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For what? I didn’t know, but the wolf said we had to wait. Couldn’t go home. Absolutely couldn’t relax.

So I was looking through the contracts our lawyers had written up for Prudence. At first, they’d offered compensation for any compromised intellectual property as a result of this merger, but I didn’t think Prudence cared most about that.

She cared about magic. Her family’s magic.

And she cared about the way it was made available to the public, and keeping hold of the reins.

So we were going to do both. Assurances and compensation, which meant putting a hell of a lot on the line to get this deal through with Igarashi.

Shoring up our agreement with them would be more important than ever.

I was starting to go cross-eyed when my phone buzzed on my desk.

Where are you?Dakota texted.

Still at the office.I sent back.

Given that he didn’t respond in the millisecond afterward, I texted again.

Are you okay?

I can come get you.

I watched, jaw clenched, as the dots showed up. He was typing, then they’d disappear, and it felt like all the air had left the room.

It happened a few more times before I got a response.

No. I’ll come there.

Waiting for him to show up was the worst thing in the world. If he were pack, I’d be able to feel him. Find him.

Hell, most of the pack shared their location with me and each other. We didn’t have secrets. Having a sense of smell that let you know what everybody felt and got up to made shame pretty redundant.

But Dakota? I just had to wait for him, pacing by my desk, loosening the top button of my shirt because it was choking me.

I hated it. Felt so damned impotent.

And finally, after ten thousand hours, he was there in my office doorway.

I took a deep breath, instinctually.

He was sad—so fucking sad.

On cue, he took inhaled too. It jumped, like his chest was too tight to allow for any air.

A second later, I had my arm around his hips, my other hand on his cheek. It was chilled.

Dazed, he blinked up at me, and a trembling smile turned up his lips. “Hey.”

“What happened?” I demanded, stroking his cheek like I could coax heat back into him.

His eyelids fluttered and he shook his head. “Nothing. Or, well, Donnie?—”

I bit down a growl, but I hadn’t done that good a job of it. Dakota frowned up at me.

I took a deep, slow breath. I didn’t need to be throwing out anger when he was clearly hurting. “What did he do?”

For a moment, Dakota just chewed his lip. He shrugged his shoulders while he avoided my eyes. “I think he’s been... I don’t know... watching me? Or something. He wouldn’t say for who, but I know he’s been lying.”