C3

Don’t bother sending a driver, Dominic. I’ll find my own way to the estate tomorrow."

"Suit yourself. Logan will finalize the security clearance and have the NDA ready for your signature at the front gate."

"Fine. Is there anything else, or can I go now?"

"Nothing else, Miss Callahan. You have your instructions. I expect you at the rink by eight."

"Then I’ll see you tomorrow, Alpha."

"Until tomorrow, Rhea."

"Why are you looking at me like that, Charlotte? And please, for the love of the Moon, take that green slime off your face."

"I'm looking at you like this because you walked into this apartment smelling like an Alpha's private gym and looking like you just survived a lightning strike. Now, spill. Did the great Dominic Wolfe hire you to train his sister or not?"

"He did. But it’s... complicated."

"Complicated? Rhea, we’ve been through the Luna Guard Academy together. We’ve dealt with snarling pups, power-tripping Betas, and more locker room ego than a pro hockey team. What could possibly be complicated about a coaching contract in Blackport?"

"He kissed me, Charlotte."

"He did what? Back up. You went for an interview at the Wolfe Estate—the most guarded territory in the UK Coastal packs—and the Alpha just decided to sample the goods?"

"It wasn't like that. It was... an experiment. A warning. I don't even know."

"An experiment? Rhea, that's a pack-law violation. That's harassment. You should be reporting him to the Council, not standing there clutching a beer like you're in a trance."

"I’m not in a trance. I'm just... processing."

"Processing what? The fact that a man who owns half of Blackport and runs the most aggressive hockey franchise in the league treated your mouth like a buffet? You don't even like Alphas, Rhea. You always say they're too heavy-handed, too 'knuckle-dragger' for your taste."

"He is. He’s cold, he’s arrogant, and he talks to his sister like she’s a faulty piece of equipment. I should hate him."

"But?"

"But my wolf didn't hate it. That's the problem. I’ve spent twenty-six years being the most composed instructor in the expansion territories, and in ten seconds, he made me lose my mind. I slapped him, Char."

"You slapped an Alpha? In his own study? Oh, Moon... we’re going to be exiled. I need to start packing."

"He didn't exile me. He tripled my salary. He said he’s putting Lydia’s needs first because she actually reacted to me. She hasn't spoken or touched anyone in months, but she grabbed my hand and begged me to stay."

"So you’re staying? In the lion's den? Or, well, the wolf's den?"

"I have to. That girl is drowning in that house. If I can use hockey to get her back to herself, I don't care how many arrogant Alphas I have to dodge."

"You better be careful, Rhea. Dominic Wolfe doesn't play games he doesn't intend to win. If he’s decided you’re his next target, a hockey stick won't be enough to keep him at a distance."

"He gave me his word he wouldn't touch me again unless I started it. And trust me, that will be a very, very cold day in Blackport."

"Seven minutes, Rhea. You have seven minutes of my mask time left to tell me exactly how it felt when he did it. Don't leave out the 'blurry' parts."

"Keep talking, Rhea. I'm listening, I just need these chips."

"Where did I stop? Oh, right. Knox. The enforcer who looked like he’d rather be bench-pressing a truck than talking to me."

"Ethan Knox? He’s a lead sentry for the Wolfe Pack. I bet he hasn't cracked a smile since the Great Shift of '22. But forget the muscle—did you actually see the sister?"

"Lydia. Yeah, I saw her. And Charlotte, it’s not good. She’s completely silent. Not a word, not a growl. Nothing. Even the Pack Doctor, Graves, can't find a physical reason for the block. She just carries this little notepad everywhere like it’s her only lifeline to the world."

"That estate is a tomb of secrets, Rhea. You’re telling me this kid just walked up to a stranger from Ravenfall and made a plea? What did she actually write?"

"She wrote 'Don’t leave me.' Just like that. In the middle of that massive, cold hallway with those antique tapestries and the scent of dominance everywhere. It broke my heart faster than a bad checked-swing. I was standing there, still vibrating from the row I’d just had with Dominic, and this pup just chooses me."

"Wait, back the SUV up. You slapped the Alpha of Blackport. You actually laid a hand on Dominic Wolfe."

"I did. And I’d do it again. The man is a predator in every sense of the word, Charlotte. He doesn't ask, he takes. He decided to test my 'composure' by seeing how I’d react to his scent. He backed me against that mahogany desk and just... claimed the space."

"Rhea, you’re pale. Or maybe you're flushed. I can't tell under this green mask. Was he... did he hurt you?"

"No. That’s the problem. He didn't hurt me. He made me want to roar. He made me forget I was a professional trainer with a reputation to protect. It was like some primitive circuit in my brain just shorted out. For five minutes in that study, it wasn't an interview. It was a challenge. A territorial dispute that ended with his mouth on mine."

"And then you hit him?"

"Hard. I wanted to see if I could actually rattle him. But he just smiled, Charlotte. He looked at me with those amber eyes like I’d just given him exactly what he wanted. It was infuriating."

"I need another drink for this. Hold that thought."

"Grab me one too. My throat is like a Ravenfall desert."

"Okay, I'm back. Now, give me the grit. You slapped him, you stormed out, the kid begged you to stay... and then what? How did you go from assault to a signed contract?"

"He called me back in. He saw the interaction with Lydia. He stood there in the doorway, looking like the king of the world, and told me he was reconsidering. He said he’d put his sister’s recovery above his own... distractions. He tripled the pay, Char. He’s letting me run the training sessions on his private ice, no interference."

"The man is a manipulator. He’s using that girl to tether you to the pack territory. You know that, right?"

"Maybe. But I can't walk away from a pup who’s calling for help. If she thinks I’m the only one who can get her back on the skates and find her voice, then I’m staying. I don't care how many times I have to growl at Dominic to keep him on his side of the glass."

"You’re the 'Wolf Whisperer' for a reason, Rhea. If anyone can break through to Lydia, it’s you. I just hope you can keep your own wolf from answering his call while you're at it."

"Trust me. My wolf is on a very short leash when it comes to Dominic Wolfe."