ed toward the banquet hall

filled the space. Darcy stood at his side, her arm pressed against the fabric of his black-gold lord

per." Asher's gaze remained fixed on the cold metal doors ahead, his voice low a

rying no emotion. "They won't want someone withou

eyes falling on her in the dim ligh

htening the corner of her mouth. "What bothers me is whether my

r of his mouth lifted almost imperceptibly, then he looked away,

i

tor doors

The air was thick with expensive crystal perfume and the com

oment the doors opened. The lively hum

ing slightly so Darcy could comfortably loop her arm through

the center of the hall. Darcy could feel the stares coming from all directions. Curiou

er spine. She pressed her nails into

ore a black cloak, a three-fang emblem pinned to his chest. He studied Darcy, h

ingston territory, any individual without Pack insignia, bloodline guarantee

he dark wood of the desk, his voice c

he officer

. She carried an attendance ledger in her arms, her expression per

m Risk Control. But in the far north, she has no Pack registration

edge of the hall. Chloe lowered her

opped sharply. He didn't look at Chloe. Coldl

tely handed over a sl

olf emblem. The highest personal prote

ow completely covering her. His gray eyes held hers as his fingers closed aroun

oe's smile froze. Several of the

eme Alpha of Kingston territory was personally endorsing

t hesitate. She raised her right hand, her fing

on stopped mid-air. The emblem hove

ns of eyes locked onto that suspended hand.

imperceptibly. "Lord Kingston. I believe you're a man of effi

es in his wrist taut, a flicker of

s here ar

st his wrist, then released. "I trust a contract more t

g her lead, he slowly withdrew his hand, along with the box. The assistant

d documents from her briefcase, and slid the

nger. "By eight o'clock, if I don't see the underlying liability accounts, I won't

e hurriedly scanned the docum

ts, her gaze flat. "If a risk controller can't ev

a one-billion-dollar project collapse. The officer's forehead beaded

ng against Darcy's shoulder. He didn't look at the d

Asher tapped the edge o

d a hurried line across the highest-priority co

ledger, a faint tearing s

d slightly, his arm bending once mo

anquet hall. The music and clinking glasses fell silent the moment they cro

gh-ranking wolves. A heavy, invisible net that wou

a lot of old fossils." Darcy kept her

ghtened, pulling her half an inch closer. "They're

hite and his face lined like old bark, blocked their path. He

fell so quiet that the faint cra

ing the floor with a sharp crack. The sound rippled across th

er's gaze swept over Darcy's empty collar. "Under the laws of this territory, a foreigner wit

a bloodline suppression that worked directly on nerves an

s eyes blazed, and the pressure of his autho

forward, shielding Darcy.

r Vane struck his staff again. "If she can't last three minutes, stri

d out from behind him. She adjusted the cu

aint mockery curving her lips. "If we're goi

owned. "What

, "then all disputed clauses in tonight's one-billion-dollar merg

all froze. The elder's face we

d," he said, "and

burning with anger and something e

hen eased as she looked

eard it clearly. She didn't

e on thi

loosened. One by

ld warning shot up her spine, making her breath catch. She

to face the el

the t