10 Chapter 10


    Seraphina’s POV 1


    The next morning dawned crisp and clear, and as I prepared for work, I felt like I was suiting up for battle. The green dress fit even better than I remembered, and paired with the elegant heels and my hair in a sophisticated updo, I looked like someone who belonged in


    the executive suite of a major corporation.


    When I stepped through the gleaming ss doors of Nightshadow Industries, the transformation was immediate and unmistakable. Conversations stuttered to a halt as heads turned in my direction, and I could practically feel the weight of dozens of eyes taking in


    every detail of my appearance.


    The receptionist, usually so perfectlyposed, fumbled with her phone as I walked past, her eyes following the sway of my hips in the fitted dress. I could feel some he-wolves mentally undressing me, their eyes tracking from my face down to my legs and back up again with an appreciation that bordered on predatory. The security guard at the front desk actually adjusted himself in his chair as I passed,


    and I heard someone whistle low under their breath from the elevator bank.


    “Well, well,” muttered someone behind me–I think it was Marcus from legal-“looks like someone got herself a serious upgrade.”


    My cheeks burned with a mixture of embarrassment and indignation.


    ire, bless her, was waiting by the elevator with the kind of knowing smile that suggested she’d witnessed my grand entrance and all


    its effects.


    “Seraphina,” she said as I approached, her voice carrying just loud enough for nearby listeners to hear, “you look absolutely stunning.


    That dress is nothing short of perfection on you.”


    “Thank you,” I managed, my voice slightly breathless from the gauntlet of attention I’d just run. “I just wanted to make a good impression.”


    ire’s eyes sparkled with mischief as she leaned closer. “Well, mission aplished, dear. You’re going to knock our Alpha’s socks


    clean off-assuming he doesn’t have a heart attack first.”


    The morning passed in a blur of productivity. After lunch, ire gathered her files with an apologetic expression. “I’m afraid I need to handle some urgent pack business. You’ll be fine on your own for a while, won’t you? The Alpha could return at any moment, but you’re


    more than prepared.”


    “Of course,” I assured her, though my stomach did a little flip at the reminder that I would soon be face-to-face with the man whose


    voice had haunted my dreams for the past two days. “I’ve got everything under control.”


    No sooner had ire’s heels clicked away down the marble corridor than I managed to knock over a perfectly organized stack of files


    with my elbow. Papers scattered everywhere, some sliding under my desk, others floating down behind it like oversized confetti.


    “Perfect,” I muttered under my breath, staring at the disaster I’d created. “Just absolutely perfect.”


    I had no choice but to go after them. The space between my desk and the wall was embarrassingly narrow-clearly designed by someone


    who never anticipated their employees would need to crawl around on the floor like lost puppies. I hiked up my dress slightly and got down on my hands and knees, trying to maintain some semnce of dignity as I stretched toward the scattered documents.


    The position was mortifying. My dress, despite its elegant design, was not meant for this kind of physical maneuvering. As I reached for


    the files that had slid the furthest back, the fabric rode up my thighs, and I could feel the cool air of the air conditioning against skin that


    should definitely not have been exposed in a professional environment. The slit in the dress, which had looked so sophisticated in the


    boutique mirror, now gaped open to reveal far too much leg, and I was horrifyingly certain that if anyone walked in right now, they


    would get a clear view of myce underwear.


    “Come on,e on,” I whispered frantically, stretching until my fingertips just barely brushed the edge of the furthest folder. My position was bing increasingly precarious-rear end in the air, dress hiked up to an inappropriate level, face red from both exertion


    and embarrassment.


    Just as I finally managed to snag thest document, I heard it.


    A soft cough-distinctly masculine, deliberately polite, but carrying an undercurrent of something that made every hair on my arms


    stand at attention.


    I frozepletely, my hand still gripping the recovered file, my entire body going rigid with horror. Of all the moments for someone to


    walk into this office, they had to choose the exact instant when I was sprawled on the floor in the most undignified position imaginable,


    with my dress rucked up and my dignity in tatters.


    The silence that followed was deafening. I could hear my own heartbeat thundering in my ears, could feel heat flooding my cheeks in


    waves of mortification. I scrambled to my feet as quickly as possible, yanking my dress back down to a respectable length and spinning


    around to face my unexpected visitor, an apology already forming on my lips.


    And then I saw him.


    Every coherent thought in my head simply… stopped.


    The man standing in the doorway wasn’t just handsome-he was magnificent in a way that seemed almost unfair to the rest of the male


    poption. Easily six and a half feet tall, he dominated the space without even trying. His shoulders were broad enough to block out the


    light from the hallway, and even through his impably tailored navy suit, I could see the suggestion of powerful muscles and athletic


    grace.


    His face was a study in masculine perfection-sharp cheekbones that could cut ss, a strong jaw that spoke of determination and


    power, and lips that were just full enough to be sensual without losing their masculine edge. His dark brown hair was styled with casual


    perfection.


    His eyes were the most extraordinary shade of blue I’d ever seen—so deep they were almost navy. When he moved his head slightly, they actually appeared to shimmer with an otherworldly radiance, as if lit from within by some supernatural fire.


    When he spoke, his voice was exactly what I should have expected and yet somehow still managed to surprise me-deep, rich, cultured,


    with an undercurrent of barely controlled intensity that made my wolf whimper involuntarily.


    “Miss Knight, I presume?”


    I opened my mouth to respond and found I had no voice at all. My throat had gonepletely dry, and my brain seemed to have short-


    circuited entirely.


    “MATE!” A’s voice exploded in my mind like a thunderp, so sudden and powerful that I actually staggered backward a step. “MATE!


    09.17


    MINI!