by Jae
Kelsey felt her cheeks heat. Great. They sent me to spy on Jorie, and instead, she’s the one who finds out things about me. I must have been really distracted not to realize she was within hearing distance. She cleared her throat. “How do you know? About Ms. Harding.”
“She filed for a domestic partnership with Paula Lehane, an out lesbian news reporter, a few years ago.”
Maybe the reporter is the second person in the room when Ms. Harding hurts the boy.
A blaring car horn interrupted before Kelsey could voice her suspicion. She looked up to see a man wave at her. Behind him, a woman waited in another car. Their blond hair made it easy to guess they were Kasari, lion-shifters, like one side of Griffin’s family. “Griffin’s cousin is here to bring me the car.” Kelsey suppressed a sigh. Just what I need. Another enclosed space. “I’ll report back as soon as I’ve met Rue Harding.”
“Good luck,” Jorie said. “Or, as you say, happy hunting.”
“Thanks.” Kelsey ended the call, gathered her courage, and walked toward the car.
* * *
Kelsey stuck her nose out of the car’s open window and breathed in Clearfield’s unfamiliar smells. The cold air made her cheeks burn and her eyes tear, but at least it cooled her itching skin and lessened the feeling of being trapped in the car. She tried to distract herself by focusing on her surroundings while she drove.
Clearfield sat on top of a plateau, looking down on gently rolling hills and mixed woodland. Kelsey drove past a lake and hiking trails at the edge of town and caught sight of the modern high-rise buildings downtown.
The city was bigger than she had expected. Well, after living in tiny Osgrove for six months, a city with a population of 100,000 is practically a metropolis.
As she got closer to her destination, trucks with the furniture company’s logo passed her.
Great Hunter, the woman’s even got her own trucking fleet.
Acid burned in her stomach. Was she really a match for a rich, formidable opponent like Rue Harding? Could she manage to kidnap the boy from under her nose?
When she pulled into Harding Furniture’s parking lot, another furniture truck zipped past her. Kelsey pushed open the door and, with a sigh of relief, got out of the car. She stretched stiff muscles, glad to shake off at least part of her lingering tension.
The smells of resin and freshly cut wood saturated the air, and she deeply inhaled the soothing scents as she crossed the parking lot.
The company headquarters sat at the western edge of Clearfield, its fifteen-story building looming over the town like a medieval castle made of glass, steel, and concrete. Warehouses and woodshops flanked the tall building, and a log yard connected the premises to the forest beyond.
Glass doors swished open, and Kelsey walked past a beautiful armchair, a cabinet, and a rolltop desk on display in the lobby. A plaque on the wall told her these were the first pieces of furniture the company’s founder had produced in 1971.
At the sound of Kelsey’s steps echoing across the marbled floor, a receptionist looked up from her computer screen. She sent Kelsey a smile and a questioning look.
“Good morning,” Kelsey said. “I’m Kelsey Forrester.” It was the name on the fake résumé Griffin and Jorie had put together for her. “I have an appointment with Ms. Harding.”
After two clicks on her computer screen, the receptionist nodded. “If you’ll wait just one minute, my colleague will take you upstairs.” She waved at a young man and slid a thick book over the counter. “Sign right here, please.”
While Kelsey signed the fake name into the visitor’s book, the receptionist prepared a badge with her name.
For a furniture company, they’re pretty careful about visitors. Is Ms. Harding just worried about industrial espionage, or does she have something else to hide? Kelsey clipped the name badge to her cashmere sweater and followed the young man.
He led her toward a set of metal sliding doors.
“Um, do you mind if we take the stairs?” she asked.
The young man shook his head. “We better take the elevator, ma’am. Ms. Harding’s office is on the fifteenth floor.”
Suppressing a sigh, Kelsey squared her shoulders and marched toward the elevator. Her skin sent a warning tingle up her spine as she stepped into the elevator and the doors whooshed shut behind her.
Her watchdog pressed the button for the top floor.
Kelsey clung to the rail with stiff fingers.
Going up the fifteen stories felt like an eternity, but finally the doors pinged open.
Kelsey left the elevator so quickly that she almost collided with her companion.
“Allow me.” He guided her through a door and into the outer office.
A woman in a business suit sat behind a desk that blocked access to the offices beyond.
Like a sentry guarding the castle’s king...or queen.
Kelsey took a deep breath, nodded a thank-you at the young man, and walked up to the desk. “Good morning. My name is Kelsey Forrester. I have an appointment with Ms. Harding.”
The woman looked up from her large computer screen. “Oh, you’re the tutor, right?”
A nod from Kelsey earned her a strange look. Did she just give me a thank-God-I’m-not-you smile? Kelsey’s stomach bunched into a Gordian knot. She nodded. “Yes, that’s right.”
“My name is Reva Mulvey. We spoke on the phone. Hang on a second, please.” She leaned forward and buzzed her boss. “Ms. Harding, your ten o’clock, Ms. Forrester, is here.”
After a few seconds of static, a firm voice answered through the intercom, “Send her in, Reva.”
Ms. Mulvey stood and guided Kelsey to the inner door, then opened it after a short knock and made an inviting motion. “Go on in.”
Kelsey glanced down at herself, making sure there were no wrinkles in her slacks and no stains on the cashmere sweater she’d chosen for the occasion. One calming breath and she was ready to face the woman who would hurt a young pup. Not if I can prevent it.
Holding the portfolio with her résumé in front of her like a shield, she entered Ms. Harding’s office.
Controlled chaos engulfed her. A fax machine spat out two sheets of paper, a computer hummed, and a digital pad blinked next to it. A woman sat enthroned behind an L-shaped desk, her profile to Kelsey. She lifted one long index finger in a “give me a minute” gesture but didn’t look up from her computer screen. A headset was attached to her ear, and on the other end of the line, someone lamented about preparations for a trade show.
Kelsey stopped just inside the door and took a moment to study the woman’s office. Her father always said that you could tell a lot about a person by looking at her den.
Whatever the office said about Rue Harding, it wasn’t what Kelsey had expected.
Most offices of powerful Syak were trophy displays, designed to impress subordinates and intimidate rivals. She had expected the same for this human’s office—a woman who attacked a helpless teen thrived on intimidation. But while this office reeked of power, it was clearly not just for appearances.
Papers, folders, binders, and notes covered one side of Ms. Harding’s huge cherry-wood desk while the other side was loaded down with enough technology to launch a spaceship.
To Kelsey’s right, the smell of leather drifted up from a caramel-brown couch and two upholstered chairs, and a round table added the aroma of wood polish. The warm earth tones surprised her. What did you expect? A gray dungeon?
She took in the rumpled jacket hanging over the back of the couch and then slid her gaze upward. Instead of expensive artwork or the usual wall of fame—diplomas, awards, and certificates—that she had expected, simple charcoal sketches of dense forests covered the walls.
The detailed sketches made Kelsey long for a run through the forest in her wolf form. She’s got pictures of the forest hanging in her office when she destroys forests for a living?
Movement drew Kelsey’s gaze back to the desk.
Rue Harding s
wiveled from side to side in her high-backed chair while she clicked a mouse around her flat-screen computer monitor. “That’s not up for debate, Spencer,” she said into her headset. “Tell him either I’m the one cutting the red ribbon at the opening of spring market, or I’m taking my business elsewhere. And let him know I want our company logo larger than that.”
She wasn’t yelling. She didn’t need to. The power of her authority hit Kelsey’s nose with the force of a kick to the head.
With the floor-to-ceiling window showing the town below her, Ms. Harding looked like the queen of Clearfield making her underling wait for an audience. She finally finished her call but kept clicking away at her computer.
Kelsey knew she should step forward and force the human to finally turn her attention toward her, but her natural instincts told her to linger at the back of the room and wait until Ms. Harding had time for her.
You wanted to be more assertive, remember? She gave herself a mental kick and cleared her throat. “Ms. Harding?”
Two more clicks and the human twirled her chair around to face Kelsey.
The movement made golden hair brush against the top of an unbuttoned black vest. For a moment, Kelsey was reminded of a blond, blue-eyed angel that she had once seen painted on the ceiling of a human church. Don’t be fooled. Looks can be deceiving. Angels don’t hurt innocent children.
And surely an angel wouldn’t pierce her with such an intense stare. Rue Harding stretched her athletic body, leaned back in her leather chair, and folded her hands behind her head, elbows sticking out to both sides. She studied Kelsey without saying a word, apparently not feeling the need to fill the silence by exchanging pleasantries.
Kelsey fought against the urge to look away and returned the appraisal.
Instead of the chubby cheeks of a cherub, a firm jaw, sculpted cheekbones, and brows knitted in concentration gave Ms. Harding a fierce look. The gaze of her piercing pale blue eyes slid up and down Kelsey’s body, making her skin tingle, until, finally, the human gave a tiny nod and leaned forward. She placed her elbows on the desk and twirled a silver letter opener between her fingers as if she wasn’t used to sitting idly. The sleeves of her white shirt were rolled up, and slender muscles danced beneath her skin while the letter opener spun around and around. “So,” she said, “you’re the tutor my assistant found?”
Kelsey stepped forward. “Yes, ma’am.” She bit her lip. This is you being assertive? She would act just submissive enough to make the woman think she would make a good employee, but it would just be an act. At the first opportunity, she’d remove the boy from the woman’s influence. She made her voice firmer. “Kelsey Forrester.”
The human nodded but didn’t offer her own name since Kelsey obviously already knew it.
Kelsey’s submissive instincts raged and screamed, telling her that initiating a greeting wasn’t a nederi’s place. But shaking hands was a human tradition, so she forced herself to take two more steps and extend her hand.
Instead of reaching across the desk to accept the handshake, Rue Harding stood to bridge the distance between them, leaving Kelsey with her hand extended. Powerful strides carried her around the desk. When she stopped in front of Kelsey, her spicy scent engulfed Kelsey.
Strangely, Ms. Harding’s scent reminded Kelsey of sitting on the large deck of her parents’ home overlooking the Pacific, breathing in the scent of pine trees and ocean while she listened to the hypnotic music of the pounding waves.
Again, she had to force herself to meet Ms. Harding’s gaze and blinked when she realized that she barely had to look up to do so. The human was just an inch or two taller than Kelsey’s five feet six inches, but with her commanding presence, she appeared taller.
Rue Harding finally gripped Kelsey’s hand and shook it twice, firmly, but without trying to display her superior strength by crushing Kelsey’s fingers. Calluses rasped along Kelsey’s palm and made her skin tingle. Calluses on a rich armchair athlete like her? How did she get them? The human might be more dangerous than she appeared.
When Ms. Harding finally released her hand and leaned against the edge of her desk, Kelsey exhaled. “I brought my résumé.” She held out the portfolio.
Ms. Harding made no move to take it. “My assistant already gave me a copy. Quite impressive, at least on paper. But I’ll only hire you after I see how you deal with Danny.”
Kelsey’s throat tightened. Don’t mess this up. You need to get hired, no matter what. “I understand.” She bowed her head, using her natural submissiveness to let the woman think she was agreeing with her wishes. “When can I meet Daniel?”
“No time like the present. Let’s drive over to my house. Since I grounded him, Danny should be home.”
If she wanted me to see Danny, why did she have me come to her office instead of her house? Did she want to see if I passed inspection first?
The human didn’t leave her any time to figure out the answer to her question. She grabbed the jacket hanging over the back of the couch and strode past Kelsey without glancing back, clearly expecting her to follow.
Easily falling back into old patterns, Kelsey hurried after her.
* * *
Way ahead of Kelsey, Rue Harding’s silver Mercedes zipped through the upscale neighborhood, but Kelsey didn’t try to keep up with her. Being trapped in the car made her skin itch enough without speeding. Now she was glad that she had looked up the way to the Hardings’ home and knew it by heart.
Through the open car windows, she took in the impressive homes and luxury villas nestled on top of a hillside. Each house sat far back from the road at the end of long private drives, half-hidden by carefully trimmed shrubs. The road snaked upward.
Finally, the Mercedes slowed, allowing Kelsey to catch up. She watched as the ornate wrought iron gate swung open before Ms. Harding’s car. The tires of Kelsey’s car crunched over the gravel of the circular drive as she followed her.
One door of the three-car garage swung open, and the Mercedes disappeared inside.
Kelsey parked next to a fountain. She got out of the car and swept her gaze over the two-story mansion. With its large, arched windows, white walls, and red-tiled roof, it had an almost Mediterranean look.
A house like this in North Carolina? Clearly, she’s not afraid to stand out.
Kelsey had grown up in a wealthy family, but compared to this place, her family’s pack home looked like a leaky old shack.
Ms. Harding left the garage through a side door and waved at Kelsey to follow her up the five steps to the front door.
Two snarling stone lions guarded the entranceway, and Kelsey silently snarled back while she waited for Ms. Harding to open the door.
When she looked up, the human had turned around and was staring at her.
Oh, wolf poop. She saw. “Um, just something stuck in my teeth. Sorry.”
Ms. Harding gave a nod, her expression not giving away her thoughts. She swept out her arm in an inviting gesture. “Come on in.”
Stepping carefully, Kelsey set foot into a semicircular foyer and then followed the human deeper into the house. The scent of wood smoke and beeswax wafted around her with every step.
Once again, what she found surprised her. Instead of the antique chandeliers and marble she had expected, sunlight danced over light maple floors. No walls blocked Kelsey’s view. A counter separated the kitchen from the living room, and three steps led up to the raised dining area. Beyond that, Kelsey could see a glass wall looking out toward a nearby lake. From the living room, French doors opened up to a large deck, and a winding staircase probably led up to the master bedroom and Daniel’s room.
Kelsey instantly liked the open airiness of the house. In Jorie’s tiny house, where she and the other bodyguards didn’t even have a room of their own, the walls sometimes seemed to close in on her.
As she stepped farther into the house, Kelsey caught the scent of several humans—and one Wrasa.
“Seems he’s in the living room,” Ms. Harding s
aid. Her eyes narrowed. “And he’s not alone.”
Kelsey turned and followed Ms. Harding’s gaze.
Three teenagers were sprawled across the large couch, empty cans and bags of junk food strewn around them.
Kelsey sniffed the air. Soda. Not beer.
An action movie flickered across the flat-screen TV a safe distance away from a wood-burning fireplace. The sound was off, and the captions at the bottom of the screen read, “Boom!” as a bomb exploded.
A second later, Kelsey felt as if she were in a real war zone.
Ms. Harding whirled toward her, her eyes glinting with cold fire. “Would you mind waiting in the foyer for a minute?”
With a shocked nod, Kelsey retreated to the foyer but peeked back over her shoulder.
Two long steps carried Ms. Harding to the living room. She grabbed the remote control from the coffee table, pointed it at the TV without looking, and turned off the movie.
The three teenagers glanced up, only now noticing that she was in the room.
“What the hell are you doing?” Ms. Harding managed to sound as angry as a wet lion-shifter without even raising her voice. Her words were accompanied by signs, the palms slapping against each other, but the human wasn’t signing fluently. “I told you you’re grounded!”
With deliberate casualness, the boy looked up at her, his feet still up on the coffee table and his baggy jeans hanging low on his thin hips. A shock of black hair fell into his pale face. His hands moved lazily, the signs much more refined than Ms. Harding’s. “I didn’t leave the house,” he signed. “Just ask my friends.”
Kelsey breathed in deeply, testing his scent. One whiff was enough to identify the boy’s species. Syak. He’s a wolf-shifter. His scent was as familiar to Kelsey as her own. She blinked. Syak, wood, and peanuts. Her chest compressed as she breathed in that rare mix of scents. For a moment, she saw her brother Garrick sprawled in front of the TV, his feet on the coffee table, marking his territory the same way Danny did. But then her glance fell onto the packages on the coffee table and she exhaled and shut the old memories away. It’s just some snack he ate.