The Biker Alpha Who Became My Second Chance Mate Chapter 135

Tristan

Thirty minutes later, we were both disheveled and trying to make ourselves look presentable again.

"You said you'd be quick," I muttered, tucking my shirt back into my pants and running a hand through my hair.

"I tried," she said, her voice still breathless as she smoothed down her skirt and then her hair. "It's not my fault you're so good at what you do."

I couldn't help but smile at that. Even in the middle of this crazy situation, she could still make me smile. Still make my chest feel warm and full.

"Go back to your office," I said, straightening my collar one last time "We need to at least pretend we were working."

She nodded and unlocked the door, peeking out into the hallway like some kind of spy.

When she was satisfied the coast was clear, she slipped out, but not before throwing me one last heated look over her shoulder.

I watched her go, then collapsed into my office chair with a groan. My body was starting to feel the strain of seven days of near-constant activity. I was in good shape but even I had limits.

I sat back down at my desk and tried to focus on the files in front of me, but all I could think about was Athena down the hall.

My phone buzzed with a message from Orion: *Meeting in 10. Conference room.*

Perfect timing.

I stood up and straightened my clothes again, making sure there was no evidence of what had just happened. Then I headed down the hall, stopping at Athena's office on the way.

I knocked lightly before opening the door. She was at her desk, staring at her computer screen but clearly not actually working. Her hands were clenched on the edge of her desk and I could see the tension in her shoulders.

"Meeting in ten," I said quietly.

She looked up at me and I saw the panic flash across her face. "I don't know if I can sit through a meeting right now."

"You can," I said, moving closer and resting my hand on her shoulder. "You're stronger than this heat, remember? Just breathe through it."

She took a shaky breath and nodded. "Okay. I can do this."

"That's my girl," I said, squeezing her shoulder gently before heading back out.

The conference room was at the end of the hall, a spacious room with large windows overlooking the repair bays.

Orion was already there, setting up his laptop and organizing papers. The potential client, a middle-aged man in an expensive suit named Richard Carmichael, sat at the far end of the table looking at his phone.

"Tristan," Orion said with a nod. "Where's Athena?"

"She'll be here in a second," I said, taking a seat across from where I knew she'd sit. Putting distance between us seemed like the smart choice.

Athena arrived a moment later, looking composed despite what I knew she was feeling. She'd redone her makeup and pulled her hair back into a neat ponytail.

To anyone else, she'd look perfectly professional.

But I could see the flush on her cheeks, the slight tremor in her hands as she set down her notepad.

The meeting started and it was torture from the first minute.

We were discussing a major restoration project, a vintage Porsche that Mr. Carmichael had inherited from his father.

It needed extensive bodywork and a complete engine rebuild. Normally, this was the kind of project I'd be excited about, but I couldn't focus on anything except Athena.

She kept shifting in her seat, crossing and uncrossing her legs. Her pen tapped against her notepad in a nervous rhythm.

Every few minutes, her eyes would flick up to meet mine and I could see the desperation there.

"So you're looking at what, six to eight weeks for the full restoration?" Mr. Carmichael was asking.

"Closer to eight," Orion said. "We want to make sure we do it right. A car like this deserves the time and attention to detail."

"Athena," I said, trying to bring her into the conversation. "You want to talk about the paint restoration?"

She blinked, clearly having not been paying attention. "The paint?"

"Yes," I said patiently. "Mr. Carmichael was asking about the original color."

"Right," she said, looking down at her notes. "The original color was Guards Red, which is a Porsche signature color. We can match it exactly using the original paint codes.

The process involves stripping the current paint down to bare metal, repairing any rust or damage, then building up multiple layers of primer, base coat, and clear coat."

She delivered the information professionally, but I could hear the strain in her voice. Mr. Carmichael seemed satisfied though, nodding along.

"And the timeline for that specifically?" he asked.

Athena opened her mouth but no words came out. She just stared at him, her face going even more flushed.

"About two weeks," I interjected smoothly. "Once we have the bodywork completed."

Orion frowned, looking between Athena and me. "Athena, you okay?" he asked. "You seem a bit..."

"I'm fine," she said quickly, too quickly. "Just a bit warm in here. Is it warm in here?"

It wasn't. If anything, the air conditioning was working overtime.

"Do you want me to adjust the temperature?" Orion asked, concern clear in his voice.

"No, no, I'm fine," Athena insisted. She picked up her water bottle and took a long drink, her hand shaking slightly.

The meeting dragged on for another twenty minutes and every second felt like an eternity.

I watched Athena struggle to maintain her composure, watched her grip the edge of the table so hard her knuckles went white.

Finally, mercifully, Mr. Carmichael seemed satisfied with our proposal. He stood up and shook hands with Orion, then me, then Athena.

I saw her wince slightly at the contact, as if even that casual touch was too much.

"I'll have my assistant send over the signed contract by tomorrow," he said. "I'm excited to see what you can do with the car."

"We won't disappoint," Orion assured him, walking him out of the conference room.

The moment the door closed behind him, Athena practically ran out of the conference room.

I knew where she was going.

Orion turned to me. "Is she really okay?" he asked. "She seems off."

"She's dealing with some stuff," I said vaguely. "But she'll be fine."

He studied me for a moment. "You'd tell me if something was seriously wrong, right?"

"Of course," I said. "I promise, it's nothing to worry about."

He nodded, though he still looked uncertain. "Alright. I'm going to head out for a bit. Got to pick up some parts from the supplier. You good here?"

"Yeah, I'm good," I said.

The moment he left, I headed to my office. Sure enough, Athena was already there, pacing back and forth.

"That was awful," she said when she saw me. "I could barely concentrate."

"I know," I said, closing and locking the door. "Come here."

She came to me immediately and I pulled her into my arms. "We're going to get through this," I said.

"When?" she asked, her voice small. "I feel like it's never going to end."

"We're seeing someone today," I said firmly. "After work. No more putting it off."

She nodded against my chest. "Okay."

"But first," I said, because I could feel her trembling. "Let me take care of you."

We had sex again, slower this time, and I tried to pour all my love and reassurance into it. I wanted her to know that I was here for her, that I wasn't going anywhere.

When we finished, she looked a little calmer.

"Better?" I asked.

"For now," she said.

The rest of the day followed the same pattern. Athena would try to work in her office, then she'd end up in mine. At one point, Sarah stopped by and I had to quickly make sure Athena was back in her own office before letting her in.

"Hey," Sarah said, poking her head in. "Have you seen Athena? I wanted to ask her about some invoices."

"I think she's in her office," I said, trying to sound casual.

Sarah nodded and left, and I let out a breath of relief.

By the time evening came around, everyone else had left for the day except Athena and me. I was still in my office, finishing up some paperwork, when she appeared in the doorway.

"Everyone's gone," she said, and there was a particular tone to her voice that I recognized.

I looked up at her. "Athena."

"The parking lot is empty," she continued. "No one would see."

I shook my head but I was already smiling. "You and this car thing."

"I can't help it," she said. "There's something about it."

I saved my work and stood up. "Alright," I said. "Let's go."

Her whole face lit up and it made something in my chest warm. Even dealing with this crazy heat, she could still smile like that.

We headed out to the parking lot and she was right, it was completely empty. Everyone had gone home for the day.

Athena was already pulling at my clothes before I even got the car started.

"Eager," I commented.

"Always," she said, and I couldn't argue with that.

We had sex in the car and it was just as good as every other time. There was something about the confined space that made everything more intense.

When we finished, Athena curled up against me as much as she could in the cramped space.

"I love you," she said quietly.

"I love you too," I said, running my fingers through her hair. "Even when you're a sex crazed maniac."

She laughed and it was the most normal sound I'd heard from her all day. "I'm sorry," she said. "I know this must be exhausting for you."

"I'm more worried than exhausted," I admitted. "This isn't normal, Athena. Seven days is too long."

"I know," she said. "Tomorrow we'll see someone. I promise."

"Today," I corrected. "We're seeing someone today. As soon as we leave here."

She lifted her head to look at me. "Today?"

"Yes, today," I said firmly. "No more putting it off. Something's wrong and we need to find out what."

She nodded slowly. "Okay. You're right."

"Good," I said. "Because as much as I love being with you, I'm starting to worry something's seriously wrong."

She laid her head back on my chest. "Do you think it's bad?"

"I don't know," I said honestly. "But I think we should find out."

We sat there for a while longer, just holding each other. Finally, I forced myself to pull away.

"Come on," I said. "Let's go see a healer."

She nodded and we both got ourselves presentable before I started driving.

I knew of a healer who lived on the outskirts of pack territory. She was old and experienced and had dealt with all sorts of wolf related issues over the years.

If anyone could tell us what was going on, it would be her.

The drive there was quiet and I could feel Athena's anxiety growing. I reached over and took her hand, giving it a squeeze.

"Whatever it is," I said. "We'll handle it together."

She squeezed back. "Promise?"

"Promise," I said.

Because that's what we did. We handled things together. And whatever was causing this extended heat, we'd figure it out.

We had to.