Chapter 4 Prove Her Wrong

KNOX

The moment her hand gripped my arm, the world around me seemed to freeze. The sensation was electric and sharp. I hadn't expected it, didn't want to feel it. The last thing I needed right now was a distraction, and yet, her touch had brought something to life within me. Something raw. Something dangerous. I could feel my pulse quicken as her fingers curled around my sleeve, and I had to force myself to look away.

Her eyes were wide, and there was a tremble in her voice. "Sir," she said, and for a brief moment, I thought she might actually beg. "Please, you can't just call off the interview like that." Her words came in a rush, and I could see the desperation written across her face.

I didn't know why, but I felt an unsettling tug in my chest. Something about this woman was... familiar. Her scent. Her presence. It was like a memory I couldn't quite place.

I blinked, narrowing my gaze at her, the cold indifference I wore as a second skin falling back into place. "Let go" I said, my voice cold, detached, but it was sharp enough to make her flinch.

But she didn't let go. Instead, she took a step closer, and I could feel the heat of her body. The feeling of her hand on my arm became an anchor that I couldn't ignore.

"You can't just do that," she repeated, her voice now barely above a whisper. "I've worked so hard to get this far. Please, don't turn me away like this."

I looked down at the hand she was holding onto me with. It wasn't like the way Trisha, my secretary, would touch me-flirtatious, trying to get my attention. No, this was different. Her touch was firm, like she was trying to grasp at something, anything, to save herself. The quiet desperation in her eyes tugged at something I didn't want to acknowledge.

Her face softened, but the desperation didn't fade. "Please... just a chance. I've worked so hard for this. Please, don't let it go like this." Her words were almost a whisper, but they cut through me. I didn't know why, but something about her... it was pulling me in, against my will.

Before I could respond, a voice broke through the tension.

"Who are you to question Mr. Grey?"

I turned, and there was Trisha, my secretary, with her signature smug look. She was always so quick to insert herself into anything that might disrupt her perfect little world. I could tell she was already annoyed by Aria's presence, her eyes flashing with irritation.

Aria didn't back down. She stood her ground, her voice steady, but the vulnerability was still there. "I'm not questioning anyone. I'm just asking for a chance."

Trisha's eyes narrowed. "This is absurd. You think you can just waltz in here and demand special treatment?" She took a step forward, clearly trying to assert her dominance.

I didn't need this right now. I was already irritated, and the last thing I wanted was to be caught in some petty drama between my secretary and a woman I barely knew.

I turned to Mason, who had just stepped into the room. His presence was always a welcome relief in times like these.

I gave him raised eyebrows and Mason's voice echoed in my mind.

"Knox, we need to move. Ravena is at the manor. She wants to speak with you. It's urgent."

'Ravena?' I frowned, confusion flickering in my mind. Why would the priestess be at my manor?

I felt the heat in my chest rise. That familiar tightness gripped my throat. Damn it, I cursed silently to myself. Now?

Fenris stirred in my mind, but I quickly put a block to it. The thoughts of Ravena at my manor made me feel the wolf inside of me, restless, agitated, itching to be set free. But there was something else pulling at me-something I didn't want to acknowledge.

"Excuse me for a moment," I said to Aria, my voice hard, cutting through the air like a blade. Without waiting for a response, I turned on my heel and walked toward the door with Mason close behind.

But before I could leave, Aria's voice, soft but determined, called out to me.

"Please, Mr. Grey... I need this. I can't go home empty-handed. I've worked my entire life for this." Her voice cracked, and it hit me like a punch to the gut. Damn it.

I stopped in my tracks, my back still to her. There was something in her tone, in the way she spoke, that made it impossible to just walk away.

I looked over my shoulder, my eyes icy, but I could feel something flicker within me. "Fine," I said, barely above a whisper, but firm. "You'll be interviewed."

Trisha opened her mouth, no doubt ready to argue, but I silenced her with a look-cold, sharp, and final. "Mason will handle it. If she's still standing when this is over, I'll decide if she's worth my time."

I didn't wait for a response. I turned and walked out, my thoughts swirling, but the pull on my mind was stronger than ever. The sense of something unfinished. Something I couldn't quite put into words.

"You felt the spark. Don't you think-"

"Don't" I momered not ready to listen to Fenris. "You're running from the truth"

"I'm not running. I'm handling things my way."

Fenris growled, sharp and unrelenting. "Your way isn't working, Knox. You can't keep ignoring her warnings. The full moon is coming, and you're not ready."

I rubbed the back of my neck, frustration boiling over. "You think I care about her prophecies? I don't believe in that bullshit."

"If you don't find your mate..."

The rest of his sentence remained unspoken, but the weight of it pressed down on me. It's been four years since I started losing control of my wolf form and the only way to tame me was to find my mate. Well that's what the priestess said. My control was slipping. I could feel it. The wildness clawing at the edges of my sanity.

I slammed my fist into the nearest wall, the sharp sting grounding me for a moment. "I'm not looking for a mate. I don't need one."

"You can't outrun this, Knox. Ravena warned you. Do you want to lose control again?"

His voice softened, but the urgency was still there, cutting through my stubborn denial.

I exhaled sharply, trying to push the doubt away, but it clung to me like a shadow. Few days. That was all I had left to prove her wrong. Or fail.