ra

st motes dancing in the dead air. I hadn't moved from the shadows beneath the staircase. My blistered hand

ng the damp morning chill with him. But beneath the scent of rain

to him like a second skin,

k canvas. Adrian paused, startled, before quickly ar

he said, stepping forwar

his mistress. I subtly shifted my weight, step

before he masked it with a smooth smile. "Pack business in the neighboring c

e Hermes box, holding it out to me like a peace offering to a

box and locked onto his collar. There, stark against t

fening. The charming, apologetic husband vanished in a heartbeat, repl

into a dangerous, rumbling cadence. He lunged forward, his ha

ith dead, empty eyes. I was playing the broken, wolfless Omega he

repulsed him. "Ungrateful mutt," he spat. He tossed the orange box onto the sofa

picked up the box and walked straight to my private bathroo

ned against the sink. I opened the box. I

gifts. I pulled out my phone and opened a private browser, navigating to an

to find the exact scarf. My blood

was a mandatory, useless add-on item that clients were forced to buy to build e

symbol, a bag completely devoid of the metal that could harm our kind. And he had tossed me th

he sheer magnitude of his disrespect didn't break me; it forged me.

shoved the entire thing into my worn canvas tote bag. I needed to keep

start with the woman he was building it for. I grabbed m