a P

buttoned the blouse all the way to my chin, and covere

ain to work like n

and I was going to keep my job, and in five years I was going to have m

rt of Silvercrest territory. Every wolf in the pack wanted to work here. I'd gotten in on a scholarship, a

thirty. So did Maggie

a coffee mug that said WORLD'S OKAYEST BETA. She was one of the few people in Acquis

get

"Lucian Shaw. Mr. Jennings said he might walk the flo

ch turne

I said. "

ost went under after that scandal six years ago, he came home and pulled them out with his bare hands." Maggie wiggl

d that I hope

hed the button for twenty-eight and stood at th

d to slide shut when

it, pl

r. He gave us a polite smile. "Apologies. The executive elevator is down

on my arm

alke

t hit me, cedar and smoke and cold night air, and it went st

he man in glasses had already done the same. Down the hall, I could see two security gua

olf exc

a thing. I had

traight at him, with my

wed me hard

lled forward over my face. Perfect. Good. I left it there, a brown c

ed. "Good morning, sir. We

ta

t voice. I'd heard it against my e

s Lucian Shaw, your new CEO. I'm L

Reyes." Maggie

mbled into my ha

" he

doors closed. We

'd never noticed how s

with the Council liaison. Something about a land deal in the north. He answered

d slowly, carefully, i

ck of his head, the wide line of his shoulders, his reflection. And mine. A gi

lve. Floo

I watched him lift

his nost

kind of still that a predato

ty-four. T

slid sideways in the steel, down and across, until they

o

i

ty-e

e doors had finished opening, and I

tch

was a gorgeous, long-legged she-wolf from an old pack family. Her uncle sat on the board

h. Then she looked past me at the elevator, where the doors were st

d, catching up. "Honey, what's wrong wit

looked me up and down, from my cheap shoes to my wrecked hair. "Don't

ghed. I almo

lipstick," I said, a

the floor doors opened, my heart jumped into my throat. But he never came down. By fiv

nt that night with a dozen girls. He proba

, the phone o

s, Nora Quin

. Smooth. Wire-rimmed glasses. "This i

nt numb aroun

e you in his office," he s