Page 1

Chapter 1

NATE

I freeze mid-stride, my senses overwhelmed by a scent I haven't encountered in years but would recognize anywhere.

Sweet, floral, with an undercurrent of something primal that makes my wolf stir beneath my skin.

Madeline. Here. Impossible.

My heart rate doubles as I force myself to continue walking toward my office.

The hallway suddenly feels too small, the air too thin. Five years of carefully constructed barriers threaten to crumble in an instant.

"Whoa, someone had a wild night."

I turn to Graham, barely registering his presence. The large man is smiling, oblivious to the storm brewing inside me.

"I'm guessing you didn't go through my emails?" I ask, struggling to keep my voice steady. My eyes dart toward the elevator banks, knowing she would appear there any moment.

Graham rubs the back of his neck. "Sorry. Rose is traveling, and we wanted to spend our last night together."

"She'll be gone for one week. You say it like you're never going to see her again," I snap, my irritation sharpened by the approaching threat to my carefully ordered life.

"She’s my mate," Graham sighs. "I can't bear to be apart from her."

I roll my eyes, even as my own wolf claws inside me, desperate to seek out the source of that familiar scent.

I've spent years convincing myself the mate bond was just biology, just instinct—something that could be ignored with enough determination. I can't afford to be wrong now.

"So, while I spent the entire night working, you just had the time of your life?" I say, attempting to focus on anything but the fact that she's getting closer. The scent is stronger now, unmistakable.

The elevator doors open at the end of the hall. Time seems to slow as she steps out, more beautiful than I remember.

Her golden-brown hair is tied in a neat ponytail, business attire replacing the flowing dresses she once wore. The clothes hug her curves perfectly, making her appear both professional and utterly desirable.

Our eyes meet across the distance, and I feel the mate bond snap between us like a physical force. My wolf howls in recognition while I scramble for control.

She offers a polite smile—not the desperate, adoring look I remember. There's something different in her eyes now. Confidence. Composure.

The realization unsettles me more than her presence alone. She goes down the hallway and turns the corner.

What is Madeline doing here? And why, after all this time, does she still have this power over me?

If my tone is bothering him, Graham clearly misses it. "Just try to make it through the day," he says, giving me a friendly pat on the back.

I roll my eyes. "Like I'm not going to."

As soon as others get off the elevator, one person hurries forward to greet us. "Good morning, my name is Adrian," he says.

Graham and I exchange a confused look. "Um, good morning, Adrian," I answer, trying to keep my thoughts away from Madeline.

"Would you like me to help you with anything? I could grab some coffee to kickstart your morning." He flashes a dazzling smile.

"Damn, you came to the wrong people," Graham says with a laugh. "You're one of the new interns applying, aren't you?"

Adrian nods. "That's right."

"I don't take interns," I tell him, my tone sharper than intended as my eyes focused on where Madeline's disappeared. "You've got a better shot with this guy over here, but he's already got someone working for him."

The smile on the intern's face droops a little. "Maybe I..."

I lift my hand, shutting him down before I walk away. "Damn," Graham says as we head towards our offices. "Maybe you should take an intern and get some of that work off your shoulders. You're extra grouchy today."

"I woke up on the wrong side of the bed," I sigh, knowing full well the real source of my irritation is somewhere on this floor.

As we move past the cubicles, it's clear that everyone has a lot of work to do. "See, you're not the only one stressed out about your job?" I remark to Graham, desperate to focus on anything but the fact that I can still smell her scent lingering in the air.

"When you have a mate—" Graham starts in.

"Oh, brother," I say under my breath, the word 'mate' sending an unwelcome jolt through my system.

"I'm serious," he laughs. "I think that's the only thing I've ever stressed about. We're great at our jobs. We always get our work done."

"You're delusional, but then again you're in love, and that's pretty much the same thing. I have to go over the quarter's finances."

"Intern," Graham says, giving me a pointed look.

"Nope, no way." The thought of some fresh-faced kid watching me struggle to maintain composure as Madeline's presence permeates the office is more than I can bear.

Graham stops at his office and I head to mine. When I open the door, I'm hit with a burst of cold air. I forgot to turn up the air conditioning before I left. I'm not the biggest fan of cold AC, but I don't usually mind it.

Still, today isn't the day, and this is just another source of irritation.

Fuck.

I move to the outlet on the wall and almost rip it out completely before taking a breath to calm myself. I open the window, letting in fresh air before going to my desk and loading up my computer.

"Intern," I scoff, "I don't need a fucking intern."

I'm used to working alone. It's how I like things—just me. Unfortunately, I work in a firm with about a billion things to do simultaneously. I can't lie that I'm not sometimes worked to the bone, but I'm not about to let some bumbling idiot ruin my work.

Graham's responses to my emails are the first things I see, making me chuckle a little. He's an efficient worker when he's not obsessing over his mate.

"What would I do without Rose?" I mimic, rolling my eyes as I type. "Please, a mate can't be that important."

Something grips me from within. It feels like a fist is wrapped around my heart, clawing at it.

It tightens even more before loosening, giving me the greatest relief I've ever experienced. My wolf recognizes what this means before my human brain catches up.

She’s close again. My feet move forward via invisible force guiding me. I pause when I reach the cubicles, looking around for her.

Her face doesn’t pop out to me, but a couple of interns still try their luck. "Sir, do you need anything?"

"I can help out. I'm really capable," says another.

I glare at them, driving off the horde. I let out a small sigh before going back toward my office. I'm going crazy already.

Graham's door opens as soon as I pass it. "Wait up," he says, halting me. The man has a small stack of papers in his hands, and he gives them to me when I turn around.

"The Watson file," he says. "I saw a few things you need to look at."

I take the papers and give them a cursory glance. "Sure."

"Thanks," he says, returning to his office. The second his large frame moves out of the way, I see her, she's standing right in front of me.

Madeline, so beautiful, maybe even more than I remembered. Still, it's almost impossible to believe she's standing right before me.

The papers in my hands drop to the floor immediately, scattering everywhere. She notices and comes over to help. She kneels gracefully, collecting the scattered papers efficiently.

The gesture is helpful but not overly familiar. When our fingers accidentally brush as we reach for the same document, I feel a jolt of electricity, but she simply continues gathering papers.

When she hands the stack back to me, her smile is warm but restrained. "Hello, Nate. It's been a while."

"What're you doing here?" The words come out more rudely than I intended, my shock overriding any semblance of politeness.

If my tone bothers her, she doesn't show it. "I'm interning with Aunt Cora for the summer. I'm in law school now," she says matter-of-factly, without even a hint of trying to impress me.

"Law school?" I can't keep the surprise from my voice. This poised woman is nothing like the clingy, desperate girl I left behind.

Her eyes light up with genuine passion. "Yes. I discovered I have a knack for it. Turns out I enjoy the challenge." She glances at her watch. "I should get back. Aunt Cora is expecting these documents. It was nice seeing you, Nate."

She walks away with quiet confidence, leaving me standing there, stunned. I watch her retreat down the hallway, my mind struggling to process what just happened.

This isn't the Madeline I remember—the one who would have thrown herself at me or made dramatic declarations about our future together. Instead, she seems centered. Focused, independent.

I grab the files and turn away, heading back to my office. The door doesn't fully close behind me, but I barely notice. I pace the room, my thoughts racing. That was Madeline, my Madeline. But she doesn't seem like mine anymore.

Something about her calm demeanor unsettles me more than any grand gesture would have. I expected drama, confrontation, or at least some acknowledgment of our past.

Instead, she treated me like... an old acquaintance. Pleasant but not particularly important.

For some reason, that bothers me more than I care to admit. I can't let this go; I need answers. I go back out into the hallway, spotting her just as she's about to enter an office. "Madeline," I call out, my voice sharper than intended.

She turns, a question in her eyes but no hint of anxiety. "Yes?"

"I need to speak with you," I gesture toward my office. "Now."

A flicker of surprise crosses her face, but she doesn't seem flustered. "Of course." She glances at the folder in her hands. "Just let me drop these off first."

"It'll only take a minute," I insist, my wolf growing impatient.

She considers me for a moment, then nods. "Alright."

She follows me back to my office, closing the door firmly behind us. She doesn't take a seat; instead she stands calmly near the door, waiting for me to speak.

"What are you really doing here?" I demand, crossing my arms.

"I told you," she replies evenly. "I'm interning with Aunt Cora for the summer."

"Out of all the law firms in the country, you just happened to choose the one where I work?" I'm aware of the accusation in my voice.

She doesn't flinch. "My aunt is one of the most respected attorneys in her field. Working with her is an incredible opportunity." She pauses, then adds, "But yes, I was aware you work here. I wasn't going to pretend otherwise."

"So this is what—another attempt to win me over? To pick up where we left off?"

Something shifts in her expression—not hurt, exactly, but a momentary vulnerability that she masks quickly. "No, Nate. This is me pursuing my career goals." She holds my gaze steadily. "I've changed since you knew me. We both have, I imagine."

Her calm response deflates my anger. I'd expected her to be defensive or worse, to fall back into the clingy behavior that drove me away. Instead, she stands before me with quiet dignity I don't recognize.

"Did you think I'd still be that same girl?" she asks softly. "The one who thought her entire world should revolve around her mate?"

I don't have an answer for that. Yes, that's exactly what I thought.

I braced myself for drama and obsession, preparing all my old defenses. But the woman before me doesn't match those expectations at all.

"It was time I grew up," she continues when I don't respond. "We all do eventually." A small smile touches her lips. "Don't worry, I'm not here to complicate your life. I'm here to build mine." She moves toward the door. "Is there anything else?"

I stand abruptly. "Actually, yes. I don't believe you."

She pauses, her hand on the doorknob, and turns back to face me. "Excuse me?"

"This act. This mature, professional persona. I don't buy it." The words tumble out before I can stop them. "You came here for me, and we both know it won't work."

Her expression remains composed, but I catch a flicker of something in her eyes—hurt maybe, or disappointment.

"Look, Madeline," I continue, more firmly now. "I need to be clear. I don't believe in fated mates—not the way you do. Things didn't work out between us before, and they won't work now. That bond... It's just biology. It doesn't mean we're meant to be together."

She's quiet for a moment, studying me. When she speaks, her voice is soft but steady. "I never mentioned our bond, Nate. You did."

That simple observation hits me like a physical blow.

"I respect your position," she continues. "And I hope you'll eventually respect mine. I'm here to work and learn." She offers me a small, dignified smile. "Believe what you need to about my intentions. I'll let my actions speak for themselves."

Before I can respond, three sharp knocks sound at the door.

Madeline's hand is still on the knob, and she turns it automatically, opening the door. An older woman with graying hair stands in the doorway, her stern expression shifting to surprise when she sees Madeline.

"Aunt Cora," she says, stepping back.