I don’t have much time to think about the bomb that Charles has just dropped on me. He wipes away the tears and focuses on my face with an intensity that makes me feel uneasy.“But what about you, Nicole?” he asks, sounding less sniffly than suspicious. “Why are you here? How are you here? Entrance was strictly controlled, and I know you weren’t on the guest list. You seemed awfully cozy with Marcus, though.”His words hang in the air, heavy and accusatory. I’m not really sure how to answer him, at least not in any way that won’t arouse further suspicion.I accidentally stumbled on the opportunity to wrangle an invitation from the hot werewolf Alpha’s son after a weird chance encounter at the soup kitchen, which was good luck for me because I’ve been trying to figure out a way to gatecrash your wedding to ruin your reputation probably isn’t going to go down well.I’ll have to make something up, something that will sound believable but relatively innocent. Something that won’t overcomm

Marcus takes me to the cloakroom and collects our coats. He waves off both his bodyguard and his driver when they approach him, even going as far as to step aside to have what looks like a short disagreement with the bodyguard.Finally, the bodyguard shakes his head ruefully, and Marcus waves him off with a smile."Sorry about that," he tells me, helping me into my coat and even buttoning the top for me when my fingers fumble over the material. "Yasin is a little too good at his job sometimes.""How can a bodyguard be too good at his job?" I ask with a smile. "Surely he can't be too good at keeping you alive and away from all the crazy stalkers who might want to corner you or creep through your bedroom window at night."Marcus laughs, really laughs, with his head thrown back and rich mirth coming from deep in his belly. I love being the one to make him laugh like that."Okay, good point," he says, taking me by the arm and leading me out into the chilly night air. "No, he's just a litt

Kent nods. "That makes sense. But why not ask Marcus for help? He's even more powerful than I am, and the help he can give would be above board.""Marcus is Charles's family now," I say with a shrug. "He can't truly help me, and I can't truly trust him.""You could seduce him," Kent says. "Create a rift within the family.""Absolutely not," I say automatically. "That's not who I am."Kent looks skeptical. "Or is there maybe another reason?"I look at him in surprise."Come on, Nicole. I saw the way you looked at him at the wedding reception," Kent says. "You have feelings for him. I just don't think you realize that yet."Annoyance and self-consciousness crackle through my veins, and I scowl at Kent."That is none of your business," I snap in a whisper. "If you're going to poke into my private life like that, you can forget about being partners. It'll never work.""All right, all right!" Kent raises his hands in a defensive position. "I'm sorry."I take a drink of my fresh whisky and

"Boss?" One of Charles's staff is bobbing outside his open office door, hovering like he isn't sure he's supposed to knock or not. Charles refrains from rolling his eyes."Yes, Mickle, what is it?" Charles is tense. He had to pull a couple of big strings to get the police to jump on chasing Nicole's car, and he's nervous about the outcome. So much for the war on drugs; if Charles hadn't offered a substantial bribe, the Chief of Police couldn't have cared less."We have news," Mickle says, still hovering. Charles perks up at that."Well, for god's sake, get in here and close the door, then," he snaps, sitting upright behind his desk and reaching for the decanter of whisky on the bar cart behind him. He pours himself a healthy glug and drinks half of it in one go, not bothering to offer any to Mickle.Mickle scuttles inside and shuts the door behind him."I just got a call from our officer inside," he says, sounding breathless. "It's over. It's done. Nicole is dead."Charles chokes on h

Daisy, Joel, and Charles can barely contain their excitement, Marcus notes with distaste. It's tactless, the way their eyes gleam and they practically bounce in their seats.Yes, this is a moment that all three Alpha children have been anticipating for some time, but it's hardly graceful to be so obvious in their eagerness. Father retiring means that he no longer feels that he can keep up with the duties of his role.Marcus is firm on how he feels about this: he wants to be Alpha as much as either of his siblings, but he cares deeply for his father as well. Family politics can be messy, but at its core, an Alpha's family is supposed to be a pack all in itself. They're meant to lead by example.A werewolf pack functions best when its members are loyal to one another, genuinely care for one another, and have each other's backs. There will always be some competition, of course; that's only natural. But at its center, a pack is meant to be a family.Strong, unbroken family bonds are the t