Page 51 of Knot All is Forgiven

"Yeah, yeah, I got it. Look, I found my scent match." Her gasp has me plowing through the next words before she can interrupt. "But I've known her for a long time, and I've fucked shit up, and she won't talk to me, Ronda. I need her to talk to me."

Her gasp turns into a deep, angry sigh."Do I wanna ask what you did?"

"Can we just say I was a boneheaded kid and I made a mistake, but she has every right to be pissed at me?"

"How can I help you, Stargazer?"

"She's the exec over print media at Hurry Up and Grow. I need to get on a campaign they're managing." There's silence on the other end of the phone, and I run my hand through my hair, getting my fingers stuck on a few of the curls, a telltale sign it's a wash day. "Ronda?"

"You're asking me to get you in a print ad?"

"Yeah, that's what I'm saying."

"Do you know how many people want you in an ad, Stargazer? Fuck, this is the easiest ask you've ever made of me. I can tell any of them they have to use HUG."

"Let me know when it's done," I tell her before hanging up.

I swing my legs over the side of my bed and practically skip to the bathroom.

Today is going to be a much better day.

Chapter twenty

I stare at theunsolicited email from Cyrus Stargazer, fuming.

When it came in two days ago, I nearly broke my phone screen from hurling it against the wall.

Who does he think he is? Does he think two lines are enough to make up for years of pain?

Lanie crosses her arms and taps her foot, impatiently waiting on me. "Are you done yet?" she huffs, leaning forward to squint at my computer screen. "You're late for your ten o'clock. What is so important that you're going to keep the Alphamatic team waiting?"

I roll my eyes before paging away from the offending email and pressing send on the other one I was writing. "Nothing, let's go."

I'm all of four minutes late for the meeting. I don't know why she's so bent out of shape about it.

But it's done. Pressing send on that email was the last step at making Vick and I officially pack.

It's my fuck you to the Stargazers having Cyrus's email up at the same time I apply to be recognized as a part of Pack Valentine.

As we walk to the conference room, Lanie hands me a folder. "Alphamatic is undergoing a huge expansion, selling franchises left and right, so they're looking to put in a couple of magazine ads. Of course, they know we're the best, so they want us to create the ads and find placement for them."

"Full creative control?" I ask as I flip through the folder.

"Almost, they have one request. They've got a spokesman they want us to use."

I grab coffee from the pot in the break room, tentatively sipping the tepid liquid before putting the cup back down and groaning. "Can we get an espresso machine for the office?"

"Sure, of course. So about the spokesman…"

My body freezes halfway through the conference room door because, as if reading his email summoned him, Cyrus Stargazer sits directly in my line of sight.

The massive Alpha is as handsome as ever. His curly brown hair is pulled up in a top knot, and his broad, muscular body is wrapped in a sinfully tight blue shirt. Several buttons on the front are undone, giving me an eyeful of his golden-toned skin.

I place my hand on the door frame and back up, letting the door slam closed behind me as I spin on Lanie. "Cyrus Stargazer is the spokesman? And you didn't think to warn me?"

"I'm sorry, I was trying to-"

"Trying to? You had so many chances to. Fuck, I would've turned this account down. I thought you were vetting these clients?" I lean against the wall, forcing my breathing to slow, but I still feel too overwhelmed, too restrained. The pencil dress I have on feels so tight. I'm suddenly aware of the way my belly curves at the bottom, how my thighs dimple when I sit down.

---