Chapter 2

The room went silent.

Too silent.

My hand burned from the impact. His cheek bore the faint imprint of my fingers, a red mark blooming across his golden skin.

I had slapped an Alpha.

Not just any Alpha. The Alpha Heir of the Nightfall Pack.

Fear crashed through me like ice water. My wolf whimpered, recognizing the danger I had put us in. Father would be furious. Mother would be horrified. I had been here less than ten minutes and already destroyed any chance of professional credibility.

Worse, I had committed an offense. A subordinate striking a superior was grounds for disciplinary action. For banishment. For—

“I’m sorry.” The words tumbled out. “I apologize. I should not have—”

Lucian laughed.

The sound was rich and warm, filling the office with genuine amusement. His shoulders shook. He ran a hand through his dark hair, shaking his head.

“You’re apologizing?” He looked at me with those amber eyes, and they were dancing with mirth. “After I deserved every bit of what you gave me?”

I stared at him. “You’re not angry?”

“Angry?” He touched his cheek, still grinning. “I’m impressed. Most wolves wouldn’t have the spine to do what you did. They’d stand there, smile politely, pretend they weren’t offended.”

“I offended an Alpha.”

“You defended your dignity.” He buttoned his cuffs, composing himself. “There’s a difference. One I respect.”

My heart was still racing. “My father will—”

“Your father will what?” Lucian’s expression shifted, became more serious. “Be proud his daughter doesn’t tolerate disrespect? Because he should be.”

I did not know what to say to this. The playboy heir who had been buried inside another woman minutes ago was now defending my honor. The whiplash was disorienting.

“Look,” he continued, walking to the window. “I was testing you. Pushing boundaries. Seeing if the legendary Aurelia Sinclair was all reputation or if there was substance beneath.”

“By propositioning me?”

“By being myself.” He turned back. “This is who I am. Blunt. Sexual. Unapologetic. If you’re going to work here, you need to know what you’re dealing with.”

“A man-child with no self-control?”

His grin returned. “See? I like you already.”

“You like being insulted?”

“I like honesty.” He moved to his desk, pressed a button on the phone. “Margot? Yes, I need you to prepare the office beside mine. Our new security consultant needs a workspace.” He paused, listening. “No, not the storage room. The office beside mine that has a magnificent view. Full access to our systems.” Another pause. “Because I said so.”

He hung up and looked at me. “You’ll have everything you need. Computer access, personnel files, building schematics. I want you to do the job my grandmother hired you for.”

“Which is?”

“Find the weaknesses in our security. Test our defenses. Make recommendations.” He sat on the edge of his desk. “You’re here because someone’s been making threats against our pack. Subtle ones. Anonymous. My grandmother wants the best mind available to figure out who and why.”

This was new information. The contract had been vague, mentioning general security consultation. Nothing about threats.

“What kind of threats?”

“Letters. Emails. All untraceable. Claiming there are traitors within our ranks. Promising exposure. Promising blood.” His face hardened. “My grandmother doesn’t scare easily, but she’s concerned enough to bring in outside help.”

“She doesn’t trust her own pack to investigate?”

“She trusts me. And I trust my instincts.” He looked at me with an intensity beyond flirtation or games. “You’re here because you see things others miss. Because you don’t have loyalties muddying your judgment.”

I processed this. A security threat. Anonymous communications. Potential traitors. This was the work I was trained for, the challenge I craved.

“When do I start?”

“Tomorrow morning. Eight sharp.” He stood. “Margot will show you to your office, get you set up with credentials. You’ll need to sign some additional NDAs, standard protocol.”

“And you?”

“What about me?”

“Will you be…” I searched for the right words. “Involved in this investigation?”

“I’m the Alpha Heir. Everything in this pack involves me.” He walked closer, and I fought the urge to step back. “But I’ll try to keep my clothes on during our meetings, if you prefer.”

Heat crept up my neck. “Professional boundaries would be appreciated.”

“Professional. Right.” He was close enough now for me to smell cedar and smoke again. “Tell me something, Aurelia. When you watched me earlier, what did you feel?”

“Disgust.”

“Liar.”

“Shock.”

“And?” He tilted his head. “What else?”

I met his gaze. Refused to look away. “Nothing you need to know about.”

His smile was slow and dangerous. “You’re going to be fun to work with.”

“I’m not here for your entertainment.”

“No. You’re here to do a job.” He stepped back, giving me space. “And I’m going to let you do what you want. But understand something. This pack, this territory, these people are my responsibility. My grandmother brought you in, and I respect her judgment. But if I think you’re a threat, if I sense you’re working against us…”

He did not finish the sentence. He did not need to. The Alpha power rolling off him finished the thought more clearly than words.

“I’m here to help,” I said quietly.

“Then we’ll get along fine.” The dangerous edge faded from his expression. “Margot will find you. Get settled. Read the files. We’ll meet tomorrow to discuss your preliminary assessment.”

“Understood.”

I turned to leave, hand on the door handle.

“Aurelia?”

I looked back.

“For what it’s worth, I’m glad you’re here.” His expression was unreadable. “I think you’re going to shake things up in ways this pack desperately needs.”

I did not respond. Did not trust myself to parse genuine sentiment from practiced charm.

The hallway outside was blessedly empty. I leaned against the wall, taking a breath.

My first day. I had walked in on the Alpha Heir having sex, slapped him across the face, and somehow still had a job.

A job investigating threats against one of the most powerful packs in the territory.

Working directly with Lucian Blackwood.

The man who had propositioned me minutes after climaxing. Who had tested me. Who claimed to like my honesty while radiating enough charm to melt steel.

A woman appeared at the end of the hall. Older, professional, with kind eyes behind reading glasses.

“Miss Sinclair? I’m Margot. Let me show you to your office.”

I followed her to the next office beside the Alpha Heir’s. The offices opposite were filled with wolves working at computers, talking on phones, moving with the organized chaos of pack business.

This was my world now. For six months.

Six months of investigating threats.

Six months of living in Nightfall territory.

Six months of working alongside Lucian Blackwood.

The question burned in my mind as Margot opened the door to a spacious office with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the forest.

How much of his infuriating, arrogant self would I have to deal with?​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​