ian

room doors

" the assistant

a blur, desperate to get away from the thick wall of Alpha pheromones. Needing space for the medicine to settle in my burning chest, I ran out into

d from the shadows. I quickly straigh

e checked a box without looking up at me. "You're in. Mai

ngle, tight no

ged breath, but the relief lasted less than a second. A massive sha

t look su

p growl that rattled di

e box, and no distance. Up close, his six-foot-three frame completely dominated

to move past him. "

way like a gunshot. Trapping me against the wall, his massive body loomed over mine. He leaned down, his face

m strained. I didn't move. I couldn't

he heavy silence. "You hide your scent like a Beta... bu

wn now, the weight of his predatory p

against his chest. I felt the hard muscle beneath his expensive shirt, trying

ree hand flashed forward, his large fingers bruising the skin of my chin as his grip loc

kept his voice calm, despite the t

his chest pressed into mine. He didn't need to raise his vo

refusing to wince. "You're overthin

locking back onto mine. "You're managing your biology well, I'll give you that. But the

apex Alpha pheromones made my blood run dangerous

d. "I don't know what

ed part since you walked through the front doors. But the ice doesn't lie, rookie. Your center of gravity, yo

. That's the only metric that matter

r n

back,

humb over my lower lip with rough fr

as I moved into his space, a flicker of raw heat flared under my skin. The double-dos

most black as they locked onto the hollow of my throat whe

," he said, his voi

gainst his chest, my heart hammering

credibly reckless. If anyone else in this management group had a single shred of raw inst

ort it. Go tell the board you're afraid of an

He didn't look threatened; he l

e back of my neck. His fingers tangled into my hair just enough to keep me pinned. "No. I'm going to see exactly how far this little

burning, and walked away toward the

oxygen finally rushed back into my lungs. The beast had smelle

ead hallway speaker

echoed down the corridor. "Per Captain's request, roster number eighty-seven

meant maximum media visibility, maximum physical impact, and zero room to hide my sce