Bought by the Beast King (Katerina and hunter) novel Chapter 18

Chapter 18

KAT

“You have to clean all the toilets today.”

My mouth dropped open. I turned from the restroom doors to face Edward, who couldn’t even meet my gaze. This was the same Edward who’d said I’d smash it here after I qualified. How could he stand there and tell me that shit? His cheeks flushed as if he was embarrassed for me.

“I’m sorry,” he muttered. “We have cleaners. I don’t know why they’re making you-”

I cut him off with a look. He wasn’t the problem, Mr Watson was. An alpha who could sniff out my lies before I even opened my mouth. My suppressants would help, but I hadn’t had a real conversation with a wolf since leaving the palace.

Still, Mr Watson had been eager to hire me. He’d made many promises, claiming he valued the hours I’d put in as an intern at the small office in Stockport.

“Can I see Mr Watson?” I asked through gritted teeth.

“He… He’s out of the office today,” Edward said.

That hesitation told me everything. He was bullshitting me. Mr Watson didn’t want to see me.

My mind immediately raced to the fear that had kept me awake last night, and my stomach knotted. Did someone know? Was this my punishment before Father or Kostas came for me?

“Did you piss someone off?” Edward whispered.

Besides Melanie? She didn’t have the authority to do this to me. Was it someone above Mr Watson? Someone who didn’t like how I’d landed this job. That had to be it. If my identity had been exposed, I’d already be locked in Lordswood Castle.

“I’ve called the cleaners to still come in,” Edward said. “Find somewhere to go. Hurry. I’ll meet you in the cafeteria when I get a break.”

With that, he turned and walked back to the office. I was glad I hadn’t taken my anger out on him, because even after so long, I couldn’t clean to save my life. I would accept his olive branch.

It was still early; many people were still coming in for work. The elevator doors opened to a crowd of employees, and I slipped in quietly to the back, keeping my chin high. If Mr Watson was avoiding me, there wasn’t much I could do until he decided to face me.

“You’re the new paralegal?”

The voice was quiet but close, making me start. The man beside me was tall, built like a warrior, like Kostas. I couldn’t tell if he was a wolf. An elevator full of people, and such a large presence, yet I hadn’t even noticed him.

“Yes,” I said cautiously.

He didn’t speak again, but prickling at my nape told me his eyes stayed on me. My wolf was dormant, but my instincts had never failed me. How did this man know who I was? The Bureau was a large organisation; the legal department was only a small part of it. I’d never seen him before.

When the crowd spilt into the lobby, I slowed to catch another look, but he’d vanished. Not melted into the crowd, but vanished. Gone.

Maybe he was a ghost. It wouldn’t be the weirdest thing in the Bureau.

An hour later, Edward slid a fresh coffee across my cafeteria table.

“I swear, I don’t know what’s going on,” he said immediately, keeping his voice low. “Now, Mr Watson just asked that you tidy the file room, too.”

My fingers tightened around the cup. Were they trying to make me quit? I couldn’t afford to leave the Bureau. Outside of these walls, details of all their investigations remained classified. This was the only place I could watch for news about my family’s case and intervene if necessary. It was also the only place that anyone would think to look for me.

“I can’t help you with that one. Melanie already knows what I did,” he continued. “You’re going to have to figure this out.”

He was right. I couldn’t do another day like this. I pushed the coffee away and stood.

“I’ll see you later.”

Mr Watson’s corner office was the biggest on our floor, and probably had the best views, too. It was a pity the man inside couldn’t keep his word. I had admired him so much before.

I knocked once and stepped inside without waiting for an answer. Mr Watson would have already sensed me on the other side of the door.

“Sir, do you have a moment?”

“I’m busy, Miss Munroe,” Mr Watson said without raising his head from his paperwork.

“I signed a contract, sir.”

“Everyone signed a contract. You’re tied to the Bureau now until the term expires.”

My jaw locked. He was right. I’d skipped the probation period, too eager to sign a permanent work contract. I hadn’t even done my due diligence to read much into the fine print or the termination clauses because this was where I wanted to be. I’d screwed myself over.

Mr Watson flipped a file shut and moved his attention to his computer.

“Is there anything else?”

My anger started to boil over as I thought of Melanie and her friends.

“I didn’t sign up to be humiliated.”

“There is nothing humiliating about honest work. Or are you above it all?” he asked, finally lifting his head.

The negotiations for the job had been done through my old supervisor, so until my first day, I’d not met the legal director in person. But now, with his eyes glowing and his wolf so close to the surface, I understood why he was in charge of the whole department. Even with a dormant wolf, the pressure of his aura pressed down on my chest.

I looked away, swallowing my temper. Did he really just play me? Was this a test of sorts? If it were, could I take a gamble?

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