Page 9 of Wolf Promise

CHAPTER 5

Regie poured hot water over the tea leaves in her mug. She didn't particularly want the hot beverage, but needed something to do with her hands.So, she stirred the brew with a spoon while she contemplated the mess her life had become.

When the first threatening email had appeared, she’d thought nothing of it and just deleted it. But then a second arrived, and then more and more after that. And then they got oddly specific about how and where they were going to kill her. The places mentioned were locations she frequented often. Like her gym, her hairdresser, and her condo. That’s when she’d shown her grandfather, who’d called in Heimdall Shield.

And that had led to this moment: Bolt Varg heading over to her apartment to move in, officially. She'd never lived with anyone and couldn't even picture what it would be like to share her home with someone. Especially with a fake fiancé.Who—it just occurred to her—had the same last name as his boss. Were they brothers?

She had a list of questions. Together with things like, where did he grow up? Did he have a favorite meal? And how the hell were they going to make this believable when they knew nothing about each other?

She'd put clean sheets on the guest room bed and changed the towels in the attached bathroom. Nobody had visited her since she last changed them, so she probably could have left them on. But the last time anyone stayed with her had been two years earlier when a college friend passed through town on a business trip. She figured refreshing the linens would make Mr. Varg feel more welcome.

And again, it had given her something to do.

She paused in her stirring. Did she want him to feel welcome?

Not really.

What she wanted was for all of this to be over.

She wanted the stalker to be caught, for the public offering to be over, and for her to be back at work without public appearances on the schedule. She hated being paraded around as the representative of her company.

As the founder and CEO, she took credit for the initial idea of her business and for hiring and leading an exceptional team. However, the amazing people who worked at Lofn Wellness did most of the hard work.

Okay, so maybe she could also take credit for knowing who would fit on her team in terms of personality and the skills they contributed, but still, the success of the company had been accomplished by more than just her—by people who made their livelihood through Lofn Wellness.

People for whom she was responsible and would suffer financially if she screwed up the public offering. Regie pinched the bridge of her nose and then massaged her temples, trying to alleviate the headache that had plagued her since this afternoon’s meeting with the security company.

Grabbing her mug of tea and her phone, she walked through the open-plan kitchen and sitting area to the big wall of windows and then out the sliding door that led to her patio. Curling up in one of the large wicker armchairs, she pulled a fleece blanket over her and admired the view. She'd never get tired of being able to see the beautiful waters of San Francisco Bay from her home. The breeze played with her hair, and she brushed it from her face. Despite it having been a warm day, the afternoon had turned chilly, like it often did, but the fog hadn't yet engulfed the city. In an hour or two, it would roll in from the hills across the bay, over the waters, and then blanket all of San Francisco in damp grayness and obscure her beloved view.

But for now, she could see Alcatraz Island, with its famous prison, rising from the water's surface in the middle of the bay. The historic Golden Gate Bridge and the newer Bay Bridge made up the left and right edges of her view. To be able to gaze out at the water and the landmarks every day made it worth having to live in a high-rise. Plus, she liked the convenience of walking to work.

After the threats started arriving, she also had a new appreciation for the concierge service guarding the front door. They screened every visitor to the building.But if she could choose her perfect home, it would be a house that had a garden where she could grow vegetables and flowers. Maybe she would have that dream someday. And maybe that dream would include a family or at least a partner.

She shook her head. There would be no true partner in her life. She couldn’t risk someone finding out about her weird abilities. At least not as long as her grandfather lived. Losing his love would be catastrophic. And she owed him so much.

Sacrificing having a regular life seemed like a small price to pay. Plus, her company was her baby. Her legacy and her payment for all that her father had squandered. By any measurement, she lived a very privileged and full life. She had no right to want more, and yet, in the back of her mind, the dream of one day being part of a regular family refused to die.

The cell phone in her lap rang and announced her grandfather on the screen. She considered letting the call go to voicemail, but he would just keep calling until she picked up.

“Hello, Grandfather.”

“Is he there yet?” No pleasantries were offered, which was usually how their conversations went.

“No, but he said he’s on his way.”

“I need you to make this work, Regina. There is more than just your well-being dependent on your actions.”

Wasn’t there always? And didn’t she always deliver? She kept her frustration out of her voice. “I know. And I will.”

“I will speak to the board once you and Mr. Varg have gotten more used to each other. It will make things easier for you.”

Irritation heated Regie’s cheeks. It was her board, to which she answered. Her grandfather was a majority stockholder, but he did not have the right to speak for her to the board. It made it look like she was scared or couldn’t handle major business decisions on her own. “There is no need. I will speak with them before I announce our engagement.”

Her grandfather paused, and guilt immediately rose in Regie. She knew he was only trying to help, but sometimes that help felt suffocating. Like the fact that he knew—or thought he knew—all the details about her dating life. There wasn’t much to know, but still. He’d spoken with such authority.

“I’m only trying to help,” he finally said. “I want to make sure they don’t give you a hard time about getting engaged so close to the public offering.”

She signed inwardly. “I know. I’m sorry. This whole situation just has me riled up.”

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