Page 12 of The Alpha's Lunar Crown

I make a quick trip to my private restroom, fixing my appearance, touching up my makeup, and getting into character for the day to come. My job is to help these people grow their wealth, give advice, and protect their finances, not to analyze their behavioral patterns.

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It is a little past one by the time I am done with consultations. Lady Charlotte turned out to be an awfully hard-to-please woman with almost no idea what she wanted to do with her money. The meeting ended with me listing out options for her to consider and rescheduling for another day. I pack my bag and head to my next appointment, lunch.

Despite cutting through corners, it takes almost fifteen minutes to get to my lunch date. The restaurant has a soft ambiance. The mix of gold, cream, and rich brown blend deliciously to give off a vibe that screams luxury, but not in an obnoxious way that has you feeling like the menu will rip off your wallet.

I spot Damon waving from the corner. His face stretches into his signature boyish grin. How he manages to retain his boyish charms years after college is something I'll never understand.

"I was scared you wouldn't show up for a minute," he says, standing to pull out a seat for me.

I raise a brow at him, settling into the chair. "Why would you think that?"

"Let's see," he taps his jaw as though he's in deep thought. "It took seven years and ten tries to get a yes from you. Figured you probably said yes to get me off your back with no intention of actually showing up."

"It wasn't even up to ten tries." I laugh at the obvious exaggeration, and he throws his shoulders back, a playful smirk flirting on his lips.

"Okay, twenty. It was definitely twenty tries, with this being the twenty-first. Whoever said the third time's a charm should be turning in their graves. The saying should definitely be twenty times is the charm."

I snort out a laugh while he stares at me like my humor is lost on him, and that only causes me to laugh more.

Damon is an old friend from college who I ran into at a charity event a year ago, and despite his claims to have been in love with me since college and constantly dropping hints, I only ever saw him as just a friend till recently. My wolf stirs at the thought, but I pay her no heed. She can always go back to sulking after our lost mate. She managed to stay mad at me for weeks after I rejected Lucien, and sometimes, I'm pretty sure she called a truce because of Ronan. Regardless, I intend to have a great time today.

Lunch arrives shortly after Damon makes a full presentation of how he knows the menu by heart and taste buds and would love to wow me with the best dish from the kitchen.

"Wow. This is really good," I comment, taking another bite of pasta. I love the way it melts into my tongue without being soggy. Everything is so yummy."

"See, if you had said yes to me a long time ago, we'd be halfway through the best restaurants in Phoenix by now." He points to the chicken sauce next to me. "You should have a bite of that too. It feels like heaven in your mouth."

I let out a chuckle, failing to understand how one knows what heaven tastes like, but I indulge him, cutting a sizable piece and putting it in my mouth while he watches, waiting for my reaction.

True to his words, the chicken tastes amazing. It is easily some of the best I've had, but the reaction I get upon swallowing is the complete opposite of what I am feeling.

I clamp my mouth shut, constricting my throat to keep the food from coming back up. Damon hands me a glass of water, his face pulled into a worried knot. "Did you swallow a bone?"

I shake my head, chugging down the glass of water. The reaction is a result of my wolf's refusal to relax. She's had her panties in a twist since I got to this location, but I didn't expect her to feel so strongly about an innocent date. It's like she's agitating for something I can't place.

My attempts to calm her are met with strong resistance, so I lay down my cutlery, having no interest in making a fool out of myself. "Must be the cheese. I had a glass of milk during breakfast, and now the lactose-intolerant part of me won't let me hold down another bite of dairy." I lie through my teeth, hoping Damon doesn't put two and two together.

He is a shifter, too, and it doesn't take much to sniff out when another wolf is not exactly impressed by your presence.

"Sorry about that. Should I order something different? Maybe dry and crispy?"

I open my mouth to tell him how much I love the meal and will order a takeout when we're done, but I'm hit with the mouth-watering combination of amber and sandalwood. My nose flares, and my ears prick up.

My wolf's agitation gives way to excitement, and my heart stops, sinking to the pit of my stomach as goosebumps trail the part of my neck that feels as though someone is shooting lasers through them. My joints lock in place, and every bit of me stiffens.

Goddess, no, no, no. Anything but this.

CHAPTER SIX

Lucien

My meeting with Laurence Stone ended up taking more time than I anticipated. The old man knew of my intentions to break into the construction industry and decided to use the opportunity to make outrageous demands. Desperate as I may be, I am not one to be pushed around, and Laurence is currently on a fast track to find out why.

"I understand your interest in the upcoming campaign for my oil and gas business. It goes to show how much we have in common and how we'll make great business partners."

Laurence nods, lifting a glass of whisky to his lips. "I can promise to feature your company in the campaign, but I cannot offer you a part of my company."

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