y se

ic drumbeat counting down the time I h

looking for any sign of a bluff. T

aking with a mixture of rage and fear. "I left t

ala. He wants his heir back. He wants the Silver Moon Pack to have i

I spat, trying to yank my arm

is voice dropping an octave, vibrating with a d

demanding to be let out. "You're going to drag me out of here in front of the human pr

care about exposure? I own the press, Tala. I own the police. I own the v

wrapped around my throat. He

o my lips for a fraction of a second. The air betw

reer would be over. If I let him drag me out, I looked like I w

the word tasting like po

rching my face for the li

knock

e medical room door

ugh the metal door. "You better not be hiding. The pr

planted beside my head, caging me

second of cooperation. "If you want me to go with you quietly

izing second. Then, a slow, terrif

a small, black business card. He slid it into the front pocket of my compression shirt, his fingers brush

e walked over to the door, unlocked the deadbolt, an

, his face red from the heat of the

uddenly respectful. "I didn't realize yo

ming, professional tone I'd heard when I first walked in. He flashed Coach a

"Great, great. Tala, get your

utside the door. He looked back at me over his sh

ou very soon, Tal

swallowed by the sha

nt table, my heart hammering against

s matte black, with no name, no title. Just a si

my attention back to the pres

tes. If I was fast enough, I could sneak out the back door, g

e press conference room, my shoulder a

stepped onto the media stage,

ssly tailored suit, was Kael. He wasn't looki

was s

sting his cufflinks, and addressed the press. "Ladies and gentlemen, I'd like to make an announcement. I have just purchased the majority stake in