Bound

Where Enterprises

ALEXI POV

"No more reparations" Claire stated, arms crossed and feet planted in the doorway of my office. I had just finished a frustrating call with the trade minister of agricultural development, a stubborn bat that was promising the world and delivering flowery excuses. It was a testament to the obstinate creature that I hadn't sensed Claire's approach. The gentle waft of air conditioning carried the trace of her unique scent across the space, and I had to resist the impulse to follow the enchanting waft of a cool sea breeze dancing through wild rose bushes straight into her arms.

Her arms were tightly folded in a hostile manner, shrouded in a silky white button up shirt. Not exactly inviting, so I continued to resist. Sinking nails into clenched fist in a ball of pent up frustration that would leave little half moons behind.

As it turned out, sealing the bond did not banish her from my attention. She still traversed the hallways of my mind, hiding behind unexpected corners and sprawling across spreadsheets. I half expected the apparition in my doorway to flounce off or fly away in a fit of pique.

But she stayed quite real, white strands of hair escaping a tight bun and curling around her ears.

The fabric pooled over her shoulders and flowed over the dips and curves of her upper body. Tucking itself neatly into a tight black pencil skirt that covered just as much as it revealed. The thud of her heart rate picked up as my hungry gaze pursued every inch available, starved for the sight of her in a setting where I didn't have to be content with mere glances from across the room.

Claire's eyes wandered around my office. A neat bookshelf adorned with original copies of ancient were texts spanned one entire wall. Something there caught the corner of her lips and lifted it into a wry smile.

Two of the other walls were floor to ceiling windows, observing the rise and fall of the cityscape to one side, and the rolling carpet of forest to the other. Claire squinted into the middle distance of sunburnt forest, a melancholy flash breaking through the wall dividing our link.

She pointedly refused to meet my eyes as they trailed up the bare skin of her statuesque neck to study her face. A severe expression set into determined lines, indicating that she was prepared for political warfare. The rich, dark striated wood of my desk was polished to such a sheen that I could see a matching set of harsh lines cut into my own face.

"I beg your pardon?" I answered her statement eventually, when the tension became thick enough to cut with a knife.

"As penance for keeping me in the dark about the nature of your relationship with Sandra and her mate. The White Wolf Pack is not to be held entirely accountable for the bloodshed between the packs." She answered, clarifying her previous statement.

"She started it!" I blurted, wincing at how unprofessional and juvenile it sounded to even my ears.

Claire finally stepped into my domain, closing the door behind her and sealing the space. The faint pressure that came from being enclosed in a soundproof room wrapped around me. Usually I left the door at least slightly cracked to negate the soft, slightly uncomfortable sensation. But it was probably a good idea given the rising tensions in the room.

High heels clicked their way menacingly over the floorboards, muffling when they reached the carpet surrounding my desk, and stopped. Claire's hands came down on the hard wood with faint thunks, and she leaned over the wide expanse to bring our faces closer together.

"And I'm ending it! They have suffered enough, and you should face some consequence for your actions." The rise and fall of her chest was driving me to distraction, and I raised my eyes to be caught in the piercing blue of an icy winter sky.