Chapter 4
POV: Amara
I woke with heat between my thighs and Riven’s name trapped in my head.
For one disoriented second, I stayed frozen beneath the blankets, staring at the ceiling while my heartbeat pounded heavily against my ribs.
The dream still clung to me.
His hands.
His voice.
The feeling of his body pressed against mine.
A slow ache pulsed low in my stomach again.
God.
I squeezed my eyes shut hard.
This was getting out of control.
The pressure inside me felt almost unbearable this morning, warm and restless and strangely sensitive. My thighs pressed together instinctively beneath the sheets as another wave rolled through me.
My breath caught softly.
Without fully thinking, my hand slipped beneath the waistband of my sleep shorts.
Just barely.
Just enough to—
No.
I jerked my hand away immediately, horrified with myself.
What the hell was wrong with me?
I threw the blankets back and practically escaped into the bathroom.
Cold shower.
Coffee.
Work.
That would fix this.
It had to.
By the time I reached the laboratories an hour later, I had almost convinced myself I was being dramatic.
Almost.
The familiar scent of silver and machinery grounded me instantly while workers moved throughout the research wing preparing for the day. Massive monitors displayed extraction data across the walls while refined silver samples gleamed beneath bright overhead lights.
This.
This made sense.
Not whatever hormonal insanity my body was currently experiencing.
“Doctor Vale!”
I turned at Michael’s voice just in time to see him approaching with entirely too much enthusiasm for this early in the morning.
“Please tell me you slept,” he said.
“Define slept.”
He laughed. “Perfect. You’ll fit in here beautifully.”
The next several hours passed in a blur of work.
Actual work.
Real work.
The kind that occupied my brain enough to stop me from spiraling every time Riven Oak crossed my mind.
Michael walked me through current extraction procedures while I reviewed data logs and refining systems. We spent nearly an hour debating stabilization temperatures before moving deeper into the processing sectors near the mines.
And honestly?
I was in heaven.
“You understand this faster than anyone I’ve ever worked with,” Michael admitted while adjusting one of the digital system projections.
I barely looked up from the data. “That’s because your current filtration ratios are fighting each other.”
He blinked.
Then stared harder at the screen.
“…you’re right.”
“Your secondary separation phase overheats the raw silver before purification stabilizes.”
Michael looked personally offended by the machine.
I grinned slightly.
For the first time since arriving at Oak territory, I felt fully like myself again.
Not nervous.
Not overheated.
Not distracted by impossible blue eyes.
Just focused.
And maybe that’s why I noticed it first.
A flaw.
Tiny.
Almost invisible inside the extraction cycle.
I stepped closer to the system projection immediately, narrowing my eyes.
“Wait.”
Michael looked up. “What?”
I pointed toward the lower thermal conversion readings. “Your overflow regulation is leaking refined silver during pressure shifts.”
His brows furrowed. “That loss is minimal.”
“It doesn’t have to exist at all.”
That got his full attention.
I moved quickly through the data, pulling up several conversion sequences before adjusting the process manually.
“If you reroute the stabilization flow here,” I explained, “you can reduce mineral waste before pressure release.”
Michael stared at the screen.
Then at me.
Then back at the screen.
“…Doctor Vale.”
I smiled slowly. “You’re losing almost twelve percent of your refined silver.”
His jaw dropped.
“Twelve—”
“You can recover most of it with a secondary containment cycle.”
Michael looked seconds away from either fainting or proposing marriage again.
“That’s millions,” he breathed.
“I know.”
His grin spread instantly. “Oh, the Alpha is going to love you.”
Something strange fluttered low in my stomach at the thought.
Not now.
Not while working.
I ignored it.
Michael practically dragged me toward the administrative wing afterward while clutching data reports like sacred scripture.
“You’re telling him,” he declared.
“I think you’re slightly overreacting.”
“I think you just saved me enough silver to buy another extraction sector.”
Fair point.
By the time we reached Riven’s office, my pulse had already started misbehaving again.
Annoying.
Michael knocked once before entering without waiting.
“Alpha, you need to see this immediately.”
Riven looked up from behind his desk.
And there it was again.
That instant reaction.
My entire body tightening the second his eyes landed on me.
God.
He looked unfairly good today.
Dark shirt.
Sleeves rolled.
Large hands resting against the desk.
Dangerously calm.
Michael launched into explanations before I could embarrass myself by staring too long.
Riven listened quietly while reviewing the reports, his expression unreadable the entire time.
The office fell silent when he finally finished reading.
Then his gaze lifted to mine.
“You identified this in less than a day?”
I crossed my arms lightly. “Your systems were practically begging me to notice.”
Something faint flickered in his eyes.
Amusement.
Maybe.
Michael pointed dramatically toward me. “See? I told you she was terrifying.”
“She’s efficient,” Riven corrected calmly.
The compliment hit harder than it should have.
Especially coming from him.
Michael looked personally vindicated. “So we’re implementing the changes?”
Riven signed the authorization papers without hesitation. “Immediately.”
Michael nearly vibrated with excitement.
“I’m going to kiss somebody,” he announced before grabbing the paperwork.
“Preferably not me,” I muttered.
That made Riven’s mouth twitch again.
Tiny.
Brief.
But real.
Michael left seconds later, practically sprinting toward the mines.
And suddenly—
It was quiet.
Just me and Riven again.
The atmosphere shifted immediately.
Heavy.
Sharp.
Dangerous.
Riven leaned back slightly in his chair, studying me with those cold blue eyes.
“Good work, Amara.”
My heartbeat stumbled.
The way he said my name should honestly be illegal.
I tilted my head slightly. “That almost sounded like you’re pleased I’m here.”
A pause.
Then:
“You’re saving Oak Pack a considerable amount of money.”
I grinned slowly. “Ah. So now you like the idea of me.”
His eyes narrowed slightly.
“I never questioned your intelligence.”
“No,” I agreed lightly. “You only looked disappointed the second you realized I wasn’t an old man.”
A muscle ticked in his jaw.
For one second, something darker moved across his expression.
Not anger.
Something tighter.
More controlled.
“I misjudged the situation,” he admitted finally.
Victory sparked warmly through me.
Until his gaze lowered briefly.
Toward my mouth.
And suddenly the heat inside my body surged violently.
My breath caught.
Riven stilled instantly.
I saw it happen.
Saw the exact moment he noticed my reaction.
His entire body went rigid.
The temperature in the room seemed to change all at once.
Then his expression closed completely.
Cold again.
Controlled again.
“Don’t disappoint me, Doctor Vale.”
The sudden distance in his voice felt almost like punishment.
Confusion twisted sharply through me.
What had just happened?
Before I could figure it out, he stood from the desk entirely.
Dismissal.
Again.
I left his office frustrated, overheated, and somehow even more aware of him than before.
Which was exactly why I ended up near the training grounds an hour later.
Exercise helped me think.
Usually.
The outdoor combat area buzzed with activity beneath the afternoon sun while wolves sparred across multiple training rings. The scent of sweat, dirt, and adrenaline filled the air.
Guinevere spotted me immediately.
“Well,” she called, tossing me a practice blade, “you look stressed.”
I caught it automatically.
“Is it that obvious?”
“A little.”
I exhaled slowly. “Physical exhaustion helps clear my head.”
Guinevere smirked knowingly. “Same.”
We started sparring minutes later.
And honestly?
It helped.
Movement grounded me the same way research did.
The sharp clash of practice weapons, fast footwork, controlled strikes—
It forced my brain to focus on something besides Riven Oak.
Guinevere was good, too.
Fast.
Aggressive.
Efficient.
“You’re holding back,” she accused while circling me.
“I’m being polite.”
She grinned. “That’s adorable.”
I laughed softly for the first time all day.
Then pivoted quickly, knocking her backward with enough force to make her stumble.
“There she is,” Guinevere said proudly.
We reset our positions again, circling each other slowly across the training mat.
Guinevere twirled the practice blade once before narrowing her eyes at me. “Okay. Serious question.”
“That sounds dangerous already.”