Penelope POV
"Get the hell out of my sight then," I say.
I do not look up from the tablet on my desk. My thumb swipes across the glass screen, scrolling through the weekly trade reports for the Westview territory. The blue light reflects off my knuckles.
Axton stands by the door frame, his fingers resting flat against the dark wood. He does not step inside the office. He waits.
"She is at the main desk downstairs, Your Excellency," Axton says. His voice is flat, matching the rhythm of the rain hitting the window pane. "Miss Marcella insists on an audience."
I tap the screen once to lock it. The glass turns black.
"Marcella," I say. The name feels heavy, like old mud. "She still has legs to walk on after last week."
Inside my chest, Aria stirs. My wolf does not sleep when the scent o
