ZAVIEN’S POV
The penthouse was silent when I returned, but not empty.
I sensed her before I saw her. The too-sweet smell of her perfume drifting from my bedroom, the faint rustle of sheets, the elevated heartbeat of a woman who thought she was being seductive.
Elena Volkov. Again.
I loosened my tie as I walked through the living room, not bothering to hurry. The floor-to-ceiling windows displayed the city below.
Someone on my staff had put up a Christmas tree in the corner, still lit with white lights though the holiday had passed three days ago. I’d have them take it down tomorrow.
New Year’s Eve, and then the forced cheer would finally end.
I’d built this empire over two and a half centuries, and tonight it felt as hollow as it always did.
Except for my lycan pacing inside me, aw
