorry. I didn't realize it was you.”
“You seemed deep in thought.”
Samuel stepped closer to examine her neck. “Did I hurt you?” he asked, a pained expression on his face.
“Not physically at least, no.” she answered.
“I'm really sorry.” He apologized again, removing his fingers from her neck.
“Just pay attention to your surroundings a little more next time.” She said. “Not sure if i should still ask but what's bothering you?”
“Just some Pack and family business.”
“Doesn't look like it has stumped you this hard before.”
“Honestly, no. Never.” he admitted.
“Did something happen when you went back to your pack?” she asked. Samuel took in a deep breath before saying anything. “My Delta was laid to rest on the third.”
Immediately those words left his mouth Rita felt bad for being angry earlier that day. “I'm so sorry.” It must have hit him badly if he was acting the way he was. “What happened to him?”
His tone and expression turned angry. “My cousins happened. They ambushed him last year, he sustained too many injuries and he didn't make it.” he admitted slowly, afraid that if he did not he would not be able to take it.
“You had to sentence your cousins. That must have been hard.”
“Oh no, I'm not sad about that. If i could i would have tortured and torn them to pieces myself.”
“ookk, anything else?” she asked, more than willing to get off the subject of murder and dismemberment.
“He passed away a few days after Sakaer kidnapped you.” That bit shocked her and her overactive imagination wondered if there was any connection between the two incidents while her body ceased up at the mention of Sakaer. Samuel did not seem to notice. It took her a few minutes to release herself.
“Seeing his mother, that was the worst part, she looked so devastated, he was her only son, the only family she had left.”
“The only reason they were there in the first place was because that stupid will and testament. And Sydney got caught in the middle of it.” If Uncle Edward had not put him as his successor in his will none of this would have happened. Meanwhile Rita wondered at what he was talking about.
“To make matters worse the fuckers still showed up to the funeral like it was some kind of damn party! And i could do nothing about it!” He could not stop now, everything was just came rushing out.
Rita walked behind him and gave him a hug. The sheer consequences of what would happen if the hug did not go as planned was huge, and now she thought about it, it all summed to be a very bad ideas. She felt him stiffen before relaxing into the hug, she let out a small sigh of relief against his back.
They stayed like that for a few minutes, simply in each others embrace. Samuel could not explain just how much he needed this. A warm hug. This moment of calm and silence. She withdrew from it, which left him feeling empty and cold. She gave him an understanding look and continued to withdraw from him. He watched her walk away from him, leaving him standing there by his desk alone. He stepped towards her and caught her hand, she spun around and he tugged her forward. Her scent enveloped him as she made contact with his chest, his arms went around her middle. He bent his head to rest it on her shoulder and held her close. He sensed her surprise bordering on panic. He was aware he had just broken part of their deal but right now, at this moment he needed her close. For his sanity. For his wellbeing. For his sake.
She did not struggle or ask him to let go instead she wrapped her arms around him and hugged him back, drawing soothing circles on his back. Neither of them said a word for the longest time, just stayed there holding each other.
“I think it's best if we both go home now.” she said. “We can talk about it over lunch tomorrow or maybe over the phone tonight.” she added.
“Yeah.” he replied in a sombre tone.
“Just go home and try not to think about it so much.” she said, hoping it would help.
“I'll try.”
****
The drive home was not exactly bad but it was. His mind kept going back to what happened over at Sydney's funeral. He walked into his suite, not a sight, sound or smell of Max. He wished he was there. His intrusion would be more than welcome right now.
Sydney's funeral had turned into an all out mess, not the way he intended to say his final goodbye and send his friend off. It was all going fine until those bastards Klaus and Dylan showed up. They set fire to his coffin and went after his mother. Samuel dropped his jacket and his bag on the couch and went to the bar to grab a bottle of alcohol, he did not care which one he grabbed. He just reached out and took whichever bottle his hand grabbed hold of. He took the cap off and brought the bottle to his lips.
The taste reminded him of Sydney, he took the bottle away from his lips and looked at it. No wonder, the bottle was a Droseman, Sydney's favourite. Samuel had asked for a bottle of it among a few others to remind him of home. Samuel took out a shot glass and poured some of the droseman into it. He set the bottle on the table, took the shot glass and raised it in the air. ‘To you Sydney. I know you'll never forgive me but may your journey in the world beyond be smooth and paved with joy and peace.’
He down the contents of the glass in his mouth and poured another shot and raised it to the air too. ‘To you Mrs Arcas, as your alpha i could not protect you despite my promise to your son, may your journey in the world beyond be smooth and paved with happiness and peace.’
He downed that glass too. “Isla.” he called out.
Isla appeared at his side. “Yes Master.”
“Find Klaus and Dylan Deleze and make their lives from here on out to be a living nightmare, use every resource at your disposal. Make sure that they are left crawling and begging for their lives to be over.” he spat.
“As you command Master.”
“And Isla,” he called again.
“Yes Master”
“Make it slow and every bit agonizing.”
“As you wish Master.” she bowed and left.
Samuel wished Rita was there with him but she was not. What he was left with was himself and a few bottles of alcohol, her warm embrace replaced with the cool touch of liquor bottles and temporary warmth the alcohol provided as it went down his throat. His eyes were blurry with unshed tears and the lump in his throat continued to grow. ‘Sydney, I'm sorry. I'm so so sorry.’
He sputtered until he could not hold it anymore and flood gates broke open. Samuel cried. He cried hard and long into the night.