CEO's Runaway Mate and Her Cubs

Lara arrived at the residence in time for lunch.

Melanie had a couple of employees helping her with the house. They would also cook, most often. Yet, when Nate or the pups were there, she wanted to be the one to prepare the meals.

«It's no fun to cook when no one is going to eat,» she told Lara when the woman entered the kitchen. «That's why I'm doing it now. Since you are around, someone will try my attempts.»

«Your dishes are simply delicious, Melanie. Don't call them attempts. But I do understand what you mean by that... I don't feel tired when I cook for the twins. When it's for me only, I'm not in the mood either.»

«Oh, the pups need to eat a lot, don't they?»

«I feel like their appetites have increased recently. But they are oddly trying to hide it.»

«They can be so kind to you, right? Kids can feel things even when they don't understand them. Nate told me a few things about you... I hope you don't mind, but I was curious. I wanted to hear how you and the twins lived before meeting him again.»

«It's fine, Melanie. You can ask me as well.»

«Well, my son told me you managed to survive by doing odd jobs. It must have been tough. Especially since pups don't really like anything but meat. Oh, yours are so disciplined! They eat salad and vegetables. But it's against their primal instinct.»

«It was difficult at first, but I soon realised they were like wild animals. Once accepted, it wasn't too difficult to guess what they could eat.»

«For a human, it must have been a shock.»

«At first, it was. Oh... I wanted to bring them to a doctor, but then their teeth and nails became sharper. I decided not to after seeing their eyes glowing in the dark. At that moment, I knew they weren't just ill.»

«It must have frightened you.»

«A little,» she admitted.

In the beginning, she had even considered her kids were haunted by demons. But then, they were just as sweet as always. Their characters hadn't changed.

«And now? Are you frightened now?»

«Now I know a lot more, Melanie. And, even if I won't be able to keep things under control, I won't feel frightened by my own children.»

«You're a brave young woman.»

«I'm not. It's how things were supposed to be...»

If she was brave, she wouldn't have fled from the bed she had shared with Nate. They would have been a happy family by then, and her cubs would have had a pack. She would be a married woman, most likely.

And she might even have finished college.

«You have all the rights to be scared, or even just worried,» Melanie said, heartening the other woman.

His son had chosen her as a mate, but he was too easily distracted by the details to ask her about her feelings. Lara had been pushed into a new world, and no one had stopped to ask her how she felt about it.

Nate had been considerate towards her, especially when it regarded her emotions towards him. Yet, he couldn't understand how she was entering a new world.

He had been born in a pack, and he had never stayed a single day without it. He could not understand the heart of a single woman with twins.

«A pack is not just a family,» Melanie said. «It's more than that. It's like... Uhm, a clan? That's the most similar word you humans have. We protect each other, and we live together to some degree... I mean, other packs do physically live in the same area. They build villages or residences with many houses and move there. In Mayford, they do that. We, in Norwich, don't.»

«Oh, yes...» Lara winced. «Nate, Samantha, and the others... They all live separately. Even you, Melanie. You are so far from the company!»

«The pack spends a lot of hours a day together. The company has many facilities for relaxing, so not everyone goes home soon after their working hours. You will learn about it, don't worry. Still, it's a choice of the pack. Everyone can decide whether to stay there or have a few moments alone in their house. It's very important, especially for those like Samantha.»

«And for Nate,» Lara pointed out.

«Yes. Nate is an Alpha. He can't blend in with the other wolves just yet. He first needs to become more approachable, and the easiest way is with a mate.»

«I don't understand,» Lara chuckled. «How are the two things related?»

«A single Alpha attracts the females and is difficult to bear for the males. Only after finding a mate does he becomes... ordinary? Easygoing? It's not clear whether the change happens in the Alpha's personality or the pack, but things change. It's normal, and it's already happening.»

«You mean... Has Nate changed?» Lara muttered, confused.

«The pack finds it easier to stand next to him. They don't shiver anymore, thanks to you.»

«I haven't done anything, though. Nate and I barely went on... two dates? We're not as close as to... change... ehm, I don't even know what you're saying happened. I barely talk with anyone else apart from Nate in the company.»

«Maybe it's time you start,» Melanie said. «Roxy deserves a vacation, doesn't she?»

«Roxy?»

«She's the HR Manager.»

«Roxy? Isn't that... Bass Cooper? The manager?»

«He's there just because he's handsome,» Melanie explained, rolling her eyes. «Roxy is the one doing the real job. However, her conditions included choosing her husband as the manager. He is paid as a normal guard, however. It's even too much for the work he does...»

«Bass Cooper was chosen because of his wife?» Lara chuckled. Somehow, she wasn't surprised. Nate had warned her that it was impossible to keep private life and work separately.

«But Roxy is tired. And it could be time for you to start understanding a little about it.»

«Oh?» Lara muttered. «And what exactly am I supposed to do? Nate didn't explain it.»

«That's because he doesn't know a thing, either.»