CALIFF

　　　My wolves of hunters and scouts streamed through the land, giving them enough time to scout the perimeters of our territory for dangers and threats. Though assigned to border patrol, they wouldn’t take chances when their Alpha was going out on the run.

　　　“You’re clear, Alpha,” Kairo, one of the scouts, said through our pack link. That was how we communicated when in our wolf form or emergency.

　　　Running always helped me think. Since that rogue saw me two days ago, my wolf has been agitated and restless. There was just something different about her. I ordered my Delta, Lorcan, and one of my hunters to find that woman. I doubted it was a coincidence that I was there in that hotel, and she was there too. I always trusted my instinct when protecting my pack and our alliances.

　　　Our enemy packs had been very clever lately. I admitted that. Their members left the pack when on a spy mission and acted to join another pack to get information and study their weaknesses. I had done that in my late teens.

　　　In our world, claws, fangs, and magic were dangerous, and threats were always out there. No matter how strong our pack was, we always expected the inevitable.

　　　Racing past my hunters, I headed straight to the forest and turned off our link. The roughened pads of my paws charged over the log as the wind blew through my dark fur.

　　　I ran as much as my body could take. It was good for my stubborn wolf and my mind. I stopped at the rocky cliff overlooking the river and lush green trees. I shifted to human form.

　　　Our disadvantage of being a werewolf was that our clothes would shred to pieces as we shifted, and we transformed back into two-legged naked humans.

　　　“Alpha,” Kairo came behind, offering me my clothes. His family had been a pack member since he was just a pup. When he was trained enough to fight, he took over the position from his father two years ago.

　　　“Thank you.” I put them on quickly. “Any news?”

　　　“They’re back,” he replied in excitement. “They have the package.”

　　　My head snapped to him as I recalled those misty gray eyes to almost purple, staring back at me in shock. “Are you certain?”

　　　“Yes, Alpha.”

　　　“Let’s go.” I pivoted on my heel.

　　　We came back to the compound from our run. My Beta and best friend, Duke, strode in my direction with a satisfying grin.

　　　“So it’s true then.” I entered the pack house, where everyone greeted me. This had been Stone for many generations. We had houses provided for pack members who couldn’t afford one and cabins at our perimeters for scouts and border patrols.

　　　“Yes, Cal. And she stinks.” He followed up with a laugh.

　　　No, she didn’t.

　　　She tried masking her scent, but I still sniffed it, whiffing in the air. No one could do that unless she had practice, which made it more interesting.

　　　“Are you sure she’s the one?”

　　　“Yeah. Hundred percent sure. She’s still knocked out. Lorcan might have gone overboard with the dose when she fought back. But something else happened before they got into her.”

　　　My eyebrows knitted. My protective nature clawed out. “What happened?”

　　　“There were other werewolves with her.” So, my suspicions were correct. “I thought she was a rogue. And she is a rogue. Her smell doesn’t lie.”

　　　“Let me prove my suspicion. We’ll wait until she wakes up. In the meantime, let me take a shower.”

　　　“Sure. I’ll be waiting in the command room.”

　　　I took two steps at a time upstairs and went through the hallway. My room was in the corner. I had my pad in the city during business meetings, but I stayed at the compound most of the time as the Alpha to the Night Stalker Pack.

　　　I took a quick shower, which never happened—the pit of my stomach fluttered as I watched myself in the mirror. I shut my eyes closed, and her face, her eyes came rushing back into my head. Her misty gray eyes widened in surprise as they locked with mine. Her smell was a fresh rain, intense jasmine in spring, and a touch of vanilla. But no one should know that.

　　　After I put on a new set of clothes, I went to the command room where Duke was monitoring the woman in our solitary confinement underground of one of our buildings.

　　　“She just woke up,” he informed.

　　　It was her. From her corporate dress, she was now wearing workout clothes and a hoodie, but showed enough a bit of the roundness of her breasts. Her hourglass figure, but had curves in all sorts of my wild fantasies. Confused and shocked, she got up quickly from the iron bed, looked around, and promptly thought she was in a government laboratory for an experiment because of the white walls and lighting.

　　　“Turn the speaker on.” As soon as Duke turned it on, her voice echoed. My wolf almost purred.

　　　“Hello? Where am I? Can someone talk to me?” There was panic in her voice, but I sensed a strong and commanding tone.

　　　“Ask her what her name is.”

　　　“What’s your name?” Duke asked through a microphone.

　　　Her eyes, the same misty gray that kept me restless at night, widened. “Hey. I need to talk to someone who has authority. Where am I? Why am I here? You got the wrong guy, sir. Let me out of here!”

　　　“Answer my question. What’s your name?”

　　　“I’m Shadow Hawks, asshole. If you’re so brave to kidnap an innocent woman, show your fucking face so you can taste who I really am.” She looked around to find a camera, but could only see a two-way mirror, to which she raised her middle finger.

　　　Duke chuckled. “She’s feisty.”

　　　And I liked my woman, strong and feisty. I shook that thought off. A rogue? What the fuck!

　　　“I’m going in.” I walked out of the room.

　　　“It’s not a good idea, Cal.”

　　　“Don’t question my authority.” My voice came strong and stern.

　　　“My apology, Alpha. I didn’t mean it like that, but she’s a rogue.”

　　　“I know. I want to know what she knows. She wants to speak with someone who has a fucking authority. Then she gets it.”

　　　“Alpha.” Kindra met us outside the confinement room as Duke wrapped his arms around his mate and kissed her on the lips. She was our pack nurse and good at her job.

　　　“What’s the status?” I ignored their PDA.

　　　“I was able to check her vitals before she woke up. She’s stable.”

　　　“Open the door.”

　　　She pressed the code, and the door unlocked. I pushed it open. My chest hammered, just like when I felt threats and danger close, but this time it was different. Her scent was stronger and alluring, making my head spin.

　　　There were days when I felt like the most powerful Alpha in the world because I took control. I nurtured fear in my members. I earned respect from everyone, and I purposely ensured my words were my command. And one of those days was today.

　　　I inwardly growled, ignoring the newfound raw hunger surging through me and the growing restlessness of my wolf as I stepped inside. Letting my self-control rule, I blocked out her intoxicating smell and irresistible presence.

　　　She froze in her place the moment she sensed me, but she remained tough in her stance. As our gazes locked, I saw fear. I also saw defiance, and she had the audacity to look me in the eye for someone rogue like herself.

　　　“You wanna talk to the authority? Here I am, but you don’t talk until I tell you.”

　　　“Wow.” She shrugged off with a chuckle. Her full lips, though pure carnal, spread into a mocky grin. Her bushy eyebrow arched. “Should I vow, Your Majesty? Tell you what. Let me go, and I won’t keep grudges.”

　　　“That’s unfortunate because you’re not getting out of here alive.” I showed no emotions, even if my wolf had been bugging me, and my stomach had twisted in knots since I walked in. What was it about this woman that had my senses heightened?

　　　She gulped, showing a little frailty, and I whiffed a stench of fear in the air, but that was all. She became feisty again. Her eyes narrowed, almost glowing into silver. Interesting. “Then go ahead. Be my guest.”

　　　“What were you doing in that hotel?”

　　　“What do you do in the hotel? Pickup whores?”

　　　“Answer my damn questions.” I roared. My voice made her gasp. “If you want your head intact for the last five seconds, answer my questions. Do you understand me?”

　　　She sighed shakily as she stepped back and sat on the bed. “I was there with my adopted father. He would be worried if he didn’t hear from me in a few hours. Can we make this fast? I need to get back to LA.”

　　　“Don’t fucking lie.”

　　　She lifted her gaze, locking with mine. “I’m not lying. Do you want a polygraph? Go ahead. Or if you have Lasso of Truth, please, feel free.”

　　　“Don’t waste my time. What pack are you from?”

　　　Her eyes narrowed. Her face reddened in anger. “Are you kidding me? You can’t sniff a—”

　　　“Answer the fucking question, or I will walk out, and you won’t get another chance. Do you know what that’s for?” I pointed at the sprinkler. “The water from that system is filled with wolfsbane, and you do such things that I don’t like.” I pointed up. “The iron bars with silver plating will be dropped and cage you until your skin burns. So trade carefully, rogue.”

　　　“I told you, I was there with my adopted father. You can see it on the CCTV if you don’t believe me. We were there for a business meeting.” You’ve got to be fucking kidding me. I just proved everything right. The intel was correct.

　　　“Then why were you with other werewolves?”

　　　Her brows furrowed. “You mean your pack members who kidnapped me? I mean, what did I do wrong? Do you always kidnap werewolves, particularly women, because you can?”

　　　I snorted. “You mean, my men, saving your life from those who tried to kidnap you?”

　　　Her frown deepened as she shook her head. “Why would someone kidnap me?”

　　　“Good question. I want you to answer that.” I crossed my arms over my chest. ”And lower your fucking voice when you talk to me.”

　　　“I’ve been rogue since those savages murdered my parents. I joined a pack once in college, but he wanted a whore instead of a pack member, so I left. I have no interest in becoming one, an Alpha’s slave.” She snorted. “No offense.”

　　　“When someone says no offense, that’s exactly what she means. Here’s what I can offer you to prolong your worthless life. Be my pack member—”

　　　“Let me guess. I will be omega. No thanks. Hard pass.” She just rolled her eyes. Unfuckingbelievable.

　　　“Then you just punched your ticket.” I walked out of the room. The door locked behind me.

　　　“Find out everything about her,” I told Duke.

　　　“Consider it done.”

　　　“Shadow. Pretty name for a pretty lady,” Kindra commented.

　　　If I were being honest, she was indeed pretty and had the body of a goddess, but her attitude was as stinky as the rogue wolf.

　　　“What are you gonna do about her?”

　　　I looked at him. “No one will come to see her unless I say so. No food. No water. Turn the lights off. She will spill everything in no time if she still values her life and her adopted father.”

　　　“What if she won’t say anything, or she’s telling the truth?” Kindra asked.

　　　“If she doesn’t submit, I’ll burn her alive.”

SHADOW

　　　One moment, I was in the elevator for a run, and the next thing I knew, I was drugged and found myself locked up in solitary confinement by the most arrogant, feral, and ruthless Alpha I had ever met. My last Alpha had no match to this son of a bitch, and I still didn’t know his name.

　　　I felt like I’d been in this four-walled room for eternity. I lost track of time when I didn’t see the sun or moon but only darkness.

　　　The Alpha was true to his word. I was left without food and water to starve me to death, and no lights. It wasn’t a problem, though. A werewolf could see clearly in the dark, but not in a human form. And Kent trained me to control hardship and stress, but not against this man. He went beyond what I had prepared for.

　　　I knew that Alphas were the last people you disrespected because their words were their rules, but his men took me forcibly, and I would be damned if they could force me to do what they desired.

　　　Something about him made me want to bend the rules, get down on my knees, and submit to him. Maybe it was his voice, his command, or his unapologetic power oozing in his aura. And I must admit, he was more gorgeous up close, uptight, and dominant, which had me wondering if he was the kind who let his women kneel before him and do as he pleased before he took them to bed.

　　　I started to feel hungry. My mouth was parched. I felt dizzy as I tried to sit up. I also couldn’t help but think of Kent. He must be worried, searching for me.

　　　I blew a deep breath before I stood up, ignoring the room spinning around me. My knees were shaky, and my breathing was shallow, but I managed to reach the door and bang it.

　　　Moments later, the lights went on.

　　　“Can I talk to anyone? I want to make sure Kent is safe. Please?” That was my first mistake, telling them my weakness and letting them know about my human adopted father, but it was too late to take it back. They already knew.

　　　I leaned against the door and dragged myself on the cold, tiled floor. I could have just wolfed out and shown them what I was, but that was not an option.

　　　They couldn’t know. No one should.

　　　“Are you ready to answer questions?” It was the Beta talking.

　　　“I answered your questions. I want to make sure Kent is safe. He’s human. He has nothing to do with the world we live in.” I licked my dry lips, dragging my breath.

　　　“Then we can’t help you.”

　　　“Is killing me softly satisfy your Alpha? He could just snap my neck and be done with it. Then he can use this room for another rogue he wishes to torture because I’m telling you, I won’t submit to him. I won’t be forced to do what I don’t believe in.”

　　　The door unlocked and pushed me forward, leaving me no choice but to sit down. I didn’t have to lift my gaze to see who just walked in. I felt his powerful presence and his annoying but delicious scent. Somehow, he gave me a little bit of his strength. And it just pissed me off.

　　　“You will change your mind when you see this.” A mocking sneer was in place. His shiny, expensive shoes were the first thing I saw, and then the picture he dropped.

　　　Swallowing hard, I picked it up with my shaky fingers since the white side was the one facing. My sight instantly blurred as the picture revealed itself. 

　　　“No! No, no, no! What did you do?” My harsh tone was accusatory, and I had no intention of being sorry for it.

　　　How did I stand up? I didn’t know, but my heart and body were filled with anger and rage, fueling me with enough strength. My eyes narrowed as I saw red. No matter how weak I was, I could still feel my wolf coming out. My fangs ached. My claws grew.

　　　“Calm your wolf down, or you will get your wish in an instant.” He didn’t even move or flinch. He just met my glare because I was challenging him.

　　　I drew a ragged breath despite my rage. I wanted to claw his eyes out and his handsome face, but I needed to know that truth.

　　　“You hurt the only person I care about most in this world. For an alpha, that’s even low. You wanna kill me, do it,” I said through clenched teeth.

　　　“I thought that image would motivate you, but I didn’t do it. I wouldn’t hurt a human if he didn’t do anything wrong to me and my clan,” he said in a forbidding tone. Clan? How many were they exactly?

　　　“Who did this? Who would hurt him? This is not the work of a human.” I saw the patches, probably claw marks, on his chest. Kent was attacked, and they intended to show their true nature to a human, which was against the Werewolf Council.

　　　“You are right. Who would hurt him? The people after you? And if they found out my men knocked them down three days ago, they would come after my pack. Tell me, who are they, Shadow?”

　　　I slightly shook my head. “I’ve been telling you that I don’t have any idea. I walked out of that life a long time ago. It just happened, I was with Kent in that hotel, and you were there as well.” I wiped my tears. I was not a crier, but I felt terrible for the only family I had left.

　　　“Do you think your old pack will come after you?”

　　　“If they did, they should have done it long ago. I don’t have any idea who would hurt him.” I met his gaze. He had no remorse. I couldn’t see humanity in those icy gray eyes, or this was his way of intimidating a poor, helpless rogue to make him submit. “Please, just let me go. I wanna bring him home and take care of him.”

　　　“No.” One word— just one word made my world crumble.

　　　“What do you want from me then?” My tone was stern, but I didn’t give a shit right now.

　　　“Who are those people?”

　　　“I was tranquilized before I could even see their faces. I was in the elevator, about to go out for a run, before we left town. Do you think I wouldn’t tell you to be with Kent if I knew something? I would do anything for him. You should know that.”

　　　“Let’s say I believe you. I will take care of Kent, but the payment is you will stay here until you pay your debt.” Tempting.

　　　“How long would that be? How can I be so sure you would keep the end of the bargain?”

　　　“I’m an Alpha of Night Stalker Pack, Shadow. I don’t break my words.”

　　　I gulped, diverting my gaze. Everything made sense now.

　　　“Alpha Califf.” I thought I mentioned his name. I only heard about him through my old pack, and he was ruthless, heartless, and tore a wolf apart without a blink.

　　　“You’ve heard about me.” His voice was toned down, which was calming.

　　　“Yeah. In my old pack, Black Arrow.”

　　　“That motherfucker is your alpha?” His voice was harsh and filled with disgust.

　　　I met his gaze as anger filled my chest. His jaw locked hard. “Unfortunately, yes. Keane Locke.”

　　　“I want you to identify the sketches of the men who grabbed you.”

　　　“What is it for me?” I was still negotiating, even if I had no hope of winning this.

　　　“For Kent.”

　　　“I wanna be out of here.”

　　　“No.”

　　　“Out of this hellhole? And I want to eat.” I thought I saw his upper lip curve up, or it was just me hallucinating with hunger.

　　　He took a step forward, closing our gap. It had me gasping as his scent made my skin burn, made me crave his sweet touch, and I’d never felt this physical urge before, and he did, fisting my hair at the back of my head and giving it a hard yank as he cast me a disgusted look. “You will behave and follow my order and respect me just like everyone in my pack.”

　　　“Yes.”

　　　“Yes, what?”

　　　”Yes, Alpha.”

　　　”You will be under supervision. One wrong move, and you will be back here with silver bars.”

　　　“Got it the first time.”

　　　He groaned before he let my hair go and swore under his breath.

　　　“Follow me.” He took me to the huge kitchen, like the one in the hotel where his omegas were preparing food.

　　　“Come here.”

　　　I followed him past through busy cooks. “I’m starving. I could barely walk straight and keep up.”

　　　“Sit.” He didn’t have to bark orders. I was grateful he let me out.

　　　I sat down at the long wooden table. He sat to my left and handed me the sketches.

　　　I only recognized one. “I went to college with him. He and his mate recruited me.”

　　　“Name, Shadow.”

　　　“Jag Powell.” As soon as the bread basket was placed on the table, I grabbed two pieces and took a huge bite. “He’s a scout.” I talked even though my mouth was full. I was so hungry and thirsty.

　　　The next thing placed on the table was a plate of grilled chicken. I didn’t give a damn, even if I sat next to the most powerful Alpha. I had to eat. He didn’t care, though. So I picked one thigh, and the guy from the kitchen placed a plate for me.

　　　“I want water,” I told the man, and he just looked at me.

　　　“Give her water and fruits,” Alpha Califf said.

　　　“Yes, Alpha,” he said before he left.

　　　“Slow down.”

　　　“I’ve been down there for three days without food. Sorry, but I’m starving.”

　　　“So Jag Powell is from Black Arrow?”

　　　“Yeah. He was one of the men who grabbed me?” I looked like shit, probably with sauce all around my lips, but I had no time to be pretty in front of the handsome Alpha.

　　　“Yes.”

　　　“Was that picture you showed me real?” I was referring to Kent’s picture in the hospital bed with bruises and patches on his chest.

　　　“Yes. He had claw marks on his chest. Powell and the rest probably tortured him to give up your location, but they didn’t kill him to send a message to you. The question is why Locke wants you back.”

　　　“I asked the same thing the moment I saw Jag’s picture. I honestly have no clue.” I finished two pieces of bread. I bit another piece of lamb rib. As werewolves, we had strong appetites and consumed loads of carbs to burn up during shifting.

　　　“Think, Shadow. You need to give me something.”

　　　“Or you will leave my only family to be slaughtered by those dogs? I get it, but I couldn’t think of anything. Ask me again after an hour or tomorrow.”

　　　“Is Keane your mate? Did you reject him?”

　　　I narrowed my eyes at him. “Fuck no, but I would be glad to reject him if he were.”

　　　“Language,”

　　　”My apology,” I said with an eye roll.

　　　”Were you two sleeping together?”

　　　“It’s none of your freaking business, but no. We didn’t get to that point. The reason I left was that he wanted to sleep with me. He may have been my Alpha at that time, but I still believed in finding my mate, and he was a useless alpha. He was only good at ordering people around but was reckless, greedy, brutal, arrogant, and only cared for himself.” I chugged down a glass of water. Damn, it felt good. “Unless he changed. What’s your deal with him, anyway?”

　　　“He almost killed my men.”

　　　My jaw dropped. “Well, shit. So we have a common enemy, after all. An enemy of my enemy is my friend. Isn’t that what they say?”

　　　“Who killed your parents?”

　　　“I don’t wanna talk about it.”

CALIFF

　　　I leisurely watched her eat, get those lips dirty, and lick them off clean. There was nothing attractive in it, and talking when her mouth was full, but I couldn’t take my eyes off those lips and her eyes. She was exquisite.

　　　Once she was done, I took her to the room next to mine. I wanted to make sure I had her under close watch.

　　　I opened the door to the room, but I remained outside. “Your temporary room. There are some clean clothes for you.”

　　　“I can just stay down with the other girls. This is a lot.” She looked around. It had a queen-sized bed, vanity mirror, closet, and bedside tables. There was also a bathroom, so she didn’t have to wait and fill in line in the morning.

　　　“You will stay here. No more arguments. Get a shower and meet me in the office.”

　　　“Yes, sir.”

　　　My eyes narrowed.

　　　“Technically, I’m still not a part of the pack or your pack.”

　　　“Don’t make me change my mind.” I locked the door behind me before I could think of something else. “You’ve already done enough damage.”

　　　She quickly opened the door and asked me, “What do you mean?”

　　　“They probably know my men who saved you, and you just brought the enemy right into my territory.”

　　　“Then you should have left me to them than risked your men saving me.”

　　　I turned away before I could say something that would shock her. As far as I knew, she hadn’t figured it out.

　　　Kindra met me downstairs as I headed to my office. “Do you want me to call Mom to get her check-up?”

　　　“That won’t be necessary.”

　　　“So, she’s gonna be a part of the pack, right?”

　　　“She needs to gain my trust, and at this time, she’s nowhere close.”

　　　“I like her, though.”

　　　I snorted. “You like everyone, Kindra.”

　　　“She’s different. Did she mention if she has found her mate?”

　　　I looked at her. “What made you say that?”

　　　“She doesn’t wanna be in a pack. That’s obvious. Maybe she has trauma or may be rejected by her mate. I don’t know, but I will find out soon. Trust me. She will spill the tea.”

　　　“I want you to gain her trust. Tell me everything she tells you. Everything. Understood?”

　　　“So you want my mate to spy on your little rogue?” Duke joined us in the office.

　　　“Do you have a problem with that?” I irritably gazed at him.

　　　“Not at all. I just don’t trust rogues. We have had bad experiences with their kind. But a woman tends to open up to another woman. So Kindra might get something from her.” He showed me another picture of Kent, still in bed but awake.

　　　“I should go. I have a duty later. Do you need anything, Cal?” Kindra asked.

　　　“I’m good. Thanks.”

　　　Duke called her before she reached the door. “Don’t work hard. I love you.”

　　　I wanted to roll my eyes as they kissed in front of me.

　　　Duke sensed me. “You need to get laid.”

　　　“He’s right,” Kindra agreed with her mate before she walked out the door.

　　　I shook my head to get the words get laid out of my head. I dialed Raiden, who was watching Kent right now.

　　　“Alpha, what can I do for you?”

　　　“Put Kent on the phone.”

　　　“Yes, sir.”

　　　“Hello?” Kent’s voice was still weak, but the doctor said he would pull through. Our business meeting that day was to figure out why he was aiding a rogue while he was a human. Without Shadow knowing, she had already put him in danger, and she wasn’t aware that other packs were after her.

　　　“I will ask you one more time. How did you find Shadow?”

　　　“I already told you—”

　　　“Not everything. If you want to live, be safe, and still see Shadow, you will tell me what you know.”

　　　“I found her in an orphanage. She didn’t talk. She was shy or still suffering from her trauma. Later on, I sensed something different in her. That was when she told me. Of course, I didn’t believe it until her eyes glowed. She said her whole pack was killed and watched her father being shredded by a man.”

　　　“A man?”

　　　“She didn’t know him. She was only eight, so I didn’t ask her after that. She had enough pain and suffering for a kid.”

　　　“Why couldn’t I find her birth record?”

　　　“I forged her a new identity to keep her safe. However you find her, I hope you will keep her safe. Tell her I love her, Mr. Stone.”

　　　“What’s her real name?”

　　　“Please?”

　　　“Her real name, Kent. Don’t make me ask you again?”

　　　He drew a shaky breath. He must be in pain. “Promise me—”

　　　“You’re not in a position to make a demand. She is not a member of my pack. So I won’t promise you anything. Her name, Kent.”

　　　“I made a promise to protect her—”

　　　“But you failed on that part. You’re human. You don’t have the strength and power to protect her, Kent. I can, but you have to give me something. If she joins my pack, then she’s under my protection. I protect my people. That’s guaranteed.”

　　　“Raven.”

　　　“Put my man on the phone.”

　　　“Alpha.”

　　　“Tell the nurse to give him pain meds. When he’s allowed to go, send him to California. I will call our allies there that he’s under our protection.”

　　　“I will, Alpha.”

　　　I hung up the call, and Duke’s eyes were still focused on me.

　　　“There’s more to that woman than meets the eye. I can feel that she’s hiding something big, and if I don’t get that information from her within a week, she’s giving me no choice but to punish her and lose her chance for Kent’s protection.”

　　　“You don’t keep prisoners. You don’t take rogues in. What’s so special about this woman?”

　　　“I’m about to find out. That’s why I let her stay in the room next to mine.”

　　　“What?” His eyes widened in shock. “I’m not questioning your authority, but maybe your motives. I mean, she is really different. Her eyes are different. I wish I had that ability to see someone’s aura, but—” He paused, and I waited for him to continue, but he kept his mouth shut.

　　　“But what, Duke?”

　　　“How did she survive as a rogue for years? She could be a spy. Aside from her stinks, I sense something in her, but I couldn’t put my finger on it.”

　　　“I know.” I opened the laptop to email the Allies with her picture and Kent’s. While I was typing, I heard a knock. I already knew who was behind the door. She had my senses heightened.

　　　Duke went to open the door. “Alpha, the rogue is here.”

　　　“Send her in.” I continued typing despite her disruption. “You can go, Duke.”

　　　“See you later.” I sensed Duke glaring at Shadow on the door.

　　　“It’s fine.”

　　　Once Duke left the office, I sent my email and closed my laptop. The door shut behind her, and my body and wolf reacted to her presence, unsettling me more.

　　　My fingers itched to touch her, to comb through her bronze brown wavy hair and tug it before I tasted those lips.

　　　My primitive hunger had my insides churning as I met her gaze, and there was throbbing going on between my legs. I was surprised by how much she cleaned up. She was now the same woman I saw days ago. She wore jeans and a T-shirt I bought for her. Nothing was special about it, just simple, but not when on her.

　　　Shadow stood with confidence despite my dominance being heavy in the air. One thing was clear to me. I began to enjoy her scent, but I was not going to tell her or anyone in my pack.

　　　“Nice office.” It was. My father had good taste in decor and furniture. The dark wood paneling and wooden shelves from floor to ceiling filled with hardbound books made this office rich and classy. “You could add a little personal touch, though. It lacks photos. I suggest Alphas from all generations.”

　　　“I talked to Kent. I have one of my enforcers looking after him. Kindra, my Beta’s mate, will be on duty tonight. Our pack doctor is also there to take care of him. Raiden will bring him to California once he can go home.”

　　　“I wanna see him before he goes home.”

　　　“That can be arranged. I also made arrangements with Kent.”

　　　“What kind of arrangement? Shouldn’t I be involved in this decision about him?” She wasn’t impressed. It was evident in her tone.

　　　“The arrangement is done, rogue. And you don’t question it.” I stated firmly. “I emailed my allies that your adopted father is under our alliance’s protection from today. So, now it’s your turn to pay what you owe me.”

　　　She raised her brows skeptically. “And what’s that?”

　　　“You’re joining my pack and doing as I order you to do?”

　　　“And if I refuse?”

　　　“Kent will die, and so will you.”

　　　“What exactly do I do?”

　　　“For now, you will be my assistant. You know the job descriptions, and you will behave and respect me as your Alpha. Do we have an understanding?”

　　　“Yes.”

　　　“Good. Next week, you will do a challenge. If you pass it, you will be a part of the pack, and I will assign you according to your ability.”

　　　“And if I fail?”

　　　“You will be omega for the rest of your life.”