Page 44 of A Wolf's Heart

The three of them moved as one unit. It was odd to me that they seemed completely disconnected from one another at times yet still perfectly in sync.

I quickly got up off the sofa and peeked around the corner, noting which room they went into. As soon as the door closed, I quietly made my way down the hall, taking in every detail of this office space.

One thing that really stood out was the lack of names, job positions, or job titles anywhere. It was as if people were just expected to know who was where.

When I got to the door, I carefully leaned my head against it and listened. Max was with me, watching and waiting for my command.

“You’re just fucking pissed you threw her to the wolves and she came out leading the whole fucking pack,” Weylin shouted.

“Rainor, I want that bloodwork now. I don’t care if you have to pin her down to take it. I need to know what bloodline she comes from, because as sickly and weak as she is, she shouldn’t be able to overthrow one wolf, much less multiple wolves. And those gammas should not feel as compelled as they were to back her up.” Kage was pissed, though he always seemed that way. I could picture how red his face was at this moment.

Sickly? How the hell did I look sickly?

“Sickly?” Weylin asked.

“We watched her transition.” Rainor was the only calm voice in the room. “It was slow and unregulated. Her coat had a good shine to it, and it’s thick, but I think it’s hiding her actual figure. She’s thin. She’s gone her whole life without proper shifter care.”

I jumped as the door across the hall opened, coming face-to-face with a petite, sweet-faced woman. Caught off guard, Iopened my mouth to explain what I was doing, but she waved her hands, then put a finger to her lips, indicating I should be quiet. She waved at me to follow her, which I did, back to the reception area.

I had my phone out in front of me, ready to call for an Uber, because there was no way I was staying here and letting these guys pin me down while they tested my blood.

“Uber won’t pick up here,” the woman said over her shoulder. Her voice was small and sweet, her entire presence feeling like home.

I frowned. “Why not?”

“Security won’t allow it. I’m Emma, the, um, receptionist.”

“Lila, the prisoner.” Emma’s lips twitched to a smile, but she contained it. I let out a breath of frustration. “I knew I should’ve driven myself. I’ll just walk up the street and order an Uber from there.”

“Oh.” Emma chewed away at her lip, her eyes darting around. “You’re their mate,” she said, as if that explained why I couldn’t execute my plan.

My heart sank. “You’re going to try to keep me here too?”

“No, I’m not— It’s just—” She stumbled over her words, clearly nervous. “It’s not exactly safe for you on your own,” she finally said, seeming genuinely concerned.

“I’m armed,” I said, patting my gun in the holster at my side. The gun loaded with silver bullets.

Still, Emma hesitated, and I didn’t miss the way she glanced behind me towards the office door. My detective’s intuition started going off.

I sighed. “Okay. I give, I won’t go anywhere. But after the afternoon I just had, I really, really need a drink.Pleasetell me there is somewhere close by where we can go? You could come with me. That way, if Kage needs us back, he can just reach out to you. Is that all right?”

“Well.” She bit her lip again. “They might be a while.” Emma took a deep breath, and I recognized the face of bravery she put on. I had a strong dislike for Kage, but if he was hurting his receptionist, I had a feeling that dislike might turn murderous, fated mate or not. “Okay, I know a place.”

The momentwe stepped out into the street, Max found the nearest fire hydrant and relieved himself. Emma laughed. “He’s a really good dog,” she remarked, still in a quiet voice.

“Max and I go way back. He was only five weeks old when he was assigned to me at the K9 academy,” I said. “I lost my parents, and he lost his mom. He’s a retired police dog. Almost eight years on the force with me.”

“Wow, that’s a special bond.” We started walking, and Max fell into step with me. He stuck so close, no one ever questioned his lack of leash. “Your parents were human, right?” She sounded like she knew all the answers but was just being polite with conversation.

“Yes. My first run-in with another shifter wolf was with the troublesome trio.”

Emma winced. “That isnota good first-time introduction.”

“You’re telling me.” She paused less than a block away from the tall building, in front of a bar. “Howlers?” I asked, cocking an eyebrow.

She smiled, seeming to relax some more with me. “It’s where a lot of the pack hangs out. Humans don’t wander in too often, but it’s a good place. Come on.”

She took my arm and led me inside. The place was almost overfilled, a huge contrast to the local bar back in my town. The moment we stepped in, the bartender called out, “No dogs!”

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