CEO's Runaway Mate and Her Cubs

Jaden has spent a few hours being taken care of by Aunty Sam. Then, he had to cope with Nate.

Fortunately, that man didn't interfere with him too much. He let him play with some puzzles in the corner of the office, so time flew away without any issues.

A man Jaden didn't know brought him food and even patted his head. He was almost as tall as Nate, but also thinner.

He didn't look the least threatening, so Jaden decided not to glare at him.

«Pups eat a snack in the afternoon, right?» he asked.

Jaden nodded, still considering how much to trust him.

«My name is Jack. I am your father's secretary.»

«Oh, but you're a man.»

«Sorry?» Jack chuckled.

«Aren't secretaries all pretty women?»

«No. As you see, I'm not pretty nor a woman.»

He sat on the sofa, and Jaden climbed up next to him while grabbing a cookie from the trail.

«So, my father doesn't have any pretty secretary?»

«No. That... Uhm, it's difficult to arrange in a pack. So his team is made of men.»

«Where does my mommy work? Are there handsome men there?»

«No, there aren't,» Jack mumbled.

Even though Miss Clayton was supposed to work in Nate's team, she had been briefed on another floor that day.

Nate had turned white when he found out about it that morning. He had forgotten to tell Lara about his job and position, so he decided to send her to another office for that day. She had listened to the company's short history to a bothering level of detail. All to fill the four hours she was supposed to work.

At midday, she had been sent home. Just like that, Nate had survived the first day. As for the second, he was planning to avoid the office during the morning.

It would have been four hours only. He could send Jack if he needed something.

No one knew what she was supposed to do, for they all assumed she had been transferred there to avoid problems with the other females. And to avoid her being in contact with the young males.

«There are many where Aunty Sam works. Are you sure she's safe?»

«Oh, yes,» Jack exclaimed, nodding his head fiercely. Samantha was safe in sales. The agents were those in danger if they tried anything.

He talked with Jaden a few minutes more, amazed by the similarities between the Alpha and the pup. He was going to grow up well, Jack thought.

Even if the other pup was cute and sweetly cunning, the little boy was straightforward about his antipathy towards his father. It was amusing in another way.

Secretary Jack loved children, but he had never had the chance to deal with pups. And he was too busy doing his job to date. When he had realised the strays the Alpha took in were Nate's, he had been overjoyed.

He would have the chance to take care of them while the Alpha was busy! It surely was less stressful than dealing with business.

«It's time to go home,» Jaden said. «My mommy is waiting for me.»

«We agreed on dinner time,» Nate exclaimed from the desk. «It's still early.»

«But I am hungry. I want my dinner.»

«Shall we go look for some food, then?»

«No, I want my mommy!»

His eyes filled with tears as he stared at secretary Jack.

The man's heart skipped a beat as he frantically searched for a way to distract the pup.

«One hour, Jaden. Think about how happy your mother will be,» Nate added. «She'll miss you more, and she'll hug you for longer when you get home.»

«Oh,» Jaden hummed. «Then I can wait.»

He sat there, in silence, moving pieces of a puzzle and checking the clock even if he didn't know how to read it.

When the time to go finally came, he stared at the clock with wide eyes. Both the hands were turned downwards. Was that the time to go home?

«It's half past six,» Nate said, standing next to him. He opened his palm and waited for Jaden to hold his hand before going out. «I'm a little late, but it was something urgent.»

«Half past six?»

«Yes. The longer hand is for the minutes, the shortest for the hours... Ah, wait, do you know numbers?»

«Not yet,» Jaden said, narrowing his eyes. If he had to learn numbers to compete with Nate, he would. But he never had the chance before.

«No big deal. When both hands point downwards, it's close to dinner time. When they both point upwards, it's almost lunch.»

Jaden nodded, storing that information somewhere safe. He had always relied on his stomach to guess if it was dinner time.

But, sometimes, it would fail him. Especially lately, he was always hungry!

When they finally arrived home, he was dead starving. He could smell the food from the kitchen, and his stomach rumbled a lot.

Yet, he stopped to hug his mommy first thing.

Nate had noticed how hungry the pups were, but Lara had not yet. The man wondered if they were hiding it from her, but he couldn't just butt in and tell her to make more food.

Yet, he could find a way to ease her burden without making her feel indebted. The pups were his, so it should have been easier.

Why was he so inept? He couldn't even convince his mate to accept sharing the costs of raising their pups!

«Come have dinner with us,» Lara said, pulling him by the hand.

The temptation was great. The scent was mouthwatering, and Lara was smiling at him.

But the pups needed more food to grow up. He couldn't eat their part just to be closer to Lara.

«I think we should start eating in the canteen,» he said instead. «It will help you get used to the pack; and the pack to see you as part of them. Also, it's time the kids are introduced to the others, isn't it?»

Lara was startled.

«Are you sure?»

«I'll be there helping and keeping watch,» he replied. «I'm not sending you there. Just, we should make them realise we're a family. Am I wrong, perhaps?»

«I still feel it's soon.»

«All right.»

At least, he had thrown the idea. She would have considered it.. And, one day, Lara would have accepted.