(Audrey’s POV)

“Nine hundred and ny-nine baskets?!” Julian Reed’s voice echoed with genuine surprise through my phone.

I frowned, ncing at the sea of borate herb arrangements filling our reception area. The baskets were stacked nearly to the ceiling, their rich scents mingling in the air.

“Yes, they’re being delivered right now. Is there some mistake?” I asked, watching as another elevator opened with more baskets. The delivery wolves were sweating from the effort of moving so manyrge arrangements.

There was a brief pause before Julian cleared his throat. “Ah, I see what happened. My assistant must have misunderstood. I intended to send 99 baskets, not 999.”

His exnation seemed usible, yet something about his tone didn’t quite ring true. My wolf instincts stirred with suspicion. No Beta at his level would make such a careless error.

“That’s quite a significant error,” I replied carefully. “If you’d like, we can return some of the baskets to reduce your costs-”

“No!” Julian interrupted hastily, his voice sharp. “That won’t be necessary. The Northern Alliance doesn’t need the resources.”

The forcefulness of his response made my wolf ears perk up. He must have realized his slip because he quickly added in a smoother tone, “What I mean is, my pack is quite wealthy. The additional expense won’t be a problem.”

I thanked him and ended the call, my mind racing with questions. Why would he lie about something so obvious?

Sarah approached me, her eyes narrowed with doubt. “So? What did he say?” She was practically bouncing with curiosity.

“He ims his assistant made a mistake with the order,” I exined, shrugging. “Apparently, he meant to send 99 baskets, not 999.”

“And you believe that?” Sarah scoffed, crossing her arms. “What assistant confuses 99 with 999? That’s not a small error.” Her disbelief was written all over her face.

Nathan, who had been quietly observing, nodded in agreement. “It’s an unusual mistake, especially for a Beta representing such a powerful alliance. They’re typically meticulous with details.” His voice held that calm certainty I’de to rely on.

Despite our doubts, the extravagant gift was undeniably beneficial for our new practice. The herbs alone were worth a small fortune, not to mention the positive message it sent to potential clients about Northern Alliance backing.

“Whatever the reason,” I said, running my fingers over the silky ribbon of the nearest basket, “it’s a good omen for our practice.” The rich scent of rare northern wolfsbane rose from the arrangement, making my wolf purr with appreciation.

Sarah’s face broke into a mischievous grin. “We should take photos for the pack forums. Nothing attracts wolf clients like knowing a healing practice has powerful support.” Her eyes sparkled with excitement.

She pped her hands decisively. “And we should celebrate! Let’s have dinner tonight to mark our official opening and wee our new team members.” The energy radiating from her was contagious.

I nced at Nathan, who was still examining one of the baskets with curiosity. His profile was sharp against the window light, a reminder of how much he’d grown since our days at Inter-Pack Academy.

“Would you like to join us?” I asked. “You’ve been instrumental in helping me recover my parents’ healing formtions. You should be part of this celebration.” My voice softened with genuine gratitude.

His blue eyes lit up immediately, the amber flecks in them catching the light. “Of course I have time if you’re asking,” he replied, a warm smile spreading across his face. The happiness in his expression made my wolf stir with an unfamiliar warmth.

After he left to attend to some pack business, promising to meet uster, Sarah pounced on me like a predator who’d been patiently waiting for her prey.

“So,” she began, eyebrows raised suggestively, “what’s going on between you two? He practically radiated happiness when you asked him to dinner.” She nudged me yfully with her elbow.

I sighed, settling into one of the reception chairs. “I told you about our agreement. Six months-if I don’t develop feelings for him during that time, he’ll give up his pursuit.” The weight of that promise hung between us.

Sarah twirled a strand of hair around her finger thoughtfully. “And do you think you could? Develop feelings for him, I mean?” Her eyes searched mine with genuine concern.

I considered the question carefully. Nathan was undeniably good for me-supportive, caring, and loyal in a way I’d never experienced with Arthur. Yet something held me back, a reluctance born from the fresh wounds of betrayal.

“I don’t know,” I admitted honestly, my voice smaller than I intended. “It’s not that simple to just… switch your heart from one wolf to another.” The memory of Arthur’s cold eyes as he aimed that silver gun at me shed through my mind.

“You should give him a chance, Audrey,” Sarah urged gently. “Wolves like Nathan Snowfang are rare. He’s waited for you for years-that kind of loyalty doesn’te along often.” Her voice carried the weight of someone who knew all too well the rarity of such devotion.

Her words stirred something in me, a mixture of appreciation and guilt. “Precisely because he’s so good, I need to be cautious,” I replied, staring at my hands. “His feelings are genuine. He deserves someone who can feel the same way about him.”

If I couldn’t give him that, I owed it to him to let go so he could find a she-wolf who could truly form a mate bond with him-not someone still haunted by the ghost of a failed rtionship.

That evening, we closed the practice early and headed to the Silver Moon Restaurant for our celebratory dinner. The rain had started during the afternoon, a gentle drizzle that made the territory paths glisten under the moonlight.

When we arrived, Nathan was already waiting under the restaurant’s awning, his tall figure impossible to miss. He smiled when he spotted me, immediately moving to my side.

“Careful,” he cautioned, gently taking my elbow as I stepped onto the slick stone path. “Don’t hurt your ankle again.” His touch was warm through my jacket, steadying me against the slippery stones.

His thoughtfulness touched me. Memories of the many times I’d slipped on wet territory stones during the rainy season shed through my mind, including one particrly bad sprain during our Academy days that he’d helped me recover from.

“Sorry for making you wait,” I said, shaking raindrops from my coat. The cold water scattered, catching the light from the restaurant windows.

Nathan’s smile widened, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “Are we still being so formal with each other?” he asked, his voice warm with affection. “I arrived early on purpose-I wanted to make sure we got a good table.”

Inside, the restaurant was bustling with activity, the rich scents of roasted venison and herbs filling the air. Our team members were already gathered at arge table, chatting excitedly about the day’s events and the mysterious herb baskets.

“I need to use the restroom quickly,” I told Sarah, handing her my coat. “Order me the usual if the serveres.”

As I walked down the corridor toward the restrooms, my wolf ears caught snippets of conversation from a partially open door to a private dining room.

“… sending 999 healing herbs baskets! Might as well just send a mate marking proposal directly,” someone was saying, followed by heartyughter. The voice was male, slightly slurred with wine.

I slowed my pace, my heart suddenly pounding. They were talking about the baskets-MY baskets.

“Some wolvesck the courage to im responsibility directly,” another voice responded, the tone light and teasing. This voice was also male, but more cultured.

The first voice continued, “If you’re interested, just be honest about your feelings. What’s with all this secrecy and borate schemes?” The mockery was obvious even through the door.

“It’s not that simple,” a third voice countered, deeper and more serious than the others. “There are…plications.” Something about this voice nagged at my memory.

“Like what?” the second voice challenged. “Afraid she’ll reject you? Or is it because of your position?” The words were punctuated by the clink of sses.

“If you’re worried about danger, send her to distant territories,” the first voice suggested casually. “Plenty of ces where she’d be safe from pack politics.”

The casual suggestion of sending someone away made my blood run cold. It was too simr to what Arthur had proposed earlier that day. Was this amon solution among Alphas-shipping unwanted she-wolves to distant territories? My wolf bristled with indignation.

I was about to continue walking when a fourth voice cut through the conversation-cold,manding, and chillingly familiar.

“Shut up.”