Not long after, I see the guard candidates waiting in reception. Kia strides into my office and drops a stack of files on my desk. “Best six out of the group,” he says. “We can bring them in one at a time for second interviews. I know you’ll want to lock down the final three as soon as possible.”
Second Interviews
I don’t read the files right away. I watch the waiting area through the glass and let my wolf taste the air, cataloging heartbeats, sweat, fear, pride. Six bodies. Six sets of instincts. Three spots on Elena’s detail.
It should be simple. Pick the strongest. The fastest. The most loyal. But strength is common. Loyalty is easy to fake. Instinct under pressure is not.
Kia stays standing in the corner of my office, arms crossed. Rowan leans against the wall by the door, silent a
