Rejected By My Mate; Claimed By Lycan Quadruplets Chapter 24

Enzo's pov

I had been in my office all morning, swimming in a sea of files that never seemed to shrink no matter how fast I worked through them. The scent of ink and parchment was strong, mingling with the faint traces of cedarwood from the oil I burned to keep myself focused. Numbers, reports, border alerts, training rosters-it was a never-ending cycle.

But I preferred this. The quiet. The order. The certainty of ink on paper. Far better than the chaos that brewed when people were involved.

A knock sounded on my door.

I didn't bother looking up. "Come in."

Ash walked in with his usual calm expression, but someone trailed behind him. A woman, dressed sharply, her eyes too calculating for a guest.

I leaned back in my chair, finally giving them both my attention.

"Irene," I said flatly.

She gave a small bow, her smile a touch too rehearsed. "Alpha Enzo. I hope we're not intruding."

I looked to Ash.

He tilted his head slightly. "She said it was urgent."

I motioned toward the chair across from me. "Then let's hear it. Ash, give us a moment."

Ash gave a nod before exiting, his hand brushing over the files on the shelf as he left.

Irene settled into the seat like it belonged to her, legs crossed, spine perfectly straight.

"I thought I would personally come and deliver the contract regarding the military supplies," she began, reaching into her bag to pull out a red file. "My father wants your assurance that, in the event of any rogue or territorial invasion, your warriors will be equipped with only the best."

I took the file and flipped it open without replying.

She continued, "We'll be sending the first batch of weapon prototypes by the end of the month. Shields with reinforced core layers, custom blades resistant to rogue poison, and our upgraded communication devices. Silent, fast, encrypted."

I nodded slowly. "We'll test them. If they fail, you'll know first."

She smirked. "They won't. And I hope this proves that our families are meant to work together. Politically. Economically."

"Maritally?" I asked, tone unreadable.

She chuckled lightly, tilting her head. "I leave that part to fate."

I closed the file and stood. "I'll walk you out."

She rose with me, eyes scanning my office, pausing briefly at the mounted map on the wall where red pins dotted every edge of our borders. She said nothing, but her gaze lingered longer than necessary.

We stepped into the hallway, and I fell into step beside her, our footsteps echoing off the polished floor.

"I must admit," she said, voice softening as we approached the main entrance, "you've built something impressive here, Enzo. Your people are loyal. Your warriors are sharp. I see why Baron wants Bryan to match that. Or rather, copy it."

I gave her a side glance. "I don't train people to be copies."

"No, you train them to be lethal." She grinned. "And that's why I came."

We reached the outer courtyard, sunlight pouring over the stones, warm and blinding. I paused near the large wooden gate where two guards stood on either side, silent and still.

"Send the next delivery to Ash. He'll supervise the testing."

She nodded. "Will I be seeing you again soon?"

"Perhaps."

She reached out to touch my arm lightly, a subtle attempt at intimacy, no doubt meant to draw a reaction.

I didn't give her one.

But the moment she did, a blur came hurtling from the far side of the courtyard.

Before I could brace myself, someone crashed into me with the force of a small wolf pup mid-sprint.

"Oof-"

I caught the figure out of instinct, arms firm, body tensing. The impact wasn't enough to hurt me, but it certainly jolted me.

She gasped, stumbling back.

Lisa.

She froze the moment her eyes met mine, horror slowly painting itself across her face.

"I-Alpha-I'm so sorry! I wasn't looking, I swear I didn't mean to bump into you, I-"

Her words rushed out in a frantic stream, her hands clasped in front of her like she expected punishment. She wouldn't even meet my gaze for more than a second.

Behind me, Irene let out a low, amused scoff.

"Well, well," she said, stepping forward. "Is that how your Omegas greet you here? By charging at you like wild mutts? No wonder you bought a useless piece like her"

Lisa immediately lowered her head further. I could practically feel the shame rolling off her in waves.

My jaw clenched.

I turned slowly to face Irene, my tone icy.

"We don't tolerate disrespect here. From anyone."

Her smile faltered.

I continued, "She's new. But she's part of this pack now. And anyone under this roof, whether born here or not, is treated with basic dignity. You'll do well to remember that."

Irene's brows raised in surprise.

"I meant no offense-"

"Then you'll leave now," I said flatly.

She swallowed whatever smug comment she had planned and gave me a curt nod.

Without waiting for her to respond, I turned sharply and walked back into the packhouse.

Lisa was gone before I could say anything to her.

Typical.

She ran faster than a rogue during training drills.

I closed my door behind me with more force than necessary and returned to my desk. I stared at the reports laid out before me, but my mind didn't focus.

That girl.

Everywhere I turned, there she was.

Running into me.

Stumbling through rooms.

Speaking in whispers but always managing to stir something in the atmosphere.

She was supposed to be just another mouth to feed in the Omega ranks. But somehow, she'd already become a name. A weight. A presence.

And I couldn't decide if that was irritating... or interesting.

I poured myself a glass of water and stared out the window for a long time, wondering what the hell was coming next.

Because something told me-

She wouldn't stay invisible for long.

By the time I returned to my office, the air was cooler, quieter. The chaos of the last few minutes slowly evaporated with every step I took.

Ash was already there, leaning against the window frame like he owned the damn place, arms crossed, eyes scanning the courtyard below. He didn't even turn when I stepped in.

"So," he said casually, "you really going through with the deal?"

I shut the door behind me, not in the mood for dancing around the obvious.

"Yes," I said, moving past him to my desk.

He let out a slow breath, finally turning to face me. "Are you sure about that?"

"I don't mix business with personal."

Ash raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure about that, too?"

I shot him a look, one that usually meant tread carefully, but this was Ash. He didn't scare easily.

"Irene's family provides equipment. Weapons. Reinforcements. That's all that matters."

He gave a light shrug. "She looked like she was ready to lick your boots out there."

"She can lick whatever she wants," I muttered, settling into my chair. "As long as she doesn't cross me or anyone under my roof, I don't care what her personality like."

Ash snorted. "So charming."

I looked up at him. "Do you have something to say or are you just here to comment on my life choices?"

He walked forward, dropped a folder onto my desk. "Just here to hand you the test report from Mira. The weapons are solid. Stronger than the previous batch. I had Kale run through simulations-passed all of them."

I opened the folder, skimmed through the numbers. Satisfactory. More than.

"They deliver the next batch at month's end?"

He nodded. "And then we get to see if Irene's family delivers on time or just plays politics."

"Irene won't be the problem," I said.

Ash gave me that look again-the one that said he wasn't convinced.

"What about the girl?" he asked eventually.

I didn't need to ask who he meant.

"She ran into me."

"Literally."

"She apologized."

"She was terrified."

I set the folder down.

"And I defended her."

Ash gave a single nod. "I know. That's why I'm asking. You don't do that for just anyone."

"She's part of the pack," I said simply. "And I meant what I said. I don't tolerate disrespect here. Not to rank. Not to birth."

Ash leaned back in the seat opposite mine. "Fair enough."

We sat in silence for a moment, the room filled only with the low ticking of the clock behind me.

"She won't last long if she keeps running into people like that," he added with a half-smile.

I let out a breath. "She'll learn."

He grinned. "And if she doesn't?"

"Then someone better teach her how to walk straight."

Ash chuckled.

"I'll handle the delivery report," he said after a moment, standing. "But Enzo..."

I looked up.

He paused at the door. "Keep your distance. If she means nothing, let it stay that way."

And with that, he was gone.

I sat there for a long moment after he left, eyes fixed on the door.

Distance.

Yeah.

If only it were that simple.