it was my way of fantasizing about being a normal twenty-one-year-old.”
Jason smiled. “You know, you’ll never be normal.”
“I know, I know—I’m a shifter.”
“No, that’s not what I meant. You’re a shifter, sure, but you’re more than that. You’re brilliant and beautiful and brave.” Jason stopped himself as he spoke, as if surprised to hear the words come out of his mouth.
But it wasn’t that he didn’t agree with them—it was that he couldn’t believe he was being so open with her, sharing his feelings like that.
“That’s...that’s really sweet of you,” she said with a smile. “But I don’t know how true it is.”
“It’s true. And you can either believe me or find out for yourself.”
The two of them made their way from the bus station.
“You think the coffee can wait?”
“Why?” asked Lexi. “Got something else in mind?”
“My uncle. One of two things are going to happen here in Seattle—either we’re going to start from the bottom, or we’re going to start from way, way below the bottom. And the only way we’ll find out is by meeting with my uncle and seeing what kind of help he’ll provide.”
“And where is he?”
Jason stopped and pointed to a far-off skyscraper, a skinny building that cut into the air like a dagger.
“You see that?”
“Yeah, I do.”
“He’s right at the top.”
“Wow.”
“Wow’s right. He’s the reason why the Thundertooth clan has such a good standing in our region—he makes a shitload of money, enough to keep us supplied. But it also means the rest of the packs are all over us, wanting what we’ve got.”
“And you worked for him?”
“I worked for the company. But not him directly. My Uncle Stone, he’s a...prickly sort of guy. He cares for his family but also doesn’t believe in giving hand-outs. If he helps us, we’ll have to work for it.”
“Well, I don’t know about you,” said Lexi. “But I’m ready.”
“Same here.”
They caught a cab to the tower, Lexi watching eagerly the entire time as they made their way through the city. Jason was focused on their future, but at the same time, he loved that he was able to bring Lexi here, to make her dream of living in the city come true.
Jason paid for the cab and they climbed out, both of them craning their necks to take in the sight of the building, which seemed to stretch up and into forever.
“All right,” said Jason. “We’re about to have a meeting with destiny.”
Lexi smiled, fearless. “Let’s do it.”
CHAPTER 11
JASON
“Now,” he said as they stepped into the lobby of the tower. “There’s a really good chance this might end right here and now.”
“What do you mean?”
“My uncle...he was pleased with my job performance. But that was all he was pleased with. He didn’t care for my...extracurricular activities.”
“What are you talk—” Lexi caught herself, and Jason could tell she’d realized mid-sentence what he was referring to. “God, you’re such a jackass.”
And to his surprise, Jason was a touch embarrassed by what she’d said. Never had he been ashamed of his sexual past—and he still wasn’t—but something about Lexi’s words gave him pause.
“Maybe, maybe not. But I was single, totally unattached. What was I supposed to do on the weekends?”
She grinned. “I don’t know—read a book like a normal person?”
“You mean like a nerd like you?” he matched her grin with one of his own.
Lexi chuckled, put her hand on Jason’s arm, and gave him a shove. Together, they made their way to the front desk, the young woman working there smiling broadly as they approached.
“Welcome to Grizzly Holdings,” she said. “Do you have an appointment?”
“Grizzly Holdings,” Jason heard Lexi say under her breath. “Cute.”
“An appointment?” asked Jason. “Uh, not exactly. But I’m here to see Stone Rainbringer.”
The girl’s eyes flashed. “Stone Rainbringer? As in, the CEO? I don’t think...”
“You don’t need to think, gorgeous,” said Jason. “I’m his nephew—I worked here until a week or so ago.”
“You’re his nephew?”
“That’s right. So, just get him on the line and tell him I’m here to see him. He’ll send me right up, I’m sure.”
She nodded, picking up the phone.
“You’re sure about this?” asked Lexi.
“Not entirely.”
“‘Not entirely’?”
“I mean, there’s a good chance he’ll tell me to screw off. Better than a ‘good chance,’ maybe. But no big deal if he does. We’ll figure something out.”
That answer didn’t appear to put Lexi at ease.
“His secretary said to come right up,” said the clerk as she set down the phone.
“Yes!” said Jason under his breath. “I mean, very good. Thank you for your help.”
“Take