Samuel’s mouth curved in a knowing half smile before Barney reclaimed his attention.
I swallowed a sigh. My alpha was hot and he damn well knew it.
I was distracted by the sight of Hugh leaning against the water station as I made my way to my desk. He was scrolling through hisphone with the dedication of a man who got paid to be on social media.
He brightened when he spotted me. “Abby. Perfect timing. I need your opinion on something.”
“If it’s about what to wear on your next date, the answer is no.” I frowned. “I still haven’t seen any signs of that T-shirt you borrowed.”
Hugh avoided my eyes. “I’ll return it. After I get it, er, dry cleaned.”
My mouth flattened to a thin line. “You and Beatrice had better not have done anything dirty to it.”
Hugh scratched his cheek sheepishly. “Define dirty.”
Bo sat on his rump, his tail sweeping the floor. “It was super dirty. I can feel it in my bones!”
Hugh cleared his throat at my scowl. “Anyway.” He held up his phone and showed me an image of what appeared to be a very fluffy cat wearing a tiny wizard hat. “Beatrice suggested I make Pearl go viral. We thought it might be good for the firm’s reputation, considering the recent incidents. Beatrice agreed we needed some good vibes on social.”
Bo looked at me. “This guy and his new girlfriend have a death wish.”
He wasn’t wrong.
“Pearl would never hurt me,” Hugh said with more confidence than he ought to.
I noted with interest that he didn’t deny he and Beatrice were now a couple.
“Pearl literally tried to push you down the stairs last week,” I reminded him.
“That was a loving tap,” Hugh waved dismissively.
“With the Toe Beans of Death,” Bo contributed with gruesome enthusiasm.
“Besides, look at this filter,” Hugh continued, pointedly ignoring my dog. “It adds sparkles. She’d look majestic with that hat on.”
I decided Hugh’s survival instincts were his own problem and continued toward my desk. Gavin was already seated at his and was surrounded by a small fortress of fire extinguishers. Janet’s office door was closed, the muffled sounds issuing from beyond suggesting she was working through some post-full-moon stress. Nigel and Mindy were nowhere to be seen.
My desk, unfortunately, was not empty.
Didi sat in my chair, her arms crossed. Piles of folders that looked older than some of the vampires I’d met rose next to her elbow.
Her expression could have curdled milk at fifty paces.
Bo shuffled behind me. “You sure you didn’t do anything to that witch?”
“You’ve been with me this entire time,” I muttered.
Didi spotted us and lowered her brows. “You’re late.”
I sighed. “Again, I’m fifteen minutes early.”
She ignored me. “I’ve been here since seven.” She stood and jabbed a finger at my chair. “Sit.”
Since Didi was technically my immediate superior, I sat. Bo wisely retreated under the desk and picked up his squeaky toy.
“What’s going on?” I asked, eyeingthe folders warily. They had the musty smell of old magic and bureaucracy, which even in my newly turned werewolf experience was a dangerous combination that screamed overtime.
“We have a situation.” Didi pulled a document from the nearest stack and slapped it down in front of me. “Three weeks ago, the Lincoln sisters officially transferred their Alliance seat to Melody Flowers. I processed the paperwork myself.” She paused. “The agreement was meant to be temporary.”
