Genotex

There's no doubt in my mind. It's him. It's one of the wolves that attacked me the other night. Nathanael did say that wolf shifters have a different scent when they shift, so no matter how close the perpetrators can be, if they never shift near him, he can never know. 

I knew the attack was no accident, but I guess I never thought they'd be this close to the high society members like this.

During his speech, Grady said that he and his family came from up north… This shifter could be one of their underlings. 

I can't be rash with this. I am already not a big fan of Lucian, sure, but it could just be a coincidence. That wolf shifter could have acted under someone else's orders. I can't throw accusations that might come back around to blow up in my face. All I can do here is proceed with caution.

"Rosemary?"

I feel a warm touch on my jawline, near my chin. I realize Lucian is trying to get my attention back on him by literally turning my face towards him, using his index and middle finger. He's not being aggressive but he's not being as gentle as I believe he's aiming to be. He's bold, I'll give him that, but he strikes me as one of those people who confuse forcefulness with confidence.

"Yes, sorry. I got distracted," distracted is an understatement, "Why would Dr. Dale talk to you about me?" I try to pick the conversation up where we'd left it.

"Because of this," 

He extends a small, black card in my direction, which turns out to be a business card. The word "GENOTEX" take most of the space on the surface of the card. They're typed in golden ink at its center, along with an email and two phone numbers in a smaller font size on the flip side. 

I know this company; I'd heard plenty about it. It's a massive Canadian based company that specializes in genomics and pharmacogenomics. In short, they pursue medical innovation through extensive genetic testing and research. They're considered pioneers in the biotechnology field. 

I'd considered applying for an internship there a few years back but… I dropped it eventually. I don't even remember why.

"We are a multinational, we already operate in eight different countries, but we'll only officially begin operations in the US in about a month or so. Dale has been of great aid to us in the advancement of our work over the years. He's also scouted and helped us discover a number of bright minds. But I've never heard him gush as much about somebody's skill and talent as he did about you," he says.

"Yes, now that I think about it; I clearly remember Dr. Dale's pestering," 

It's the truth, he did pester me about "the opportunity" for months on end. I thought he'd never stop. In fact, I don't remember how I got him to stop.

"He saw your potential and thought it'd be a waste to squander your gift at the hospital. I saw your work myself, and I must agree, you are gifted. You'd have been a great addition to our team. You still can be," 

He's blowing so much smoke up my ass I am afraid it'll come out through my ears. But I take it the job offer still stands then. Nevertheless, I think this is hardly the right time or place to discuss this matter, especially after what I'd just found out. I don't think I have my head on my shoulders right now.

"Oh! Well, in that case, can I have some time to think about it?" I am definitely in my "don't piss the wolf off" mode. 

"Of course, take all the time you need, but please, think well. All the things you could accomplish with us, it's all at the reach of your hands," I just nod and smile in response. He doesn't leave but he doesn't say anything else either. After a short moment of silence, he offers his hand to me and speaks again, "May I have this dance?" 

Doesn't he have a mate? What am I even thinking? All I know is that I don't want to be in his company any longer.

"I'd love to," I start, "But I'd like to see my friend first, I have something... Urgent to discuss with her," his smile vanishes for a split second. A fleeting instant in which his features twist to give lieu to a stare that sends shivers down my spine, but it quickly fades for his standard smile to take its place back again. He must have remembered that he couldn't just break my neck, not here at least, "I'll join you in the ballroom in a few, I'll take you up on your offer then, if it still stands by that time, naturally," I immediately add.

"Right. Well, I'll see you then, I suppose," he says before turning to his left and heading back towards the ballroom.

For a moment I thought he was going to rip my head off. I guess he's not used to being turned down. 

He truly has it all… The looks, the money, the power. Born with a silver spoon in his mouth… And yet… Every cell in my body screams that he's nothing but trouble. I don't want to jump the gun but at the same time, I've rarely been wrong in my judgments. 

I watch the Raven-haired man go down the hallway for a few seconds, before finally turning on my heels and pushing the door to the room behind me open.

"Izzy?" I call for her.

She doesn't respond since… She's nowhere in the room. I don't get the time to mellow in my stupefaction, however. A little voice comes from behind me and jerks me back to my senses.

"Miss Rosemary," 

This is the second time somebody catches me off guard. They're all so swift and stealthy, I can say bye bye to my snooping plans. 

"Avery?" I utter as soon as I see him.

He's wearing the exact same outfit as last time I've seen him; the brooch is there too, along with that empty expression that has no business lingering in a child's eyes.

"Yes, Avery," he repeats, his hands behind his back.

"I… My friend was here, I was just looking for her,"

"The blond woman went through that door," he points innocently in a specific direction.

I follow his finger and note that he's pointing towards the second door leading in and out of this room.

"Right… I haven't seen you in the ballroom at all," I remark.

"I have yet to celebrate my sixteen's birthday, therefore, I am not to attend the ceremony," 

There he goes again, speaking like a century old man.

"The ceremony? You mean the introduction of the contenders to that throne or whatever?" 

"Basically," 

"I've been looking for you too, to be completely honest," I take a moment to get the envelope that Salina had given me out of my red, little handbag, "This is for you. From a woman named Salina,"

He takes it from me and flips it around in his hands a few times, scrutinizing every side, "It is unsealed," 

"You bet it is! I wasn't about to deliver a secret letter from a witch I barely know to another witch without reading its content. Who do you think I am?" 

"An untrustworthy person," he states simply. 

It cuts deep, but I'll live. I am well aware I crossed the line by doing that, but I also stand by what I said to him in response.

Without another word he dives into the content of the letter under my curious eyes. To my surprise, his eyes move from the left of the page to its right side, gradually descending towards the button of the letter. 

When I opened the envelope, I couldn't read a thing, for there was nothing written on it. The page was completely blank, not even a scribble. So, I am justifiably shocked to see him deeply focused like… There's something on it.

"What's in it?" I crane my neck up and lean in to see if words had appeared upon his touch or something of that sort.

"Nothing that should concern you," he says.

"C'mon! Please, I got you the letter. You can tell me, I just want to know, I won't do anything with it," I am having a hard time remembering which of us is the child in this room. Although, I don't care how ridiculous or childish I look all that much. I only care about the results it brings and for that I can beg all day, "You can at least tell me why its content is invisible to me,"

"A spell," 

I hate this kid… But I can't commit murder.

"You should return to the ballroom. Poking and prying in this place can get you hurt. I don't want you to get hurt," he says. 

I was about to comment on the first half of his sentence, but along the process I realized that he'd just done something I haven't seen him do before. He expressed a personal opinion… It's so odd to say it like that, unnerving even… But I am afraid there's no other way to express it.

"You don't want me to get hurt?" 

"No, I don't. You are very nosy, but you are a good person,"