Mia
I gasped as I jumped off the bed the next morning, cursing as I glanced at the alarm clock beside my bed.
Why hadn’t I heard it ring? I had slept off through my alarm and was going to pay for it pretty soon. I didn’t think I had ever been this late to work. I rushed to the bathroom, hoping to be done as fast as I could.
I was out in thirty minutes and flagged down a cab. On a normal morning, I would have walked to the office but that wasn’t going to work this time.
All eyes were on me as I walked into the office and I cringed, feeling a sense of deja Vu. That reminded me too much of when the boys and their father wouldn’t stop staring at me.
I wanted to tell them to stop staring at me. I ignored the looks just as I had done back at home and moved to my desk. I knew that they were staring at me only because I was late and that wouldn’t be for forever. That was only going to last for today as I didn’t intend to get late tomorrow.
I was glad that they didn’t have supernatural nostrils like those damned werewolves. They wouldn’t know of my secret, a secret I was ready to die to protect.
They wouldn’t know that I had slept with my brother and judge me. That soothed my mind in a way and gave me relief.
Sammy walked up to my desk before I even got settled down. “Good morning, Mia.”
“Morning, Sammy.” I replied, fighting the urge to roll my eyes. I knew that he wasn’t going to be able to keep his curiosity to himself.
“Seems like you had a lot of fun during the weekend.”
I snorted. If only he knew how shitty the past few days had been, he would ignore me and not be here so soon to drill my guts for answers.
“Not at all.”
“Why were you late? It’s unlike you.”
“I couldn’t sleep early. Maybe that was why I slept through the alarm.”
“Sorry about that.”
“Thank you.”
“I was expecting to see you at the party. Why didn’t you show up?”
I didn’t have a date since no one asked me out. That sounded lame so I shrugged and decided to play it cool. “I didn’t really plan to be there. It had been long since I went home so I went there.”
He nodded. “I understand. You have talked a lot about how your mum misses you when you stay away from home too much.”
“Yes, that was it.” I nodded.
“You wouldn’t even ask about the party?”
I sighed. Do I have to? He talked about it anyway even though I didn’t ask.
“It was fun. You missed a lot.”
Of course, I missed a lot. Just the conversation I was dying to have rubbed in my face on a crappy Monday morning.
Sammy kept on talking about the activities, food, drinks and all the fun that he had with his girlfriend.
“I really thought that you would come. I wanted to introduce my girlfriend to you.” He sulked.
“I would meet her another day.”
“Sure.” He nodded. “I’m thinking of having a hangout so you can meet her.”
I shook my head. I would pass on that. I didn’t want to sit there and be a third wheel, smiling and pretending to be fine while Sammy and his girlfriend cling to each other.
“Don’t push it, Sammy. I’m sure there would be a day to introduce her to me.” I said, more for my sake than for Sammy’s.
“Gerald said the same too when I told him that I would have loved it if you met her.”
“Good. Gerald met your girlfriend. His date to the party is beautiful.”
I sighed, wondering when I was going to be free from this torture. I was happy when Amanda walked up to me and said Sean would like to see me.
Thank goodness. I breathed with relief.
“Excuse me.” I said to Sammy and walked past him.
I held my breath as I knocked on Sean’s office and hoped he didn’t criticize me too much for coming late to work.
“What happened, Mia?” He said the moment I walked in.
I sighed. Of course, that was how Sean was. Going straight to the point without beating around the bush. He could at least have allowed some exchange of pleasantries even if he was busy and impatient to get to the chase.
“I’m sorry, sir. It won’t happen again.”
“I hope not.” He nodded. “You have never been this way.”
I nodded. “I know.” That had been what Sammy had told me.
“Are you sure you are fine?”
“Yes, sir.”
“You are free to talk to me if you have any problem.”
“Thanks for the offer, sir but I don’t have any problem.” He couldn’t solve the problems that I had.
“You can leave.”
I nodded and walked out of his office. A lot of people asked me if I was fine that day that I knew I was going to flip out and scream if I have to hear those words again.
I breathed out in relief when it was finally time to close. I was the first out of the company and ignored the looks my colleagues gave me.
That was unlike me but I didn’t care. I just couldn’t stay there anymore. It was a crazy day for me with everyone giving me side glances and asking why I got to work late and if I was fine.
I was going to snap if I had to tell any of my colleagues that I was fine.
I could barely concentrate with their distracting looks and also couldn’t stop thinking of Quinn and what Jack had said because of them.
I settled down on the rugged floor and spread my dinner before me. I was about to dig in when my phone rang.
I gasped in disbelief as I saw the caller ID. Albert? Why was he calling me?
“Hello,” I said, knowing I couldn’t keep him waiting. “Good evening, sir.”
“You left home so suddenly. Why? You didn’t even let us say goodbye.”
“I had to leave.”
“Because of Quinn?”
I gasped. He wasn’t even going to mince words. He chuckled at my reaction. “I know everything, Mia.”
“I’m ashamed of myself.” I cried. “I couldn’t bring myself to stay at home and pretend like I was fine.”
“Why did you do it? Quinn told me he didn’t force you. Is that true?”
I gulped, realizing at that moment that it wasn’t easy to tell the truth. “No, he didn’t.” I closed my eyes in shame as I said the words even though he couldn’t see me.
“I guess you like him.”
“No, it’s not like that.” I rushed out. “It was a mistake.”
“Too bad then, Mia. My son thinks you like him.”
I winced. Who was I kidding? Nobody would believe me that it had been a mistake. I didn’t even believe myself. I had opportunities to stop Quinn before we went deeper but I did nothing. I might as well admit to myself that I liked him.
“How do you feel?”
“Apart from being hungry, I’m fine.”
He chuckled. “That is not what I was asking though. Having dreams about Quinn?”
I gasped. How had he known that?
“I will take that as a response. Finding it hard to stop thinking of him?”
“Yes.” I confessed. “It’s frustrating.” There was no point in lying to him when he seemed to already know everything.
Maybe he had a cure for me so I could get back to my normal life.
He sighed. “I knew it. Those are the side effects of being marked. He shouldn’t have marked you when you didn’t know how you felt yet.”
“Is there a way to get the mark off?”
“I’m sorry, dear but when a wolf marks his mate, they are bonded for life or till one of them dies.”
Death? That was a scary thought. I held on to the phone as Albert was telling me about what it meant to be marked and how it would affect my life but I wasn’t listening.
I couldn’t stop thinking that my only choice asides getting mated to the boys was to die. I hated myself more than ever for what I had done that night.