Vivienne.
The name surfaced like a corpse from dark water, dragging memories with it. The woman who had destroyed his father with her schemes and her betrayals. And even then his father had made him promise to take care of her after his death. She’d remained in the pack, spreading poison and creating divisions, until she’d finally gone too far and kidnapped Derek’s mate.
He’d exiled her, but the lessons of those years had carved themselves into his bones.
Never trust a beautiful woman. Never let them get too close. Never forget that beauty and intelligence can mask a poisonous heart.
“Are you going to back out?” Derek asked, pulling him back to the present.
“Of the deal? No. No matter how much they bitch, we need this.”
“Good. Then we need to start on some upgrades. The pack’s technology is prehistoric. You’re still using dial-up in the main lodge, for God’s sake. If we’re going to make this partnership work, you need proper connectivity. Secure networks. Digital infrastructure that can support modern business operations.”
He sighed. “I know. We’ve been meaning to upgrade for years.”
“Then we’ll take care of it.” Derek eyed him over the rim of his coffee cup. “I need Harper to do it.”
“Absolutely not.” The refusal was instantaneous, visceral. “I’m not bringing a human woman out to the pack lands. Especially not her.”
“Why not her?” Derek’s tone was dangerously mild.
“Because…”Because she’s tiny and fragile and smells like wildflowers and my wolf wants to roll in her scent until it’s all over us. Because she has giant grey eyes behind those ridiculous glasses and a voice that makes me want to do things I haven’t wanted to do in years. Because one encounter in a hallway and I’m already thinking about her in my bed.“Because she’s not pack. She’s a city girl. She wouldn’t last five minutes out there.”
“She’s tougher than she looks,” Derek said calmly. “She grew up in the system. Bounced from foster home to foster home until she was old enough to fend for herself. She survived MIT. She can handle a few grumpy werewolves.”
He winced. Bounced from home to home. No family. No pack. The wildflower scent suddenly seemed less like a meadow after the rain and more like something fragile that had somehow managed to bloom in the cracks of a hard world.
“She’s the most qualified person I have for this job,” his brother added. “And frankly, she’s the only person I trust to set up your security systems properly.”
“Find someone else.”
“There is no one else.” Derek’s voice hardened. “Harper is good at her job, she keeps to herself, and she won’t cause problems. She’s not Vivienne, Adrian.”
The name hung in the air between them like smoke.
“You don’t know that,” Adrian said quietly.
“Actually, I do.” Derek leaned forward, his expression intent. “She’s not going to seduce your pack into rebellion. She’s going to hide in whatever room you give her, build you the most secure network on the island, and probably never make eye contact with anyone for the entire two months she’s there.”
Two months.
Two months of that scent. Two months of big eyes and nervous rambling and pink hair catching the morning light. Two months of his wolf straining at its leash, wanting things he couldn’t afford to want.
“The Elders will fight it.”
“Let them fight. You’re the Alpha. Override them.”
“It’s not that simple.”
“It is exactly that simple.” Derek turned to look out at the harbor below. “The pack is dying, Adrian. Not dramatically, not quickly, but dying nonetheless. Your young wolves have no future in logging and hunting. Your traditions won’t pay their bills or give them purpose. You need this deal, and you need it to work, which means you need Harper.”
He closed his eyes. His wolf was pacing in circles now, confused by the conflicting signals—the draw of Harper’s scent warring with the deep-seated fear of beautiful women, the demands ofhis pack battling with the instinct that screamedmate, mate, MATE?—
No. Not mate. Never that.
“Two months,” he said finally. “She stays two months, sets up your systems, and leaves. No socializing with pack members. No—”No touching, no scent-marking, no making my wolf lose his goddamn mind.“No unnecessary interaction. She does her job and goes.”
Derek turned back towards him, his smile returning. “Agreed. Though I think you’ll find Harper doesn’t want unnecessary interaction. She’s practically allergic to people.”
