Page 99 of In the Mouth of the Wolf

Archer wiped away the tear that fell down my cheek. “I love you,” I said, my voice shaky.

“Nado saranghae,” he replied, his eyes shining.

My heart skipped a beat. “Next time we role-play, can you just speak in Korean the whole time? Because that is really hot.”

He laughed, grabbing my hips and adjusting his knot beneath me. “I think I can manage that.”

47

MARLOWE

Iwoke up on Tuesday morning feeling like a kid on Christmas. It had been a little over two days since both Nolan and Archer had bonded with me, so I had taken them outside to explain how I shifted.

They had followed my instructions, but nothing happened.

We had worked all day, and I had tried everything I could think of, but even my own wolf hadn’t felt like making an appearance.

By Wednesday, life got in the way, and learning how to shift went to the back burner as my pack went back to work. We had neglected our careers ever since I showed up and couldn’t ignore our professional responsibilities any longer.

For my own job, since I wasn’t moving back to San Francisco, it was clear that the best thing to do for them and me was to quit, and I regretfully put in my two weeks. They were allowing me to work that time remotely, thankfully, but I could tell my boss had already written me off and wasn’t expecting much.

My job had always given me a great sense of fulfillment, and it hurt to not have that anymore. But for now, I needed to concentrate on literally keeping myself unkidnapped, and unfortunately, that took a lot of effort.

And since the guys had unilaterally decided I couldn’t stay home alone while they were gone, we had developed a rotating schedule of “Take Your Omega to Work Day,” and Cam declared he got to go first. Especially since Wolfcrest Construction was technically also my company.

I knew he was still upset we hadn’t bonded yet, and on top of that, he wanted to play it cool in front of his team. But beneath the grumpy exterior, I could tell he was excited to introduce me to everyone.

He waited by the front door impatiently, two travel mugs full of coffee in his hands as he yelled at me to hurry up.

I wore the only nice outfit I had brought with me – an ivory, loose knit turtleneck, a blue and green tartan A-line mini skirt, espresso-colored tights and brown knee-high boots. My hair was pulled back in a high ponytail, and I had even put on a little make-up.

“Coming!” I replied, running down the stairs.

Cam bit his lip and held his breath for a moment, and then exhaled in defeat. “Dammit, you look cute. Come on, let’s go.”

I grabbed my coffee and reached up on my tiptoes to give him a kiss on the cheek. He had trimmed his beard, and I took a deep whiff of his cardamom and cedar scent as I lowered myself back down. He was dressed similarly to the way he was every day, in jeans, a flannel over a henley shirt, and a Carhartt jacket with work boots.

“Mm, you look pretty good yourself, hot stuff.”

A hint of a smile grew on his face, and he took a step closer to me, our chests touching. “This is either going to be the best day I’ve had at work or the hardest.”

My hand grazed along the erection growing in his pants. “My bet’s on the hardest.”

He groaned and closed his eyes. “The CFO brings donuts every Wednesday,” he whispered.

I backed up and slapped him lightly on the arm. “Why didn’t you say anything sooner? All the good flavors are going to be gone!”

Cam chuckled and followed after me as I went out the door, getting into his truck.

I was expecting to pull into one of the cookie-cutter office buildings in the business district on the outskirts of town, but considering how nice Cam’s house was, I should have known better.

The headquarters were a striking fusion of prairie-style architecture and modern corporate design. Low, horizontal lines stretched into the landscape and blended into the environment, with wide overhanging eaves. Large windows, framed by sleek stone columns, allowed plenty of light to flood the lobby, already bustling with activity.

Cam helped me out of the truck, parked up front in one of two owner’s spaces, of course, and beamed at my reaction. “Nice, isn’t it? We built this six years ago. It was the last major project our dads worked on with me before they started to step back.”

I wondered what working with my dad might have been like, and my chest ached with loss. It felt silly, but I was jealous that Cam knew him better than I did. Had gotten to look up to him as a kind of second father. “It’s still so strange to hear you talk about him,” I replied quietly. “Sometimes it feels like you’re his kid more than I am.”

Cam sighed, wrapping an arm around my waist and tugging me into his side. “Nah, if I was James’s kid, that would mean I’m fucking my sister.”

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