Page 48 of Obsessed Wolf Daddy

"I'm fine," I lie.

Zack sighs, rubbing his stubble as he considers his next words. "I'm just going to be honest, sis. I don't know much about this tech stuff, but I do know men. If he's worth a damn thing, he'll treat you with more respect." I start to interrupt, but he stops me. "I know you think I just don't like this because he's older, but you forget Diego and I have known Cole for a long time. He's not like us. His wolf has different priorities. I won't let him hurt you."

"I wish it was that simple," I begin. "I feel the bond with Cole. Do you just give that up? You didn't. You could have walked away from Tanya when she framed you, but you didn't."

"I didn't walk away because I didn't want to,” he says. “Tanya made decisions based on the wrong information. Hell, I'd have probably done the same. Minus the fancy computer hacking." He gives a small laugh. "This is about how he treats you. The bond is in everything he does, not cherry-picking his moments. You're a fucking genius to have built that program, Saffy. If he doesn't see you, then he doesn't deserve you."

I take a deep breath as I consider his words. I know Zack's making a lot of sense, but it doesn't change how much I crave Cole. How much my wolf is pining for him. It's like I'd just found peace, and now I've deliberately shattered it. Cole didn't fight the accusation, and he apologized. Why isn't it enough? Why do I still feel less than?

I hate that my parents may still have a hand in how I perceive myself. I know Zack struggled with their legacy of hate when he discovered what they'd done to Tanya's family. He felt responsible. I don't feel responsible for their crimes, but if I'm honest, I think there's still a part of me that fears being dominated. And I think that's all Cole can offer, both in business and within our bond.

And worse, my wolf responded to his domination. How do I reconcile that?

I offer Zack a small smile. "I just wish I knew how he’s going to respond about the project first. They've already publicly announced, so it will be difficult for him to backtrack without the market suspecting dishonesty. I'm not sure he'll do it."

"And if he does?" Zack pushes.

"Then I'm not sure he'll forgive me. If I make him look foolish—"

"I'd say he's done that to himself," Zack counters.

Before I can answer, I hear the front door closing. Tanya walks in, holding a large envelope. She raises her brow as she holds it out to me, and I take it. "You'll never guess who I met coming up the drive,” she says. “Maria, that hotshot lawyer from Mateo's pack. And with Jonah, of all people."

"That seems like an unlikely duo," Zack mutters. "What's that?" He gestures to the envelope.

"For Saffy," Tanya replies. "Jonah wanted to come in and give it to you personally, but I didn't know if you were up to seeing anyone yet."

I glance down at my sweatpants and consider my messy hair bun. "Thanks," I say with a smile, opening the envelope and pulling out an official-looking document. "I don't know what half of this means," I groan.

"Let's sit down and look through it together," Tanya says, gesturing to the table.

"That's my cue to put more coffee on," Zack says as we take our seats.

It takes over an hour to go through the contract in fine detail with Tanya making notes. She hops on a call with a friend from the Bay Area who works in legal to clarify a few points, and when she puts the phone down, she's grinning. "Not what I expected at all," she says.

"What do you mean?" Zack asks, flicking through our notes.

"I assumed he'd try to spin this somehow. Reduce Saffy's involvement or give her some kind of silent fringe recognition in order to proceed as planned. But he's just done a complete 180 on the deal with Carmela. He’s thrown her under the bus and given Saffy a whole new deal."

"What does that mean for Carmela?" I ask uncertainly.

Tanya shrugs. "Probably not much, to be honest, other than losing out on a major deal. She's not based in the US, so there's not much point in going after her. You'd just be tied up in red tape and probably countersuits."

"Okay. What about me? The program?"

Tanya's smile returns as she turns the paper around with sections highlighted. Running through the document, she explains the deal. "A seat on the new board. Your own R&D department to turn the program into a market-ready product. Government liaison, as all new tech requires. A very healthy profit share. And most importantly, full recognition." She pausesfor a second. "To be honest, he could have offered you a fraction of all this, and it would still be an amazing deal."

Zack scoffs. "It's her program. Surely it's the least she deserves from anyone?"

"In a perfect world, maybe," Tanya says with a laugh. "But these things take millions to bring to market. You need backing to do that."

Zack grumbles something, making me smile, but other than that, there is complete silence for a moment while I take it all in. "So, what do you think? Do I accept?" I ask, suddenly feeling unsure despite the excitement gathering within me.

"Yes!” Tanya exclaims. “I mean, from a business perspective. My guy at Quantico who works major white-collar legal cases has offered to give it a final look through tonight, but on the face of it, yes. There is one bit at the end to consider, though."

"What is it?" I ask, skimming the final page.

"Cole wants you to give your answer in person tomorrow night. A private meeting at his office."

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