Vance is still talking, but I can’t focus on his presentation.
Neither can my team. One by one, their heads whip around as Madison passes. Nickel is a bit slow to catch on, but Sully clocks it immediately. The Adalwulf scent can’t be denied.
Vance stops mid-sentence. An evil grin spreads across Billy’s face. He loves firing humans, and consorting with the Adalwulfs is enough of a reason to throw someone out.
But she’s not going anywhere. Not until I know why she bears the Adalwulf scent.
My nostrils flare as she gets close. It’s disconcerting, the sweet orange and nutmeg fragrance that’s haunted me, mixed with the sour rot of my sworn enemy.
“Everyone out,” I order and catch Madison’s wrist before she can pivot away. “Everyone but you.”
Brick
The room clears immediately. Only Billy pauses to shoot me a glance. He probably doesn’t want to miss me firing Madison.
I turn Madison’s arm over to examine the inside of her arm where I caught the smudge of finger marks. There-that’s where the smell is thickest. There’s also a smudge on the pale, freckle dusted skin above her elbow. I guide her closer, and her breath hitches.
This is completely inappropriate. I should not be touching her, and yet I can’t control my wolf. He’s snarling at the scent on her. At the violation of it.
“What is this?” I bark, then force myself to calm down.
Oh fates, am I squeezing her wrist too tightly?
No. My touch is strangely gentle, as if my wolf had control in that area. I trace a finger over one of the red blotches.
The hairs on her arm rise. She draws in a sharp breath when she sees the marks.
“Oh.” She lifts a hand and rubs at the bruise as if she could wash it away like a bit of ink. “It’s nothing. I went to get coffee, and I…I bumped into someone. Still getting used to these heels.”
“You went into Adalwulf Associates.”
She exhales like she knows she screwed up. “I know. I didn’t realize it when I went in there. I just saw a coffee shop with a shorter line. I’m sorry.”
She should be. She prides herself on memorizing the tiniest details. “If you work for me, you don’t go into that building.
Ever.”
“It’s not in the employee manual,” she shoots back, then catches herself. She squares her shoulders. “I understand. It won’t happen again.”
I’m still holding her. My wolf isn’t satisfied. He wants to check her over, and I want to know why she was meeting with Aiden. But I can’t exactly ask her why she smells like an Adalwulf, now can I? “Did you see anyone?”
“Yes. I turned and crashed into someone. I think it was Aiden Adalwulf.”
The growl rumbles out of me, startling us both. My wolf can’t hold back. Her eyes go round, and more color floods her cheeks. Any other human would be cowering with her head down. My wolf never growls in public, not in front of a human. He knows the rules. But something about Madison makes him wild.
I’m breaking all my rules with this human.
“I thought it might be him,” she continues. “I introduced myself.”
“Did he say anything? Do anything?”
“No, he did nothing. He just told me I didn’t belong there. I think he saw your dry cleaning tag, so he knew I work for you.” She does it again. She raises her head and meets my gaze square on.
And my wolf calms. I don’t detect any lie in her scent. Nor fear. She’s not colluding with Adalwulf. She was just getting coffee.
I lean back, savoring her scent up close. It does strange things to me. This shouldn’t be happening.
She cocks her head. “The whole encounter was about thirty seconds. I’m not sneaking off for clandestine meetings with your business rival. Is that what you wanted to know?”
I grunt. I can’t admit that.
“He’s more than just a business rival, isn’t he?” She peers at me like she can look into my mind and find the truth.
Not much gets by this girl.
“He’s my cousin.” I spit out the admission with venom, not pausing to realize how out of character it is for me to share anything of a personal nature with a human employee.
“He did this to you?” I stroke my thumb lightly over the red smudge on her arm. It will turn into a bruise soon. Humans are fragile as fuck.
I don’t know why she hasn’t pulled out of my grasp yet. Oh yeah, probably because I’m her boss. Which is exactly why my touch is completely inappropriate.
“I’m okay,” she says, not exactly answering my question. “I bruise easily.” She lifts her gaze once more. “He is a dick, though.”
My lips twitch, which is completely out of character for me. Something about this human makes me feel different. Energized. Suddenly awake. “Agreed. I want you to stay away from that building.” I drop my hands and rise from my chair. “In fact, Indira gets the coffee from now on.”
She blinks at the break in the mood and straightens. “Actually, sir, I was going to ask you about that. Indira would like an analyst position. I think her talents are wasted here.”
“That’s what you think?” I raise a brow. Her freckled skin reddens, but she doesn’t back down.
“Yes, sir.” She doesn’t defend herself, just quietly meets my gaze with total assurance that she’s right.
My dick twitches.
“How do you know?”
“I can read people.”
“You can, can’t you?” It’s one of her superpowers, and gives her an edge. I like that she knows her own strengths and owns them. “What was your read on Aiden Adalwulf?”
“He has no soul. He’d sacrifice anything for power.”
Dead on.
“Do you feel that way about me?” I ask before I can stop myself.
“No, sir. You command loyalty.” She nods to the executive floor, where Vance, Jake and Billy are in a huddle, plotting while they drink their coffee. “That kind of bond requires self-sacrifice.”
I’m speechless for a second.
“What about you, Ms. Evans? Are your talents wasted here?”
Her light brown eyes are bold on mine. “Not at all, sir. I find the job quite stimulating.” She flashes a sardonic smile. “Minus the coffee runs. But no, I’m right where I need to be.”
I agree, but I won’t admit it. “Tell Indira to report to Vance from now on. On my orders.”
“Thank you, sir.”
“Is that all? Have you arranged everyone to your liking?”
Her eyes drop to the table, but amusement colors her tone. “Yes, sir. For now.”
I jerk my chin to dismiss her but call her name before she reaches the door. “Madison.”
She halts.
“This makes you my direct assistant. Think you can handle me?”
“Absolutely. Sir.” The corner of her mouth jerks up before she smooths her expression. “I’m happy to accept the promotion, as long as there’s a pay increase with it.”
“Double the work. Double the pay, if you survive the three month probationary period.”
Her voice is low and husky. “I look forward to impressing you.” Her fragrance has a sultry edge. She tempts me beyond reason.
I’m ten seconds away from throwing her down on the conference table and tasting her essence straight from the source. I wave a hand. “Go.”
She’s not gone a minute before Billy strolls in. “Why is she still working here?”
“She had a run in with Aiden Adalwulf.”
“No kidding,” he says drily because they all caught the scent. “What happened? Is she his spy?” His expression is dangerous.
“No. She chose to get the coffee from the Adalwulf building and bumped into him-literally.”
My clumsy secretary. The memory of her tripping into me sends some of my blood south.
Billy’s eyes narrow. “You believe her? The Adalwulfs would love to plant someone on the inside. Or maybe they already did.” He raises his brows. “A leak would explain why they bid on Benson.”
“A leak about Benson would have happened before Madison’s time,” I snap, more annoyed than I should be with his suspicion of New Girl.
He stills when I say her name.
Fuck.
He may have already noted my favor with her. He faces the glass conference wall, studying Madison for a few moments.
“She’s human.” It’s not a reminder. It’s a warning.
“Obviously.”
“I’ll look into her.”
I bristle, but to tell him not to investigate her would only cement his resolve and tip my hand. I recognize the stubborn intention on Billy’s face. He’s going to keep an eye on her. I can’t tell him to back off.
If Madison’s going to work for me, she has to learn to run with the wolves. Billy will do his best to run her off. He hates humans more than any other shifter I know.
I won’t tell Billy, but my money’s on Madison. She’s smart, pays attention and is determined to impress. I doubt he can slip her up.
“Indira’s moving to an analyst position. Inform Vance.”
Billy cocks his head. “That makes New Girl your direct report.”
I say nothing, daring him to challenge me. He tilts his head and lopes off.
Out on the floor, Madison is helping Indira pack up her things. The two women hug. As Indira leaves, Madison faces the boardroom. Her eyes search out mine, and she meets my gaze head on.
I shouldn’t find it satisfying, but I do.
“I look forward to impressing you.”
Me too, little human. Me too.
Madi
Landhower Prep School’s campus is an oasis of green in the city. Towering oak trees line the elegant walkways and lush lawns. The buildings that house the classrooms have grandiose stone archways in a neo-Gothic style, as if the bigger the archway, the better the quality of the lectures inside. The architects must have been channeling that famous Raphael fresco with Plato and Aristotle. It’s over the top but attracts billionaires who want an elite educational experience for their spoiled spawn. The quality of light is even different here, as if money can buy a richer shade of golden sunbeams to slant through the trees.
I haven’t stepped foot here since I graduated, but nothing’s changed. A flock of pearl girls walk past, carrying identical designer backpacks and dressed for riding lessons. Their high ponytails swish as they pretend to ignore the gauntlet of jock-type frat boys lounging on their Mercedes and Maseratis in the parking lot.
Everything’s familiar, along with the feeling that I won’t fit in and never will. It was hard when I was sixteen, but now I’m okay with it. Who needs a three thousand dollar backpack anyway?
I duck into the archway and head toward my mom’s office where I agreed to meet her after work. Her door is closed, but as I approach, it flies open, and a pouting young man slouches out. I stand aside to let Richie Rich pass, holding my breath before I choke on the cloud of his cologne. His unmarked baseball cap probably costs more than my monthly rent.
My mom sits at her giant desk, peering over her reading glasses at her computer screen. The lines around her eyes and mouth look a little deeper than when I last saw her, but she brightens when she sees me.
“Madi.”
“Let me guess,” I say in greeting, hiking a thumb behind me to indicate the disgruntled student. “Chad or Preston or what’s his name wanted an extension on his paper.”
My mom sighs. “His name is Forbes and yes. He wanted a redo of his exam. Apparently ‘sleeping in after partying late’ is a valid excuse.”
I spread my hands in victory, but it’s a hollow one. “Guess nothing here has changed.”
“Nope. Except my two kids have flown the nest, and now I can’t eat lunch with them every day anymore.” She sounds more proud than sad, and I head around her desk to give her a hug.
“So everything’s good?” I ask, moving a stack of books from a chair so I can sit.
“Everything’s great. Brayden is at an NYU meet and greet for new students. He’ll meet us for dinner, and I’m sure he’ll talk your ear off about all the theater and debate clubs he’s trying out for.”
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