Page 9 of Pack Choice

“Silver,” I growl, “can’t you spare me an alternative escort?”

Axel opens his mouth to shut this idea down, but I get in there first.

“If not, I could go find Bea and ask her if I could–”

“Let me look at the rota and the assignments we have on today,” Silver says, “see if I can find anyone. I’m not sure if we have anyone spare but—”

“Thank you,” I say, reaching up on my tiptoes and kissing his cheek. Silver’s always had a soft spot for me. He nods curtly and heads off to the office the pack has installed in the house.

“Whoever he finds won’t know you as well. You’d be better off waiting until Phil’s better and–”

“Mack changes his mind about giving me the job because two Stormgates happen to have been chewing off his ear. Nope on a rope, big brother.”

Axel sighs, finally conceding defeat. “Fine,” he says, flinging up his hands. “You win, Molly.” I grin at him. “Just be careful, okay, and call us immediately if you sense even a whiff of trouble.”

“Promise,” I say, wrapping my very big brother in a hug.

When I let him go, Silver is there waiting. “I found someone. Ford.”

“Ford?” I say. I don’t recognize his name.

Silver recognizes my confusion. “He’s new.”

“NEW?!” Axel cries out, but I shoot him a look and he holds up his hand again in apology. “Just remember what I said.”

“I will.”

Ford turns out to be a lot younger than most of Silver’s recruits. Probably only five or six years older than I am and clearly, given his straight-backed and rigid posture, fresh out of the army. He stands like a recruit, arms stiff by his sides, chin raised, waiting by the car to drive me to my new office in the heart of Rockview City. He most certainly has the physique of a soldier too and a scent of baked bread that tells me that if I was in any doubt, my escort for the day is an alpha.

“Good morning, Ma’am,” he snaps as I approach closer.

I giggle. I can’t help it. I don’t think I’ve ever been called ma’am before in my life. It’s always been Miss. Maybe I’m approaching my aunty spinster days with the cats and the books faster than I realized.

My laughter has the man peering at me sideways from the corner of his eye. Eyes the color of dark honey. Eyes that have the laughter dying on my tongue as I gulp instead.

Definitely an alpha.

Silver must trust this one a lot to send him with me today.

After Axel complained about the way some of my bodyguards were looking at me – like they want to toss you over their shoulders and elope with you, Molly! – it’s been Phil the beta with his wife and children for me.

“No need for the Ma’ams,” I tell him, “Molly’s just fine.”

He reaches across the car and opens the passenger door for me.

“Ready to go, Molly,” he says, my name in his mouth sounding dangerously sensual, his voice all drawly and deep.

“I’m ready,” I say, climbing into the back seat and letting him close the door after me. I’m relieved he didn’t post me into the front seat. His scent is already strong enough back here and doing crazy things to those traitorous insides of mine.

He climbs into the driver’s seat and immediately lowers his window, blissfully fresh air flooding the vehicle as he drives us out onto the road.

“You’re Ford, right?” I ask him as we fly along the emptier suburbs heading for the city center.

“Yes,” he says, his eyes flicking momentarily to find mine in the rearview mirror and dazzling me in my seat.

“And you’re new?”

“Fairly. I started with Silver about six months ago.”