The Warrior King

Chapter 9

Nicola's POV

I stood there in shock as I watched Elliot leave the building, everything feeling wrong about him walking away.

"What was that?" Cameron asks as he turns to face me.

"I'm... I'm not sure..."

"You're not sure?" He asks and I can see him searching my face for some kind of answers.

"Alright." He says, not fully believing me. "Ready to train then?".

I nod to him and we begin our weekly session.

It was one of the worst workouts I've ever had. I couldn't focus and Cameron was obviously very frustrated with me, but all I could think about were those green eyes and the way he made it hard to breathe when he was near. Elliot, I repeat in my head over and over again.

It doesn't feel right to say it, yet everything about him feels right.

-Two Weeks Later-

I'm sitting around the table with the rest of the project team and we're quickly realizing there's no way to meet our deadline coming up for our first prototype.

"You're just going to have to ask the Beta for 10 more days." One of the engineers says from across the table.

I chew on my lip, dreading the fact that he's right and I'm going to have to ask the for a time extension. Our scientists are so close to finishing up the new material they've created for the armor but they still need another week to get it perfect and they've been working day and night.

"Alright, I'll talk to him".

We only discuss a few more things for how the fitting should be before everyone gets up and leaves the room. With everyone gone, I decide to mind link the Beta.

"Beta. "

"Yes?"

"I just got done with our team meeting and we're going to need more time for the first prototype. Just 10 more days."

I wait for a reply but a few mins later I still haven't received one. I'm starting to get nervous as I pace back and forth in the room and another 5 mins goes by before he mind links me back.

"No. You have two weeks."

I slump down in my chair and bury my face into my hands. This is going to be an impossibly long two weeks.

My team continues working around the clock, non-stop until the day comes for us to present our prototype. We don't have anything ready, all the parts still in the lab waiting to be sewn and riveted together, and all I have to show is a 3-D model of what the armor will look like as well as a sample of the material our scientists created. I'm extremely nervous about what is going to happen and to make matters worse, Freya keeps pacing back and forth in my head.

"Freya can you please calm down, I'm already freaking out!" I say to my wolf.

"I can't, something is about to happen I can just feel it."

Yeah, something is about to happen. I'm about to lose this job.

My hands start to shake as I grab the handle and slowly open the door to the room I'm presenting in. Here goes nothing.

Zander's POV

Today is the day we get to see the first model for our new armor and I'm anxious to see where we're at with it. Liam also seems on edge about today but I can't figure out why. I sit in the room between my beta and gamma and wait for what Kane calls our 'weapon's specialist' to come into the room. Whoever it is, he's 5 mins late and it's starting to piss me off.

I hear footsteps approach the door and Liam waits attentively as the person on the other side gets closer. There's a pause before the strong smell of fear and flowers hits me from behind the door and as it slowly opens, all the air leaves my lungs. The weapon's specialist is no 'he', in fact, it's her. I look over to Kane who is giving me a knowing grin before my head snaps forward to the beautiful woman walking in the room. Both Liam and I are on high alert as we look towards the doorway for the cause of our mate's fear, ready to protect her.

She notices me in the room and our eyes lock briefly before she turns to my beta and starts to acknowledge us all.

"Hello Beta" she then turns to Rivers "Gamma." Then me "Uh, Elliot." She says, not exactly sure how to address me or what my role is here, but surely she must know by now.

"Elliot." Kane snickers to me in the mind link.

"Shut the fuck up" I growl back.

She goes on and continues talking about her project, but to be honest, I have no clue what she even said. All I can focus on is her lips and the way her body moves across the room as she talks with passion. I'm soon ripped away from my trance by my gamma's yelling and I nearly jump.

"What the hell do you mean you need 10 more days?!" Rivers says to her, each word getting louder and louder.

"Well 10 is the maximum, maybe 7 more days before -"

"Seven days?!" Rivers continues "Do you not know how important this is? You are standing up here with NOTHING to show us and have the audacity to ask for more time?" He spits out, angered that the project isn't on schedule when we know we might be facing a war soon.

Before I can even process what I'm doing, I have Rivers pinned against the wall with my hand around his throat. He stares at me with alarm in his eyes as I slowly speak.

"If you ever raise your voice at her again, it will be the last words you ever say." I growl and let go as he falls to the ground.

I turn around to see Kane trying to stifle a laugh while Rivers lays on the floor gasping for air. Then I glance to Nicola, who is wide eyed and open mouthed, not believing what just happened. I'm not sure I believe it myself.

"Smooth." I say to my wolf who puffs his chest out, obviously not catching on to the sarcasm.

"Continue." I say to her before I walk back to my seat and sit down.

The room stays silent for about 30 seconds before she finally starts again.

"I just need a week..." she says in almost a whisper.

She looked so scared and it makes me angry. Doesn't she know I would protect her at all costs?

"You can have 10 days." I keep my voice light, trying to reassure her that all is fine.

She looks around the room and then back at me, clearly unsure of who I am but starting to catch on.

"Elliot...?"

My heart hurts hearing her say that name and my voice is pained as I respond to her.

"Yes?"

"Thank you."

I nod and get up to leave as I link Rivers and Kane.

"Let's go."

Once we get back to my office Kane bursts into a fit of laughter.

"Oh man you have it so bad! Wait till Sarah hears about this!" Kane says grinning at me with my arms folded as I sit in my chair. Sarah is Kane's mate and she's really one of the sweetest people I know.

"You won't tell her anything." I say as I glare at him, but I already know he's going to tell her about Nicola. He probably already has.

"Am I missing something here?" Rivers chimes in, agitated with what just happened.

"Oh yeah. That girl you yelled out? Zander's mate."

"And no one thought to inform me?! He practically killed me!" Rivers points over in my direction.

"Don't worry Rivers, if I wanted you dead, you would be." I smirk but he doesn't even crack a smile.

"Come on man lets head out. I think Zander needs time to think." Kane says as he slaps Rivers on the back.

I let my head fall into my hands as both men leave the room, wondering what I've gotten myself into.