It was dark and silent, so much that Lara was sure no one could hear her. She knocked on the door a couple of times, calling for help and waiting for a reply, but nothing.

The door had closed, and she couldn't open it just by pushing.

She leaned her back on the door and slipped down on the floor. She kept her head on the wood in the hope to hear if anyone passed by.

She waited, but no one seemed to be there.

She couldn't hear her cubs discussing how long they should wait before going to save her.

?I think it's enough,? Jaden said, feeling his mommy's scent through the hallway. She didn't feel good, and he wanted to save her immediately.

Why wait?

?Just a minute more,? Scarlet tried, even though she had no idea how long a minute could be. She was suffering just like Jaden, but the plan had priority. ?Every moment she is in there will make mommy more willing to leave and stay away from Nate,? she said. ?It's for our future.?

?But mommy...? Jaden tried.

He agreed with Scarlet when they conceived the plan, but then he started feeling Lara's uneasiness. How could they hurt their mommy, even if for a greater purpose?

?We are bad cubs,? he realised, bowing his head.

Scarlet shrugged. It was a matter of priorities: Nate was too close to her mommy, so it was time to push him away for good. She would miss the way Nate spoiled her, but her mommy was more important.

They stood there, considering when the right moment would be. Lara's scent changed again as she had calmed down. Her breathing was regular and calm, and the smell of fear wasn't anywhere. She wasn't stressed anymore, so opening the door at that moment wouldn't have brought them any advantage.

Just like that, half an hour passed.

Before the twins could make any decision, a tall figure approached the door. Nate had appeared out of nowhere, his hand reaching the handle before the pups could do anything. In fear, they hid behind the corner.

Something in the way Nate looked that day suggested they'd better not get involved any longer. Their mommy was safe, unfortunately, and they most likely would end up in trouble if they were discovered.

Still, they didn't run away yet. They wanted to see...

When Nate opened the door, Lara fell on the floor like a sack of potatoes. She ouched, waking up from her dreams and opening her eyes wide.

?What?? she exclaimed, realising she had fallen asleep in the middle of a weird situation.

Who could sleep in a dark room, locked and alone?

Nate bent down and helped her sit. He checked her face in search of any trace of discomfort. He sniffed her scent and touched her hands, too warm to have stayed in that room for a long time.

Yet, he was sure she was distressed. He had sensed it, minutes before: Lara had felt in danger.

?How are you?? he inquired, dragging her in a hug. He picked her up and moved a step, still too focused on her to think about anything else.

?Oh, Nate, I think you just saved my life,? Lara chuckled, still half-asleep. She hugged his neck and leaned her head on his shoulder. ?Thank you!?

?Are you all right?? he repeated, on alert.

?Yes, I'm fine. The door slammed behind me, and I was locked in. Nothing grave... I guess it happens a lot with that door: you should change it, Nate.?

?You are right,? he decided. ?But what were you doing there??

?I needed to get... Ehm, I forgot to bring the paper for the copies. I should go back in a moment...?

She tried to get free from his arms, but she failed and had to give up.

?There are no paper sheets in there, Lara. And you can ask one of the girls to bring you...?

?Oh, no. I can't ask another secretary to go in my stead. I am not the boss here, Nate. It would be a little too much from my side.?

?Regardless, who told you to come here??

?Secretary Jack said the papers are stored in the fifth room on the third floor.?

?It's the fifth door on the left, Lara, not on the right. It's on the elevators' side, on the employee's elevator.?

?Employees'? I didn't know one of the elevators was exclusively for clients, sorry.?

?You don't need to know it. It's for my personal use. As an Alpha, it's not always good to be among the others. I use my personal elevator, and most of the pack uses the employees'. Except for Samantha and sometimes Bass, but they aren't influenced by the pack hierarchies.?historical

?So, I used the wrong one,? she realised. ?I didn't know... That's why people would always stare. There are so many things I don't know, Nate. You should tell me even something trivial!?

?It's not important. You should continue using my elevator, though.?

?What in the world??

?Secretary Jack told you to come here,? Nate returned the focus to the problem. ?How did it happen??

He doubted Jack would make up such a sloppy plan. For what, by the way?

?No, he just told me where the paper was. Then, I came here to grab some. It's over in the copy machine in front of your office.?

?Is it over? For real??

He stepped towards the elevator, still holding the woman in his arms. His head turned to the corner behind which the pups were hiding, and his eyes turned dark.

?Come out, you two. I have something to ask you...?

Lara winced, following his stern gaze to the corner. The twins appeared, their heads bowed and their ears drooping. Both of them had revealed their ears, a sign that they knew they were in trouble.

It could work on Lara, but Nate didn't find wolf ears as adorable as others.

?What have you done?? he asked.. His glacial tone made all three of the people in the hallway shiver.