“Right,” she said, her voice shaky. “The office. Where I do my work. Professionally. Like a professional.”
The knowledge that he’d flustered her shouldn’t have been as satisfying as it was.
“Now, kitten,” he ordered, and forced himself to remain in position as she fled, the hem of her skirt fluttering high on her thighs and exposing a glimpse of pale skin with every step.
Fuck.He started shedding his clothes as soon as she was out of sight, transforming as soon as he hit the back porch, and racing into the woods.
He ran until his muscles burned and his lungs ached, pushing himself to the brink of exhaustion, trying to outrun the memory of her lips, the sight of her in that ridiculously tempting skirt, and the challenging way she’d met the elders’ accusations with nothing but the truth.
He ran until the moon rose high and white in the sky, and still it wasn’t enough to quiet the howling in his soul.
Chapter Ten
Adrian’s presence filled his office even when he wasn’t there. His scent lingered in the leather of his chair, the wood of his desk, the very air she breathed. It was like being surrounded by a ghost—intangible but impossible to ignore.
Five days until the full moon,Harper reminded herself as she settled into her corner workspace. His intensity is just… lunar-influenced. It’s biology, not interest.
But Irene’s words kept circling back.When wolves are interested in something, they watch it. Constantly. Possessively.
She pulled up her network analysis and forced herself to focus. The meeting had gone better than she’d expected—Adrian’s support notwithstanding—and she had actual work to do. Phase One implementation required detailed planning, resource allocation, coordination with suppliers who could deliver to a remote mountain compound full of werewolves…
Her fingers flew across the keyboard, slipping into the familiar rhythm of problem-solving. This was her comfort zone, the placewhere her brain worked best. Code didn’t have complicated social hierarchies or lunar cycles or scents that made her pulse race. Code just was logical and predictable and infinitely more manageable than one frustrating Alpha.
A knock at the door interrupted her flow.
“Come in?”
The wolf who entered was one of the younger ones from the meeting—the cocky one who’d questioned why a human should advise them. Up close, he was handsome in an obvious way, all sharp cheekbones and confident swagger.
“Coleman sent me. Said you might need help setting up equipment.”
“Coleman?” she frowned. “The second-in-command?”
“The very same.” The wolf leaned against the doorframe, his posture deliberately casual. “I’m Jared. We weren’t properly introduced earlier.”
“Probably because you were too busy questioning my qualifications.”
“Professional skepticism.” He gave her an unrepentant grin. “Nothing personal. You handled yourself well, though. Most humans get all nervous and submissive when the elders start posturing.”
“I don’t do submissive.”
“I noticed.” Jared’s gaze drifted down over her legs. “It’s refreshing. Most human women who visit the pack are all wide-eyed and trembling, waiting for the big bad wolves to pounce.”
“Should I be trembling?”
“That depends.” He pushed off the doorframe, taking a step closer. “Do you scare easily?”
She opened her mouth to respond, but before she could speak, a low growl resonated through the office.
Jared went very still.
She turned to find Adrian standing in the doorway, his expression thunderous. The growl continued, a rumbling warning that seemed to vibrate in her chest, and she watched Jared’s cocky posture dissolve completely.
“Alpha. I was just?—”
“Leaving.” Adrian’s voice was barely recognizable, roughened by something that sounded almost feral. “Now.”
Jared left. He didn’t quite run, but it was close.
