In the end, Derek had no choice but to grudgingly book an appointment with Brian and head back to the pack office.
"Derek?" A voice snapped him out of his thoughts.
Kayla stood there, clutching a stack of files, her eyes wide with surprise. "You looking for Rachel?"
"Give me her contact info," Derek said, his voice rough, barely his own.
Kayla's eyes widened further. "You… you don't have Rachel's contact?"
Her words hit like a slap across his face.
He took the slip of paper with her email address, his knuckles whitening as he gripped it.
Back in his office, Derek locked the door. He stared at the computer screen, the cursor blinking on a blank email.
"Rachel, stop messing around," he typed, then deleted it with a harsh jab at the keyboard.
After a long pause, he tried again:
*Rac
