Page 143 of Elven Shadow

She wanted to brush him off, but seeing that loneliness in him made her change her mind. If only just as Shade’s new leader and his new superior for however long he was willing to put up with it.

Because now she could give him a choice.

“Listen, Hannigan,” she said, studying his gaze and dropping all pretense, if only for a moment. “I honestly had no idea this was how things would play out. I don’t want this gig any more than you do, trust me, and I really don’t want to force anyone to stick around if that’s the last thing they want. I’m not—”

“Aldous,” he interrupted before his gaze dropped to her lips and stayed there a moment too long. “I know. That’s very clear.”

Wait a minute, was he trying to come on to her now?

Would he keep trying if she dismissed him from his duties, or was he only interested in her as his superior now?

She had to test it out.

“I can find a different Head of Security,” she offered.

His eyes widened, then he blinked as if she’d just startled him with the most unbelievable announcement imaginable.

Maybe he didn’t even think being released from his duty was possible. Maybe that was exactly what the shifter needed.

“That is,” she added with a tilt of her head, “if you—”

Maxwell surged forward, closing the rest of the distance between them, and slammed both hands down on the armrests of her disgusting new green-leather throne.

Rebecca leaned all the way back against the cushions just to reclaim a little more personal space, trying not to look surprised by such a bold move.

And also trying not to let it show that a certain undeniable flare of electricity leapt inside her at his closeness and his face thrust right up in front of hers.

The wildness within him calling to her in a way she couldn’t define, because of course he was wild. The guy had a wolf inside him. Literally.

She almost expected him to start smelling her again like when he’d cornered her in the alley—the way she hadn’t thought she wanted him to again until literally right now when the memory rushed back to her.

Now her whole body tingled at the thought of exactly what the shifter might try to do to her, his complete lack of personal boundaries now perfectly clear.

And why the hell was she thinking about any of this?

She had to push it from her mind. Getting close to anyone was dangerous. Getting close to anyone who clearly didn’t like or trust her as much as Maxwell didn’t like or trust her was even worse.

“I take my job very seriously, elf,” he growled, holding her gaze while his silver eyes pulsed with internal light. “It’s the only thing that gives me purpose without taking more from me than I can afford to give. And I’llkeepmy job, thank you very much.”

Rebecca tried to scoff, but it came out airy and a little shaky.

By the Blood, she was acting like a damn child freshly entered into her training.

“Well…” She cleared her throat. “I’m glad we can getthatout of the way.”

“My allegiance is to Shade itself,” he continued, as if she hadn’t said a thing. “Not a single leader. The magicals here don’t have other options at this point, like past lives they can return to whenever they want. My job is to keep these magicals safe, no matter what it takes, and that’s exactly what I intend to do.”

Recovering a bit more of her senses now that it seemed Maxwell actually meant to act on his threatening posturing—just to make her squirm in this armchair—Rebecca loosened a little and flashed him a tight smile.

Ancestors, he was still soclose.

“I gotta say, Maxie, I admire your dedication.”

His upper lip twitched to expose his teeth beneath a snarl. Narrowing his eyes, Maxwell tilted his head and looked her up and down as much as possible with maybe two inches between them.

“But you should know this and keep it running in the back of your mind,” he murmured. “There’s really onlyonething I want from you, and Iwillget it, one way or another.”

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