Miss Morgan

Ethan sank into his chair while waiting for Liam and Jason to bring the woman they claimed bears his mark, closing his eyes to reach inward.

'Shadow, what was that all about?', he called to the beast within. 'Tell me it isn’t true, you didn’t mark anyone, did you?'

The wolf growled low, restless. 'I think we did… I tasted her blood. I remember her warmth and her scent. But her face… it’s fog. I cannot recall who she was.'

Ethan’s jaw tightened. 'How the hell can you not remember? This isn’t some drunken brawl, Shadow, this is our mark. That means forever.'

A frustrated snarl echoed in his chest. 'We were consumed. She belonged in that moment. That’s all I know.'

Ethan’s hand dragged over his face. Shadow had never been reckless before, never made a mistake, but now… there was nothing but fragments, the pounding of a heart, the trembling of soft skin, the desperate moan that had undone his restraint. Whoever she was, carried his mark, and now every wolf would recognize her as his Luna.

Meanwhile

RUBY

​Today was my first day back at the office after a three-week leave. Although I'm a freelancer and not technically entitled to a break, I've been working here for five years, and I felt I deserved it. The time off was for me to prepare for my next step: resigning to focus on my diner full-time.

​Like always, I walked in with a sunny smile, greeting everyone. But something felt off. It seemed like everyone had their eyes on me, which was unsettling. I hadn't told anyone about my plans to leave, and even if I had, I was sure there were plenty of people ready to fill my position the moment it became vacant.

As I stepped off the elevator and onto my office floor, I noticed an unsettling change in the atmosphere. The chatter among my colleagues died down, and some looked at me with a deference I didn't understand, as if I were suddenly above them. Unnerved, I quickly tugged at the scarf around my neck to ensure it was concealing the mark.

​Doris Smith, my work rival, was one person who never tried to hide her dislike for me. She was a fierce competitor and believed she was better qualified for my position. Today, however, she did a double take when she saw me and was even the first to greet me.

"Good morning, Ruby, hope you enjoyed your leave?," she said cheerfully, though the smile didn't reach her eyes.

​"Yeah, Good morning to you too, Doris," I responded hesistantly. I never expected her to suddenly be friendly with me. When I got to my office, there were people staring at me through the glass walls. Maybe I had something on my face, I thought, mortified. That would explain everything. But when I pulled out my compact mirror, my makeup was in place, and my face was clean.

​I checked my dress suit again, wondering if there was a stain or something on it. Nothing. The stares reminded me of high school, particularly the day I went to school dressed up because Whitney had insisted.

​Instinctively, I pulled out my phone and dialed Whitney's number. She picked up on the first ring.

​"Do you think they know?" I breathed into the phone.

​"What are you talking about?" she asked.

​"I mean, everyone keeps staring. Maybe they all can tell," I said, hoping she would have some advice to calm my nerves.

​"Oh, come on, Ruby, there's no way in hell anyone would know something like that unless you told them," she said after a good laugh.

​"But they are staring," I insisted.

​"Are they laughing?" she asked more seriously.

​I shook my head, even though I knew she couldn't see me. "No, it's just like they saw something that I didn't."

​"Ignore them, Rubes. They're probably staring because you dazzled them," Whitney said to reassure me. With her words in mind, I did my best to concentrate on my work.

It was almost noon when one of the company's board of directors, Mr. Donovan, walked into my office. He was an incredibly handsome man and, among the three bosses, his aloofness made him seem the most approachable. Although I had never had any direct contact with him, I had seen him on several occasions.

​"Good day, Miss...?" he said in a crisp tone as he walked in. I stood up to greet him.

​"Morgan. Miss Morgan," I said, introducing myself. Now, I was certain I must have done something to bring a boss down to my office.

"To what do I owe this honor" I asked searching his eyes, why had he come? was he aware I wanted to quit?

​"The pleasure is all mine," he said with a big smile that completely unsettled me. Now, even more people were staring.

​"Can I help you with something?" I tried to get him to state his purpose, especially when even he started gawking at me.

​"Oh, pardon me, but can you come upstairs with me?" he asked. No one had ever been invited upstairs before, and unless I had done something wrong or was in some kind of trouble, I couldn't imagine why I would be invited now.

"May I ask why?" I asked, but he had already turned and was walking toward the door. He didn't turn around when he replied.

​"You'll see," he said, waiting for me. Still confused as to why he would come down here just to get me, I hesitated.

​"Can I decline?" I asked.

​This time, he actually turned around and looked me over.

"Sure," he said in an exasperated tone. "It just means the boss will have to come down to get you himself."

​The boss? Wouldn't that be the overall boss, as in the company's CEO? Why would the CEO want to see me? I hadn't done anything to get noticed by the top boss, had I? Reluctantly I followed him, there wasn't many options left anyway.

ETHAN

I was waiting in my office when the elevator door opened, and a scent hit me. It was unmistakably mine but mixed with a mild scent of lavender.

​My chest expanded as I inhaled sharply. Shadow roared to life. It’s her!

​I couldn't stand the suspense any longer, so I swung the door open. There she stood, Ruby, my drunk runaway. I should have known. Liam stood proudly at her side, as if he'd just dragged home a trophy.

"Boss," he greeted, his eyes dancing with triumph. "This is Miss Morgan."

​For a long moment, I simply stared, my heart pounding like a drum. She was smaller than I remembered, her eyes wide with uncertainty and caution. I was a little hurt by the way she stared back at me blankly. She probably had no idea why Liam had brought her here.

​"Mr. Donovan," she hissed under her breath, peeling her eyes away from me to look at Liam. "You said..."

​But the rest of her words died when I said firmly.

​"Come right in," and when she walked in cautiously, Liam stood at the door gawking, "Get lost," I said without looking at him. My voice was low, and it brooked no argument.

​Liam smirked knowingly, gave her another look, and stepped back toward the elevator. "Have fun," he muttered before disappearing.

​She blinked, and panic flickered in her eyes, making my heart sink. I would never hurt her if that's what she was worried about.

​"Do you know," I started, my voice low and thick, "what you've done to me?"

​Her lips parted, confusion written on her face. Her voice was barely a whisper. "I... I don't understand."

​Her words struck me like a blow. She had no idea who I was to her or what she had become. And then she lifted her hand to brush over the scarf covering my mark. She should be wearing it with pride not hiding it. My eyes drifted to her hand, still resting on her neck.

​"I was huh, I was told you wanted to see me," she said.

"Take a good look and tell me you don't remember," I said when there was still no sign of recognition in her eyes. She looked into my eyes, and I practically enjoyed seeing the surprise when recognition slowly flickered on hers. Her breath hitched. Finally.

​I stepped closer, closing the distance until the edge of my desk pressed against her back.

​“Stop touching your neck,” I growled softly, my hand reaching for the scarf. I pulled it off to reveal my mark.

​She jerked her hand away, embarrassed. “It was… I didn’t…”

​I leaned down, my lips close to her ear. “You have no idea how hard it is… standing here and not taking you again.”

Her breath hitched, and that was all the permission I needed. I bent over and planted a kiss on her neck, right where my mark was. She lets out a soft, unbidden moan, the sound vibrating against my lips. Her knees buckled, so I scooped her up, and in the next instant, she was perched on the edge of my desk.

​Her head tipped back, exposing the vulnerable line of her throat as if in surrender. The sight made me chuckle, a low, dark and hungry sound.

​“You’ve been waiting for this, too, haven’t you?” I murmured, my mouth brushing her skin with every word. I gripped her hips possessively, keeping her close. “You were such an innocent thing, but now… look at you.”

Her chest rose and fell in quick, uneven breaths. Her fingers fisted in the front of me shirt, tugging me closer.

“I-I…” she tried, but her voice dissolved into a gasp when I nipped at her pulse, using my teeth to graze where I had bitten her. Then pulled back just enough to look at her eyes. I could smell her arousal, it was raw and unhidden.

“Ruby,” I called. “You drive me insane.”

And then my mouth was on hers, hard and claiming, the kiss was not like a gentle stolen moments, it was fierce and full of need. She responded in kind, kissing me back with equal desperation.

Her legs wrapped around my waist almost instinctively, drawing me closer and pulling me into the heat that throbbed between them. I groaned against her mouth, my hands began to slid over her thighs, and up her sides to memorizing every inch of her.