Chapter 6 The Next Day

• Chapter 6
• The next day
• Peter Fletcher woke up with a pounding headache, lying on his bed with his clothes torn. He looked at the time and thought he might be late that day, since he had turned into the terrible creature he knew he was. Half man, half beast. A huge creature that thirsted for blood when the full moon came. However, he also remembered protecting Allyson.
• “Oh, that's not good...” He complained to himself as he went to take a shower, checking himself for scratches and bruises. Wounds on the flesh of a wolf could become scars on the human skin of werewolves of his strain.
• He was tired. He decided to stay a little longer. Meanwhile, Allyson arrived at the office, still scared from the night before. She knew she couldn't tell anyone what had happened, or they'd think she was crazy. She remembered her boss's car, the same as the one parked in front of the nightclub.
• Allyson decided not to think about it any more and went about her day as she should have until the afternoon when she saw Peter Fletcher walk into the office wearing sunglasses, as if he hadn't slept at all. Of course, he remembered some of what had happened and especially the clothes his trainee had worn the night before, so he needed to see her again quickly.
• Lisa went, without thinking, to talk to him if she needed anything.
• “Yes, talk to my personal secretary Allyson.”
• Lisa rolled her eyes.
• “Has she really been promoted?”
• Peter only took off his glasses and looked at Lisa with the air of someone who didn't have any friends or who had never given her the slightest intimacy to treat him like that.
• “Just do your job, Lisa.”
• He adjusted his glasses and glanced at his phone, noticing an unexpected message lighting up the screen.
• How did Mother Luna treat you last night?
• The words sent a chill down his spine. The number was unfamiliar, but the message was anything but random. Whoever had sent it knew his secret, knew the duality he carried within. Peter clenched his jaw, his thumb hovering over the screen. He didn’t reply. He didn’t need to.
• He had spent years distancing himself from the pack, carving out a new life, away from the primal chaos they embraced. But no matter how much distance he created, the wolf inside him was always there, just beneath the surface, clawing for control. And last night, under the silver pull of the full moon, it had stirred with a ferocity he hadn’t felt in years.
• A soft sound pulled him back to the present. When he looked up, Allyson was standing in front of him, her delicate frame outlined by the warm light streaming through the office window. She was waiting for him to speak, her expression a mix of exhaustion and uncertainty.
• Peter leaned back in his chair, a practiced smirk curling his lips, masking the turmoil within.
• “You’re my secretary, remember?” he teased lightly, his tone smooth but edged with something deeper.
• Allyson blinked, startled by the sudden comment.
• “Yes, I am,” she replied, offering a tired, awkward smile.
• Her exhaustion didn’t escape him. The dark circles under her eyes told him everything he needed to know—working two jobs was taking its toll. But he also saw the resolve in her, the fire that made her push through it all. It fascinated him, just as much as it frustrated him that she had to work so hard.
• “Is everything all right?” he asked, leaning forward slightly. His tone was casual, almost dismissive, but his eyes betrayed his concern.
• “Yes,” she said, hesitating. “Why, Mr. Fletcher?”
• He straightened, retreating into the professional mask he wore so well.
• “I need the Denver contract finalized. After that, I’ll send you another project to start. Check your email.”
• “Of course,” she said, already turning to leave.
• Peter gestured toward a desk near his own. “The table is yours. If you don’t sit down and get started, I’ll assume you don’t want the job.”
• She hesitated, glancing at the desk. “It’s not that, sir. I just had a strange night and didn’t sleep well. I’m sorry—it won’t happen again.”
• She started to leave, but Peter’s voice stopped her mid-step.
• “Allyson,” he said softly, his tone carrying a weight she couldn’t ignore. She turned to face him, her tired eyes meeting his. He hesitated for a fraction of a second, as if choosing his words carefully.
• “Next time, don’t keep it to yourself. If something’s wrong, I want to know. What happened?” He asked, removing his sunglasses.
• She stopped walking and turned her body towards him.
• “I wouldn't even know how to start, but I was almost mugged.” Allyson thought quickly and managed to tell a half lie.
• “Mugged? And what happened to make it almost happen?” He was very interested to hear her version of events.
• “I ran.”
• Peter almost smiled at not taking the credit for that feat, but just nodded.
• “How fast you are, Miss Allyson”
• “Yes, I am. I run a lot.”
• Peter wondered how she would run when she saw him up close on a full moon. However, he was very interested in her and this approach had to be done subtly, so as not to frighten his beautiful Allyson.
• “I'm glad to hear that nothing happened. Just don't go to sleep. Or I'll have to give the job to Lisa.”
• They both laughed and Allyson went to collect her things from the table to take up her post in her boss's office. It was uncomfortable to have such a charming man so close and it was equally disconcerting for Peter to be reminded of his secretary in pink lingerie. They both laughed and Allyson went to collect her things from the table to take up her post in the boss's office. It was uncomfortable to have such a charming man so close and it was also very disconcerting for Peter to be reminded of his secretary in pink lingerie.
• Peter leaned back in his chair, his piercing gaze following Allyson as she left the office. He couldn't help smiling at the corner of his lips. Thinking about Allyson - her softness, her fiery determination, her scent still lingering in the air - occupied his mind much more than it should have. She was totally captivating, and that was exactly the problem.
• She had no idea what he really was. She had no idea of the beast that lurked behind his calm, polished demeanor. The same beast that had saved her from the mugger the night before, hiding under his black fur and the glow of the moon. He had watched her silently, his instincts wanting to protect her, but as much as it pleased him to protect her, he knew it would terrify her if she found out the truth.
• When she returned, her hands full of documents, Peter straightened up in his seat, disguising his inner turmoil.
• “Don't let Lisa's comments upset you, Mitchell,” he said casually, although his voice had a protective tone. “You're far more capable than she'll ever be.”
• Allyson smiled slightly. “Thank you, Mr. Fletcher. That means a lot.”
• He nodded, watching her with a silent intensity as she settled into her seat. It was torture to have her so close, yet totally out of reach. But he wasn't going to rush things. Allyson deserved subtlety, patience. She deserved to be wooed, not frightened.
• Still, Peter couldn't stop the wolf inside him from yearning for her, especially as the next full moon approached. The temptation was getting harder to resist.