2. Lyra
Five days had passed, and I’d been through the gauntlet known as training. I was incredibly grateful that it was Friday and would have the weekend to recover before Eli was back in the office. Jolene had flown out Eli’s previous assistant, Alvin, a sweet-natured Beta, to get me up to speed.
“It’s hard work and long hours, but if I didn’t have to move with my family, I would have gladly stayed for as long as I could. The Thatchers are wonderful people and treat all their employees fairly. If a big project was going on and I routinely needed to stay until ten, Eli made sure I got a bonus to cover on top of my salary,” Alvin shared as we ate lunch on the terrace connected to the cafeteria.
“How often did that happen?” I asked, taking another bite of my freshly made pasta.
Alvin shrugged. “Hard to say. I worked here for three years, and it all kind of blurs together after a while. What I can tell you is don’t waste your breath trying to get him to go home,” he warned, gesturing with his fork.
I gave him a questioning look, so Alvin elaborated. “Eli is the perfect example of do as I say, not as I do. The moment he realized how late it had gotten, he’d send me home and tell me to come in a little late the next day if I wanted. I’d encourage him to do the same and that sleep would help us both get things finished faster. Well, all I’d get in response was silence and a finger pointing toward the door. Only had to happen a few times before I knew my place was to take orders and make sure I was rested to keep the train on the rails.”
By the sound of it, I’d almost be tempted to believe Eli was using work to keep him from facing other things in his life. I should know, I was an expert at it. Losing your whole family by the age of thirteen made you grow up quickly and learn how to cope the best you could.
First, it was school. I buried myself in my studies and got straight A’s, which allowed me to choose my college. Life was easier to bear when I didn’t have time to let my mind wander to the things I was missing out on. When I graduated with a double major, my new coping mechanism shifted to work, and a start-up company was the perfect ticket.
“Has he always been like that? I don’t mean to pry, just trying to get a feel for what kind of man Mr. Thatcher is,” I explained, not trying to come across as a busybody.
Looking down at his salad, Alvin chased after a cherry tomato that kept evading his attempts to spear it. “I suppose it got worse when Miss Bailey-Rose went off to college. Actually, I know that’s when it got worse. Eli always made sure he was home as close to dinner time as he could manage. Rarely when something couldn’t be put off, he’d stay as late as it took, but it wasn’t often. Instead of coming in late, he’d be there at his desk when I arrived at seven thirty, and it was obvious he’d been working for some time.”
“His mother mentioned a little sister. Is that who you mean?” I clarified, not wanting to assume, in case it was a past lover who’d dumped him when she went off to college.
“Yes, she’s delightful, a pure ray of sunshine,” Alvin said with a bright smile. “Miss Bailey-Rose was born with a heart defect, and Mr. Thatcher is highly protective of her. I did hear from some of the other employees I’m still friends with here that she’s found her pack, moved out of the Thatcher estate, and had some medical procedure done, which gives her so much more freedom. Honestly, there isn’t a more deserving person after all she’s been through.”
“I hope I get to meet her someday. She sounds lovely,” I murmured, sitting back in my chair, no longer hungry.
It was hard not to be jealous of this woman even though I’d never met her. She had a wonderful mother who couldn’t help but ooze caring kindness wherever she went. That alone would have been enough to make me want to switch places with her, but to hear she was also blessed with a brother who was clearly devoted to her care had me envious. The man probably didn’t know what to do with himself when she went off to school and is now healthy with a pack of her own. He must feel so pointless. Maybe Jolene had been right when she said he and I might need each other.
“Looks like the storm is rolling in,” Alvin commented as the clear blue sky started to fill with clouds. “Mrs. Thatcher is apparently sending me back home in an hour so I don’t get held back by the weather. You don’t mind if I head out so I can pack up, do you?”
“Not at all,” I said, waving my hand dismissively. “You’ve been more than amazing to come out here to help me. I doubt I would have been as prepared, left only with your notes.”
Alvin stood and kissed my cheek with a simple brush of his lips. “Don’t even start with that nonsense, Lyra. You’re a badass, and you know it. All I did was teach you the basics of working with Eli Thatcher to make your life easier. When it came to the work itself, you didn’t need my help at all. Now, don’t linger too long, or you’ll be caught in the storm.”
Laughing. I grabbed my tray and followed Alvin back into the cafeteria to drop it off. We parted ways as I rode the elevator up, and he took another down to the lobby. I had to scan my ID badge to activate the buttons for the top floor—a bit of added security I could get behind. The only way to gain access was with your ID or being escorted by someone who had one. It wasn’t like I was worried about being in any danger, but Infinery Petroleum Industries was one of the biggest players in the oil business. It’s smarter to play it safe than wish you had when it’s too late.
I got off on the twenty-fourth floor, second from the top. According to Jolene, only three offices were on the top floor—one for her husband, Rawlins, another that was her late husband’s, and her private office that she confided was never used. Jolene warned me that she and Rawlins traveled ninety percent of the time, leaving Eli to run things.
The twenty-fourth floor was the hub of all decisions, with Eli’s office, a boardroom, a sitting room for conducting more casual meetings, and Mr. Ford’s office. Mr. Declan Ford was a business partner to the Thatchers and ran the procurement side of things. His crews located new oil drilling sights and got the raw material to the refineries, where it was processed and sold worldwide. I met him briefly on the first day, but with how the offices are set up, I don’t see myself running into him much.
Walking down the hall to Eli’s section of office space, I nodded to the secretary who fielded all the calls for Mr. Thatcher. Emily was a seasoned battle ax and the first hoop you had to jump through to make your request. Depending on what it was, the request was sent to the right person or area to fix the problem. Those who actually needed Eli’s attention were then passed to me. I could take care of some issues myself like getting documents, dealing with permits, and ensuring things were notarized by the on-staff notary. My job was to take everything off Eli’s plate, giving him the freedom to do the work only he could do.
“Oh, Miss Clark,” Emily called, getting up from her desk and hurrying over to me. “I know you probably want to get things done and leave before that dreadful spring storm rolls in, but these calls came in while you were at lunch. Apparently, the customs forms for these two orders didn’t get submitted, and this is a call from Mr. Oliverson, one of our lawyers. He tried to get ahold of Mr. Thatcher directly, but he’s not answering or returning his calls. I’m not sure you can do much about that one, but figured it wouldn’t hurt to touch base with the man.”
“Goodness, go to lunch, and the world starts to fall apart,” I said with a soft laugh. “Thank you, Emily, I’ll look into this.”
“You’re a sweetheart, dear. I’ll be here till three. That’s when my Harry is coming to pick me up. He doesn’t let me drive in bad weather,” Emily shared.
Nodding, I smiled and headed back to what was now officially my office. To the right, through a connecting door, was Eli’s massive corner office. He had two walls of windows, providing a stunning view of the city as long as you didn’t have a fear of heights. Mine wasn’t lacking in the view department either with the entire back wall made with the same window setup. Right now, it was providing the perfect opportunity to see the storm rolling in.
I shuffled through the notes Emily gave me until I found the lawyer’s number and called. If he were like everyone else, they’d want to leave early. People here were treating this storm like we did blizzards back in Rockton. While I’d heard how intense some of these thunderstorms could be, I’d never experienced one. Most everyone on the news was concerned about flooding and the high winds uprooting trees, which caused the most damage.
“Jonathan Oliverson speaking,” a man answered, pulling me away from my storm-watching.
“Hello, my name is Lyra, and I’m Mr. Eli Thatcher’s personal assistant. I received a note saying you’ve been having trouble contacting him?” I greeted.
“Well, hello, Lyra, I wasn’t aware Eli finally hired a replacement for Alvin,” Jonathan commented.
“I’ve only started this week,” I explained. “Mr. Thatcher is out of town until tomorrow. Is there anything I can help you with?”
“Right, yes, I knew that. He went to talk to the senator,” Jonathan muttered to himself. “This can keep until he’s back. I was more concerned I couldn’t get ahold of him, but now he has you, I’m not as worried. If you could take down a message for me, then I know he’ll get it. The man hates listening to voice messages. He always calls me back and makes me tell him directly.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” I said, grabbing a memo pad. “Ready when you are.”
“Tell him I’ve found a loophole, and we can use what happened to his sister to implement a policy change. He’ll know what I mean by that,” Jonathan assured me. “This is a more personal matter, and I’m not sure who he plans to read in on the situation.”
“Of course, it makes perfect sense,” I agreed. “Anything else? I’m assuming he doesn’t need a callback number.”
“Nope, he’s got me on speed dial these days.” Jonathan chuckled. “Let me tell you a little something about your new boss… there isn’t anyone I would want more in my corner than him. You ever have a problem, he’ll stop at nothing until it’s resolved, especially if you’re family.”
This kind of praise was a common theme among people I’ve met who knew Eli Thatcher well. That and I shouldn’t take his rather cool, detached demeanor personally—it’s just how he was.
“I’ll make sure to hand it to him personally, ensuring he gets the note,” I said, taping it to the corner of my screen so I would see it Monday.
“My thanks to you, Lyra, and I’m sure we’ll be speaking again soon,” Jonathan said and hung up.
With a sigh, I walked over to my electric kettle and flipped on the switch. I was going to need a killer cup of tea before diving into the world of customs forms.
The flashof light was quickly followed by the rattling boom of thunder that shook the windows behind me. I had hoped to be done with work by now, but the customs people were giving me the runaround, and this order was far too important not to deal with right away.
“No, do not put me on hold again,” I snapped. “Look, I have the documents loaded into an email. Just tell me where to send it.”
“Miss, as I’ve been trying to tell you, they needed to be sen—” The line suddenly went dead as the power went out.
Slamming the phone down in its cradle, I let out a frustrated scream. “You’ve got to be kidding me. This is not happening right now.”
I stood, shoved my chair out of the way, and walked over to the windows. It was only five o’clock, but with the clouds and rain, all sunlight was blocked out, leaving only a dark grayness. Water poured out of the sky, making it nearly impossible to distinguish the city around me. I could see a dim glow from car headlights as they slowly tried to make it back home. Why anyone would want to even attempt it at this point was beyond me. Then the bright blue and red lights of an emergency vehicle appeared, and the faint sound of its siren pierced through the thundering of the rain.
Flashes of old memories darted before my eyes, forcing me to turn away. I couldn’t allow myself to think about that right now. Most of my time in therapy had been to overcome the triggers I had of that awful night. No matter how hard I worked, some things I wasn’t sure I’d ever be able to be free from. Raking my fingers through my hair, I stepped out of my office and over to the couch in the sitting room. There were no windows in here, and the sound of the storm wasn’t quite so loud.
Kicking off my shoes, I stretched out on the leather sofa, preferring to wait for the power to come back on so I didn’t need to walk down twenty-four flights of stairs. Besides, it wasn’t like I’d be making a run for the train or bus in this weather. The underground station was close, but it was still a solid five-minute walk, and one I didn’t relish.
Deciding to make the most of it, I grabbed one of the accent pillows and tucked it under my head. A faint scent lingered from whoever sat here last—a heady aroma of teakwood with a hint of bourbon. It was a refined combination of notes that made me curious as to who the person was. Then again, if they were sitting in this office, they had to be in the upper echelon of society, which made sense. Strange that the scent would linger after a week since I knew no one had been using this space but Alvin and myself.
I drifted in that space between wakefulness and sleeping, allowing my mind to wander. In an odd turn, my subconscious decided to build the man who might be behind this scent. Was he tall, dashing with dark hair and brooding eyes?
Laughing at my imagination, it was clear my melancholy indulgence in watching the eight-hour version of Pride and Prejudice after work was showing. It was a perfect escape, though, to be pulled into a world of balls, gowns, courtship, and love found in the most unexpected people. Elizabeth Bennet was a woman I could understand who wanted to marry for love and choose who to spend the rest of her life with, society be damned. Her sharp tongue and wit always made me smile, especially when she went toe to toe with Lady Catherine De Bourgh. Lizzy got her happy ending, but I wasn’t sure I’d get mine.
For a moment, I thought my pack and I had broken the mold. We’d chosen to love each other after building a solid foundation of friendship, working through hard times, and finding we really did complement each other. Then out of the blue, she appeared, and my life as I knew it was over, blown to smithereens all because of biology. With a snap of the fingers, the love that had been mine was taken away, and I was nothing.
A tear rolled down my cheek, and I brushed it away, only for another to fall. Wait! That wasn’t a tear—it had landed on my cheek. Tears don’t land, they roll. My eyes snapped open, and I came face-to-face with a man kneeling beside the couch, his intense blue eyes watching me. His dark hair was drenched and hanging in his face, slowly dripping water. My first thought was to panic, but then he reached out and gently wiped the water from my cheek. Having him so close, I couldn’t help but drown in his scent, the same scent as the pillow I was cuddling. He was the man who’d sat on this couch and left his teakwood and bourbon scent behind, but why was he here now?
“Hello there,” he said, his voice deep, silky, and at the same time textured like velvet brushing along my skin.
Still unable to get my brain to understand what was happening, I took hold of his arm and pulled his wrist to my nose, needing another hit of his scent. The rumble of a purr as this stranger cupped my cheek had me singing in relief, unlocking something in me I’d never experienced before. He shifted and tried to pull his hand away, making me protest and let out a whine. Not just any whine, a whine only an Omega could produce in the presence of an Alpha.
“Shh, there’s no need to get upset, my sweet Omega,” he murmured, his gaze softening. “I just wanted to get out of this jacket, so I stop dripping water on you.”
Hearing him call me his Omega cut through the scent-induced high. Instantly, I released him and sat up, staring at him with wide eyes. Thinking clearly, I remembered the photo of him and his family on his desk. Recognition slammed into me—this man was my new boss, but he was also my scent-matched Alpha.
“No, no, this can’t be happening,” I gasped, scrambling off the sofa. “I’m so sorry, sir. I had no idea you’d be back in the office today. They told me you’d be back to work Monday.”
Eli looked utterly confused by my reaction and the words coming out of my mouth. Any Omega in their right mind would be flinging themselves at their scent match, not slowly backing away. Terror flooded me, and all I knew was I had to get away and couldn’t stay here with him. Bolting from the room, I raced to the elevators since the power had come back on at some point.
“Wait, please, I think there’s been some misunderstanding,” Eli called as he followed after me.
Thankfully, the elevator was still there from him having used it, so I dove in, swiped my card, and stabbed the lobby button, begging the doors to close in time. With an inch to spare, I was safely locked away in the metal box as it began its descent. Sliding down the wall, I sat on the floor, hands in my hair, desperately trying to figure out what to do about this.
If Eli was my scent match, there’s no way I could continue to work here.
What am I going to do? I have a two-year contract with Infinery, so I can’t just leave.
Why not? I could leave everything and make a run for it.
No, that’s just crazy.
The doors to the elevator opened, and I jumped to my feet and hurried through the lobby. There wasn’t anyone there but the building receptionist and two security guards since most everyone had gone home because of the storm. Just as I reached the revolving door, I heard someone shout. “Wait, don’t go out there. It’s too dangerous.”
Looking over my shoulder, I found Eli sprinting across the lobby with a determined look. This only spurred me forward, and the next thing I knew, I was being pelted by rain without a jacket or shoes. My need to get away was so overwhelming I’d forgotten all about them. It didn’t matter. I just needed to head down the way to the underground station, and then I’d be able to get home.
In a matter of seconds, I was drenched, and the rain was going fucking sideways with how strong the wind was blowing. Continuing forward, I made slow but steady progress until I was all but knocked off my feet and slammed into a news rack that appeared out of nowhere. Stunned by the blow, I stumbled back and lost my balance as my heel fell off the back of a curb, landing me in the street. The back of my head smacked into the pavement, causing me to see stars. Just when I didn’t think matters could get worse, flashing emergency lights appeared through the haze, followed by the shrill pitch of the siren.
I tried to hold on to the here and now, not allowing myself to get lost in my fear and memories of the past, but in my already panicked state, I was helpless.
I was soon transported back in time to the second life-altering moment of my childhood.