bAria’s /bPOV

I felt like I was dreaming.

That surreal feeling didn’t go away, beven /bbwhen /bhis silver Rolls–Royce drove us to a private estate nestled on a hillside in the middle of the city.

He still hadn’t exined why he brought bme /bhere. When I followed him into the grand, insanely luxurious foyer, I couldn’t help but finally blurt out, “Um bAlpha /bGrayson?”

He turned and looked at me

b“/bbUmm/b, won’t your sister and Jace mind me being here?”

“This bis /bmy private residence,” he replied.

My heart thudded harder in my chest, leaving me a little breathless. “Well that’s great, but my real question is… why did you bring me back here?”

He stared at me with those stormy gray eyes, unreadable, and just standing there under his gaze made my entire body heat up.

“Because, Aria, I—”

But he didn’t get to finish.

b“/bAlpha Grayson, do you have a minute? Nova appeared with an apologetic look and whispered something into his ear.

He nodded and tumed to me. “Please wait here, bAria/bb./bb” /b

“Oh–sure, yeah, go ahead.”

They left, and I was left standing alone in bthe /bmassive hall, turning in awkward little circles.

Honestlyb, /bI was so nervous I felt like I might puke.

If May were here, she’d be screaming with excitement, probably convinced bthat /bAlpha Grayson was bmadly /bin love with bme /band couldn’t bear to watch me suffer anymore, so he whisked me away to his private mansion to spoil me rotten

God…

Just thinking about that made my cheeks go up in mes.

Nope. Not happening. I couldn’t let bMay’s /bdelusions hijack my brain. I was ban /badult, not a teenager. Fairytales didn’t happen in real blife/b.

So why did Grayson bring me here?

bOh /bI really wished he didn’t have bwork /bto do right now because I bwas /bliterally dying of curiosity bover /bhere.

“Miss Collim?

A voice behind me jolted me out of my spiral. I startled so hard that I identally knocked a bcrystal /bpiece off a sculpture.

“Oh bmy /bgod!” I fumbled to catch it and turned around, face flushing in horror.

A middle aged woman in a uniform stood behind me, calm andposed.

*1–Fma sorry!” I stammered. “How much is this statue?! Il pay for it.”

Please don’t be one of those million–dor pieces. I prayed internally. I really didn’t need to go more bankrupt

But the woman just smiled. “No need to worry. We rotate those pleces all the time—it’s no big deal.

She waved her bhand/b, and two maids walked over and carried the sculpture away like it was nothing

19:46 AM

“Alpha Grayson apologizes for having urgent work,” the woman said politely. “He asked me to take care of you in the meantime. I’m Mrs. Jones, the housekeeper here. If you don’t mind, would youe with me?”

I nodded nervously band /bfollowed her through the bhall /binto the heart of the vi.

I swear this was the most beautiful building I’d ever seen

Every inch of the bce /bwas designed to perfection–stylish, artistic, more stunning than anything I’d ever seen even on TV.

We entered a bright, airy sitting room with floor–to–ceiling windows that opened up to a full garden view, where byou /bcould see thewn. and red roses in full blossom.

I couldn’t help but gasp.

“Oh wow!

“This is the bAlpha’s /bfavorite reading lounge,” Mrs. Jones said with ba /bsmile. “If you don’t mind, please wait here. I can also prepare a guest room if you’d like to rest

“I’m fine right here. I quickly bsat /bdown on the bcloud/b–like sofa. “This is perfect.”

“Great. Then I’ll have someone bring tea and refreshments. Feel free to browse the bookshelves or magazines. ring the bell

need anything.just

Soon, maids brought in tea, coffee, fruit, and evenid out forks and knives for me. Once everything was set, they all quietly left.

bay /btoo unreal

Even the people here were nicer than anyone I’d met out in the real world. I cupped my face in my hands and let out a little giddyugh.

The sunlight was warm on bmy /bskinb, /band the bcouch /bwas so soft I could melt into it. Before I knew it, my eyelids started getting heavy.

I

bgave /bup trying to fight it and fell asleep.

And that turned out to be the best nap I’d had in bforever/b.

Way better than passing out on the cold tile floor of a supermarket. So much better bthat /bwhen I finally started waking up, I almost didn’t want to leave my dreand.

I yawned, stretched, and slowly opened my eyes

some point, someone bhad /beven

The golden light of sunset was now spilling through the windows. Crap—I must’ve slept for bhours/bb. /bAt so covered me with a soft nket.

Across from me, Grayson bwas /bsitting with aptop on hisp, his face perfectly sculpted by the orange glow of duskb. /b

“Uh, you’re done with work?”

I sat up quickly, instinctively wiping at theer of my mouth.

Thank god it was bdry/b. Drooling in front of Grayson Hart would’ve been the final bnail /bbin /bmy dignity’s coffin.

He closed theptop and looked at me, amusement flickering in his eyes. “How was your bnap/b?”

“Good” I admitted, dierks hot. “Better than I’ve had in a blong /bbtime/b:

“Then do you w

To stay here?

My mouth dropped open in shock

WAIT

WHAT

“What the Hold on—didn’t you say you don’t sleep with virgins!” I blurted.

9:46 AM

“I still don’t,” he replied coolly

“Then why do you want me here–are you suddenly in need of a maid

He chuckled, then pushed a document across the table.

“Take a look at this first.b” /b

I picked it up. It was a contract. A literal contract between me and

d bhim/b.

ΠΡ something?

The first few pages listed an absurd number of perks: a weekly allowance that made my eyes bug bout/bb, /bfull ess to the house. board, apensation money once the contract terminated. I could even write in

conditions.

bmy /bown

And at the very end. I finally bsaw /bbthe /bbtwo /bthings he asked of me

room

andolliI had to be avable whenever he needed meb, /band stay close./liliHe gets to decide when the contract ends./li/ol

“1. I don’t understand.” I looked up from the document, stillpletely lost. “You just want me to be around byou/bb? /bThat’s it! bCan’t /banyone do bthat/b?”

He didn’t seem like someone whockedpanionship.

He crossed his hands on his knee, resting his chin on his fingers, and stared at me. The way he sat looked exactly like a predator lying in wait. And I–yeah, I was definitely the prey.

“My doctor diagnosed me with severe insomnia,” he bsaid/b. “I haven’t had a decent night’s sleep since 9. Sometimes it makes me

I shivered.

bFrom /bbhis /btone, I had a feeling “irritable” bwas /bputting it mildly.

“But you seem totally normal most of the btime/b.” He was mo

was more elegant andposed than anybody I knew.

“Extreme episodes are rare. And I make an effort not to let outsiders see it. But your scent calms me. Just being around you seems to help

I stared at him, stunned.

As wolves, we ball /bhad bour /bown unique scent. May

Even alurací a mateb. /b

that mine smelt like coconut ice–cream. Our scent could express emotions, or

But healing? That bwas /bnew.

“Are you sure it’s that bsimple/b? Just stay bclose /bto you and you’ll get better?”

“Appears But we need to keep testing. My medical team is desperate alreadyb, /bband /bbefore my bcondition /bgets worse, I’m willing to btry /banything”

I but bmy /blip b“/bAre you sure it’s okay to tell me all this? bIsn’t /bbthis /bba /btop secret?”

This kind of information bcould /bbe worth ba /bfortune bto /bbhis /bbenemies/b.