1 Chapter 1

1

Darren Sumner tried not to fidget with his napkin, but his nervous fingers wouldn’t be stilled. He switched his attention from the heavy cloth to his fork, lightly tapping it against the plate in a syncopated rhythm. He had been ten minutes early, but August was nearly fifteen minutes late now, and he couldn’t shake the suspicion that she didn’t plan to meet him at all. Not that he would necessarily blame her if she completely blew him off. It had only been three weeks since Darren quit Argenti. Only three weeks since Jasmine informed him he was guilty of traitorous behavior, including attempted murder and fraternizing with the enemy, and that any attempted return to the organization would result in his swift death.

When August contacted him to initiate this meeting, he had been suspicious at first. After a long internal debate, he chose not to tell Aden. He didn’t enjoy lying to his lover, but Aden would immediately suspect that any correspondence from Argenti would indicate a trap. And Aden would have good reason to think that. Werewolves had every reason to suspect any Argenti agent of a double-cross. But fucking a werewolf didn’t make Darren a werewolf, and August had been his friend for years. She wouldn’t lure him into a public place just so she could slaughter him in front of a huge room of witnesses. Trustworthy or not, Argenti agents were far more subtle than that.

Despite that reassurance, Darren still fidgeted. If she didn’t want to kill him, why did she request to see him? The meeting put both of them at risk. Jasmine would not tolerate disloyalty—despite her own lack of fidelity—and meeting with the traitor, the outcast, wouldn’t endear August to anybody. Maybe she was carrying a warning. Maybe she knew of plans to eliminate Darren, Aden, and Aden’s entire pack. As soon as the thought occurred to him, it seemed horrifically plausible. Or maybe August just wanted to see the crazy man with her own two eyes. She was a scientist by nature and by training. Perhaps she couldn’t accept Jasmine’s explanation without searching for the evidence.

Thirty minutes after Darren arrived, August swept into the restaurant, all apologetic smiles and swirling blonde hair. She wore it long, down to her thighs, despite the inconvenience. It was her only impractical indulgence. In all other respects, she was calculating and almost coldly logical. She had a sunny smile and a smooth face that obscured her age—she always looked like she couldn’t be older than nineteen, even though Darren knew for a fact she was almost thirty-two. The only thing marring her beauty was a long scar running from her left ear to her shoulder. An old injury, courtesy of the first werewolf she’d ever killed. She wore the scar with pride, never trying to hide it.

Darren rose to meet her, automatically scanning her clothes for any areas likely to conceal a weapon. “I was worried I’d be eating alone,” he greeted.

She leaned forward and brushed an air kiss across his cheek. “Are you kidding? I wouldn’t miss the chance to have lunch here when I can expense it.” Casting a look around at the various business types who had already settled in on their noon meals, she eased into her chair with a casual flip of her hair. “I’m so sorry I’m late. I got caught on a conference call from hell.”

Darren furrowed his brow. “You’re going to expense this lunch? Are you just not going to mention who you’re having lunch with?”

“Oh, you’re a potential new informant on the Baeza pack.” She said it as nonchalantly as she reached for the menu at the side of her plate. “Jasmine will never know or care about the difference.”

“Hopefully. You’re taking quite the risk here. I hope whatever you had to tell me is important.”

Her light laugh was a welcome memory brought to life. “Let me worry about that, okay? Have you ordered yet?”

“No, I…” He had been so wrapped up in his questions that he completely forgot about food. He didn’t care about it now, either. Why was August acting like this was just one of their common lunch meetings? “I was waiting for you. The salmon here is nice. And the chicken salad.”

“Ooo, the salmon does look good. I’ll have that.” Though she still smiled when she set aside her menu, there was a guardedness in her eyes that hadn’t been there before. “How are you, by the way? We didn’t really talk when I set this up.”

“Considering the fact that I’ve lost my job, my friends, and my family, and I’m living with a pack of werewolves that want to kill me, about as good as can be expected.” That was only half the story. The other half involved one of the sexiest, most amazing men Darren had ever met, which more than made up for all the bad stuff. But August didn’t need the details of his personal life. She would probably be appalled if he casually mentioned how hard he was falling for a werewolf.