I normally hated the days I'd have to coop up in my office all day but today was different, today I was nothing but excited. My insides fluttered like a little school boy crushing over the hottest girl in school.

Phina was, without a doubt, the most beautiful person I've ever had the pleasure of laying my eyes on. She was kind, humble, and bright.

She didn't know what she did to me. How she wound me up. How just her presence consumed every inch of my attention. How ever freckle on her face was imperfectly precisely placed on her face. How her deep brown eyes sucked me in and left my breathless.

I tried endlessly to not let my eyes roam anywhere south from her neck. Even now I fought myself as she sat crisscrossed on my sofa. She eyed the papers in her hands with attentive attention. Phina was adamant on understanding the form, she picked up on the information pretty quickly too. She didn't come to me for much help, until she became stumped.

"Why are the the surveillance wolves changing rounds every five hours?"

I peered over my laptop. "Huh?"

She rolled her eyes. "Why are our wolves running rounds every six hours?"

"Because we need that kind of surveillance." I protest dragging my eyes back down to my screen.

"How do they have time to get enough sleep? Osiris, " My name on her lips was virtually LSD. "-they barely- no, they aren't getting enough sleep at all."

I folded my lap top down a little to get a look at her. God, I needed to absorb every divine detail she held. Why'd she have to be so perfect?

"They get enough sleep." I protested. I functioned fine on three hours of sleep I think my boarder patrol team can manage well on six.

"But they don't." She stood up making her way to my desk she examined the form in her hands with inquisitive eyes, "Look. They work six hours but you aren't giving them enough time to get a full seven hours of sleep."

Phina dropped the form on my test taping her index finger on the chart where everyone's rounds were posted. I raised an eyebrow.

"And?"

She scowled in disgust. "Seriously? All you have to say is and?" She crossed her arms and poor attempt at making herself look more threatening. How cute. "People need more than six hours of sleep to operate correctly."

"I get three hours most nights and I'm functioning fine."

She scoffed. "I beg to differ."

I leaned back in my chair. Scanning over the form I already new the contents of. I gazed back up at her. "What do you have in mind?" I wanted to know how she problem solved. I wanted to see how well she did at improving things I didn't see the need to fix myself. A new perspective never hurt anyone.

Her eyes briefly widened in surprise. "Uh- well, you could start by making the shifts longer with longer breaks." She says sitting down in one of the chairs eyeing the paper inquisitively.

I hummed taking advantage of the few moments I had to freely look at her. I could be selfish with my gaze, I could even be a little greedy too. Phina was too absorbed into the paper to see my blatant hungry stare.

She dropped the paper to her lap and glanced over at me. My heart quickened. "Would that work?" She wondered a slight wavering in her voice.

I shrugged. "I don't see why I wouldn't. We just have to look over who can go where at what times and find more wolves willing to work the boarder routes."

"Is it difficult?"

"Is what difficult?"

"Patrolling the boarder, is it difficult?" She wondered tugging on her bottom lip with her teeth.

I shook my head. "No, not at all."

"So it's dangerous."

I stared perplexed. How did she get dangerous from me confirming it wasn't a difficult job to do? I opened my mouth to reassure her but it snapped shut.

"That man died because he was patrolling the boarder... didn't he?" Her doe-like eyes stared back at me with overwhelming guilt. She didn't have to tell me she blamed herself, her eyes gave her away.

My mind fumbled through a filing cabinet of responses none of which sounded adequate enough to the question. I didn't want to lie to her, not anymore, but I didn't want her to blame herself either. None of what Philip did was her fault and I was hell bent on having her know that.

Adam's lifeless corpse flashed before my eyes. The threat freshly etched into his chest. He was getting too close and he was getting bold.

Philip was still as deranged as he's always been. Nothing had changed since Ileana. Remember what they did to her ignited the blood in my veins like hot coal. They tortured her. They stripped her of everything and he helped them.

Ever since then I've only imagined the worse had come of her. What else was I supposed to imagine? I hoped she lived a full healthy life, but I knew I had better luck getting struck by lightening than her mate seeing her as more than an incubator.

"Are you okay?"

I blinked back into focus. Phina stared at me with benevolent eyes. She may not enjoy my company but I could tell the mate bond was sneaking through cracks in the thick tall walls she built to separate us. She was resilient in the way she masked the bond, too scared to allow me in.

I wondered if she was truly scared of me or scared that she may very well discover I'm not as evil and conniving as her little friend so desperately wants her to believe. He was a thorn in my side the way he creeps around following Phina around like a little lost puppy.

They were friends, I told myself. He was human, I reminded myself. He was insignificant when it came to a mates' bond, Phina shouldn't be easily swayed by him, or so I tried to assure myself.

"Yes, I'm fine. What were you asking again?"

Phina hesitated a moment as if wanting to say something else but she ignored the urge repeating her morbid question. "The young man you mentioned a couple weeks ago... we was on boarder patrol when he was killed, right?"

I nodded. "Yes, Adam was on boarder patrol when he was attacked, but he had wandered off from the boarder. He wasn't attacked on our territory. He had caught a scent and strayed away to investigate."

"Do- do you think it was Philip?"

How was I going to tell her that now I had no doubt it was Philip's doing? I couldn't tell her. The look on her face was heartbreaking, I couldn't tell her that her name was clawed into Adam's chest. She'd fall apart; blaming herself for something she had no hand in.

"I don't know." I lied.

She narrowed her eyes flicking them between my own and my chest.

"I thought you said you weren't going to lie anymore." Her eyes once again resting on my chest before focusing them back on my face. "I can hear your heart beat."

"Really? How do you know I'm lying by just my heartbeat?" I questioned using her new found hearing has a perfect distraction.

"It sped up. Now answer my question... please." She was blunt and persistent.

"Why do you want to know so badly?"

"Because if it was him then-"

"Then what?" I rised to my feet. "You'll be able to blame yourself?"

Irritation grew the more she pushed for an answer, an answer I wasn't going to give her. She didn't need to know, she didn't need to feel the overwhelming guilt I know she'd feel the moment she knew. I wasn't going to let her hate herself.

"I- I, I just want to know. I should know the truth." She hushed dropping her eyes from me with timidity.

Her pulse quickened, her hands balled into tight fists on top of her thighs. I could feel the ache in the back of my head, my wolf wasn't happy with me right already but he was even more irate watching her shake in her seat. It was me, I was the problem.

I reached out to touch her but my had only moved so far, freezing mid way across my desk. Her golden curls had fallen covering half of her face when she bowed her head. It was something she did regularly I had taken noticed.

This was just another inclination that Phina was treated worse than I wanted to imagine. My jaw clicked as I sat down retracting my arm.

I cleared my throat. "I'm sorry, I didn't- I mean- I shouldn't have raised my voice." I curled my fingers around the back of my head as I rested my elbows on the desk top. I couldn't raise my head to face her though I knew she was looking at me. I didn't need to look at her to know that she was hesitant. Her head turned slightly to the door, a quick glance that spoke a thousand words.

"I just don't want you to feel bad or take responsibility for something that wasn't your fault. You take blame for things that aren't your fault and you shouldn't have to feel like that and the fact that you do... it... it makes me want to kill something." Sighing I slowly gazed up. "I care about you and the thought of seeing you upset or hurt, I-I can't help but want to fix it, what ever it is that is hurting you."

Never in all my years of living have I ever openly admitted such a vulnerable thing. Phina's expression didn't help ease my restless nerves. She stared at me her eyebrow switched.

She looked stuck, unable to find a response. Did I even want one? The more I thought about this the more I grew uneasy.

Her breath was heavy as she exhaled. "I don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything. I know you don't feel the same and I don't blame you. It's my fault after all."

Her eyes trailed down my face lingering a second too long on my mouth before she gulped and licked her lips. Damn it, if I didn't want to just lean over and kiss those lips.

Her scent consumed every nook and cranny in this office. My own heart rate quickened and I would have been embarrassed at the fact she could hear it but I couldn't be bothered. My heart wasn't the only one hammering.

Yet, I couldn't bask in the feeling as I heard his footsteps creaking on the floorboards just outside the office door. He was eavesdropping, and this wasn't his first time. He couldn't seem to help himself and it was reeling up my wolf. She was ours and he needed to know that even if that meant I beat it into him.

I didn't want to hurt him, more so for the fact it would ruin my chances of over mending Phina and I'd bond, than for my own sake.

I didn't understand what she saw in him.

Phina's eyes darkened a shade, erasing the golden honey eyes I was accustomed to. She was being out excitement from my wolf without even trying and I didn't know if I wanted to fight it. It felt right, it felt inviting and safe.

She crossed her legs as she reached over and grabbed the form again. "What do I need to know to put together a new boarder patrol schedule?"

I wanted to shout and tell her not to change the topic but I couldn't. I couldn't be greedy. It didn't matter if I wanted to indulge more in what we shared. It didn't matter because I promised myself never to force her into anything she didn't want to do. It didn't matter if I wanted to talk more about us, about our bond, about how much I truly cared about her.

It'll never matter to her.

I heard his footsteps stop in front of the door. What a little weasel. I didn't show any signs that he was right there. I didn't want her to be distracted by him she was mine and I didn't want to share her. Fuck, I didn't want him around her. It didn't matter he was her best friend, he was still a liability.

"You'll need the names of those that are already on the team." I rolled my chair back pulling out a file. I didn't bother opening it up instead sliding it over to her to grab.

She had flipped open the folder sifting through the first few document. I watched intently as she narrowed her eyes reading every detail and every name. She didn't get far though before there was a knock on the door.

I internally groaned at his knock. Staying silent I hoped he'd get the memo and leave but only those with common sense would understand. This moron was persistent, knocking again. Still, I said nothing, eyeing the door with botheration.

"Aren't you going to-"

"Nope." I grumbled, ignoring another set of knocks.

My laptop screen was more important than that nuisance. How'd he even know she was in here anyways? He wasn't wandering to my office to see me after all, and he could talk to her any other time, why now?

"I can grab the door for you." She started to her feet. I didn't let her get far hurrying around the desk and gentle pushing her back into her seat.

"No, just-" Another knock and I grounded my teeth together. "-stay here. I'll get it."

Phina gave me questioning eyes but I turned away quickly. I didn't need her asking anymore questions. This was already going to make me look bad.

My hand hovered over the door knob with reluctance. This human was about to get the worst side of me.

The door was pulled open and the annoying human froze locking eyes with me. He did look away holding my stare with a cold and stead disposition. Was he taunting me? He had to be.

"Andy?" I heard bafflement in her voice.

The boy didn't look away from me instead crossing his arms. I could have laughed. I should have laughed. He was practically puffing out his chest to make up for his less than intimidating stance. I swore I could have flicked him in the forehead and he'd fall over, but I couldn't do that.

Phina believe that I'm still this selfish manipulative person. I couldn't keep her from him especially now. My wolf wasn't helping either forcing the memory of the time I told her he was her responsibility. I shouldn't be surprised or mad, I was the cause of all this now.

I had no one to blame but myself.

"Sera, can I talk to you? Alone." He didn't glance at her once trying to prove some sort of point by staring me down.

I cocked my head to the side. This boy must take me as a fool because if he were doing this to any other male wolf he'd be six feet under.

Phina's socked feet padded against the floor as she came closer. "Is something wrong?"

"No."

"Great, then I'll be closing the door." I chimed shutting the door.

His hands planted against the door shoving it open once again. I didn't fight it allowing him to push the door wider. The door slammed against the bookshelf behind it. He flinched at the noise.

Did he expect me to fight him opening the door? I had better things to do than play childish games.

"You done?" I asked.

"Osiris." Phina hissed.

"Excuse me?" Andy sounded insulted. Good.

I couldn't hid my smirk as I watched him flex the muscles of his biceps. Aww, I had upset the human. I wished I cared more that way I didn't have to stoop back to my old habits of snippy remarks and sarcastic banter.

"What? Are you deaf?"

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" Andy dropped his hands to his sides balling up his hands into fists. The whites of his knuckles visible with every clench.

"Alright that's enough, both of you." Phina squeezed herself in between us, her little frame looked dwarf in comparison.

She faced him peering up at him to get his attention. "Andy, can whatever you wanted to talk about wait? Now isn't the best time."

Andy was already shaking his head before she was done speaking. "You're siding with him?"

My grin only grew wider. I could have sworn my stomach was doing back flips in admiration. I knew she wasn't truly siding with me, that would be too soon, we weren't there yet. He didn't know that and I wasn't about to correct him. The less he knew the better.

"I'm not siding with anyone Andy."

"Yes, you are. Look at yourself, just throwing yourself at him like- like- . I thought you were better than that Sera."

He was jealous, I shouldn't be surprised. I wasn't exactly surprised I figured there was more to their friendship than just caring for her. He wanted her and this was his way of stocking claim.

"I don't know what's going on with you Andy but you don't sound like yourself."

"Well, maybe if you weren't blindly drooling all over the fucker I wouldn't be like this."

I looked down at Phina as she backed up from her so called friend. The tension in her shoulder was evident. Phina's bottom lip quivered and that was my last straw. I wasn't just going to sit here and watch him tear her down.

Gently, I rested my hand on her shoulder slipping myself in front of her shielding her from his hateful gaze.

"What's your problem?"

"What's my problem? What is my problem? I don't have a problem, you're the problem. You're feeding her lies, promising that you won't keep her prisoner here if she just gives you a chance. I wasn't born yesterday." He stepped up to me with darkness in my eyes.

Licking my teeth I tried to remain unbothered but my wolf was egging me on to throw him back into the wall. Taking in a deep breath I forced myself to give him one last chance to redeem himself.

"Listen, I don't care what you think of me. You can call me anything you want but you will not talk to Phina like that. Your issue is with me not her, so don't speak to her like a child."

Andy rolled his eyes. "You're not in charge of me."

I shrugged. "Truth be told I am, but that's beside the point. I want you to apologize to her."

He locked his jaw. Was he that irate that he wouldn't give her simple "sorry". He had no manners.

Andy scoffed offering Phina just a single belittling glance. "When you're ready to see him for what he really is, you know where to find me."