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While she’d been distracted, the man stepped into the elevator behind her and the doors started to close.She quickly turned to him.

“Do I know you?”

The only answer she received was a smile that left her even more confused than a moment before, but she didn’t stop him from leaving.She had a sneaking suspicion she would see him again.

Shaking off the numerous questions swirling in her mind, she strode toward Ghost’s office and knocked sharply.

“Enter.”

With quick movements, she opened the door and slid inside before she closed it behind her.She kept her eyes on Ghost behind the desk as he sorted through several folders scattered on his messy desk.She’d told him that he needed an assistant to keep everything in order but he waved her suggestion away.She was aware of the human, in ways she had yet to understand, but she didn’t look at him.

“Did you have an appointment with the shifter who just left?”

Ghost’s head snapped up and gave her his full attention.She could sense the human who had been leaning against a bookshelf across the room had straightened at her words.

“No, I didn’t.”

“He left before I could question him, so I wondered if you were recruiting again.”Jade smiled and dropped into the chair closest to her.

“Last thing we need is more trouble.”

Jade laughed at this.All they had was trouble, interspersed with moments of family and laughter, but they’d all gotten used to the dangers their profession provided.

“I’ll search through the security footage and run facial recognition on what I find.”

She nodded, knowing that he wasn’t going to find anything.They wouldn’t have sent a recon shifter if he didn’t know what he was doing.

“I have an assignment for you.”

She didn’t answer.She interlaced her fingers and leaned back on the chair, placing her hands on her stomach in a casual move, and waited.Ghost texted their assignments.She couldn’t remember one instance when she or any of the others were called into his office.

Jade knew it involved the human, the one who stood without speaking a word.He somehow drew her to him in a way she couldn’t explain.It was as if every nerve ending stood at attention and she could sense whenever he moved, even a millimeter.And his scent, a combination of sweet and spicy that she’d never smelled on another person, called to her in a way that fogged her mind.But she couldn’t shake her head to clear it.

Her gaze darted to the man, knowing he wouldn’t be able to detect her minuscule movement.With her quick perusal, she noted that he was close to six three.He had blond hair that had been once cut short but had grown several inches, probably since he left the military.His eyes were dark blue, his arms were tanned, as she assumed the rest of him was the same way, and he had long fingers that looked strong.

His lips were pressed in a thin line and his brows were down as he glared at her.When she turned her gaze back to Ghost after a split second of perusal, Ghost’s lip was quirked up, as if he was amused by her inspection.But his looked became serious once again.

“Anzu’s group is alive and looking for new leadership.”

Without thinking it through, she had moved from her chair to the corner of the room, opposite of the human.Her back was pressed against the wall as she stared in disbelief at Ghost.Her fists were clenched at her sides and a million questions ran through her mind.

“Are they safe?”

Ghost nodded.“They’ve been aware and prepared since the fight, Xander more than anyone else.”

“Explain, please.”Jade relaxed a fraction.

Ghost nodded toward the human.“Noah has intel that they are looking for a new leader and creating new members.”

Jade knew exactly what that meant.“Fuck my life.Were they successful?”

“Not so far.Six men, all ex-Special Forces, were killed during the transition.”

Jade wanted to rage.To go home and run in the woods for hours until the underlying pain for the men’s deaths, those she didn’t know, numbed her.Instead, she pinched the bridge of her nose and blew out a breath.

The man moved and his scent once again enveloped her and something tightened in her chest.She tightly packed the feeling deep down inside and promised herself she would deal with the confusion later.

“What do you need me to do?”