“Six,” Violet says, already standing. “Since our mating ceremony three months ago, it seems like every pack in the region wants to send people to congratulate us in person. I understand that it’s customary, but it’s also exhausting.” Shegathers her things, offering us both a sincere smile. “We’ll catch up later, okay?”
Violet heads for the door, and as I watch her leave, I can’t help the warm feeling that blooms in my chest. There’s calmness in the way she moves now, a certain relaxed confidence that wasn’t quite there before. Being married to Darius definitely suits her. Plus, she’s been handling the responsibilities that come with being luna incredibly well.
It makes me so proud of her. She deserves this.
“Violet’s doing amazing, isn’t she?” Sienna says softly, apparently able to read my mind.
“Yeah. She really is.”
We finish our coffee with not much more conversation, and eventually, we drift back to our respective desks.
The hours crawl by. I keep glancing at the clock, watching the minutes tick closer to two. It’s not that I’m particularly excited about meeting the new head of security; it’s more that the anticipation has infected the entire office, and it’s hard not to get caught up in it.
At 1:55, I save my work and stand up. Around me, other staff members are doing the same, gathering notebooks and phones, straightening their clothes, and preparing for the meeting.
By the time I arrive at the conference room, it’s already filling up, with people clustering in groups and chatting in low voices. The energy is different from our usual meetings. It’s lighter, almost festive. This is just an introduction, not a presentation or anything, so everyone is naturally more at ease.
I spot Sienna near the middle of the room and make my way over to her. She’s talking to someone from Operations but breaks off when she sees me, making space at her side.
Around us, the chatter continues. Speculation is rife about who the new hire could be. People talk about whether they’ll be strict or laid back and what changes they may implement.
The air in the room suddenly shifts. Then, out of nowhere, I feel the hairs on the back of my neck rise. There’s a strange, prickling sensation that slams into me like a freight train. My pulse stutters, then starts beating harder, faster, as if I’ve just sprinted a mile.
What the heck?
My eyes dart around on pure instinct, scanning the whole room. It’s like my body senses something my mind hasn’t caught up to yet. But everything looks normal. Everyone’s still talking, lost in their speculations, laughing. There’s no danger, nothing odd or out of place.
So, why am I feeling this way?
My hand flies to my chest, and my goodness, my heart is pounding. What the hell is going on? I’m not anxious. I’m not particularly excited. There’s no reason for my body to be reacting like this.
Inside me, my wolf stirs sharply. I can feel her perking up, alert and tense, as though she senses something I can’t see. The very atmosphere feels charged.
“Anne? Are you okay?” Sienna’s voice reaches me as if through thick glass, even though she’s standing right next to me.
I open my mouth, but no words come out. Something is…off.
Then, the room falls silent. Pin-drop quiet.
Sienna’s eyes leave mine and flick toward the doorway. I follow her gaze and see why: Alpha Darius has stepped into the room, his presence alone commanding immediate attention. Every conversation dies mid-sentence. Every head turns toward him.
He doesn’t waste time on preambles. “I would like to introduce the new head of the Moonvale security department, Mr. Kain Ashford.”
Mr. Kain Ashford…
Mr. Kain Ashford?!
Darius says a few more things, but my brain has stopped processing sound. The name he just announced echoes inside my skull like a struck gong.
I watch the Alpha turn and beckon toward the doorway.
A man steps into the room, and the wind is knocked from my lungs.
He’s tall. Broad-shouldered. His hair is short, dark, and neatly trimmed. But those eyes…
Amber gold. Warm and intense. Impossibly familiar.
Impossibly him.
