4: Terms and Conditions

We walk to a private elevator where he pulls out a key card from his wallet and swipes it and the doors open immediately. I step inside and watch him follow and the doors close, suddenly we’re in an enclosed space lined with mirrors on all sides.

I can see myself and I look exactly like someone who’s having the worst night of her life, exhausted and scared. I can also see him next to me-and so much larger than me in this small space, and I’m five foot six and he’s at least six four and the height difference is obvious.

The elevator dings and the doors open to a foyer with marble floors and a single door at the end, and he walks to it and unlocks it and holds it open waiting for me.

The penthouse is exactly what I expected and somehow worse, modern, minimalist, expensive in a way that makes my apartment look like a cardboard box it has floor to ceiling windows showing a panoramic view of Seattle at night, and the whole space is open concept with the living room flowing into dining flowing into kitchen, all decorated in black and white and gray with dark wood accents.

There’s art on the walls and I recognize a Rothko that’s probably worth more than I’ll ever make in my lifetime but the whole place feels cold and unlived in, like a hotel room or a staged apartment in a magazine. I notice there are no photos anywhere, no personal touches at all.

“Coffee?” he says and he’s already moving to the kitchen and tossing his keys on the counter. “You look like you need it.”

“I don’t want your coffee. I need answers,” I say but I stay near the door because I want to be able to run if I need to.

“Then sit and we’ll talk,” he says and he’s making coffee anyway, and I watch him move around the kitchen and I notice he makes two cups and mine black with one sugar and I don’t know how he knows that but it bothers me that he does.

He brings me a mug and sits in a chair across from the leather couch maintaining distance, and we sit while I kept eyeing the drink in case he poisoned it.

I pull out my phone and I start typing while he watches me and I can’t tell if he’s amused or annoyed.

“I’ve made a decision,” I say without looking up from my phone.

“Have you now.”

“You’re a werewolf, which means your secret isn’t as secret as you think, which means you need me to keep quiet, which means I want something in exchange for my silence.”

He leans forward and now I can see he’s definitely amused. “You’re blackmailing me.”

“I prefer the word negotiating.”

He actually laughs and it’s the first time I’ve ever heard him sound genuinely amused. “You’re blackmailing me.”

“First,” I say reading from my phone, “I want a promotion to Senior Designer, effective immediately.”

“You’ve been junior for just three years and standard timeline is five.”

“That standard timeline is for people whose bosses don’t grow TAILS.”

He smirks and it’s the first time I’ve seen him almost smile. “Continue.”

“Second, I want a salary increase to $85,000.”

“That’s a 63% raise.”

“Your secret staying secret is PRICELESS and I’m being generous.”

He stands and starts pacing and I track his movement across the room in case he attacks me when I am least expectin. “You have no idea what you’re dealing with.”

I stand too because I’m tired of him looming tall over me. “Then EXPLAIN it, you dragged me here, you threatened me, now you won’t even—”

He moves so fast I don’t see it coming and suddenly he’s in my space, towering over me and I have to tilt my head back to look at him, I should step back but my pride won’t let me.

“You want explanations? FINE, yes I’m a werewolf, a shifter, I can become a wolf at will, I’m stronger than ten men and faster than your eyes can track and I can hear your heartbeat from across a room—” he leans closer “—and right now it’s RACING.”

I can barely breathe and I hate my reaction. “Y-you don’t scare me.”

He inhales deeply and closes his eyes for a second. “Liar.”

He’s so close I can see golden flecks in his gray eyes and his hand comes up and I flinch but he doesn’t touch me, just hovers his fingers near my neck.

“I can smell your fear,” he says and his voice drops lower, rougher. “And something else.”

“What?”

His smirk is dark and knowing. “How wet you are.”

My face flames red and I can feel heat spreading down my neck. “I am NOT—”

“Your pulse just jumped and your pupils dilated and your scent changed,” he says and he leans close enough to whisper near my ear. “Enhanced senses, remember?”

My body betrays me completely and I feel warmth pooling low in my stomach and I’m angry and turned on and confused and I hate all of it.

I shove him and he doesn’t budge. “You’re a PIG!”

He backs up laughing. “I’m a WOLF, get it right.”

“This is sexual harassment!”

“You walked into my home and tried to blackmail me.” He sits back in his chair looking casual. “If anyone’s the victim here, it’s me.”

“I’M THE VICTIM and you’ve made my life HELL for years!”

All the humor leaves his face. “I pushed you because you’re TALENTED, everyone else praised your mediocre work and I demanded better because I KNEW you could deliver.”

I’m thrown by this.

“Check your file and every garbage project I tore apart, I implemented ninety percent of your ideas and gave you credit internally and your portfolio is the strongest in the department.”

I don’t know how to respond to that so I pull my phone from my purse and hold it up. “It doesn’t matter, here’s what’s happening, you’re going to agree to my terms—” I make sure he sees the phone “—and I have this conversation recorded so if you agree and then go back on your word, I have PROOF.”

His eyes flash gold. “You’re recording me?”

“Call it insurance policy.”

He stands fast and moves toward me again, predatory and dangerous. “You walk into MY home, make demands, record me without consent?”

I’m backing up and I hit the wall. “Washington’s a two-party consent state but you kidnapped me—”

“I didn’t kidnap shit and you got in my car.”

“Under DURESS!”

He’s caging me against the wall now with his hands on either side of my head and I’m trapped and I can barely breathe he is too close.

“Let me tell you how this actually works, little human,” he says low and dangerous.

I lift my chin. “I’m listening.”

“I am a werewolf, you’re correct, but that’s not the whole truth because I’m not just any werewolf.” He leans closer. “I’m the ALPHA, the leader of a pack, two hundred wolves answer to ME and I’m one of the most powerful shifters on the West Coast.”

Fear creeps back in. “Are you threatening to kill me?”

He laughs but it sounds frustrated. “If I wanted you dead you’d be dead, that’s not the problem.”

“Then what is?”

He pulls back slightly and runs his hand through his hair. “You triggered my partial shift.”

“What about it?”

“Werewolves don’t just shift randomly, we have control, iron control, except…” he meets my eyes “…when we encounter our MATE.”

I laugh nervously. “Mate? Like… dating?”

“Like your fated.”

There’s silence while I process this.

“And you think… I’m…” I can’t finish the sentence.

He nods once. “You triggered the shift and my wolf recognized you, which means against all fucking logic and my personal preferences—” he laughs bitterly “—yes, you’re might be my mate.”

I start backing along the wall toward the door. “No, no no no, that’s insane.”

“You think I’m happy about this? You’re human, fragile, infuriating and incredibly foolish, you blackmail your boss and record private conversations—”

I pull up my phone again with shaking hands. “Let’s talk after these.”

He stares at me incredulous. “You’re still pushing the blackmail?”

“You just told me I’m tied to you so yeah I want compensation!”

I start reading from my list. “One, promotion. Two, salary upgrade. Three, no unpaid overtime. Four, my own office. Five, I report directly to you not Dante. Six, you treat me with respect. Seven, I want a company car—”

“Absolutely not.”

“—Eight, four weeks PTO. Nine, proper credit for my work. Ten—” I look up “—you stop being an asshole.”

He’s staring at me. “You’re serious.”

“Deadly.”

“And if I refuse?”

I hit the button on my phone. “Then this recording goes to HR and every news outlet in Seattle and I’ll take my chances with people thinking I’m crazy because at least I won’t have to work for you anymore. And you will be going down with me“​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​