"So," Sandra drawled, as she appeared in the open doorway to my office. She leant against the door frame, folding one ankle over the other and crossed her muscular arms against her chest. With her head tilted at an angle - her thick, short black hair swaying with the movement - she eyed me with an intense scrutiny that only my Head Hunter could manage. Sandra was well acquainted with the act of intimidation; she was a wolf who knew how to leave you quivering in her wake. Had I not been her Alpha, I'm sure the effect on me would be the same.

"So?" I asked, offering her an arched brow as I feigned obliviousness as to why she was here, and what she wanted to talk about.

"I didn't expect you and Adriel to be returning with anyone, least of all a new pack member," she said, her mouth stretching into a large, teeth baring grin.

I couldn't tell whether it was amusement or irritation that fuelled her smile, as was often the case with Sandra. Most would do well to offer the wolf a wide berth at all times; she'd spent a century learning to control her body language and her expressions, showing only what she wanted to, in order to fool her prey. Under her attention, as I was right now about to engage in a conversation that was both uncomfortable yet necessary, I felt very much as if she were regarding me as her prey, something for her to conquer. Unfortunately for her I did not feel an ounce of intimidation; she could stare at me with her intensity all she liked, but I would not crack under her gaze.

"Given your intentions for her, a little heads up would have been nice. I would hate for her to dislike me on account of my history with you."

I had not thought of Sandra and Emily meeting one another, too overwhelmed by the mere fact that Emily existed at all, though I certainly should have, considering. Now Emily knew of Sandra and I's intimate relationship, and I had been force to respond in a way that could only arise suspicion from Sandra.

While outwardly I did not react, I felt my heart clench painfully in my chest. "My intentions for her? What exactly is it you think I intend to do?" My voice too low, too gruff to be considered normal. Sandra's eyes brightened.

"How long have we known one another?" Sandra pushed off from the door and stalked further into the room, stopping a foot before me and staring up with narrowed eyes, her previous humour still prominent.

"Long enough."

Sandra nodded slowly, uttering, "Exactly. Long enough to know you're evading the truth. In all the years that we've known one another, you have only ever been direct and honest with me."

While she didn't know for sure, it was clear what Sandra suspected. But I wouldn't confirm her suspicions, if only to save Emily the added attention during this monumental shift in her life. I had no doubts that once our bond became known to the pack, she would garner far more than just a few curious glances - and I had yet to learn how she would fair under such pressure.

"Emily Jefferson is here because her Alpha made an official request for such during the Alpha Meetings."

"She was Acting-Alpha of Idaho," Sandra said. I was surprised to learn that she had spoken to Emily since their uncomfortable meeting in my office this morning, and more than a little concerned. Surprised more so that Emily's position in Idaho had been revealed. "Are you saying that you accepted the transfer request of another Alpha's bed partner, and it has absolutely nothing to do with your own interests?"

Bed partner. It was difficult to reign in my scowl at that phrase - even if I knew it not to be true. While whatever relationship Emily and Jack Athen shared, seemed to be intimate, I had not scented Jack on her. Not that her past with other males mattered; it would be awfully hypocritical of me to scorn her for being intimate with others, when I had done the same. That wasn't what irritated me - it was the threat of her existing emotional relationship with Athen that I despised. Whatever bond she had formed with him, threatened any future I had with her.

After all, how could I, a male she barely knew, compare to a bond she had spent years forming with the young Alpha?

"It's rare we ever get official requests for transfers; it's hardly surprising that I would except our first request in forty-eight years. I've seen a demonstration of her skills and saw fit to approve her request."

"And yet it's clear our arrangement has met it's end," Sandra hummed.

"Well..." she drawled, stepping back from me. "Who am I to question the almighty Colorado Alpha. If you say there's nothing there, then I'll believe you... for now."

Sandra said nothing else as she turned to leave, until, at the very last second she said over her shoulder, "For what it's worth, I like her."

So do I.

***

I knocked quickly against Emily's bedroom door, my fist clenched too tightly as I did so. Despite the closed door, I was more than aware that she was in there. Already her scent flooded the area, the uniqueness permeating my senses and making a home in my memory. Even if she were to leave, and never return, I was sure her scent would always linger, traces of it remaining with the sole purpose of driving me mad.

"Yes?" I heard her murmur softly.

I hesitated for only a second before entering her room, but it was not nearly enough to prepare me for the sight that greeted me. Emily was already in bed, sat up against the headboard with her covers pulled up to waist. Her vivid red hair, wild and unbound, fanned out against the pale grey bedsheets. Like every time I was graced with her image, a warmth bloomed across my chest and it felt as if all air expelled itself from my lungs.

I had to consciously stop myself from approaching further, leashing myself to her doorway. The room, her scent, it was too much and I feared I would lose control of myself too soon if I allowed myself to be closer to her in such a private setting.

"Do you usually go to bed this early?" I asked, only when I realised I was still yet to speak.

"Didn't sleep well last night. I thought I'd get an early night tonight."

"Right," I murmured tersely, forcing myself to look away so as not to give away anything in my expression. The previous night had been all but agony, forced to remain in my bed and listen to the sound of her tears in the grimy human motel bathroom just a few steps away. I knew very little of Emily so far, but I had gathered enough to realise a respectful distance while she grew accustomed to this new life would be my greatest ally. I would not overwhelm her with my presence, my desires, so soon as I had no doubt she would not take well to my pursuit.

I had to give her space to warm up to me naturally; as much space as I could bare to give.

"I assume you'll be up early tomorrow, I'll meet you outside your door at six."

"What for?" Emily asked, her voice low despite the surprise evident in her expression. It was hard not to notice the mild sense of panic that widened her eyes as our gazes locked. Her hands clenched around her bedsheets, pulling them up to her chest as if to hide herself away from me. I hated it; my stomach tightening and rolling uncomfortably.

She had yet to acknowledge our bond, and there was a horrible fear that had rooted itself inside me as a result; a fear that she did not experience the bond, that she felt nothing towards me at all.

"Your training with me. We're going to start right away, I want to spend the week assessing your fitness and your reflexes." And for you to realise how much your young Alpha has been holding you back.

"Adriel said I wasn't allowed to train for a month."

"You're not allowed to train with the pack for a month. You can still train with me." Because I cannot bare to stay away entirely. Tell me you wish to train with me, tell me you wish to spend more time with me. Let me show you how to unlock that wild within; lets see what damage you can truly do.

I had seen her fight only once - against Jack Athen on the second morning of the Alpha Meetings. She was awfully quick, and though there was still room to improve, it was clear she held more skill than the average wolf. Very few could say they had bested an Alpha in any form of combat, yet she had seemingly done so with ease; an Alpha in her own right.

"I look forward to it." There was a spark in her eye, a determination, that thrilled me. I couldn't hold back my wide answering grin, all too eager to experience more of this enticing female and bask in her potential.