Page 2

Chapter 2

MADELINE

My aunt's piercing eyes remain on me for a second, and I already know I've complicated things on my first day—but not in the way either of us expected. She doesn't move away from the door, standing like a barrier between me and the hallway.

"I had a feeling you'd be in here," she says, turning her gaze to Nate.

"You brought her here?" Nate says, accusation clear in his voice.

"And what business is that of yours?" Aunt Cora throws back. "If my niece wants to work here, she's free to do so. Do you have a problem with that?"

He sighs, looking defeated. "No, I guess not." He turns to me with a forced smile. "Welcome to IronFangs Law. I'm sure you'll have a great time here."

I offer a polite nod. "Thank you. I appreciate the opportunity."

Aunt Cora steps aside, gesturing for me to exit first. I feel Nate's eyes following me as I leave, but I don't allow myself to look back. The time for chasing is over.

Once we're a safe distance down the hall, my aunt gives me a side-eye. "Well, it certainly didn't take long to find him."

I keep my expression neutral despite the butterflies still fluttering in my stomach. "He found me, actually. I was on my way to deliver the Hamilton briefs."

"And how did that go?" she asks, genuine concern in her voice.

"About as expected," I reply evenly. "He thinks I'm here to pursue him."

We reach Aunt Cora's office, and she closes the door behind us. I sink into a chair, finally allowing a small sigh to escape.

"Are you alright?" she asks.

For the first time today, I let my carefully constructed composure slip just a little. "It was ... harder than I thought it would be," I admit, meeting her eyes. "Seeing him again. But I think I handled it well."

"You did," she confirms, taking her seat. "I was prepared to rescue you, but it seems you didn't need my help."

"Not this time." I can't help but smile. "He hasn't changed much, has he? Still so certain he knows everyone's motives."

"Most people don't change," she remarks. "They just become more of who they are already."

I consider this, thinking about who I was when Nate last knew me last.

I was the desperate clingy girl who thought her whole world should revolve around her mate bond. The girl who drove him away with her intensity.

"I've changed," I say with quiet certainty.

"You have," Aunt Cora agrees. "But not in the ways he might think. You've grown into yourself, Madeline. That's different from changing who you are."

A knock on the door interrupts us. My aunt looks just as annoyed as I am. "Who is it?"

"Maintenance," a gruff voice replies.

"Maintenance?" Cora repeats the word like she’s supposed to know why. "Come in."

Two guys enter wearing overalls. They're definitely not from this office, but they carry a toolbox.

"Drat," she sighs. "I totally forgot. I'll only be a second, and then I'll be out of your hair."

They back out, nodding politely. "What was that about?" I wonder.

"They're supposed to do some maintenance on this floor. It will take a few days, and I'm supposed to use a temporary office until then. I completely forgot about it."

"Where will you go until then?"

"I have a feeling you might like it." There's a hint of mischief in her eyes that makes me instantly suspicious.

I help her move a bunch of her office stuff, then we head back to the floor we just came from. I instantly pick up Nate's scent before we pass his office.

I keep my expression carefully neutral, refusing to give my aunt the satisfaction of seeing me react. I won't be the girl who loses her composure at the simple proximity of her mate.

When we reach the new workspace, the first thing I notice is that there's virtually no privacy. Two large glass panels give a broad view of the office from outside the office, and the door is fully frosted glass.

The lower part of the glass panels are solid, but anyone over three feet tall can see what's going on inside.

"Is this the only available space?" I ask, careful to keep my tone curious and tamp down concern.

"For now," Aunt Cora replies, watching me with that same knowing look. "Problem?"

I put her files on the much-smaller desk and face her with a calm smile. "Not at all. Transparency builds trust, doesn't it?"

Cora laughs—a rare sound. "You really have grown up."

"I had to," I reply simply.

Once we're settled, Aunt Cora looks at me more seriously. "I'm surprised more people don't know about Nate and you. He really changed after he came here, didn't he?"

"In what way?" I ask, genuinely curious.

"When you're a loner, it takes a while to let anyone into your space, no matter who they are. He may feel he's losing his identity." She waits to see if I understand, and I nod. "It's alright. He seems reliable though, and sometimes I sense that work is all he thinks about. Has he always been like that?"

I consider the question, remembering the Nate I knew before. "I guess so. I always had the biggest crush on him growing up. He was the only one in my pack I felt a connection to, but we never talked seriously. And then one day, I realized why I was always drawn to him."

Aunt Cora nods, understanding. "Yes, you told me when your mate bond snapped into place. I think that was the last time we talked about him."

I sit up straight, folding my hands in my lap. "I was over the moon. The most handsome guy in the pack was my mate. I thought we'd have the best time."

"Since he literally left his pack and came all this way, I guess things didn't work out between you two."

"We didn't even get a chance, and that's the problem," I sigh. "Nate absolutely panicked. I'm not sure he knew how to handle the new bond, but it's fine the way things turned out. They said it happens like that for some people, but I felt he was uncomfortable about how much I was into him."

"Don't take this the wrong way, Madeline, but you can be a bit intense."

I gasp dramatically and humorously. "Aunt Cora! I can't believe you'd say something like that about me."

Cora rolls her eyes. "My dear, you've always been that way. I don't think Nate ran away without you having something to do with it."

"I can't believe you'd take his side," I say, but there's no heat in my voice. "You're probably right, though. I was young and I came on way too strong."

"How were things between you before the bond snapped into place?"

"We weren't friends or anything. I just admired him from a distance, but he was always nice to me."

"Okay, and what about when the bond happened?"

"I told him that we should get married as soon as we could."

She slowly palms her face. "Oh, Madeline."

"I know, I know." I chuckle at my younger self. "So many girls wanted him. Once there was a reason for us to be together, I wasn't going to let it go. I never gave him room to breathe."

"So you're basically saying you bombarded him with love and hoped he would return the feeling?"

I shrug. "Yeah, or just return it a little. I didn't think he'd ditch his pack with me in it and run off."

My aunt looks at me pointedly but says nothing.

"I know what you're thinking," I say. "You're wondering why anyone would run away from a clingy, possessive teenager who tried to skip every relationship stage and go straight to marriage," I smile ruefully. "I've had a lot of time to think about it. Fortunately, I'm not that person anymore."

"You're twenty-three, so I guess that's true," Aunt Cora notes. "But there's still something I don't understand. You basically tracked him down. I know law school doesn't have much to do with Nate, but you decided to intern here with me the second you found out he worked here."

I look down at my hands, considering how to explain. "I'm not going to lie—yes, he's part of the reason I'm here. But not in the way you think." I meet her eyes. "I'm not trying to force anything or stalk him. I just need closure, to see if there's anything real between us beyond the bond, now that I've grown up. And if not ..." I shrug. "Then I'll have my answer, and a summer of valuable experience with one of the best lawyers I know."

Aunt Cora smiles at the compliment. "Well, this should be interesting to watch."

"Besides, that's not the only reason I left the pack," I remind her. "You know the issues we had with hunters."

Her expression turns grim. "Yeah, we had our own run-in, but yours was so much worse."

I sigh, attempting to push all the memories from my mind. After we discovered that one of our own had been killed by hunters, the pack no longer felt safe.

A small part of me does feel safer now that I've seen Nate again, though I'd never admit that to him.

Being around him provides a sense of security I haven't felt in years, despite his clear discomfort with my presence. But I'm not here to hide behind him; I'm here to stand on my own.

"Can you tell me more about him?" I ask, keeping my tone casual.

I give my best pout, throwing my aunt back to the days when she used to take care of me as a kid. She was always a strict no-nonsense person, but Aunt Cora also has the softest spot for me in her heart.

"I don't work with Nate a lot," she explains. "We're definitely not close, but I can tell he's a good guy with great morals. He works incredibly hard, and it shows. Based on what I know now, it looks like he's only helpless when it comes to love."

"So he isn't dating anyone?" I ask, keeping my expression carefully neutral.

"Of course not. I don't think he's only running from you. It could be the idea of love in general. I'm not an expert in things like this either. I didn't think my last paralegal could sort out her own love life either."

"Who was that?"

"It's a long story," she says, waving off the question.

"I see. Well, I'll be here for a while. Maybe I'll hear it."

"I'm sure you will, but now I need to get my things in order." She stands and goes about arranging her temporary office.

I get up and peer through the glass to see if I spot Nate. His scent lingers in my nostrils, bringing a satisfied smile.

More than anything, it feels great to be around my mate again, as if a massive boulder has rolled off my shoulders now that I've found him. But this time, I won't chase. I'll let him come to me when he's ready. And if he never is ... I'll live with that, too.

"Madeline Vance, have you forgotten that you're my intern?"

I stiffen and turn around with a sheepish grin. "Sorry, ma'am."

"I didn't give you this job because you're my niece. I gave it to you because I know how smart and capable you are. If you're just going to stand around and dream about that guy all day, then I might have to consider someone else."

"No, no," I protest, rushing back to the desk. "I'll do the work. I'm sorry for getting distracted."

"Good. We've got some files to go over, but I think that we could just—"

Even as she speaks to me, I can't help but notice Nate walking past the glass panel. Our eyes meet briefly, and I offer a small professional smile before returning my full attention to my aunt.

If I've learned anything in the years since Nate left, it's patience. I won't make the same mistakes again.

Oh, Nate. This time will be different. This time, I'll let you find your way to me.