Theon Aldrith didn't pace unless something really big bothered him.
It was not something he did, not something anyone who worked closely with him had ever seen or seen often. He was a man who had control of his every movement, someone who rarely allowed anything to disrupt the functioning in his life that defined who he was.
And yet, at that moment, he was pacing, heart and mind racing.
The length of his office felt shorter than usual, the polished floor reflecting the turns he made each time he reached one end and pivoted back. His mind refused to settle, thoughts colliding in a way that made sitting still impossible.
The door opened behind him, but he didn't stop.
Idris stepped in first, Nathan following closely behind, both men pausing just inside the office as they took in the sight before them. Nathan shut the door carefully as confusion flickered across their faces almost immediately. This was not something they were used to seeing.
Theon continued pacing.
Idris exchanged a brief glance with Nathan before clearing his throat slightly, stepping forward. "Theon, I'm really sorry for what happened in there," Idris began quickly, his tone respectful but edged with urgency. "I'll take care of Ms. Freeman. She stepped out of line, and I'll make sure she understands her place–"
"What's her first name?"
The question cut through Idris's words while Theon finally paused.
He turned to face them both, his expression unreadable, but there was something in his eyes that made Idris pause mid-thought.
"My–" Idris blinked, momentarily thrown. "Her first name?"
Theon didn't repeat himself. He stared at his beta instead.
Idris straightened slightly. "Ah… Azaria," he said, clearing his throat. "Her name is Azaria Freeman."
He drew in a breath, preparing to continue. "As I was saying, I will handle the situation. Her behavior was unacceptable, and–"
"She's my mate."
The words landed with a weight that seemed to alter the very air in the room.
Idris froze.
Nathan froze.
For a split second, neither of them reacted, as if their minds needed time to process what had just been said. Then Nathan's grip on his tablet faltered completely. It slipped from his hands. The device hit the floor with a crack that echoed loudly in the otherwise silent office.
No one moved to pick it up.
Idris stared at Theon, his expression shifting from confusion to disbelief to something far more serious as the meaning of those words settled in. It didn't take long for the realization to fully hit him.
His mate.
Azaria Freeman was…
His stomach dropped.
He had just stood there and spoken about her like she was nothing more than an employee who needed to be put in her place. Worse, he had been ready to head over and correct her, to discipline her, to make her understand her "position."
And she had stood there, furious and justified, completely unaware of what she was to the man at the head of the company.
Idris inhaled slowly, the weight of the situation pressing heavily against his chest.
His future Luna.
He had treated his future Luna unfairly.
And her first impression of him–
It was terrible.
The realization hit hard, but he wasn't the only one.
Nathan found his voice first, though it came out quieter than usual, almost disbelieving. "She's… human."
The word hung in the air.
Idris turned slightly toward him, and it was clear from the look on his face that the same thought had just struck him as well. The shock of it only deepened the already overwhelming situation.
Human.
Theon's mate was human.
That alone was enough to complicate everything.
The room fell into a heavy silence for a moment, the weight of everything settling over them. Then Theon moved again, his attention shifting back to Idris enough focus that snapped the man out of his thoughts.
"Bring her to my office," Theon said. There was an undertone of desperation in his tone. "Please."
Idris nodded immediately, the urgency of the situation clear to him. "Of course," he said quickly. "Right away."
He turned and left without another word, already moving fast as the reality of what needed to be done pressed down on him. He had made a mistake, a significant one, and he had no idea how he was going to fix it.
Behind him, Nathan remained where he was, still staring at the spot where his tablet had fallen before finally bending to pick it up, though his mind was clearly elsewhere.
Theon didn't speak again.
***
On the lower floor, the atmosphere felt entirely different.
Azaria stepped out of the elevator, her movements showed how much anger she was still containing, her mind still burning with the aftermath of everything that had just happened. The anger, if anything, had settled deeper and intensified.
She had said what she needed to say.
And she had meant every word.
"Azaria!"
Rowan's voice was hushed, but loud enough for her to hear as he spotted her. He moved quickly toward her, clearly fighting the urge to demand answers outright, though the questions were written plainly across his face.
"What happened?" he asked as soon as he reached her, lowering his voice just enough to avoid drawing too much attention from the surrounding employees.
Azaria didn't slow.
"I quit," she said bluntly.
Rowan stopped mid-step.
"You… you what?" His voice shook, his eyes widening as he stared at her. He began walking after her again, waiting for her to say something.
Azaria didn't elaborate. She kept walking, heading straight toward the Director of Operations office. She opened the door and walked in.
Inside, Celeste stood near the desk, in the middle of moving a stack of files from one side to the other. She startled slightly at the sudden entrance, her head snapping up.
Azaria didn't acknowledge her.
Not beyond a brief glance that held absolutely no interest.
Her eyes moved over the room once before she walked in fully, heading straight for the desk. She picked up her bag and gathered a few files she had left there earlier, her movements were detached at this point, as though the space no longer held any significance to her.
Celeste watched her, clearly unsure of what to say, the earlier enthusiasm gone in the face of Azaria's cold indifference.
Azaria didn't give her the chance to speak. She turned and walked out just as quickly as she had entered. Rowan was right behind her.
"I thought you were just going to give them a piece of your mind," he said, still trying to process what she had told him. "Not quit."
She didn't look at him as she answered. "I'm not going to keep working somewhere my hard work isn't appreciated."
She reached her original office and stepped inside, moving straight to her desk as she began gathering the things she needed. Files, personal items, anything that belonged to her, she packed them quickly, her earlier anger now channeled into getting the hell out of that building.
Rowan leaned against the doorway, watching her.
"I'm going to miss you being here," he said after a moment, his voice softer now.
Azaria paused.
For just a second.
Then she walked over to him, closing the small distance between them before wrapping her arms around him in a quick, tight hug. It was brief but genuine, a silent acknowledgment of everything they had been through together.
She pulled back just as quickly and pressed a light kiss to his cheek.
"Take care of yourself," she said. "We'll still hang out every weekend."
Rowan huffed out a breath, clearly trying to keep his emotions in check. "You too."
She picked up her things again, and together they headed toward the elevators.
The walk was quiet. It felt strange that she wouldn't be coming back to work here. She had given this place her whole life just to be treated like muck under their shoes.
The elevator doors slid open with a soft chime.
Azaria stepped inside and faced Rowan with a small smile, but her smile flattered when she looked over Rowan's shoulder and saw someone.
It was Idris.
He was rushing toward them, his usual composed demeanor completely gone, urgency written across every part of him as he moved quickly down the hallway.
Azaria didn't react.
She turned back to Rowan instead. "Goodbye. I'll see you soon."
The doors began to close.
Rowan barely had time to respond before they shut completely, cutting him off from her as the elevator began its descent.
Idris reached the spot just as the doors sealed. He almost ran into them.
Stopping abruptly, he exhaled sharply before turning to Rowan, his expression tense. "Where is she headed?"
Rowan blinked, clearly caught off guard, not just by the question, but by the fact that the Chief Operating Officer was standing in front of him looking… panicked.
"I–uh–" He swallowed. "S‐ she's heading to the car park."
Idris didn't waste another second.
He turned and pressed the button for another elevator, stepping inside the moment it arrived. As the doors closed, he exhaled, running a hand through his short hair.
The wait felt unbearable.
Too slow as it stopped a few times to get other people.
Every second that passed only made the situation worse in his mind. He should have taken the private elevator reserved for himself and the CEO, but the thought hadn't even crossed his mind in the urgency of the moment.
By the time the elevator finally reached the parking level, his patience had completely worn thin.
The doors opened.
He stepped out quickly, just in time to see a car speeding toward the exit. Azaria was seated in the driver's seat.
He moved instinctively, stepping back as the vehicle passed dangerously close to him, the rush of air sharp against his clothes. For a brief second, it felt like she might actually hit him, but she didn't. Not that he didn't deserve it. The car sped past and disappeared out of the parking area.
Idris stood there, his heart pounding, his breath uneven as he stared at the empty space where the car had just been, then where it had just driven off to.
Slowly, he ran a hand through his hair again, the reality of everything settling heavily on his shoulders.
He had definitely messed up.
"Shit."