ldin

y. There was no weeping, no sentimental hesitation. The grief

a hard drive containing every piece of proprietary code I had ever written for Garza Enterprises. Everything else-

ll. It was from our third anniversary, taken on a yacht in the Mediterran

en, slid open the trash compartment, and dropped it in. The sound of shattering glass was

ght on my finger. I opened my laptop and connected to a private, encrypted network-a Carroll

a name: K

ere ruthlessly efficient. Kenzie wasn't from any notable Lycan family. She was a second-rate model from a back

te. The father's name was listed as "Unknown." The date of birth was seven months ago. Darrien had only known her for si

a mess. A biologi

le, attached it to an email, and sent it to my personal

essed in a crisp business suit, ready to go to the office and pretend last

y annoyance cr

oice dripping with condescension. He took a step toward me, trying to use his Al

d emptiness in my eyes seemed to startle h

structed my legal team to file an emergency injunction. They're freezing all major

m confusion to pu

is voice echoing in the large, em

uments, holding forty percent of the original technology patents. You can't bui

, his face twisted in a

him easily. His movements were cl

ink running away to some new Alpha will solve your pro

handle of my suitcase and walked toward the door. H

felt a strange tremor run through me, a faint, internal vibration. It was my inner

he curb. The door opened before I reached it, and a man in a severe black suit stepped out

ful murmur. He took the suitcase from my ha

ar pulled away from the curb, I looked back at the glea

a sense of finality washing o

as a blur of motion and memory. The city skyline receded, re

, her silver hair styled perfectly, her posture radiating an aristocratic authority that could make kings t

h you," she said, her onl

, where a thick file lay on

ing, Cedric York, needs a Luna of a respectable bloodline to stabilize his political stand

proposal. A cold, calculated exchange of assets and

ntil the engagement is publicly announced, I retain the right to perso

ther's eyes. "I expected nothing less. Cedric is expe

n-suite bathroom and turned the shower on, as cold as it would go. I stood under the icy spray un

sh dresses of my past, I found what I was looking for. A black,

oment, I stared at the faint, silvery lines on my hands, the marks of my firs

a bold, crimson lipstick. A color Darrien had always

my phone buzzed. A new message f

Blue Note,

It didn't

as not the girl who had left this house. She was no

ll. And she was

-