Page 1 of The Wolf Prince's Fated Heart

CHAPTER 1

Graham

The peace between the two species is a fragile thing. I'd hate to be the one responsible for its ending.

It's been five years since the end of the war, and yet, there are many people on both sides who would prefer to keep fighting.

"Mr. Grey," the voice of my human secretary comes from behind me.

She took care not to startle me, but I heard her coming from the moment she pushed her chair away from the desk. The heavy paper, carrying the scent of sun and dust, starts to crumple in my hand. Her fears, which I can almost sense in the air around her, are subtly confirmed by the action.

I clench my hands into fists to hide my claws and take a deep breath, forcing my nerves to settle. Now is not the time for her to find out that her boss isn't human.

She holds her position at the door.

"Come in, Harper," I say, without turning around.

The door creaks. "Is it true what they're saying?"

I want to snarl. With her computer, Harper undoubtedly can track most gossip around the firm. It would seem my ears aren't the only thing warning me she's around. I remain silent. I'm already on the verge of losing everything I've worked so hard for.

"It's true, then? Someone has hacked our software..." Her words linger in the air, caught between disgust and fear.

How does she know? my inner wolf questions.

It's been a little more than a week since I first saw evidence of a glitch in a small section of our code. The facial recognition software my company developed for the military to hunt down criminals is extremely sensitive. If it continues being used by unauthorized sources, we risk getting shut down.

I sigh. "Sit down, Harper."

I turn just enough to watch her short legs scurry to the chair. Silly mouse of a woman.

Tired of waiting, I close the file and put it back in the drawer.

Harper asks, 'Who could it be?'

This is the crucial part—who's responsible? If I knew where to begin, I’d already have my culprit.

I turn and meet Harper’s clouded gaze.

“Let me worry about it," I tell her. "Do you mind telling me about the rest of the rumors you heard?"

Are we sure we want to handle this right now? my wolf asks me.

Harper takes a deep breath and wrings her hands.

Her dark ponytail hangs like a tail from the top of her head. Her skin looks grey beneath the white-greenish light reflecting off the many screens in the room. The flickering white lights slightly hurt mine. Like all wolves, I possess strong sight. But humans aren't as sensitive to the little things as we are.

"I don't know anything concrete," she says.

"That's why they're called rumors and not facts." My growling voice sounds odd when I force it to be calm. Worse, it seems to make her even more wary of me.

Harper doesn't shy away, but she is extremely eager to please. Too much so. She bites her bottom lip and makes herself look away from me.

"Harper," I say, trying to sound gentle. "If I am to locate the leak, I need to know what the rumors are saying. You know, the same as I do, that every lie has a grain of truth in it."

Her knee begins bouncing. Her toes are wrapped in a pair of mint green flats, which are almost as blinding as the screens.

I ignore how her perfume, clean and generic, adds to my sensitivity in this room, and force myself to wait. It's not that I dislike my secretary. She’s never come close enough for me to form an opinion.

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