Adrian's office door closed behind us with a heavy finality that sent my heart racing. I clutched my purse tighter, suddenly hyperaware of my ridiculous plan and the lacy red lingerie hidden beneath my coat.
I was alone with the most powerful Lycan in the world—a man who'd kissed me senseless just days ago, who was now watching me with those piercing blue eyes that seemed to see straight through me.
"Why don't you have a seat, Miss Beaumont?" Adrian gestured toward a sleek leather chair positioned before his massive desk.
His tone was professional, almost detached, as if our encounter at the hotel had never happened. I moved robotically to the chair, my legs trembling beneath me. His office was intimidating—all glass, steel, and power. From his penthouse windows, the city sprawled beneath us like a kingdom he controlled.
"Thank you for agreeing to see me," I began, my voice smaller than I intended.
Adrian didn't sit behind his desk as I expected. Instead, he leaned against the front edge, arms crossed over his broad chest, looking down at me from his towering height.
"I'm curious what was so important that you felt the need to personally return my shirt," he said, one eyebrow raised. "Especially when my receptionist seemed to think you were following a... familiar pattern."
My cheeks burned with humiliation. "I'm not like those other women."
"No?" A ghost of a smile touched his lips. "Then enlighten me, Seraphina. Why are you here?"
This was it. The moment of truth. I took a deep breath, gathering my courage.
"My father has been arrested," I blurted out. "Dominic Beaumont."
Interest flickered across his features. "The Delta of the Redmoon Pack."
"You know him?"
"I make it my business to know all the ranking officials of the packs under my jurisdiction." Adrian's gaze sharpened. "He's been charged with embezzlement and fraud."
I flinched at the blunt assessment. "He didn't do it. He was set up."
"By whom?"
I opened my mouth to say Julian's name but stopped myself. Making accusations without proof would only make me sound desperate and vindictive.
"I don't know yet," I admitted. "But I do know he's innocent. The problem is, regardless of his innocence, the Redmoon Pack has demanded restitution of five million dollars or he stays in prison."
Adrian's expression remained unchanged. "And what does this have to do with me?"
My heart pounded so loudly I was certain he could hear it. This was the moment—the cliff's edge I'd been walking toward since I entered the building.
"I need your help." My voice cracked. "I need five million dollars to save my father."
Silence stretched between us, thick and uncomfortable. Adrian's face was unreadable as he studied me.
"And what do I receive in return for this generous contribution?" he finally asked, his voice dangerously soft.
My mouth went dry. With trembling fingers, I stood up and reached for the belt of my coat. I couldn't look him in the eye as I slowly untied it, letting the fabric fall open to reveal the red lace barely covering my body.
"Me," I whispered, forcing the word past the lump in my throat.
I heard his sharp intake of breath. When I finally gathered the courage to look up, his eyes had darkened, pupils dilated as his gaze traveled over my exposed skin. For a brief, wild moment, I thought he might accept my offer.
Adrian pushed off the desk and took a step toward me. My heart hammered against my ribs as he reached out—but instead of touching me, he grasped the edges of my coat and pulled them closed.
"Cover yourself," he ordered, his voice rough.
Confusion and humiliation washed over me in equal measure. I clutched the coat closed, tears threatening to spill over.
"I don't understand," I stammered. "I thought—"
"You thought I would pay five million dollars for the privilege of bedding you?" Adrian's voice was controlled, but I could sense the anger simmering beneath. "Do you have any idea how insulting that is—to both of us?"
I blinked rapidly, trying to hold back tears. "I didn't know what else to do."
"So you decided to whore yourself out?" The harsh word made me flinch. "Is that what you've been reduced to, Seraphina? A transaction of flesh?"
"You don't understand!" I cried, anger flaring through my embarrassment. "I've tried everything! No bank will loan me the money. My father's assets are frozen. I've been working double shifts at a diner and it would take me three lifetimes to earn enough!"
Adrian watched me with those calculating eyes. "And you thought I would be an easy mark?"
"No! I just—" I stopped, forcing myself to calm down. "You seemed interested the other night. And you have the means to help."
Something flickered across his face—disappointment, perhaps. "I am not in the habit of purchasing women, no matter how attractive they may be."
The tears I'd been fighting finally spilled over. I hastily retied my coat, wishing the floor would open up and swallow me whole.
"I should go," I whispered, grabbing my purse. "I'm sorry for wasting your time."
Adrian didn't move from his position blocking my path. "Do you know why your proposition angers me, Seraphina?"
I shook my head, unable to speak.
"Because I know who you are." His voice softened slightly. "I looked into your background after our meeting. Top of your class at Royal Academy despite your learning disability. Training to become a Gamma warrior—an exceptional accomplishment for a female wolf. Volunteer work with orphaned cubs."
My head snapped up in surprise. "You researched me?"
"I make it a point to know who I'm dealing with." His eyes locked with mine. "And the woman I discovered is not someone who should ever need to sell herself."
Something in his words pierced through my desperation. Shame washed over me, not just for my actions today but for how quickly I'd been willing to abandon my principles.
"What would you have done," he continued, "if I had accepted your offer? If I had taken you on that couch right now, then written you a check? Could you have lived with yourself?"
"I don't know," I admitted, my voice small. "I just wanted to save my father."
Adrian sighed, running a hand through his dark hair. "There are always other options, Seraphina. Better ones that don't require you to sacrifice your dignity."
"Like what?" I asked bitterly. "I've explored every avenue."
"Have you considered that perhaps your father wouldn't want you to debase yourself for his sake?" Adrian's voice was gentler now. "What father would want his daughter to become a mistress to pay his debts?"
Fresh tears welled in my eyes because he was right. If Dad knew what I'd just attempted, it would break his heart far more than any prison cell could.
"I'm disappointed," Adrian said, stepping back. "Not because you came to me for help, but because you clearly think so little of yourself that you believed your body was all you had to offer."
His words cut deeper than any rejection could have. Because deep down, I knew he was right.
"Would you have the same expectations of your daughter?" he asked.
The question hit me like a physical blow. "Of course not!"
"Then why hold yourself to a lower standard?" Adrian pressed a button on his desk. "I think we're finished here."
The dismissal was clear. Security would arrive any moment to escort me out. I gathered what little dignity I had left and straightened my shoulders.
"I'm sorry to have bothered you," I said stiffly, moving toward the door.
"Seraphina." Adrian's voice stopped me. "Find another way. You're worth more than this."
I couldn't look back at him as I nodded and walked out, tears streaming down my face. The security guard waiting outside tactfully pretended not to notice my distress as he escorted me to the elevator.
The ride down was a blur. I stumbled through the lobby, past the smirking receptionist, and out into the bright afternoon sun.
I had never been so thoroughly humiliated in my life—not even when Julian rejected me publicly. Because this time, I had degraded myself. The worst part was that Adrian hadn't been cruel. He'd been right.
---
Three days later, I was manning my station at Rosie's Diner, wearing a uniform that was at least a size too small. The manager, a greasy-haired Beta wolf with wandering eyes, had insisted it was the only one available.
"Order up for table six!" the cook shouted.
I grabbed the plates of greasy burgers and fries, forcing a smile as I navigated the crowded diner. This job paid even less than my previous waitressing gig, but I'd been desperate after being fired from the last place for missing too many shifts to visit Dad.
"Anything else I can get for you?" I asked the family at table six, setting down their food.
The bell above the door jingled, signaling new customers. Without looking up, I finished taking a dessert order and headed back toward the counter.
"Someone just sat in your section, newbie," another waitress called out. "Table nine."
I grabbed my order pad and turned, freezing in place when I saw who was waiting.
Julian Bennett sat at my assigned table, flanked by two of his packmates, all wearing their Redmoon letterman jackets. His sandy blond hair was perfectly styled, his handsome face wearing the same charming smile that had once made my heart race. Now it just made me feel sick.
Our eyes met across the diner, and his smile widened. He knew exactly what he was doing—coming here, to the humiliating job I'd been forced to take after his machinations destroyed my family.
I couldn't breathe. Couldn't move. The mate bond between us, damaged as it was, throbbed painfully in my chest as my wolf recognized her supposed other half.
"They're waiting, Sera," my manager hissed as he passed. "Move your ass."
I had no choice. With leaden feet, I approached table nine, clutching my order pad like a shield.
"Well," Julian drawled, leaning back in his seat with a predatory smile, "isn't this a pleasant surprise?"