Page 8 of Claws and Controllers

Adonis gave him a knowing look but obliged. “She’s been in the industry for about a decade, started her own company a fewyears back. Brilliant coder, from what I hear. Got a reputation for thinking outside the box.”

Zy nodded, absorbing the information. “And her game? What do we know about it?”

“Not much,” Adonis admitted. “She’s kept it under wraps. She did the official trailer and demo earlier but we missed it since she had an early block and then was set to give tips and tricks on her last release. There are other demos being played throughout the day and people can play the demo, but we haven’t seen them. But the buzz is intense. Some are saying it could be a real game-changer, pun intended.”

A competitive spark ignited in Zy’s chest. As much as he was drawn to Ellie personally, he couldn’t ignore the fact that she was also a business rival. The tiger in him growled, loving the challenge.

“I need to see this game for myself,” Zy said.

Adonis raised an eyebrow. “Planning a little corporate espionage, are we?”

Zy shook his head. “Nothing underhanded. I’ll wait my turn like everyone else. But I want to know what we’re up against.”

As the afternoon wore on, Zy found it increasingly difficult to concentrate. His shifter senses, usually dormant in business settings, were on high alert. Every flash of red hair in the crowd made his heart race, only to plummet when it turned out to be someone else.

“You know,” Adonis said during a quiet moment, “I’ve never seen you like this. Not in all the years I’ve known you.”

Zy ran a hand through his hair, a rare display of frustration. “I don’t understand it myself. It’s like... like my tiger has woken up after a long nap and decided she’s the most fascinating thing in the world.”

Adonis’s eyes widened. “You don’t think... Could she be your mate?”

The word sent a shiver down Zy’s spine. Mate. It was a concept he’d long since given up on. At a hundred years old, he’d assumed his chance had passed.

“That’s ridiculous,” Zy scoffed, but there was a note of uncertainty in his voice. “I don’t even know her.”

“Maybe your tiger knows something you don’t,” Adonis suggested. “Stranger things have happened in the shifter world.”

Zy shook his head, trying to clear it. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. For all I know, she could be happily married with three kids.”

“She’s not,” Vince chimed in, appearing seemingly out of nowhere. At Zy’s surprised look, he shrugged. “What? I did some digging. Standard competitor research. She’s divorced. It was nasty and public, but otherwise, she’s single.”

Zy’s heart skipped a beat at this information, but he kept his face neutral. “Thank you, Vince. That will be all.”

As Vince walked away, Adonis leaned in. “You know, boss, if you’re really interested, there are ways to arrange a ‘chance’ meeting.”

Zy considered it for a moment, then shook his head. “No. If I’m going to meet Ellie, I want it to be genuine. No tricks, no corporate maneuvering. Just two people in the same industry, crossing paths.”

Adonis nodded approvingly. “Glad to hear it. Though I’ve got to warn you, if she really does hate Ashford Entertainment as much as the rumors say, you might be in for a chilly reception.”

The thought sent a pang through Zy’s chest. He’d faced down boardrooms full of hostile investors, negotiated multi-million dollar deals, and even stared down rival tiger shifters in territorial disputes. But the idea of Ellie looking at him with disdain made him feel like a nervous teenager.

As the day drew to a close, Zy found himself both exhilarated and frustrated. The Nexus presentation had been a rousing success, but he’d failed in his personal mission to meet Ellie.

“There’s always tomorrow,” Adonis reassured him as they packed up for the night. “The convention runs for two more days. Plenty of time for a star-crossed meeting.”

Zy rolled his eyes at his friend’s teasing tone, but he couldn’t deny the flutter of anticipation in his chest. Tomorrow was another day, another chance.

As they left the convention center with the New York night alive with lights and energy, Zy’s thoughts drifted once again to Ellie. Somewhere in this vast city, she was out there, possibly thinking about Nexus or Ashford Entertainment.

About him?

Zy shook his head, amused at his own wishful thinking. He was Zyan Ashford, CEO of a Fortune 500 company, alpha of one of the most powerful shifter prides in North America. He didn’t pine after women he’d never even spoken to.

And yet, as he climbed into the back of his waiting car, he couldn’t shake the feeling that his life had somehow shifted on its axis. That from this day forward, nothing would ever be quite the same.

“Home, sir?” his driver asked.

Zy nodded, leaning back against the leather seat. As the car pulled away from the curb, he allowed himself one last indulgence. He closed his eyes and pictured Ellie’s face – those intelligent brown eyes, that cascade of red hair, the look of intense concentration as she’d watched his presentation.

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