ya

smoke and lemon-scented despair. It was a far cry from the plush, ve

The silence here wasn't peaceful; it was heavy, pressing against my

8

st 2

had whispered about. A woman with a wolf as strong as his, a woman worthy of a King. Not a wo

skull. I gasped, dropping my head into my hands. It wasn't a normal headache. It

en

telepathy of the Pack link-but the intent was so powerful

cl

d generate that ki

d by the vibration of my phone on the nightstand

er: We are n

stark, commanding. No greeting,

me because I was a loose end. I was the mistake that could tarnish his reputation, the stain on hi

y, desperate to end this before he co

never happene

esponse. I hit the 'B

room, though the hollow ache in my che

in horror, thinking he had somehow bypassed the block

rd and answere

e. "I'm calling to make sure you understand the terms of your termination. You

r," I said, my voice

eds them for the morning briefing. If those papers aren't on the front desk in twenty minutes, I will make

ne wen

erger the Pack was handling. If I lost that, Dannie wouldn't jus

I dragged my battered suitcase onto the mattress

ut jeans, my only nice dress. I dug through the s

th

no, n

My toiletries scattered. My socks rolled under the b

er the mess. A memory, sharp

to gather my clothes while Declan watched me with those unreadable, g

d le

mportant document of

y phone, at the blocked number, at the bridge

to g

s den, past the security, and knock on

twisted sense of humor.