Her Dragon Protector

Olivia Cook sat in her car in the Dark Moon Industries parking lot. She managed to eke out a living with the pictures she took, but her dream was to be a professional photographer; this was her chance. Her mother had told her that a staff photographer was needed for Dark Moon Industries. They needed someone who could photograph their events as well as their sales and marketing campaigns. While that was not the wildlife, nature, and landscapes she preferred to shoot, it was a start at a company she knew would help her reach her goals. “You got this,” she mumbled as she exited her car and walked to the building. Olivia paused momentarily at the revolving glass door as she shifted her portfolio under her arm. Then, she took a deep breath and went to the receptionist’s desk. The woman behind the desk greeted her with a bright smile. “Good morning, and welcome to Dark Moon Industries. How may I help you?” the woman asked Olivia. “Good morning,” Olivia replied. “I am here to interview

It was Halloween, and everyone at Dark Moon Industries was filled with anticipation. Not only was there to be a massive celebration that night paid for by the company, but it was also the launch of new collaborative technology with Emery Technologies that would revolutionize green energy. Rumor had it that Tyson Emery, CEO of Emery Technologies, would be making an appearance at the party that night. Olivia was in her office reviewing her photos. She had lost count of how many people had come in to ask if she would take a picture of them with Mr. Emery. Of course, she understood the appeal of being seen with someone of Mr. Emery’s caliber. Still, it was beyond her to comprehend the lengths some would go just to be seen with him or appear to know him. She had known and worked closely with Nicholas for several months. While she would admit he was handsome, she did not understand the jealousy she received from some simply for being around him. Nothing was romantic between them, and that

Nicholas grinned as he sent the pictures to his friend, Tyson. For some reason, he wanted to rub it in that he would be spending the evening with Olivia and Tyson would not. Nicholas had been with women who were prettier than Olivia. Still, something about her made him want her, and his desire kept growing as he watched her work. “Why are you grinning like the cat that ate the canary?” Jacob asked Nicholas as he handed him a drink. “Just watching our little fairy,” Nicholas replied. He nodded toward where Olivia was taking pictures of a small group that had coordinated their costumes to come as characters from their favorite movie. Nicholas downed his drink in one gulp. “I also got a call from Tyson Emery, and he will not be able to make it to the party. Something about fog in Chicago grounding their plane.” Nick laughed, “I had to send him a few pics of that little beauty so he knows what he is missing out on tonight.” “You, my friend, can be downright mean.” “That comes with b

Olivia was sitting at her desk, trying to concentrate on her work. It was almost time for Thanksgiving, which meant she would have a few days off and could relax at her family home in the pack. She needed that more than she could say. Since the night of the Halloween party, things had been different. People who had been friendly before had stopped speaking to her, while others she had never spoken to now wanted to be her friends. She kept getting glances and stares as she worked, and whispers seemed to follow her through the hallways. Even Nicholas had changed the way he acted around her. Before, he had worked closely with her daily. They spoke often and were physically close daily. Now, she might catch a glance of him once a week, and he never came to her office as he had. She sighed as she pulled her planner from her bag under her desk. She wanted to call her mom and see if she had specific plans for things she wanted them to do as a family while everyone was home for the holiday.

Alpha Nicholas Williams was pacing in his office at Dark Moon Industries. It had been a week since Olivia Cook emailed him her resignation letter, making her leave from the company effective immediately. He was livid. Nick had wanted to see her when she returned from the Thanksgiving holiday and apologize. To tell her that he had been an idiot and he couldn’t stop thinking about her or their baby. She had taken that away from him and dropped off the map. “Did you find her?” he asked Jacob as soon as he opened the office door. “No,” Jacob said cautiously as he closed the door. “I have not found her yet.” “Why not?!” Nicholas demanded as he punctuated his anger by smashing his coffee cup on the floor. “Why not?” Jacob scoffed. “Because she is smart and wants to avoid you at all costs.” “Were you able to track her phone?” “Yes, for a while. But it looks like she has switched to a burner phone and changed her number because you would not stop calling her.” “I want to explain and te