Ruby paced the length of her bedroom, her teeth gnawing at her fingernails until they were raw. Her heart hammered against her ribs like a trapped bird.
Her beast was restless, pacing in the back of her mind with a low, anxious whine. Derek had summoned her through the mind-link moments ago, and his voice hadn't carried its usual warmth. It was cold and absolute. Perhaps it was just her paranoia, but she couldn't shake the feeling that the floor was about to drop out from under her. Had he found out? Had he actually traced that stupid runt's illness back to her?
She had heard that the King was still actively looking into the matter, and that Kai had gone to retrieve deleted data. She had thought that after destroying the evidence, everything would quietly disappear. Apparently, she had underestimated the King's persistence.
"Ruby, think, think, think," she hissed, slapping her temple with the palm of her hand. "You haven't held this position for years by being sloppy."
