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“Good morning uh…”

“Ethan Maxwell. You can call me Ethan.” He offers me a warm smile.

Goddess, maybe he’s pretending he didn’t see anything?

Or maybe he’s here to threaten me about telling the other employees what he saw yesterday?

Goddess, let it be the former.

“Look, about what you saw yesterday, it’s not what you—”

“I don’t judge my boss on what he does or what he doesn’t. That’s not my job, Lila, so no need to be afraid of me.”

Okay? That’s good, I guess.

Ethan continues, but this time, I notice the thick blue file in his hand. “My job, however, is to be his pack assistant. He calls me his right-hand man, but I more or less manage Alaric’s affairs with the pack. The reason I'm here is because I need a favor, Lila.”

The genuine expression on his face makes me put my own foot in my mouth before I can even hear what the favor is about.

“Sure. I’ll do anything. If I can manage it, that is.”

Ethan gives me a boyish smile. Questions of how young he is ring in my head, but I don’t dwell on them.

Whoever Alaric hires to help him maintain his pack is none of my business. And speaking of packs, does that mean Alaric got to be the Alpha of the pack he was speaking about when he accused me of distracting him six years ago?

“There’s a banquet coming up soon. The one I talked about yesterday in the boss’ office.”

I remember.

Yeah, I remember clearly what followed. Whatever favor Ethan is about to ask of me, I have a feeling I’m about to regret saying yes to him.

“It’s an important one, and appearances are of the utmost importance. Alaric needs a plus-one, and while he told me to choose one for him, he forgot that I’m a little busy, and I also don’t think I'm fit to choose any woman for him. Can you choose one for him from this list? All the information, good and bad,about all the women is listed in the documents in the file I’m about to give you. It shouldn’t be any bother, right?”

Say no, my wolf grumbles.

I should say no, but Ethan clearly looks uncomfortable choosing a woman for Alaric.

Plus, he’s keeping it hush-hush about seeing me and Alaric kissing.

I say yes.

“It’s no bother at all.” I grit out the words, my smile barely reaching my eyes.

“Thanks, Lila. I owe you one.” Ethan hands me the blue file, walks down the hall, and enters the elevator.

The minute he’s gone, I plop down in my chair, opening the dreadful blue file.

To say there are a lot of women in it would be an understatement.

There are documents for about twenty women here—their jobs, their powerful families, and most of all, their gorgeous pictures.

One of the pictures sticks out like a sore thumb.

Amanda Brighton is one of the women supposed to be considered as Alaric’s plus-one?

Bitterness and jealousy coalesce in my blood like two angry demons. I noticed how she addressed Alaric by his first name at the meeting, and maybe I should have asked myself how close they were.

It says here that Amanda was born to one of the richest and most respected elders in the Blackwood pack. That would explain why she is on the list.