Elara's POV
The knock came at eight in the morning.
I was in the kitchen with my second cup of coffee and a spreadsheet full of supplier contacts when I heard it.
Three measured knocks. Slow and unhurried.
The knock of someone who had no doubt the door would open.
I wasn't surprised.
Orion was the most powerful Alpha in the werewolf world. Finding a second-floor apartment in Newland City's Seventh District wouldn't have taken him more than an afternoon.
I set down my coffee, closed my laptop, and opened the door.
He was holding a stuffed wolf.
Not some generic toy-store animal.
It was beautifully made, with silver-gray fur, amber glass eyes, and a small crescent moon embroidered onto its left paw. The kind of piece commissioned from an artisan with very specific instructions.
I
