sed against the floor-to-ceiling window

taring back had slightly disheveled hair, her face still carrying the pale residue of a sleepless night. Dark shadows clung beneath her eyes. She cupped a palm full of i

sleeve and snif

nt, but un

p-tier Alpha scent had already seeped into her clothes and hair. It was bare

to her skin with practiced efficiency, patting and blending until every trace of that cedar scent had been pressed down into nothi

less rogue carrying the Alpha King's scent would be branded as someone who had "climbed using

rcle yesterday on her own merit. She re

light bleeding through the crack beneath it. The corridor was so quiet she could hear the click of her own heels e

or a fraction of a secon

en in her mind. "Whatever you hear tonigh

kered to life, and her fingers moved across the keyboard with practiced efficiency, routing the

i

phone

g is buzzing this morning. Word is the top floor was locked down last ni

rs froze abov

oor lo

marks. And beyond the door, the sound of a beast's growl, forcibly suppressed. He had b

and pressed down the fa

was just a routine

straightened her collar, an

ablets, all of them wearing the subtle territorial awareness that came with belonging to a Pack. Chloe was at the front desk, sorting through a stack of documents. The moment she spotted Da

sweet, deliberately pitched loud enou

ck registration rarely made it into the highest core circles. Especially someone who, just yesterday, had b

catch any trace of what had happened on the top floor last night. But Darcy

don't even have a formal Pack registration. And last night, the top floor was in complete chaos. If the Elders' Council st

ice came out flat and mild. "Since when does fro

t a fraction of a second. "

too much isn't good for

unter and walked past her without another

to close when a large, powerfu

ned outside. The doors slid shut with a soft thud

ned almost imperceptib

t night's heat came rushing back from some

o the side, her posture cool and pro

ed all the way to the top, then moved slowly to the skin behind her ear. The

cl

." Asher's voice was lo

here as the project lead. Not as an Omega who

the elevator thickened, pressing against her. "D

ight assume I couldn't get t

yes that never wavered, never backed dow

ai

r had already looked away, as if he'd

one thing y

ha

entered your room, or did you pull me in yourself?" H

used, barely noti

control office last night. He had waited. The door had opened becau

i

slid open. Darcy

is excellent,

er, his voice low and even. "

gers had unconsciously pressed

corner of the fi

om the executive elevator. Her nails dug into her palm. Jealousy and panic warred behind her eyes. Darcy

visible she became. And the more visible she became, the easier she was to find. Chloe's

cting director, lowering her v

Kingston on her. She doesn't even have Pack registration. The C

tor let out a co

o the core circle? If she's so good at risk contr

-floor risk c

ck of materials when the acting directo

L

of documents h

ect. It needs to be calculated and signed, with the liability waiver, b

f the file, her voice sharp. "This isn't even in her revie

her voice dropping to an

If you sign now, you're taking full responsibility. They'll use it to kick yo

ir. She slowly lifted her

ing documents. Today, you deliver another one to my des

r's face darkened.

at you have independent pe

ugh the glass. She knew exactly what he was waiting for. For her to refuse publi

on the file, then pulled the papers toward

l have your re

o leave. The venomous look he shot back

y sound in the office was th

didn't rush to sign. Instead, she started from the first

the final page, h

precise cut mark. The attachment num

ial pages, the cross-border risk liability

e "unauthorized approved high-risk disclosure." She'd not only lose her project

tch. Three hours until

e calmly pulled her encrypted USB drive, plugged it into the terminal,

ompared each one. And there, the original electronic version,

in her chair, her

a blade, tonight, she'd give them