Page 4 of Falling for My Shifter Boss

"And how exactly do you plan to get that support?" The words burst out before I can stop them, tasting like defiance on my tongue. "By treating them like business assets instead of people?"

The room goes deadly quiet. Eli's eyebrows shoot up, and I catch the ghost of a smile playing at Sawyer's lips. The temperature seems to drop as Adrian turns to me slowly, his expression carved from granite.

"Excuse me?"

My heart pounds, but I refuse to back down. The scent of his displeasure—sharp and electric like an approaching storm—fills my nostrils. "You're talking about building a sanctuary, but you're approaching it like a hostile takeover." I lean forward, fighting every instinct screaming at me to bare my throat in submission. "These aren't just numbers on a spreadsheet. They're families. Packs. People who've lived here for generations. If you want their trust, you need to show them you understand that."

His eyes flash amber for a split second—the wolf beneath the businessman's mask making itself known. The air between us crackles with tension. "And you think you know better than I do what it takes to protect our kind?"

"I think I know what it takes to earn trust." I hold his gaze, even as my wolf whines at the challenge. "And it's not PowerPoint presentations."

The tension thickens until it's almost suffocating. Every shifter in the room has gone absolutely still, caught between their instinct to defer to their alpha and their recognition of the truth in my words. Then, surprisingly, Eli chuckles.

"She's got a point, boss."

Adrian's jaw works silently, a muscle ticking in his cheek. His scent shifts subtly—anger tinged with something else, something that makes my skin tingle. "We'll discuss this later," he finally says, his tone brooking no argument. "Meeting adjourned."

As everyone files out, I feel the weight of his stare on my back. The heat of it follows me to the door, and when I glance back, there's something different in his expression—frustration, yes, but also a hint of curiosity. Maybe even respect.

"Miss Ramirez." His voice, rougher than before, stops me at the threshold. "Don't ever challenge me like that in front of others again."

I turn, offering him my sweetest smile even as my heart races. "Of course not, Mr. Blackwell." I meet his gaze one last time, surprised by the intensity I find there. "Next time, I'll wait until we're alone."

His sharp intake of breath follows me out the door, along with the spicy surge in his scent that tells me I've affected him more than he'd like to admit. I hurry down the hallway, my wolf practically preening with satisfaction despite my professional anxiety.

I've either just made the best career move of my life or the worst.

Only time will tell which—and why the thought of being alone with him again makes my pulse skip in a way that has nothing to do with fear.

Chapter 3

Adrian

Lucien D'Arcy sits at the farthest table in the VIP section, looking every inch the aristocratic predator he is. The leader of the D'Arcy Coven, a vampire older than most buildings in this town. The restaurant is one of the few supernatural-friendly establishments in Whispering Pines, a sleek, candlelit space offering both standard meals and more… niche options for its clientele.

He is elegance and danger wrapped together, and, as usual, he looks entirely amused to see me.

The wolf in me bristles.

I don't like dealing with vampires, but I need his cooperation. The gala requires powerful allies, and Lucien's endorsement would be a game-changer. That doesn't mean I have to enjoy groveling for it.

Beside me, Maya Ramirez walks with an easy, almost careless confidence that is entirely at odds with the tension threading through my shoulders. It’s been days since Maya started working with me, and not once has she failed to draw my attention—or my attraction.

She's wearing a sleek black dress that hugs her curves just enough to make my pulse jump—striking a perfect balance between sophistication and subtle temptation. I shouldn't be noticing those details, shouldn't let my gaze drift lower, shouldn't let my thoughts wander down a path that will only lead to complications.

And yet, here we are.

The scent of pine and lavender clings to her, winding its way through my senses like a phantom touch I can't shake. My wolf stirs at the proximity, a slow, simmering awareness that tightens my jaw and coils heat low in my gut. It's instinct, I tell myself. A biological reaction. Nothing more.

I force my attention forward, locking my focus on the task at hand. Because the last thing I need right now is to be distracted by Maya Ramirez.

Lucien rises gracefully from his seat as we approach, flashing a smile that doesn't quite touch his cold, piercing gaze. "Blackwell," he greets smoothly. Then, his focus shifts to Maya, and something predatory glints in his expression. "And who is this delightful creature?"

My muscles coil instinctively. The urge to step between them, to shield Maya from Lucien's calculating gaze, surges through me with surprising force.

Mine—

No. Not mine. I shove down the intrusive thought before it can fester, but my jaw clenches anyway.

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