Page 20 of Fanged Temptation

By the end of the encounter, perhaps amused or partially impressed, Jordan offered me a position as her executive assistant. And my new life, with my new family, began.

When I stepped away from Ethan he put a steadying hand on my shoulder, concern carefully concealed under a wry smile. “You good? You scared me a little there.”

“I’m good.” I straightened up, wiping tears from my eyes and smoothing out my coat, and offered a sheepish smile of my own. “Sorry about that.”

“Nothing to be sorry about.” Ethan nudged me with his elbow, before his smile faded. “That man, the guy Eric was talking about – he’s here for you?”

“How did you–”

“I know that look, Maxine.” Ethan’s tone was somber, his eyes heavy. “I’ve seen it before. Micere wasn’t all sunshine and body glitter.”

Of course. I passed a hand over my eyes, composing myself, a half-baked plan forming in my head. “Just, don’t mention this to anyone, all right? Not yet. And warn Dorian away from him – warn everyone. He’s a wolf in sheep's clothing.”

Ethan nodded, eyeing me warily. “What are you going to do?”

I straightened my collar, stealing my nerves despite the shiver of dread that lingered. “I’m going to speak to Jordan.”

My newfound determination held out until I climbed the final stairs to Jordan’s office. But standing outside her door, scanning the letters stamped in frosted glass, I faltered. It wasn’t that I didn’t trust Jordan, far from it. She had taken me in, and had never questioned me about my history, or my family, or why I’d fled from them.

But there was a small, persistent voice in my head that told me tosuck it up. That told me I was overreacting. Growing up, I had everything. My family was well off and all my needs were met. I had a roof over my head, money in the bank, and my whole life perfectly planned out without having to lift a finger.

That small, nagging voice told me that I was ungrateful, and that if I told Jordan why I had run, what I had come to New York to avoid, she would think me selfish. She would look at me like I was a petulant child throwing a tantrum and send me back to San Francisco to be wed.

She wouldn’t do that. Of course she wouldn’t do that. But still, that voice persisted. I pushed open the door.

I found Jordan reviewing paperwork, or at least pretending to. Her expression was giddy behind her hair, so she had most likely been chattering to her wife through their mental connection before I’d knocked.

She looked up, her face immediately shifting to one of concern when she saw my expression.

"Jordan, can I talk to you for a minute?" I asked, trying to keep my voice even, despite the turmoil inside.

"Of course.” Jordan motioned me in, her tone immediately businesslike, sensing the urgency. “What's up?"

I closed the door behind me, taking a deep breath before I spoke. "There's something…” I hesitated, knotting the hem of my skirt in my hands. “I think I’m being followed. Well, I think someone might be trying to track me down.”

At Jordan’s raised brow I balked, fixing my face into a blasé expression.

“It's a bit of a personal issue, but it could get messy." I chose my words carefully, shrugging to sell the act of nonchalance.

Jordan's eyes narrowed slightly, her mind already ticking over the implications. "Do you know who it is?"

Yes.“No – I mean…” I hesitated, then shook my head. "I'd rather not get into specifics. But I think they’ve been approaching Leyore nobles to try and root me out. And they’ve got a bit of status."

Jordan was silent for a moment, her usually jovial expression intense and calculating. "All right. For now, I suggest you lay low. If this person is as connected as you imply, then they’ll be probing for information about you through any channels possible."

My heart sank at her words, the reality of my situation setting in. "I'll keep my distance from the coven activities for a while. And I – I may not be able to come into work for some time."

“That’s fine. The paperwork might suffer but we’ll manage.” Jordan’s expression softened around the edges. There was a wisdom behind her eyes now, something she had come into during her time as coven ruler. She was looking more and more like a leader every day.

“Do you –” She chewed her lip, scanning me from head to toe. “Do you want to talk about it?”

“Nope.” I forced a dazzling Maxine smile, swallowing the hitch in my voice. “I’m sure this will blow over in no time. Just a precaution.”

Jordan didn’t look convinced. “I could have Dylan investiga–”

“Really, Jordan. It’s fine!” My words came out a note higher than intended, but that could always be brushed off as standard Maxine enthusiasm. “I’ll be fine.”

"If you say so." Jordan shrugged, but her eyes lingered on my face. I forced my smile wider. Held it firm when she said, "Just, be careful, okay? If you need anything or feel unsafe, you come straight to me."

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