rain and blood. I fumbled in my bag for a paper towel

en rear

'd cut me off

ck k

rapped on

d it dow

utside, his glasses fogging in the d

in a rush to the pack's art gala-can we swap contact i

ack arbitrat

inspecting

umpled from the impact of th

os for evidence and diale

rank Salter,

ar, posture stiff as h

's insisting on arb

shield wipers slapping usel

wolf lounged in the b

my phone, my white linen shirt clinging to my frame-soaked through, rainwa

ha Gi

ed, shifting

Hartley glance

l, but his eyes lingere

e SUV. I'll head out. You han

ood, Alph

shivering as rain seepe

d in a gray hatchback, follow

same time, headlights c

wincing at the

nother figure-tall, lean, with posture that

each-blossom eyes t

ething in me, a faint memo

g his linen blazer to Frank before sliding i

over, holding

oaked through. P

howing the outline of my cotton tank top beneath. Heat rushed to

itrators, while the limousine pul

inside, his profile sharp as a shard of

ed things out, both p

me to the healer's studi

ed, replaced by b

d and send it back. Wh

deon wouldn't care about the bl

need,

the healer's

ery, Vanessa's chatter fading into back

ocked, and the rain sho

ne rang-Ryan,

an accident. The arbitrators just called

she-wolf with a no-nonsense attitude, cleaned my wound

d, hands falterin

back, expre

He's. a busin

t-a habit from years of introduc

roat worked, as if

ler, voice low with b

Did she hit h

l live," the healer re

e, handed me a tube of ointment

I've got actual in

d headed out, the blazer

e bill from the healer's desk before I could reach f

doting mate, the way h

hered to argue. Le

de, but Alpha Adrian swiped it from my hand, slinging a

seat before sliding into the driver's seat,

is stunt? You think that's funny? Makin

ed, incr

gaze, and a laug

Vanessa around like a trophy-and I was

y much longer," I said, reachin

led it out of my

h Vanessa-you humiliated her until she cried. She's just a kid, Vivian. A

when he spoke of Vanessa, as if the she-wolf could do

o, who you. bond with. But keep her away from me. Tell her to stop flaun

ot like that. She's

w furrowing, as if he a

ne, to show him the photos of Vanessa wearing his favorite hoodie

d. Congrats on your new si

quiet, jaw working,

and tugged the borrowed blazer tighter around me. The warm, earthy

e, clearly not mine, the kind only alphas from old, powerful clans could afford. His nose wrinkled,