Chapter 86: Negotiations
Traffic was slow. The SUV carrying the Ravencourt family insignia stood parked by the curb. Maverick was surprised by her request. He had imagined she was coming to meet up with a friend, but Killian had genuinely never crossed his mind.
The warrior in the passenger seat glanced at him with the same question written all over his face. "You want to see Killian..." he asked again, his voice clearly holding some hesitation.
Yuki could sense the obvious hesitation. She glanced at the tall glass building; her mind was all over the place. She could sense her wolf’s nervousness — the fear of facing Killian.
"Yes, tell him it is something important," she replied in an even voice. Maverick released a long sigh, his head leaning against the headrest as he tried to connect with Killian via the mind link.
’Killian...’
The link connected with Killian’s calm voice drifting over. ’Maverick...’ he replied, sounding sceptical.
’We have an issue here. Your mate wants to see you...’ he relayed, and Killian went silent for a second too long. Maverick was mentally preparing himself for a scolding.
’Fine, bring her up. Although I am currently in a meeting.’ He replied, leaving Maverick dumbfounded. He wanted to ask if Killian was joking with him, but the mind link was aggressively cut off. Killian went silent before Maverick’s gaze met Yuki’s. She was silently waiting.
"He said you can come up but you have to wait a bit," he explained. "He didn’t explain how long the wait could be either..."
"Fine, I understand," she replied evenly. The door was pulled open, and Yuki was led inside. Gazes drew towards them the moment they stepped in. Although people at the company didn’t necessarily know that Yuki was the triplets’ fated mate, her looks and resemblance to Aevia were more than enough to draw attention and turn heads.
Maverick took her to the public elevator since he didn’t have clearance for the private executive one. The elevator was a bit crowded. Yuki quietly huddled in a corner with Maverick standing next to her.
His presence was strong, easily showing how powerful a warrior he was. The others didn’t dare look his way and a few of them recognised Maverick as a close friend of the alpha heirs and a possible future top pack official.
By the time they got to the executive floor where Killian’s office was located, the elevator was almost empty. The doors slid open and they stepped onto the executive floor. The hallways were empty. Their footsteps echoed through the walls.
Maverick led the way with Yuki trailing behind. "Can I ask a question?" Maverick suddenly asked. Yuki curiously glanced up, finding it odd as he wasn’t the type to start a conversation.
"Sure, go ahead," she replied, and he continued. His voice was calm.
"That night you confessed to me, was I the one you intended to confess to all along?" he suddenly asked, leaving Yuki quite taken aback. She didn’t expect him to bring this up now.
"Sorry, I can’t answer that question," she replied. She didn’t think it was a good idea to tell Kieran’s friends anything about her true feelings, especially with how things were currently between them.
Maverick didn’t push. He nodded then continued until they stopped at a door. "This way," he mentioned, pushing the door open. They arrived at a small reception area with the secretary’s table. A lady in her forties rose immediately when she saw Maverick step in.
"Welcome. Lord Killian already informed me of your arrival," she chimed, pushing open the inner door. Maverick gave Yuki a subtle nod. Her stomach churned as she walked past him into the office.
Killian’s office was large and immaculate. Everything was meticulously arranged to the smallest detail. The secretary led her to a small lounge area in the office. "Please wait here. He will be with you shortly," she said. Her demeanour was very respectful and she avoided eye contact with Yuki.
Although she was curious, she didn’t dare let it affect her professional ethics. Killian was never the type to condone the slightest misconduct. Yuki settled on the plush cushion; a subtle woody scent clung to it. Her heartbeat spiked with nervousness but she tried to keep a straight face.
"Would you like some tea or coffee while you wait, miss?" the secretary politely inquired. Yuki shook her head, turning her down.
"I’m fine."
"Alright then. I will take my leave now," she announced. She turned around and headed for the door. Her heels clicked sharply against the tiled floor. The door shut, leaving her in the silent office.
Her eyes darted around the office, from the tall glass windows to the polished desk. Finally, her eyes fell on the coffee table where magazines were neatly arranged. Yuki reached out for one that had Killian’s picture on the cover, looking as cold as ever.
She casually started flipping through it, her eyes wandering around the pages as she tried to pass the time while waiting for him. The pages blurred as she waited. The minutes stretched longer than they should have and she kept glancing at the time.
She wanted him to return quickly and at the same time was nervous to meet him. Thirty minutes went by that way before the door opened. Her sight caught his expensive leather shoes and that clean cologne before it fell on his face.
His expression was calm, almost cold, making it close to impossible to read what was on his mind. "Did you get into a fight?" Those were his first words. Her lips twitched at the accusatory tone in his voice. No "how are you" or a casual hi — not that she expected it from him considering their complex relationship, but still...
"I didn’t get into a fight, Killian. Do I look like the type who gets into fights?" she shot back. Killian’s gaze remained on her as he walked towards the lounge area.
"You can never judge by looks. The innocent-looking ones are often the most dangerous," he clicked his tongue. "Besides, what do you expect me to think when you show up out of the blue after sending distress signals through the bond? You have a faint bruise on your face and from the way you are seated it is clear your abdomen is hurting," he stated, his observations clean and sharp. Yuki was startled. Now that he mentioned it, there was indeed an ache in her stomach from Eloise’s kick. She had barely noticed it because of how nervous she was.
That aside, it seemed Killian had also sensed the pain she felt despite the distance. That was unnerving. "Just because you are my fated mate doesn’t mean you can run to me whenever you have a disagreement with someone, Miyuki Donovan."