Marked by the Absolute Alpha CEO

ra

Monday, I just wanted to disappear. I huddled in my cramped cubicle at Blackwood Industries, surrounded by fabric s

this," a hushed voice hi

ith the kind of manic energy that o

d, keeping my eyes g

lose I could smell her vanilla shampoo. "They found a torn, cheap dress in the trash. And get t

ked violently. The paper cup crushed in my grip, s

a scream as the liquid seared my pa

ay?" Dahlia panicked, grab

trapped bird. I frantically wiped at the mess, avoiding her gaze.

nconvinced, before rolling

ing in a toxic mix of terror and humiliatio

The design software vanished, replaced by a stark, imposing n

od requests a Permane

n't have an Inner Wolf to bridge the psychic connection. I couldn't accept it even if I wanted to. He was

ation in the Pack's system. It was corporate and Pack suicide. But the memory of the pharmacy, t

ng hand, I cli

ic chatter of the design department died. It didn't just quiet do

Vance stood at the

ke the grim reaper disguised as a corporate lawyer. He di

a flat, chilling monotone. "The A

I stammered, a pathetic attempt to cling

owering his voice. "That is

orcing my knees to lock and my body to obey. Under the sympathetic, curious, a

floor was a silent

ors clicked shut behind me, sealing me inside. The sheer force of Kaelen's

blocking the light from the floor-to-ceiling windows. He held his phone in his hand, the sc

ed his arm beside my head, caging me in. The heat radiating from his b

as he let out a dangerous, suppressed g

I squeezed my eyes shut, my voice a