My heart hammered against my ribs so hard I was certain the two guards behind him could hear it. The scent of pine and rain washed over me, thick and suffocating, dragging every memory from that dark motel room straight back to the surface. He stood over my desk in a flawless charcoal suit, looking every bit the cold corporate titan, yet the dark gold flare in his eyes promised total ruin.

"You left before breakfast, little wolf," he rasped softly, his voice a low vibration meant for my ears alone. "And you left your jacket in my bed."

I squeezed my hands into tight fists beneath the desk, willing my hands to stop trembling. I met his gaze, refusing to let the panic in my chest show on my face. "I believe you have me mistaken for someone else, Mr. Cole. I arrived in the city late last night and came straight to the office this morning."

A slow, dangerous smile touched the corner of his lips. He straightened up, smoothing the front of his jacket with steady hands. "Is that so? Then we will have to discuss your credentials in detail." He turned to the two men standing behind him. "Leave us. Clear the floor for the next hour."

The guards hesitated for a fraction of a second before bowing their heads and stepping back into the elevator. The silver doors slid shut, leaving an eerie silence in the vast glass lobby.

James didn't move away. Instead, he leaned over the desk, resting both palms on the cool surface, trapping me in his shadow. "You smell like my mark, Nora. You can pretend all you want, but your pulse is beating against your throat like a trapped bird."

"This is a place of business," I whispered, my voice tight as I pressed my back against the leather chair. "I was hired to manage your schedule, not to play whatever games you bring from the shadows."

"This is no game," he growled, the rich timber of his voice sending an unwanted spark straight down my spine. "You surrendered to me in the dark. You called me yours. And then you ran into the morning light thinking a grey suit and a fake name would protect you from an Alpha Prime."

He walked around the edge of the desk, his movements fluid and predatory. Before I could pull away, his large, warm hand reached out, his thumb gently catching my jawline and tilting my face up. The heat of his skin burned through my composure. My breath hitched, my eyes locked onto his sharp, handsome features.

"Why are you here?" he asked, his eyes narrowing as he searched my face. "Did Daniel send you?"

The mention of my ex-fiance felt like a slap across the face. My chest tightened with genuine anger. "Daniel has nothing to do with this. I left him three days ago. I took this job because I needed a life of my own, away from his pack and his lies."

James stared down at me, his thumb tracing the soft skin of my lower lip. The wild tension between us pulled so tight it felt ready to snap. "If Daniel finds out you are in my territory, he will bring a war to my doorstep."

"Then fire me," I challenged, holding his fiery gaze despite the tremor in my voice. "Let me walk out those doors right now."

He lowered his head until his lips brushed against the shell of my ear, his hot breath making every nerve in my body snap tight. "You belong to me now, Nora. No one walks away from the Prime."

His hand slid down my neck, his fingers resting right over the frantic pulse at my collarbone. For a long, breathless moment, the corporate world disappeared. The air grew thick with a intense physical desire that made my head spin. He wanted to claim me right here, against the glass overlooking the city, and a dark, traitorous part of me wanted to let him.

"Mr. Cole," I breathed out, my hands coming up to press against his chest, feeling the hard muscle beneath his jacket. "Someone will see."

"Let them look," he murmured, his mouth trailing down the slope of my neck, making a quiet gasp escape my throat.

Before he could pull me closer, a loud, sharp tone echoed through the empty hallway. The emergency comm system on my desk began flashing a violent red light.

James stopped instantly. The dark golden glow in his eyes receded, replaced by a cold, lethal intensity. He stepped back, reaching over my desk to press the heavy silver button.

"Speak," James commanded, his voice completely stripping away any trace of the heat we had just shared.

"Alpha," a voice panicked over the speaker, raw with pain and static. "The border on the south ridge was just shattered. It was not a rogue pack."

James leaned over the console, his jaw set like iron. "Who was it?"

"It is the Council Enforcers," the voice gasped out, followed by the sound of distant explosions and wolf howls over the line. "They have a warrant signed by the High Court. They are claiming you harbor a fugitive accused of treason."

My blood ran completely cold.

James slowly turned his head to look at me, his dark eyes locking onto mine with a terrifying suspicion.

"Nora," he said softly, his voice dropping into a deadly whisper that sent a wave of absolute horror through my chest. "What did you steal from Daniel before you fled?"