bChapter /bb235 /b

b“/bbMy /bbBeta /bbtold me /bbyou’re /bbhere /bbto /bbapply /bbfor /bba /bbjob/bb,/b” bI /bbsaid /bcurtly.

The bwoman /bbnodded/b. b“/bbYes/b. I heard byou’re /blooking bfor /ba nanny bfor /bbyour /bsonb./bb” /bSilver beyes /bbflicked /bbto /bthe bundle in my armsb, /band something almost blike awe /bcrossed her bface /bbefore she quickly schooled it. “I bthought /bbI’d /bbe /bin person bto /bapplyb./bb” /b

b“/bbDo /bbyou /bbhave /bba /bresumeb?/bb” /b

b“/bWell, no, but-b” /b

b“/bbSorry/bb, /bbut I’m only looking for qualified individuals.”

With that, I turned to leave, but the woman called out, “Wait! Please hear me out.”

For some reason, the desperation in her voice gave me pause. Just for a moment. Just long enough for her to admit, “I don’t even have an ID. You see, I’m a… a rogue. I want to join Ashw pack.b” /b

I turned slowly and looked over the woman. She didn’t appear like any rogue I’d seen before; she was cleanb–/bor at least, now she was, although yesterday was a different story–and well–spoken and had even curtsied and referred to me as “Alpha“.

b“/bYou don’t act like a rogue,” I said warily.

Freckled cheeks reddened. I swore she almost looked like E just then, but I immediately shoved the

notion away. “I only became a rogue recently.”

“What happened?”

The woman paused. Then: “My house was destroyed and I woke up in the middle of the woods a week

Strange. I’d never heard of anything like that happening before. Her wolf must have taken over during whatever had happened. Perhaps, in her frenzied state, she had identally denounced her pack.

“Well,” I said, taking note of the woman’s sincere expression, “Ashw is open to all, but you have to apply to join the pack first. You’ll have to fill out the proper paperwork and wait for it to be processed,

which can take some time.” I tilted my head, admittedly intrigued by the woman’s boldness ining

here and being so honest. “What’s your name?”

“It’s… um…i” /iShe bit her lip. “Ste.”

“Ste. Do byou /bhave ast name?”

She shook her head and replied quickly, b“/bNo. Or at least, I can’t recall.”

Also… odd. I was beginning to wonder if maybe she wasn’t telling the truth when Lilith suddenly swept

+15 bBONUS /b

binto /bbthe /bbroom /bband came /bbto /bbstand /bbbeside /bbme/bb. /b

b“/bAlphab, /bif I bmay/bb,/bb” /bshe bsaid/bb, /bblooking /bbup /bbat /bbme/bb, /bb“/bbI /bbspoke /bbto /bMiss bSte /bbst /bnightb, /bband /bshe breally /bbdoes /bbseem /bbgenuine/bb. /bbCouldn’t /bbyou /bbat /bbleast /bblet /bher bapply /bbfor /bthe bjob/bb?/bb” /b

Ah. So bthat /bbwas /bbwhat /bthis wasb–/bLilith, in all her bgood/b–naturedness and her bgrief/b, hadtched bonto /bba /bbyoung /bbgirl /bwho blooked /blike E and apparently bknew /bE bas /bba /bchild. Hell, her name was beven /bthe sameb, /bbjust /bwith btwo /bextra bletters/b. Lilith had loved E like ba /bdaughterb, /bbso /bit was no wonder that Lilith wanted bto /bbgive this /bbwoman /bba /bbchance/b.

For bthat /breason and that reason only, I decided to let her apply for the job.

“Fine. If byou /bwant bto /bapplyb, /be back tomorrow morning at eight o’clock sharp. We’ll be holding interviews then. Can you do that?”

Ste nodded vehemently, face splitting into a wide grin. Lilith cleared her throat, and Ste flushed and curtsied again. “Of course. Thank you, Alpha.”

“I’ll see her out,” Lilith said before escorting Ste to the front door.

I watched them go, feeling an odd sensation wash over me. I still swore she looked like E, just with slightly different features.

But whatever strange pang my wolf felt in the lingering ghost thread of my mate bond was surely nothing more than a pang of grief. Not the bond being tugged by an invisible force.

After all, E had just been buried hours ago. fn8d28 ?? ??? ???? ?? ???? ???? ???????s, ????s? ??s?? ?ovelFind/fn8d28