Page 3 of Wolf Queen Ruin
And apparently, I had company waiting there.
My bladder would have to wait.My curiosity was sufficiently piqued.
I secured my gear and headed toward the rendezvous, moving with the silent efficiency that had earned me my nickname.As I traveled, my mind cycled through possibilities, each less appealing than the last.Theo knew I worked alone, had respected that boundary since I’d made it clear that group expeditions were off the table.
So who was this “partner,” and why now?More importantly, would they get in my way?I didn’t have time for hand-holding or, worse, managing some thrill-seeking amateur with money and connections.
By the time I reached the small clearing where the helicopter was meant to meet me, my irritation had crystallized into a hard knot beneath my ribs.The clearing appeared empty at first glance, but as I approached, I noticed a figure—a man—kneeling beside a small flowering plant at the edge, examining it with an intensity that seemed almost reverent.
Even from behind, everything about him screamed money and privilege.The tailored expedition gear that had clearly never seen an actual expedition.The too-perfect posture.The air of someone accustomed to being in charge rather than scraping by on wits and skill and bull-headedness.
Great.A trust-fund tomb raider.Just what my day needed.
How did he get here anyway?We were in the middle of a forest.
I stepped on a twig as I approached, not wanting to sneak up on and startle someone who might be jumpy and might be armed.“You my new babysitting assignment?”
“Nilgiri kurinji,“ he said without turning.“It blooms once every twelve years.This particular specimen shouldn’t be here.Its native range is over three thousand miles away in Southern India.”
He turned, rising to his full height with a grace that set off warning bells in the primal part of my brain that recognized predators.
The man was gorgeous in that infuriating, symmetrical way that usually indicated someone was about to make your life difficult.Raven-black curls that fell to his shoulders, sharp cheekbones, and eyes so intensely blue they seemed almost luminous against his unnaturally pale skin.
But it was the cold assessment in those eyes that really registered, like I was a specimen under glass rather than an actual person.
“Yet here it grows,” he continued, gesturing to the plant, “thriving where it has no business being, having adapted to survive against impossible odds.Rather like yourself, Ms.Rookwood.”
I kept my expression neutral.“Uh-huh…”
“Damien Cross.”He inclined his head before his gaze dropped to the pouch at my hip.“You were successful, I take it?”
“Always am.”I patted the pouch containing the ruby protectively.“Welp, Mr.Cross, I don’t know what Theo told you, but I work alone.It’s kind of my whole brand.The Ghost, not The Ghost and the Indiana Jones wannabe.”
The corner of his mouth quirked.“I’ve made arrangements with your employer that I believe will interest you.”
“I doubt that.”I crossed my arms.“I’m not really in the market for a partner, especially one who looks like he stepped out ofGQinstead of actual fieldwork.”
The distant sound of helicopter blades thudded through the air.
“Right on time.”Cross consulted his watch and gestured to the ruby pouch.“Perhaps you could verify that artifact’s condition while we wait?”
The casual command in his tone grated against my already frayed nerves.Who did this guy think he was?
My guard instantly went up.“I’m not showing you shit.Explain why you’re here and who you are.Or we can stand here exchanging thinly veiled hostilities until the helicopter arrives.I’m flexible.”
This time, the twitch of his lips might have been a genuine smile, though it vanished so quickly I couldn’t be sure.
“Fair enough.”He stepped closer so I’d hear him over the approaching helicopter.“I’m interested in acquiring a certain specialized artifact.An item with properties beyond the ordinary.Your reputation as an extractor of difficult-to-obtain items preceded you.”
“So you’re a middleman.”
“I prefer ‘specialist.’”
“And I prefer rocky road ice cream to mint chocolate chip, but that doesn’t make it relevant to this conversation, so get to the point.”I narrowed my eyes.“What kind of ‘specialized’ artifact are we talking about?”
His gaze softened slightly.“The kind that might help with conditions modern medicine can’t address.Magical ailments, for instance.”
My heart stuttered, but I kept my face blank.He was fishing, and I wasn’t about to bite without knowing where the hook led.
