Chapter 13

Theo's POV I had never been so grateful for a phone call in my life. Claire's proximity in the confined space of the car was testing the limits of my control. The scent of her—honeysuckle and rain, even beneath the sour notes of spilled wine—was intoxicating. With each inch she moved closer, my wolf paced more urgently beneath my skin, urging me to claim what it already considered ours. Even soaked to the skin, hair plastered to her face, mascara smudged beneath her eyes, she was breathtaking. The sight of her in my jacket, swimming in fabric still warm from my body, triggered something possessive and primal that I'd thought long buried. But I couldn't think of her that way. She was too young—barely younger than Adrian. An employee under my protection. And most damningly, vulnerable in ways that made any advance on my part predatory. I gently pushed her back to her side of the car as I stepped out to take the call, grateful for the rush of cool night air against my heated skin. "Mother," I answered, turning away from the car window where I could feel Claire's curious gaze. "Is everything alright?" "Theo dear," my mother's crisp voice held a note of reproach. "I'm calling to remind you about tomorrow's family gathering. You haven't forgotten, have you?" I pinched the bridge of my nose. The last thing I needed right now was this. "No, Mother. I remember." "Good." She paused meaningfully. "I spoke with Daisy earlier today. She mentioned how much she enjoyed your conversation at the charity event last month." I suppressed a sigh. Daisy—daughter of the Blood Moon Pack's Alpha and my mother's favorite candidate for my next mate. A perfect political match on paper: beautiful, well-educated, from an old werewolf lineage. And I felt absolutely nothing when I looked at her. "Well, my regards to her," I replied neutrally. "Theodore," my mother's tone sharpened, "you're not getting any younger. The pack needs stability. After that disaster with Adrian's moth—" "Mother," I cut her off firmly. "We've discussed this. I'm not interested in another arranged match." After surviving one marriage based on pack alliances rather than genuine feeling—a marriage that had ended in humiliating betrayal—I wasn't eager to repeat the experience. As Alpha, I finally had the power to refuse, regardless of how beneficial others might find the arrangement. "At least consider it," she pressed. "Daisy is quite taken with you." "I'll see you tomorrow," I replied, deliberately ignoring her suggestion. I ended the call and turned back toward the car, catching Claire watching me with an unreadable expression. Something in her gaze—curiosity mixed with something darker, more possessive—sent another rush of heat through me. This was precisely the complication I didn't need. By the time we reached the hotel, I had managed to regain some measure of control. The hotel was one of several properties VM Group owned throughout the city—convenient for business associates requiring accommodation or for executives working late. I kept a permanent suite on the top floor, though I rarely used it myself. At the front desk, I greeted the night manager with a nod. "Ms. White needs access to my suite," I told him, ignoring his carefully neutral expression. "And send up some clothes for her," As we rode the elevator to the penthouse level, Claire maintained a careful distance, seemingly as aware as I was of the danger in our proximity. I felt relief mingled with an irrational disappointment. The suite was spacious and impersonal—tastefully decorated in neutral tones with the generic luxury of high-end hotel accommodations. I led Claire through to the main bedroom with its adjoining bathroom. "You should shower," I suggested, keeping my tone professionally detached. "Fresh clothes will be here soon. There are toiletries in the bathroom, and robes in the closet." She nodded, still clutching my jacket around her slim frame. "Thank you," she said softly. "For everything. For stopping Nicole, for bringing me here... I—" "It was nothing," I interrupted, not trusting myself to hear gratitude in her voice while we stood alone in a hotel bedroom. "Any decent employer would do the same." A flicker of hurt crossed her features before she masked it. "Of course." I watched her disappear into the bathroom, releasing a breath I hadn't realized I was holding when the door closed between us. My wolf growled in frustration, displeased with my restraint. 'You should really take her now that we have the chance. She clearly wants us and so do we. I mean look at her, she looks so delici... ' 'Can you not put more ideas in my head right now. You know we can't. We have principles.' The sound of the shower starting only intensified my torment. The mental image of Claire under the hot spray, wine washing from her skin, water cascading over curves I'd glimpsed but never fully seen—it was almost unbearable. My wolf whispered insistently that I should take what was so clearly being offered. I paced the living area, trying to focus on anything other than the woman naked and so close. This attraction was inconvenient at best, potentially disastrous at worst. Claire was Adrian's ex. My employee. Young enough. I had built my reputation on control, on never allowing personal feelings to interfere with business decisions. A knock at the suite door provided welcome distraction. Beta Charles stood in the hallway, cloth bag in hand. "The clothes you requested, sir," he said, handing me the bag. His eyes betrayed nothing, though he must have wondered about the situation. "Thank you, Charles," I replied, taking the bag. "That will be all for tonight." He nodded once and departed. I closed the door and returned to the bedroom, intending to leave the clothes on the bed for Claire to find when she emerged but I realized that it wasn't going to be good for me. As I approached the bathroom door, a sudden scream from inside stopped me cold. Without thinking, I dropped the bag and shoved the door open. Steam billowed out, momentarily obscuring my vision. When it cleared, I saw Claire lying naked on the tile floor, her body curled in apparent pain, water from the shower still running over her.