Chapter 10

Aria

Darren’s arm tightened around my waist. His body felt like a warm rock up against me, soothing and sturdy. Without even really meaning to, I leaned into his side.

I was glad he had come—glad that this hadn’t gone somewhere much, much darker.

But the things he was saying now…

Baby. Boyfriend.

Surely, he was only doing it to get Jackson to leave me alone, and yet… A small part of me couldn’t help but hope that those words were coming from somewhere deeper within him.

Jackson sputtered, swaying from the alcohol. His eyes, those soft brown eyes that I’d once thought I was in love with, seemed to turn black as coal as he looked at me.

“You really are a little slut, aren’t you?”

I felt my heart stop in my chest, hot tears instantly pricking at the corners of my eyes. “I…. I’m not…” I hated the way my voice sounded so small, so vulnerable. Jackson had hit a nerve, and he knew it.

But Darren, cool as ever, simply tugged me tighter against his side. I could have sworn I even heard a low growl rumble in his chest, but I knew it was really Lucas making that sound.

“Watch yourself,” Darren warned. “You shouldn’t speak to a lady like that.”

Jackson merely scoffed and turned to Darren. “And who even are you?”

“That’s none of your concern.”

Rolling his eyes, Jackson gestured at his torn pant leg. “Your fucking dog bit me.”

Lucas snarled viciously, as if warning Jackson that he might do it again if he didn’t shut the hell up. But Darren just smirked, those full lips of his turning up at the corners. I’d never seen him smile before.

“You seem fine. And besides, your pants just reflect what you really are now: a bum.”

Jackson’s eyes flashed as they flicked up and down Darren’s body. Darren still wore his work attire—a tailored Armani suit with a Rolex on his wrist. “Maybe I should demand payment to replace them, high roller,” he hissed.

“Sure.” Darren reached into his pocket, still holding me with his other arm, and pulled out his wallet. He pulled out a rather sizable wad of cash and chucked it at Jackson.

The bills fluttered to the floor—several hundred dollars, at least—and he quipped, “There’s the money for your clothes and then some. Since you’re so bothered by the little hole in your pants, maybe you should take them off and run home naked.”

I had to clamp my hand over my mouth to keep myself from bursting out laughing.

Meanwhile, Jackson’s face went red as a beet, mouth working uselessly.

Finally, unable to come up with anything else to say, he managed all of one word: “Asshole.”

And with that, he was gone. But not before grabbing the cash.

Only once he was gone did Darren release his grip on me. I watched, suddenly feeling cold without him pressed against me, as he walked over to the door and locked it tightly. Lucas nuzzled my hand affectionately, whining softly.

My knees felt like they might give out. Without a second thought, I dropped to a crouch and wrapped my arms around Lucas. His fur enveloped me as he nuzzled my neck. Such a smart dog—sensing danger like that.

Darren turned to look at us, mismatched eyes flickering briefly with surprise, before he said, “I don’t know if you should stay here tonight. By yourself.” The tips of his ears reddened somewhat and he quickly looked away as if immediately regretting his words.

I found my strength and rose, shaking my head. “I’ll be fine.” I bit my lip. “How did you know I needed help? I didn’t see you out there.”

“I heard you. From around the corner.”

My eyebrows shot up at that. Had we really been that loud…? “Well, thank you for that. For coming to help, even though you didn’t need to. And… for saying those things to make him go away.”

Darren was silent for a moment, then merely nodded.

Gesturing for him to follow, I led him over to my living room so he could sit. He looked around for a moment, nose wrinkling slightly at the tiny apartment, but then sat in the armchair across from the sofa. I sat as well, stroking Lucas’s furry head as he rested it on my lap.

“Wine?” I asked, suddenly needing a drink after that ordeal. Darren shook his head. I shrugged and refilled my glass.

“So,” I said after a good, long sip, “I know you didn’t just come here tonight to be my hero. What did you need?”

Darren nodded toward the dog. “I have to go away on business for a few days this weekend. Can you watch Lucas?”

“Of course.” I scratched Lucas behind the ears, causing him to pant with excitement. “No problem.”

Nodding, Darren rose from his chair. “Thanks. Try not to take him out into the city too much. I’d rather if you stayed in the fore—I mean, the playroom as much as possible while I’m gone.”

I furrowed my brow, wondering if he was about to call the playroom the ‘forest’. I couldn’t blame him; it really did feel like a forest.

“No problem.” I rose as well and followed him to the door. “Anything else?”

Darren paused, his hand on the doorknob, then said quietly, “Try not to let the others get to you while I’m gone.”

I pursed my lips at the reminder of my lazy coworkers—and something else that had been on my mind all day.

“Can I ask you something?” I asked.

“Shoot.”

I took a deep breath. “How is it that everyone else is so lazy, and you never say anything or fire them…” I glanced down at Lucas, who was sitting beside me. “...And yet somehow I get the sense that I’d be fired at the first slip-up?”

The raven-haired CEO was silent for several long moments. A muscle ticked in his jaw, and his throat bobbed.

Finally, he turned fully to face me, and it was all I could do to hold that mismatched gaze.

“I know how it looks,” he said. “Like you’re being held to a higher standard than they are. But truthfully… I think you could be a catalyst for change around the company. So yes, I am holding you to a higher standard. But only to inspire the others.”

“Oh.” I looked away, feeling my heart skip somewhat for reasons unbeknownst to me. “I guess that makes sense.”

It hit me in that moment—how Darren was in a difficult situation himself. He was young, barely older than me from the looks of things, and Lunar Labs had been around for a century. No doubt he had only recently become CEO—or should I say, ‘Alpha’—and had his work cut out for him when it came to invigorating the company.

Suddenly, I asked, “Is there a promotion system in the company?”

Darren blinked in response, as if not expecting my question. “Not… really,” he replied.

Now, I was the one who was shocked. “You do realize that promotions are necessary for employees to feel motivated, right?” How can a company even run without a promotion system?

Darren ran his hand across the back of his neck. “It’s, uh…” I wasn’t sure if I had ever seen the CEO look flustered until that moment. “It’s complicated. The company runs on contracts that are fixed upon signing. My… forebears believed that people would be motivated by the… stability of knowing that their jobs would remain consistent.”

I had a lot of problems with that—I mean, it made absolutely no sense—but for now, I kept it to myself.

“Well, you should at least implement some kind of reward system, otherwise everyone will remain just as lazy as they are now,” I replied.

To my surprise, Darren actually seemed to consider my suggestion. “I’ll think about it,” he said with a curt nod before turning to leave. He pulled the door open, letting in the cold February air once more, and stepped onto the stoop. Lucas followed obediently, although not without giving my palm one last lick before he went.

Darren stopped on the steps. He didn’t turn as he muttered, “I’ve been looking forward to someone like you for a long time, Aria.”