Patience had never been one of Camila's strong points. It was both a blessing and a curse. When she wanted something done it needed to be done yesterday. If she needed to make something happen she would. And quickly.

But in situations like this, where she had waited for her mate in the morning, sacrificing sleep to do so, and now had to wait in a hot, sticky leather armchair for almost an hour. She had very little patience left to offer Taine.

"Vanessa, what is Alpha Alverio doing? I have been waiting for almost an hour. This is ridiculous!" She said exasperatedly. Was Taine really busy or did he just think he could ignore her until she turned into thin air? She was normally even-tempered, but damn Taine made her mad sometimes.

Slamming the third magazine she had skimmed through onto the coffee table she rose from her seat, slightly wincing at the way the leather stuck to her thighs. She marched towards the hallway with the offices, ignoring the protests of Vanessa. Stopping at a door labelled 'Alpha Alverio.' She knocked on the dark wood sharply.

Ivory called from inside the room, "Come in."

As Camila opened the office door, Ivory and Taine's eyes both snapped to her. She stepped inside and closed the door.

Scanning the room she could see it was very, very...Taine.

Sharp lines and no clutter, or colour for that matter. A wide L shaped desk was the salient point in the room. It was backdropped by big glass windows panelled in wood, overlooking the backyard of the packhouse. There was a leather couch and a large bookshelf. She let her eyes take their time to roam. After all, she would be needing her own office too. One that preferably had more pink in it.

"Nice office." She said to Ivory who she saw quickly replace her surprise with a smile.

She walked closer to the desk and saw that they had probably been discussing papers that were strewn between the two.

Taine regarded her with little emotion. He looked at her from her red shoes to her black dress and high ponytail. "Why do you look like that?"

No, "Oh my darling wolfette, you dressed up today, for me? You are so beautiful and I am so lucky! The moon goddess shines upon me this day!"

Just six accusatory words that earned him a pointed glare.

Camila flipped her hair over her shoulder as well as his comment. She wouldn't let him take knocks at her self-esteem.

"You're extra chirpy this morning aren't you."

Taine put down his pen and folded his fingers. There was a carefully concealed softness in his words. "I'm very busy Mila."

She thought of the previous night and how she felt those fingers wrap around her...

Shaking those thoughts away she vehemently responded to him.

I'm officially the Luna of this pack, aren't I? I'm here to work."

Taine laughed. He actually laughed at her.

Camila took the seat next to Ivory. "I don't see what's so funny about making me wait an hour to speak to you." Her glare got more violent, his laughter ceased immediately. So she did have some power over him.

Without waiting for a response or an invitation, she sat down. Placing forearms on the table, she smiled in satisfaction. She cracked her neck and made herself at home in the room. "Okay guys, so what are we talking about."

Despite walking into the room with the confidence of a queen. Camila felt bad for somewhat being an imposition. It was difficult to try to wedge herself into the already perfected working relationship that Taine and Ivory had. They could communicate with minimal words and even small imperceptible gestures. Camila felt irritating having to continuously ask questions or involve herself in the process, but she did it anyway. These were growing pains that everyone would need to get over eventually.

After powering through work for an hour or two. (Work on the Alpha and Beta's side and very little from the Luna- not by choice.) Camila finally snapped.

Taine had made her go back and forth between different file rooms, to 'fetch this' or 'tell me the date of that.'

Then just when she had started to break into a sweat from carting heavy boxes back and forth, he searchingly gazed around the office. She suspected he was just looking around for random things she could do.

"Okay Camila, thanks for dropping off those files for me. I need you to do something very important now."

Camila looked at him earnestly ready for the task. Ready for a chance to prove her worth.

He swivelled his chair and picked up a stack of papers from the far end of the desk. "These. I need you to staple these for me."

She took the papers from him and frowned.

She slammed her palms against the desk and forced Taine to look at her in the eyes. "I am not here to be a glorified personal assistant! I am here to do my job as Luna. Stop treating me like I can't be trusted to do anything important! Stapling food orders isn't exactly what I had in mind."

Camila vaguely remembered feeling a tug on her arm, a failed attempt from Ivory at trying to get her to back down.

Ivory's second attempt was even more unsuccessful. "I think, I should just let you two have some ti-"

In perfect harmony both their heads snapped to hers. They told her to shut up and stay exactly where she was, with one growl. Ivory didn't look happy about it, but she stayed put.

Although Taine was looking at her like she was a flying cockroach, Camila didn't plan on going anywhere.

"I am not leaving. I came here to work and that is what I'm going to do."

Taine stood up and towered over her. Instead of a cross, Alpha she found herself looking at the fourth button of his shirt.

"Just go home, I don't need you right now."

She looked up at the sharp line of his jaw indignantly.

"That's not what you wanted me to do last night."

The words stung. They were supposed to. Particularly sharp and piercing as they were said, in front of another pack member.

"Leave."

"Make me."

And so he did.

He pressed the panic button under the desk of his office and minutes later, two unbelievably bulky men walked into the office, alongside a panicked Vanessa.

"Is everything alright" she breathed out. Looking worriedly at Ivory then at Taine.

Taine calmly resumed his seated place and began to look through the papers again as if nothing had happened. "Perfect. Please escort the Luna back to my house. She seems to have lost her way."

Although the animalistic part of her brain was incredibly close to ripping out his vocal cords, Camila was a grown-ass woman. She wasn't about to act childish and throw a temper tantrum in front of all these people.

No. She would go home, have a bath. Scream into a pillow and then plan her next move. This was an intricate, elaborate game of chess and Taine had her right where he wanted her.

Later that night Taine had more than a few harsh words to say about how 'disrespecting him in front of pack members was not something he would tolerate.' She shut him up instantly when she retorted that having her removed from his office by guards was worse. He could call as many guards as wanted, but it wasn't going to change anything.

---

She splashed the cold water on her face and winced uncomfortably as the sleepiness from her cheeks were chased away by the icy liquid. She glanced at the clock and smiled a secret smile.

As silent as a wolf teasing its prey, she shut the door and moved through the land as the rays of the morning sun began to kiss the earth.

Once she reached her destination she took off her pink bunny slippers and placed her feet into her spike-covered, metallic heels. She sunk into the plush leather and waited.

Two hours later she heard the key adjust itself in the lock. Silence broke as the door swung open. It pushed the air and stillness apart with a carelessness that only the routine confidence of solitude and the negligence of the morning could grant.

The expression on his face was nothing short of priceless when Taine opened his office door to discover Camila sitting there. Grinning. A pink-painted lipstick smile on her face. In his chair. Looking like this was her office, like it had been all along.

"Nice to see you, Taine. Why so late?"

Checkmate.