a's

lings like some orchestral spell. Crystal chandeliers shimmered overhead. Perfumed bod

e crowd, careful to keep to her

of her clutch. Hair twisted up. Gown steamed and lint-rolled twice. The green mask she'd chosen. Si

istered. What litt

n. The pharmacy had been out of stock. Delays

ek was

s past expiration. The liquid had turned slightly opaque. Bitter at the back of

she'd rinsed the empty vial and filled i

Virelux Grand Atrium, sh

ed in, or worse, it

sharp, mixing in the heat of the crowd. Alpha tones curled at the edge of her senses, restrained

ed through the ro

the mezzanine and pretended to read the

as not just a headache. It

ut. Q

oward the rear of the hall. She passed clusters of assistants she vaguely knew. A finance d

She was still backgr

ropes and standing floral displays. A few people mingled ther

minutes of oxygen. To

open arch, a familiar pre

e behi

ing, just.

lk mask clung damp against her face, its green fabric hiding littl

and smooth, brus

n't be out

toppe

Formalwear, tailored perfectly. His voice deep, r

She knew

In silent elevator rides. In precisely

ian

st instinct, whispering a warn

now it was

ught her scent now, raw and unprot

-

ian'

ning – G

n hate

tion, the way his presence shaped the room long before he spoke. He hated bei

, he hated

zz dulling his precision, loosening the edges of his self-control. He almost welcomed it. A

ent was expected to be formalized before the quarter cl

about tonigh

Running late. Don't wait up. Cold, impersonal. Fittin

ne and watched the ocean of people move bel

he sa

gre

ut not trying to disappear, either. Something about her

ognize her. Not by

s body

ed near her. His instincts stirred, quiet and warnin

He didn't chase shadow

it was coincid

. Tired. The nigh

it, and his senses flared in quiet protes

be out here a

ck sti

ion was less than a second, but enough. En

remnants of suppressant clouding the air. But there was somethin

talled. His in