Kaliope paced the lycan's den, waiting for him to pounce. Was she the cause of Ronin's agitation?
Here's the truth. I don't trust you not to cause trouble or get yourself killed out of your compulsion to be defiant...
So yes, Ms. Barnes, I am watching you when I have better things to do with my time, like stopping an entire society from imploding.
She plucked her thumbnail between her teeth. Was she causing problems for the team?
Your purpose here is to lighten the team's workload, Ms. Barnes, not to compromise the operations and reputation of the team and the company. Act accordingly.
We don't need her here.
Kaliope craned her head toward the ceiling. Causing strife was not her intent. But maybe it wasn't her. Perhaps it was the case. It was a high-stress situation with significant stakes. And toss in their conflict with the Assembly investigator. Ronin carried the world on his shoulders as the CEO of Sage Tower—the pillar of the occult world. Kaliope often forgot CMT wasn't his sole responsibility. How he managed to work cases and tackle his other functions was beyond her.
Yet he never appeared weary of his duties. Perhaps his long hours and the mounting workload were finally catching up with their boss. And it wasn't like he had anyone to help him.
Matthias wouldn't stand for it, either. He's the kick-the-baby-bird-from-the-nest-and-see-if-it-flies type. If it does, great. Another fighter for the pack. If it splats the ground, oh well.
And she thought she drew the short stick with her mother.
Kaliope started for Ronin's office door. Stopped. Turned away from it. What was she planning to do? Give him a shoulder to cry on? She pictured his curt, uninterested response to her sympathy. A proud man like him wouldn't appreciate or accept pity from anyone. She hated it herself. No. She'd go in. Ask if there was anything he needed her to do for work. Not him. Work. He won't refuse that. He'd accept her offer if she kept things professional.
Boss is big on etiquette.
Kaliope pushed up the sleeves of her shirt and spun for the door.
~
Kaliope stopped, hand posed to knock. Ronin had been listening to her heels wear out the tiles in front of his office for over thirty minutes. Tuned into her, he sensed nothing. No ebb and flow of her aura. Indiscernible traces of emotions. Although she should be rife with restless energy. Only the uneven rhythm of her heartbeat and constant pacing betrayed her mood.
Clever little human.
Or should he say...clever little fox? He sensed Inola's hand in it.
A mood stone was the simplest solution. Ronin recalled Kaliope's embarrassment when he stumbled across her in Sky Park. Misery wrapped her in a miasma of clashing colors. It beat at him like the gale-force winds of a storm. Then she'd bottled the flurry instantly, stamping it out as if it had never been. Kaliope's stubborn resolve was a blessing and a curse. To control her emotions with such absolution was amazingly...lycan.
Ronin laced his steepled fingers and rested them against his mouth. Kaliope was pacing again, her intention to knock postponed.
What was the woman up to?
Ronin's disposition matched hers—Restless. Agitated. The sensation dogged him long before her arrival, but ever since they met, he'd been spiraling. Losing control. It was not a good look. Not very...McIntyre of him to let an outside influence affect him this way. His father would give him a scolding for his blatant display of weakness. Ronin reclined in his chair, loosening his tie. His fingers tapped a tandem on his desk.
But was it her?
His instinct told him something was off. Amiss. But pinpointing what proved fruitless. Kaliope Barnes. This case. His life?
Was Eli's speculation correct?
Life is tedious and monotonous if we stick with the same old systems and routines. We become stagnant. Restless.
What was the thorn in his paw?
Ronin slammed his fist on the table, the sound echoing through the room as he let out a primal roar of frustration. He was tired of feeling like he was constantly ramming into a brick wall. Tired of feeling out of control. He needed to figure out what the hell was wrong and fix it. A growl vibrated in his throat. Ronin welcomed no disruptions in his life.
He stilled when he noticed the silence, his gaze slowly shifting toward the door. Kaliope stopped pacing again. Had she heard him? No. The office was soundproof from the outside. Ronin pushed up from his chair. Instead of the steps, he strode off the raised platform where his desk stood without missing a stride as he landed.
Kaliope jumped up from her desk when he exited his office. She shoved the sugary pastry she was nibbling on out of sight and quickly chewed, struggling to swallow.
"Boss. Do you need something?" Kaliope gave him the once over. Her brows knitted at his disheveled tie. Ronin adjusted it, berating himself for forgetting to straighten his attire. His messy state bore testament to his inner turmoil.
"Where are the others?"
"Ah. Inola went on an errand, and Gideon's out for a walk because—" Kaliope pursed her lips.
Ronin understood her unspoken reason for Gideon's absence. Shame beat at him. "Was he—" Alright? Of course, he wasn't. Lycan aura affected werewolves like toxic fumes. "Tell him to take the rest of the day off." Ronin buttoned his jacket and walked away. He required a respite himself.
Kaliope rushed out from behind her desk. "Are you taking the rest of the day off too?"
Her question sounded hopeful, as if she wanted Ronin gone. His eyes landed briefly on the chain around her neck. Pathium. The supernatural equivalent of silver. Stripped of her aura's influence and without her perfume, Kaliope's natural scent reached him—pure and as wild as when she bore her invisible claws. Ronin inhaled it. Savored every note. He preferred her this way. Bare and...What the fuck, Ronin? What was he thinking? He cleared his throat and the meandering thought from his mind.
"Yes. I'm headed home." Ronin needed to get his head on straight. "Wrap up your work and do the same."
Kaliope halted his retreat. "But sir. What about Zohar and his daughter? Without their testimony, can we close the case?"
Ronin closed his eyes to compose himself before turning to face Kaliope. "The investigators are stonewalling us for their criminal investigation. I've already noted my request with the captain. Nothing we can do until he clears it."
"But—"
"No buts, Ms. Barnes."
Kaliope looked about to push her point, but she nodded. "Yes, sir. Enjoy the rest of your day."
The elevator opened in the underground parking lot as Inola climbed out of a town car. Ronin recognized the license plate on the departing vehicle. Inola paused for a second, eyeing him with open guilt, and resumed her approach like a fox caught with her tales exposed.
"Yezekael?"
Inola averted her eyes, toeing the concrete floor with the tip of her shoes. "Desperate times. We need to wrap up the case."
Yezekael Adair was a high-ranking member of the Occult Assembly. He was also a lycan, Ronin's great uncle, and a fawning admirer of a particular fox demon with jade-gray eyes. That Ronin was capable of amusement at a time like this was impressive. He ran his thumb under his nose to mask a smile. "What were his terms?"
Inola gritted her teeth. "To be decided at another time."
An open favor Yezekael can call on at any time.
Ronin sniffed and thrust his hands into his pockets, resisting the urge to ruffle Inola's hair. She was a close stand-in for an errant little sister. "You'll be married within the fortnight. Inola Adair."
Inola thumped his arm. "Don't jinx me. Anyways, where are you headed?" She checked her watch. "Work isn't over for another four hours."
"Doesn't matter anymore." Ronin pushed the button for the elevator, grateful for a break in his melancholy. He understood his job. Took solace in the familiar cogs of it. When everything else went to shit, work balanced him.
"Ronin?"
"Hmm?"
Inola stared up at him with her jade-gray eyes. "You're alright, aren't you?"
"Worried about me, little fox?"
"That's what friends do. And you're mine, even if I'm not yours. So if you ever need to talk..." She bumped him with a shoulder.
Something squeezed in the vicinity of his heart. "Thank you, Inola."
Ronin regarded the top of the fox demon's head as the elevator rose for the hidden floors of Sage Tower. Will the day come when he can accept her offer without fear of the consequences?
~~~
To read the entire first season, along with Seasons 2 and 3, join me on Ream. The link's in my bio on the home page. Hope to see you there.