tte

dark strands of hair against my cheeks. I stood at the corner of the s

y and leave my legal doc

still locked inside the fireproof lockbox under the foyer console. If I left

rising puddles, and marched straight

unlatched d

or wall. The three people huddled in the center of

er throat. "You dare kick my door? I will have the n

directly past Julian, heading straight fo

his tantrum! Just give Karmen the deed. I will personally write you a

ping around my sleeve. A wave of

d, my voice flat. "Don't touch

tightened in

Look at her. A dried-up Wolfless who doesn't even have a Heat cycle. No high-born Alpha would

arm out of J

k, I stepped into her space and sna

st skin echoed through

ashed sideways onto the sofa cushions. She let out an ear-splittin

inda roared, lunging at me wi

ripped the corner of the heavy wooden console and leaned d

t with the Pack Elder Council for systemic financial embezzlem

ace draining of color. Low-ranking pack members like her lived in mortal terror of the Elde

t brass dial on my lockbox, and

er seals, my passport, and my last remaining physical de

lt and frustration. "Did you really have to burn ev

over my shoulders and

redit at your firm," I said, meeting his shifting gaze. "Now that my blueprints

anger. "You were never a real woman to me! You lived like a machine, buried in

he'll drain your bank accounts fast

toward

ith raw hatred. "Walk out that door and you won't se

threshold, turnin

o since I was eighteen," I said calmly. "Yo

t the heavy brass key to the front

fee table, shattering a water

ister, and no partner. Cross my path again, and

e door shut behind me, severing the

y skyline, shaking the concrete beneath my boots. I hugged my backpack to my

ed out weeks ago. Freezing rain blew right

unicator, trying to tap on a ride

threw up a shower of white static li

ning my forehead against the c

ding a sheet of muddy water flying across my knees. I staggered b

pressed my thumb into the center of my palm, diggi

morning, Victor Stone would demand answers

nder the broken roof, and began the long walk toward the

ghts flickered dimly through the dense curtain of ra

roar shattered the soun

ath my boots be

hrough the darkness behind me, casting m

lack steel that looked more like a military assault tank than a c

raged predator. And it was hea