When the clock finally struck 4:30PM, I snatched my purse and slipped out of the company building ten minutes earlier than usual, my mind on Jared and the short leash of time I had to fetch him from the pack's school. I scanned the street below, hoping to flag a taxi, but the pavement lay barren, as if the city itself had conspired to test my patience.
I was stepping toward the bus station when a black Rolls-Royce appeared, moving like a shadow over the asphalt. The car's presence was silent, commanding, as if it had emerged from the mist of the supernatural world rather than the modern city streets. The driver's side window slid down, revealing him Elliot Alpha of his own pack, his gaze sharp enough to pierce the densest darkness of my thoughts. "Get in," he ordered, voice low and unyielding.
I waved dismissively, feigning nonchalance. "No, thanks. I'll take the bus."
