His Wolf

Chapter 11: Healthy Competition

You're going to be late for work if you don't wake up now.

Arthit smiled at the familiar wake-up call. He turned over in the hope of hugging Kongpob instead of getting up. The space beside him was empty. The realization filled him with loss and if he hadn't been lying down, he might have fallen to the ground.

What was the matter with him?

He kicked off the covers with more force than necessary. Showered like he was trying to wash off the memory of nothingness moments after he woke up. He dressed carefully. More carefully than usual. If nothing else, he would see Kongpob at work and maybe that would ease the rock that had settled in his stomach.

The procurement department was buzzing with energy and it didn't take long for Arthit to figure out why. Kongpob was assigned to their department and he had already introduced himself to everyone. He gave Arthit a shy smile and if there had been nobody else present, he might have waved as well. At least one of them was in a good mood.

If Arthit felt a little lighter on his feet because of Kongpob's presence, he wasn't about to admit it.

Working with Kongpob was a far cry from their interactions in university. He'd been more than willing to let Arthit take the lead in most matters. His seniority gave him the advantage. But Kongpob had an agenda and it was not just to be close to Arthit. He listened to everyone's advice keenly. He acted with decisiveness. Nothing escaped his notice. He was very good at what he did and everyone noticed.

"Have you done this before?" Todd asked him after going through one of the lists Kongpob had compiled for him.

"No. I just did what you told me to do. Is there something wrong?"

"Everything is fine," he said looking at the list again. "Perfect."

That word was the ultimate compliment. Why did it feel so challenging for Arthit? It's not like Kongpob would ever do a bad job on purpose. It was even stranger because it should have made him proud. But that was the problem. wasn't it? By keeping their relationship a secret, he'd effectively cut off any connection between them.

He couldn't express his happiness at how well Kongpob was doing without it looking and sounding misplaced. He couldn't tell him what he thought about his good work without coming across as overly attentive. Yet the only thing Arthit wanted to do was celebrate his mate's achievements and tell him what a wonderful job he was doing. How perfect he was to him.

"What's that?" He asked overcome by curiosity when Kongpob came back to the office carrying a bag.

"I got some snacks," he answered, "Do you want some? There's a lot here."

"You went out to get snacks?"

Last he'd heard, P'Earth had sent him to accounting with some documents. There was nowhere to get snacks between the two offices. A confrontation with the dragon lady may have suggested the need for something to ease his mind, but Kongpob just smiled at him.

"No. I got them from P'Paga."

Arthit spattered violently then came over to where Kongpob was standing, "P'Paga? Head of accounting? The woman who's been the bane of my existence?"

"Uhm...I didn't know all that but...yeah."

"Khun Paga hates me," Arthit said pathetically. "Wait. Why are you calling her Phi?"

"That's what she told me to call her."

The laugh that escaped him was totally involuntary. "I should have expected this. Everyone loves you. Why wouldn't she."