myself perched in my commanding officer's meticu

makes my skin crawl. It's not that I'm a slob, but being a

t trust me?" I try to keep my tone ste

only lycan commanding officer in our region, a fact that i

rown. As usual, his piercing black eyes narrow at me across hi

n over two years. His sidekick popping up is a big deal. Hard to sw

t failing spectacularly. No matter how grateful I am that Onyx

, I was shot down instantly. He reacted as if I

p in Virginia, near a college town. Nothing confirmed yet. Our best are on it. No need to get your fu

nt pen next to his sleek laptop. Everyth

d for this mission. Sure, I knew I might be turned down, but a small part of m

cisions, and I need to accep

pite me consistently being top of my class for the past 52 ye

ions. I haven't moved up a rank in over two decades.

ost are dispatched to packs to become warriors-a chill

ttled down when they found their

r as a warrior. I can't bear being the errand boy any longer,

's office. His nostrils twitch as he

ngs open to reve

he's lean, muscular, and steps into the office with a pu

ble, her anxiety wafting off

He's evidently reading something in his mate's expression and wants me

art; my skin's been getting

fast as my legs can carry me. The need for fre

sting an eerie gloom. The sharp scent of gunpowder and m

o my sweet ab

prawl on his bed. Our sleeping arrangements are oppos

two closets, and the two queen-sized beds for our larger

o keep my sanity, I often find myself in t

en a mission takes us out o

d on the floor, engrossed in a magazine

bed, shaking my head, eyes fixated on

rs, his voice heavy with disinterest. His eyes s

yanking the magazine f

umbles in his typic

what some human celebs are up to?" Randy scoffs, holdin

s listening to Ethan brood all day," Asher

nd you in hot water one of these days,"

her grumbles, rolling his emerald-green eyes an

don't you think?" Randy tries to reason. Asher shuts his eyes,

lings... at least no

I was a toddler. Not a single trace of her was

O for short, swooped in and took me under their wing. By th

er. The feeling of being invisible as a kid was perplexing. To tackle that,

f any emotional attachment. They saw me as a status symbol, nothing mo

wned upon. So they did what any sneaky, loaded folks

t mom had a challenging pregnancy and had to be kept away till she r

sixteen, I had the g

the stronger ones, shift earlier. The moment I shifted, I took off. The Guar

n breaks my reverie, his words cuttin

The training room," Randy

e dude's already a mo

a snail on the stakeout yesterday," I lecture him,

the mission still lingers. The feeling

a foot chase, I would've been ready," Asher

. Asher retaliates by smacking his brother'

ickering. Randy is a good 300 years older tha

anned but j

r, and it's hard not

ter pill I've learned to swallow. The doubts about whet

ve a soul mate, n

Howard, built like a mountain, fills the doorway, blocking any trace o

blem?" Randy asks,

e's co