A sunny day, just like many others. The city was hot and dry, and everyone looked for a ce with air conditioning. Or at least a shadow where toze.


    The LY Corp was working at full regime. They needed to get back on track with the work they had left behind when moving to the base. No clients nor suppliers could visit for a long while, and they had to schedule all the dyed meetings. All without making anyone notice.


    Humans could suspect something wrong was going on if a lot of them were summoned at the same time.


    The secretaries were racking their brains to schedule an eptable number of appointments on the same day, and the girls at the reception would guide the visitors quickly to another ce where to wait. They reduced the number of chance encounters and seeded with hiding their overworked schedule.


    Like that, no one would have questioned the sudden increase. The few days they didn''t meet anyone would have soon been forgotten.


    At such a busy time, thest thing they needed was another concern.


    ?Hello,? said a young woman at the reception. ?My name is Ebony Mitchell.?


    ?Hello,? the girl at the reception said. ?Do you have an appointment??


    ?No, but... I would like to talk with someone. I''m here to meet my mate.?


    ?M-mate?? the girl said. ?I''m sorry, we are busy right now. It''s a difficult period, and there are many humans around... as you can see. Can youe back another time??


    ?No,? Ebony said. ?I know my mate is here. I want to meet them.?


    Her pale face and shoulder-length hair made the receptionist frown. She did have the aura of a wolf but not of one from anywhere close. Her ck hair did resemble one of Mayford''s, but she was too elegant for that. And her sky blue eyes couldn''te from that pack.


    ?Where do youe from??


    ?I''m one of Oldgate.?


    ?O-Oldgate??


    ?Yes... It''s a small vige in the West. We don''t live with humans as you do, and you might not have heard of it... But you can check. I''m not lying. You can call my Alpha and ask him whether Ebony is one of his wolves.?


    ?It''s not that I don''t believe you, but we''re really busy, right now. Can youe back in a couple of weeks? We''re in the middle of solving apany crisis, and it''s full of humans.?


    ?Really?? Ebony sighed, bowing her head. ?I''d just like to see them, please... Just a moment. I havee from far away.?


    ?Wait, you could sense your mate just like this? How old are you, by the way??


    ?I turned twenty-one two weeks ago.?


    ?You''re young!?


    ?Well,? she murmured, shrugging. ?I don''t know where to stay for two weeks. Coming and going takes so much time and effort. I''d just need a minute, just for the link to make them realise I am here. That''s all I need!?


    ?Listen,? the girl at the reception said, ?I can let you talk with someone in HR. But if they say you can''t meet your mate yet, you''ll have to go. We are really in a tight spot!?


    ?Yes, thanks!? Ebony said, pping her hands in happiness.


    The girl at the reception nodded. She couldn''t allow any incident, but she also remembered how they had acted when Lara yton appeared. The best course of action was to let the HR department solve it. They would have decided whether to let that girl visit the pack or not.


    She dialled the number, and Roxy replied.


    ?Sure, let here. I will talk with her.?


    ?Yes, sure! We''reing up.?


    She showed the elevator to the girl while wondering who her mate could be. There were plenty of single males in the pack, but she feared that girl would have brought trouble.


    She had appeared when they needed calm, and mating links could bring a lot of drama... She shivered at the thought of all the events happened when their Alpha had found his mate.


    That girl could be harmless, true. But what if she wasn''t?


    ?So, you could sense your mate,? she said while the elevator went up. ?From so far away,


    ?In our pack, we can sense our mates early,? she said. ?And we know at any time where they are. It makes it difficult to have other rtionships... I''d just meet with my mate and have them reject me if they don''t want me. If not, I''ll always be tied to a person I don''t know.?


    ?I see... So, you''re here to be rejected.?


    ?No, I''m here to find my mate. But I''m a grown-up and know things aren''t as easy as we wish them to be. Either way, I want to be free from this tension.?


    ?Our HR Manager will meet with you. You can talk with her, and maybe she will help you. But, beware, we won''t let you ruin the cohesion in our pack.?


    ?Hey, rx! I don''t have ill intentions.?


    ?How can I know? By the way, it''s here,? the girl said, showing a door. ?Manager Cooper is waiting for you.?


    Ebony knocked, waiting for permission to walk in.


    She found a woman sitting at the desk and a man standing next to her, pouring her tea with a lovely expression. They were discussing something irrelevant, judging from the pace of their heartbeats. Looking at them like that was a little painful, but the first instinct Ebony had was to run forward.


    She clenched her fists and stood there while her pupils widened. She took in the whole scene, and an ancient voice pushed her to im her mate.


    ?Mine!? she said before any trace of rationality could stop her.


    She hadn''t gone there for that. She just wanted to meet them!


    But, after seeing that face, that serious yet rxed expression, she couldn''t help it. The most attractive and desirable creature in the world was right in front of her: how could she stop herself?