“Luna Warhowl,” she said nervously, rising halfway from her seat. “We did not expect you today.”
“I came to see Jareth,” I replied, forcing a gentle smile that felt stiff on my face. “Is he in his office?”
“Alpha is in a meeting,” she said quickly.
The lie was obvious. She was terrible at hiding it. Her eyes kept flicking toward the communication crystal on her desk, as if she wanted to warn him.
“It’s alright,” I said as I walked past her before she could stop me. “I have a key to the floor. I will wait.”
I stepped into the executive elevator and rose to the top level of the tower.
The Alpha suite was quiet. Thick carpets swallowed the sound of my steps. At the end of the corridor stood the heavy double doors leading to Jareth’s office.
I raised my hand to knock. Then I heard it.
At first the sound was faint behind the wooden doors. But it was clear enough.
A deep groan. Then a soft laugh.
My hand froze in the air.
“Lower your voice,” Jareth whispered inside, his tone tight with breath. “Someone might hear.”
“Let them,” Luvena answered smoothly. A heavy object thudded against the desk. “I am tired of hiding, Jareth. You are the Alpha of this council. You can do whatever you want.”