Chapter 4 Bruce

Ever since that incident last summer at the Garrett Awards in New York, I had become far more vigilant. Whenever we were on the road, I only allowed myself a few hours of rest.

Just like every morning, I got up before sunrise to return to my boss' side. He had traveled to Ireland for the wedding of some friends and was staying at Dunvarne Castle. Whenever he was away from home, my past experiences taught me that anything could happen. Because of that, I made sure to stay alert at all times.

The other bodyguards who worked for their wealthy guests and I had all been given small rooms on the second floor. My room, of course, was in the same wing where my boss stayed. All I needed to do was go down the stairs, and I would find myself right in the hallway outside his room.

The moment I was about to step into the corridor, I saw Natasha slip quietly out of my boss' room. She wore nothing but his shirt, which she pulled tight around her body. She hurried toward her own room a little farther down the hall, passed by me without looking up, and quickly disappeared inside.

Once I was completely sure she would not come back out, I left my hiding spot and took a seat on the sofa along the wall, between the door to my boss' room and the next one, and started my shift.

While I sat there, I thought back to what had happened the night before.

The big boss had finally made his move.

I was not surprised at all when I saw him lead Natasha out of the main lounge last night, then carry her in his arms to her room while he kissed her with all the passion he had.

It was about time, if you asked me.

Natasha worked as my boss' cook, but I always believed he had a different reason for hiring her, especially since he offered her the job only a year after she married his cousin Brent.

I never believed those stories the Elders loved to tell about soulmates, soul predestination, or any of that. People claimed that pairing up with someone could amplify supernatural gifts or even steady the sacred flame inside a person.

But ever since Natasha started working for my boss, I had no more doubts.

Whenever those two were in the same room, sparks always seemed to fly. My boss's aura grew brighter, and I noticed his supernatural gifts became much stronger. Natasha, too, appeared more confident and dignified to me-more noble, even. When she and my boss were together...

And then there was the sexual tension. Sometimes their excitement was so strong, it felt like you could sense it from miles away. Who were they trying to convince that nothing was going on between them?

Even the most clueless alpha would have picked up on it.

Even her husband, Brent, must have suspected something.

I scoffed at the thought of that big brute. I was not about to feel sorry for him, not for a second. If Brent had treated his wife with any kindness, she never would have gone looking for comfort in her cousin's arms.

Once, she even showed up at work with a huge bump on her head and a split eyebrow. I remembered how that fool tried to convince my boss she had only hit her head on a cabinet. Hmph! More like a six-foot-tall wall of muscle, if you asked me.

While treating her injury, my boss had been incredibly gentle with her. If you had seen him, you would have noticed right away. Garrett's hands, just like his voice, were something special. That was the reason he never shook hands with anyone or let people touch him.

Natasha was the only person who never saw him lose his temper, not even once. He would never dare to raise his voice around her, and it was not just some form of masculine politeness. Sure, Garrett was a gentleman. He was also known for his peaceful ways. But it was more than that-he had a natural kind of authority that made people want to listen to him. It commanded respect. Most of the time, he did not have to get angry at anyone. That, in my opinion, was the true mark of an Alpha.

That did not mean my boss never got angry or was incapable of striking someone.

You should not be fooled by his charm. Behind the good looks that made fans swoon, the famous singer and charmer Garrett could be a very dangerous Alpha.

Natasha had always been treated differently from everyone else.

But right after she went back to her cooking, once he had taken care of her injury, my boss's aura grew even stronger. He gave off such a murderous energy that I felt chills down my spine. I believed it was one of the rare moments when I could fully sense the power of his supernatural gifts. I saw all of its majesty. When compared to an ordinary Alpha like his cousin Brent, he was on an entirely different level.

I had a reputation for being a high-caliber Alpha myself, but nothing about me compared to my boss. Most of the time, my job felt more like protecting people from him-or keeping him away from all those groupies who worshiped him like a living god. The voice of Garrett, just like his charm, could have devastating effects on everyone around him.

Ah! And even if his cousin Brent had discovered what happened last night and wanted to challenge him to a duel like in the old days, he would not have stood a chance, and I was sure Brent knew it.

Honestly, even if my boss's cousin had been a decent man, I would not have felt the least bit sorry for him. I would even go as far as to say that maybe there had once been real love between Natasha and Brent, but my loyalty would always be with my boss. Her well-being mattered most to me. As for the rest of them, I could not care less.

About fifteen minutes later, Natasha came out of her room looking as fresh as ever. Oddly enough, there was no scent at all coming from her, which struck me as unusual since I could always pick up on her fragrance whenever she walked by. She was one of those women whose scent you never forgot.

A little smirk played on my lips. I understood it now. She must have used some Fleeting Mist. It was a special perfume that masked an alpha's scent by neutralizing their olfactory signature, at least for a while. She probably still carried the boss's scent, even after her shower, and Natasha definitely did not want every alpha nearby to realize she had been with her husband's cousin.

Ha! Ha! Knowing how possessive he was, the boss had surely done everything he could to leave his scent all over her, as if he had already marked his territory. When I saw her, with that scarf around her neck and those clothes covering her from head to toe, I had no doubt he had given her a few "love bites."

The thought made me chuckle as I took in a deep breath, amused by the whole thing.

Natasha heard me and quickly looked away, her eyes full of guilt and obvious embarrassment over what she had done the night before. We had always been good colleagues ever since she started working for my boss, but this morning she did everything she could to avoid me. She was joined by her roommate, a slightly chubby blonde, and the two of them hurried down the stairs together while the blonde went on about her wild night at the BDSM version of strip poker. I could not help but think that Natasha might regret missing out when she heard about all of it.

A sly smile crept onto my face as their voices faded into the distance. Somehow, I doubted that Natasha regretted spending the night with my boss. None of his old lovers ever had.

A few seconds later, just after they had left, my boss's bedroom door opened again. He stepped out into the hallway, looking fresh and put together. I jumped up from my seat right away, ready to follow him wherever he needed to go.

He turned to face me and noticed I was already standing at my post, though something about it seemed to bother him.

"Did Natasha see you when she left?" he asked, his voice full of concern.

Understanding dawned on me. The boss did not want his precious Natasha to feel embarrassed by running into me on her way out.

I shook my head to say no, and my boss instantly looked relieved.

"Did anyone else see us?"

I gave him my report. "A waiter saw you last night, but I took his smartphone and gave him a check for his trouble."

My boss looked visibly annoyed, which made sense. That was the price of being an international star. Everything in his life was always under a microscope. Still, he seemed reassured to know I had handled the situation.

Ha! Ha! I knew how to be persuasive when I needed to be, especially with journalists and paparazzi. So dealing with a simple waiter was nothing at all.

My boss walked past me and made his way down the lavish marble corridor of the castle. I followed close behind as we turned toward a spiral staircase. He descended the steps with quick, light steps. The way Garrett moved, even the way he walked, was just as calculated as the aura he let people sense.

He never let strangers measure his strength or see behind the mask of supernatural charm that defined him. His manner, his gestures, all of it seemed completely natural. But in truth, nothing about him was left to chance.