Chapter 5 : New Beginnings

*Lila’s POV*

I took Mia out to Sunday brunch after my article was published. Mr. Gilbert gave me a bonus for managing to get both an exclusive interview and the photos to go along with it.

The paperwork for my new contract and salary was being drawn up as we spoke, and guaranteed to me, so I could afford to splurge on a nice meal with my friend. It felt like I hadn’t been out in forever. Truthfully, I was too worried about making ends meet and not losing my apartment from the debt. But that was about to be in the past, I couldn’t be more thankful.

“You really didn’t have to take me out,” Mia smiled as she put a forkful of food into her mouth.

“Are you kidding?” I exclaimed. “You stuck with my broke ass through the get together, break up, and looming debt, and even offered to help despite your own situation. If I was going to take anyone out for a well-deserved brunch, it’d be you. We deserve this… also, I know you like bottomless mimosas, so my treat.”

“The bottomless is included in the brunch,” Mia snorted and I smirked.

“Perfect for you then, right?”

“Ha! Honestly though, I’m just glad things are finally working out for you. I know it was rough for you after ‘Mr. Thompson’ pulled that shit, but you really bounced back all the better for it.”

“So, tell me about it,” Mia continued. “Not just everyone gets an interview with the Rafe Silvius. What was he like?”

She poured herself another glass of mimosa and while I only had one glass in me, I blamed my red face entirely on the alcohol as I started my tale.

I was so caught up in all my work that I had barely told her anything about what happened. I don’t think I was a very good friend if Mia got all the details of the story from the paper instead of from me.

“—and he made Max run away with his tail between his legs! It was amazing Mia, and completely deserved, but still. I suppose there’s perks to having enough money to buy a country.”

“He sounds a lot nicer than the media portrays him,” Mia noted, taking a sip of her drink.

“He is,” I assured her. “I think most of his persona is just to keep people out of his business and from trying to overtake it all, you know?”

“I get that. But Lila, he was really sweet with YOU though,” Mia continued, looking at me pointedly.

“Yeees?” I trailed out. “What are you trying to get at?”

“Oh, come on Lila. A very handsome, rich man, totally embarrassed your shitty ex and took you on a fancy tour and made you feel special. I might be very gay, but that would have even made me swoon.”

“Ehem! Yes, well, you’ve always liked romance stories though. Big bad wolf all soft and cuddly for the girl and all that fantasy jazz,” I joked.

“So, you think Rafe is soft and cuddly?” she asked teasingly. I told myself it was just the alcohol making me so flustered as I took another sip of my mimosa. “Lila, it’s okay if you think he’s handsome. Heck, most of the world thinks he’s handsome; that's why he’s on the cover of so many magazines.”

“I am trying to be professional,” I argued weakly.

“You can like someone and stay professional.”

“Every office romance story you’ve recommended to me has very pointedly shown me you can’t,” I deadpanned, making Mia laugh at me.

“Well, that’s a story. This is life.”

“Yes,” I noted. “And since this is life, there’s little to no chance I’d catch a fish that big. I mean, yes, Max was like a pond smelt or something and Rafe’s probably something like a big ass tuna—and I don’t remember where I was going with this, but I’m obviously bad at fishing and romance, so it’s not going to happen.”

“We can always dream though,” Mia smiled. “Like I’ll dream of my hot goth vampire girlfriend.”

“Ha! I’ll toast to that. To our fantastical love lives.”

“Cheers!”

We clinked our glasses together, continuing to gossip about different topics.

Mia’s words did make me think though. It couldn’t hurt to at least admit it. Rafe was a very attractive man who treated me kindly—and chased off Max. That earned him serious brownie points.

He was intelligent and charming, and it didn’t help that he had such pretty blue eyes that I could get lost in—as cliché as that was.

I liked him, like Mia said. There was no harm in that when most of the population seemed to favor him too. As long as I kept our relationship professional and friendly, then things would work out and I wouldn’t ruin whatever working relationship was.

Monday was coming and I had another interview lined up. The last thing I wanted to do was embarrass myself in front of him. Crush or not, Rafe was still the most powerful man in the world and I’d rather die than do than have to live through that. Besides, he was just being nice. I was not about becoming one of his statistics of ‘people fired for flirting’. No way in hell.

***

*Rafe’s POV*

“We’ve got another one,” Leo said, setting down a letter on my desk.

“Goddess above! Damnit! It’s like everyone either knows I’ve found my mate or chose this particular day to piss me off!” I snarled, almost tearing the new letter in half.

But no—I had to actually read it. Fucking pack politics.

On top of worrying about people knowing I had found my mate, it was something that I didn’t expect possible. For me at least. As it was, Leo was the only other person alive who currently knew that Lila was my mate.

And as much as the other packs only tolerated ours, they hated the others more. It was the unfortunate consequence of being the largest and most powerful pack in this country.

People looked to you for more international issues while also hating how your pack was practically everywhere. That—or they were sending marriage proposals since you were unmated.

That was unfortunately what I was dealing with. A stupid amount of marriage proposals that I was actually going to have to respond to, even if it was just a polite ‘no.’

Just because we were powerful, it didn’t mean we should go around pissing people off. Now, if only they would stop doing that to me.

“Who is it this time?” I asked, feeling stressed as I massaged my forehead. Somehow, pack problems were worse to deal with than human problems. At least businesspeople were predictable.

“It’s—shit. It’s the Bolstrode pack.”

“Shit indeed,” I said dryly and we shared a look.

The Bolstrode pack was the second most powerful pack in this country, and it was only recently that we were able to hold a tentative truce—but that was only because Zara Bolstrode, the current head of the Bolstrode pack, was trying to become my mate so our two packs could unite and have a large portion of control.

She was very… insistent and determined to make it happen. I couldn’t deny that it’d make us stronger, but we were already managing well enough on our own. What she was trying to do felt like a step towards world domination—and the kind that was in the wrong direction.

I had met her on a few occasions and she was certainly an intense woman. We could make it work, there were just two problems. The first was obvious and it wasn’t even because of Lila; I just didn’t have any feelings for Zara, we weren’t even friends.

No matter how beneficial our alliance would be, I wasn’t about to marry someone I couldn’t even get along with, let alone love. My pack was holding their own well enough and becoming mates with Zara wasn’t necessary, no matter what she believed.

The second was far simpler, I hated her.

There was no way we could get married because we’d be at each other’s throats trying to kill each other. It wasn’t some posturing Alpha bullshit either. Our beliefs and personalities just clashed to a degree that made us very aggressive towards each other.

While Zara seemed certain we’d learn to deal with it, I, on the other hand, didn’t even want to try. Nor did I have that much confidence in our abilities to restrain ourselves.

“How many does this one make? The seventh?” Leo asked worriedly. “This isn’t good, Rafe. She’s gonna start getting angry that you keep saying no. I’m worried about what she’s going to do when she decides to fuck the letters and try to force you to say ‘yes’.”

“I know.” My expression was grim as I opened her letter and read through it.

Worst case scenario? War. No getting around that. Two of the most powerful packs in the country clashing was nothing short of war.

It didn’t help that we were the two biggest either; things like that were hard to hide and it wasn’t exactly fun to have to deal with things getting written off as ‘gang wars and violent protests’ just so we wouldn’t be exposed.

“And Lila?” Leo cut in.

I looked up at him. “What about her?”

Truthfully, I was a bit confused. I didn’t understand why Leo was bringing her up now.

“Well, she’s human. Come on, Rafe. I know you like her but that’s—it’s dangerous, especially with the tension this high. Is it really a good idea to be trying to ‘woo her’?”

“How racist of you.”

“It’s a real fucking concern you ass!” he shouted, almost throwing one of the decorative vases in the room at my head. “She could get hurt–or worse!”

“I know.” I slumped in my seat.

Leo was right, even if I was giving him shit for bringing it up now. There was nothing wrong with Lila being human, but everything was wrong with the situation itself.

My position as the pack leader, the attention on me to have a mate… if anyone found out about her, they’d treat her like a weakness when she was anything but.

“Trust me, I know. But she’s my mate, even if she is human. I want to at least take that chance on her. Wouldn’t you if it was yours?”

My question made Leo go silent.

“You know I would. Hell, anyone would. But Rafe, you’re not just anyone. Lila seems nice, for a reporter, but still.”

“I know, but I won’t let anything happen to her. If she still wants to see me after I tell her what I am, then I’ll be overjoyed. But I’ll understand if she can’t deal with all… this.”

The marriage proposals sat on my desk as if mocking me, and I sighed.

“Right, okay, fine,” Leo continued. “We’re doing this then. So, when are you going to tell her you’re a shifter?”

“...I don’t know.”

I would tell her, at some point, just not now. Our relationship hadn’t even begun and I knew I wouldn't be able to make myself wait much longer by doing interviews and tours.

I wanted more. Lila was my mate and even if she was human, that meant something. The Goddess wouldn’t pair us together unless we were meant to be.

So, I’d make this work. But first thing’s first, I actually had to ask my mate out on a proper date.