“You did what?”

Arianna Klein uncrossed her arms and dropped them to her side. The tips of her fingernails dug deep into her palms as she tried to contain her frustration.

Anthony Klein, Sr. pulled out a ledger from a file cabinet and opened it on the desk in front of him. “You should be ready at five o’ clock on the dot tomorrow evening. We’ll have an escort take us to the residence.”

His sudden lack of eye contact told Arianna that he’d silently dismissed her.

She’d never felt so powerless in her life. What gave him the right to make promises for her? To make plans without her permission that included her?

“Father!” She panted, ready to pitch a fit of rage. “I’ve no intentions of being in the presence of that asshole.”

He glanced up at her with a stern look on his face. “This is not up for discussion.”

She rushed up to his desk and smashed her palms against it, nearly tipping over a vase of calla lilies. “What do you mean, not up for discussion?”

He scribbled on the pad and didn’t utter a word.

She refused to be ignored. “Everyone knows Ivan Zeldano is a crook and a fraud. How could you do business with someone like that?”

That statement caused him to look up and his gaze of indifference nearly burned right through her. “You know I want what’s best for you, what’s best for the family business, and what’s best for our future.”

“By our future, do you really mean your future? It’s no mystery that all you care about is the bottom line on your checkbook.” She threw her hands up in irritation. “I’m sick of it all! I could care less about this family business anymore.”

“How could you say that?” Her father stood. “This business is what has been keeping this family together. Don’t forget how much it cost to send you off to that expensive school. Room, board, books…” He started ticking off the items on his fingers. “…food, transportation, and other incidentals.”

“How many times will you remind me?” she asked between clenched teeth. “I’ll pay you back every red cent, but you can’t expect me to make a living for myself when you beg me to return home every time I get a job.”

“I don’t beg.”

“Yes, you do.” She crossed her arms. “You play sick. Scream bloody murder. Cry wolf. Make me feel sorry for you. Anything to get me to return here so you can dictate my life. It must stop now. You will not hold this debt against me. I’ll pay you back in full just to stop you from trying to manipulate my every move.”

“You will start paying me back tomorrow night by being ready and on time. This meeting is about business, and you will not mess this up.” He plopped back down in his chair. “I mean it.”

Arianna’s lips trembled. “At least I know what you cherish the most over your own daughter.”

“No.” He shook his head. “Because I cherish you, I will do what’s best for you. You’re very important. To me…and to this cause.”

She pointed a finger at her chest. “I will decide what’s best for me.”

Her father lifted an eyebrow in challenge. “Now is not the time, Arianna. You know what’s at stake.”

Her blood was beyond the boiling point. She wanted to tell her father to shove it, but she wouldn’t stoop to that level.

Arianna had tried with all her heart to have a normal life like a normal person. She even believed that obtaining a college degree from Northwestern, graduating at the top of her class, and being recruited by one of the top investment firms in the world would help her father see her worth as an individual and as a career woman. Living up to her father’s expectations had been important to her.

Until now…

“I have a proposal to review,” her father said, jolting her from her thoughts. “Would you mind telling the maid to bring me some coffee?”

Arianna frowned. “I wish mother was still living. She would never—ever—let you do this!”

The pained expression that washed over his face told Arianna that she’d hit a nerve, but she didn’t care. What he suggested was disgraceful and an insult to her intelligence.

Arianna took one last look at her stubborn father, stormed out of his office, and slammed the door behind her.

It was time she lived her own life.

* * *

Jayson Truman rode his Kawasaki into the wrought iron gates of the Caedmon Mansion and parked beside a row of a dozen other bikes. He tore off his helmet, pushed his unruly hair back off his face, and took in the scenery before him.

The heavy metal music blasted from every open window of the decades old mansion, and the bass seemed to rock the foundation under it. Lively bodies were everywhere, either standing about in groups or dancing around to the vibrant beat. Most of them were half-clad, showing too much skin and rejoicing as the winter season ended and spring began. The thick and boisterous crowd overflowing outside told him that there was a full house tonight…and rightfully so.

When he’d received the invitation to Dawson Caedmon’s eighteenth birthday party, he had no doubts that there would be a crowd. Many from the Caedmon Pack and anyone connected to it were likely in attendance given Dawson’s rank and reputation.

Jayson slid off his motorcycle, and his boots settled down in the wet dirt. Heavy rains had hit this part of town last night, and the pavement and ground were still soaked with it. The damage was even evident on his bike.

Grinding his teeth in annoyance, he ran his thumb against the side of his ride where mud had splattered against it. He’d washed and waxed her only days ago. Riding around on a dirty bike irked him, so it was back to the shop again tomorrow morning to clean this baby like new again.

Jayson hung his helmet over the handle bar, left his bike, and headed up the gravel path leading toward the entrance.

This used to be Devin’s place before he moved out with his mate and wife, Tamara. But when the Alpha had married her, he’d handed the home down to Dawson. The eighteen-year-old whiz kid was having the time of his life with a dozen servants and cooks at his beck and call twenty-four hours a day. Dude held biweekly, if not weekly, parties. Like this one, most of the gatherings were by invite only. No one held Dawson’s high-life bachelor ways against him. The guy was still a teenager; he had his whole life ahead of him. But when it came to business matters—especially where the pack was concerned—Dawson took care of his responsibilities. His smarts and dedication was precisely why the teen had graduated at the top of his class and would have his Ph.D. in Law before his twenty-first birthday. He was also the youngest member on the Caedmon Council—current and past.

“Jayson. Hi.”

A good-looking chick fell in step beside him. She smelled of fruit, vodka, and cigarette smoke. A faint underlying scent also told her that she was part human.

Jayson wasn’t surprised about this given the fact that Devin had lifted the rule, which prevented anyone who wasn’t a full-bred wolf from identifying with the pack. Reversing the ruling had increased Caedmon resources and tripled their followers. Since then, many half-breeds had come out of the woodwork.

“How do you know my name?” he asked her.

The woman pouted her lips. “You mean you don’t remember me?”

These days, many of the women in the pack were looking for one main thing. A mate. The majority of them weren’t shy in their pursuit. They needed someone to fulfill them on a regular basis. And until they found that someone, their appetite for sex remained out of control. A Caedmon gift to some…and a curse to others.

Jayson examined her face again. She was cute. Bouncy blonde curls. Pretty lips.

His eyes fell to her breasts, which overflowed the top of her dress. They were a nice size. Rounded hips. Long slim legs. Creamy skin. But still…“Should I remember you?”

“We met at Boyd’s costume party a couple months ago. There were five of us in the one room. It involved Jell-o shots and a game of twister.” She winked. “Ring a bell?”

“Not a one.” Sounded like naughty fun, but he couldn’t remember her. He recalled the night of the party and seeing a dozen female faces, but her’s didn’t quite stand out.

She folded her arms under her breasts and huffed. “Men!” She came to a stop directly in front of him, preventing him from moving any further. “I can jog your memory.” She lifted a hand and traced the outline of his chest through his shirt. “We have all night…for a recap.”

Not only were the Caedmon women affected by the inclination to mate, so were the males. Being a full-bred Caedmon himself, it was harder for him to control his urges. However, the wolf inside him could not be denied. If the wolf wasn’t happy, neither was he; they fed off each other’s emotions and desires. Sexual satisfaction in abundance was one way to keep the unmated wolf content for a short period of time. But his wolf was no fool. No amount of sex could make up for the lack of a life-long companion.

He caught the woman’s hand just before it landed on his manhood. “What’s your name?”

She smiled. “Christy.”

“Look, Christy…I just got here. I need to chill, have a round of drinks, and chat with my peeps. If we happen to cross paths again tonight, I might be game.”

Christy’s grin grew wider. “Alright.” She stepped aside.

Once he made it inside, the vibrations from pounding music jolted through him, giving him a much-needed rush of momentum. The large ballroom was flooded with gyrating bodies amid the dense colorful smog added for visual effects. The air was thick with strong wolf pheromones, sweat, alcohol, and sex. When this many wolves came together in celebration, one could bet on that combination.

As Jayson pushed his way past the crowd to find an open seat at the bar, he observed as two males sandwiched a female. Her skirt was hitched up about her waist as the men shoved their hands between her legs, and played with her pussy while they danced. He tore his gaze from the sight before he fed off too much sexual energy.

Taking the first empty seat, he nodded at Charlie, the bartender. They were old high school buddies, went to the same college, and Jayson had even advised him on a couple of matters concerning his investments.

Jayson smiled as Charlie slid a scotch on the rocks across the bar into his hand. He turned the glass up to his lips, and rolled the smooth, crisp whiskey around with his tongue before letting it run down his throat. He slammed the empty glass on the coaster. “Thanks, man. Needed that.”

“No problemo. I was wondering when you would show up,” Charlie said, wiping up some spills in front of him with the bar mop.

“Believe it or not, I had some work to do.”

“Work? Yeah right.” Charlie laughed. “You still living in the city?” He had to raise his voice a bit above the loud music.

“Yeah. I’m renting a condo until I get my shit together. Even though it’s been a good two years since pops passed away, I’m still not on top of things like I used to be. Between finishing up his dealings and keeping current clients happy, it’s been pretty rough.”

“You’re doing the best you can.” Charlie nudged him on the shoulder. “Blow off a little steam. Have fun.”

Jayson grinned. “Which is why I’m here. Quite a turnout, I see.”

“This party jumped off as soon as the sun went down. What was supposed to be a four-hour shift for me has now become a six-hour one. I have another engagement at the strip club across town. It’s damn near midnight and I’m still in this bitch. Dawson owes me for this one.”

“I could cover for you,” he offered. Before working nine to five as an accountant at his father’s firm, like Charlie, he’d earned extra money as a bartender.

“Thanks for the offer, but I’m cool.” Charlie glanced over Jayson’s shoulder. “Besides, there’s more entertainment here than you can get at any strip club in the city. Plus, I needed to catch up on the scoop anyway.” Charlie leaned against the bar counter. “Speaking of the scoop, what’s up with you and Melanie?”

Jayson drew a circle around the coaster. Leave it to Charlie to bring up old news. Very old news. Melanie was long gone from his life, and she was probably on a mission to con some other man out of his money. “I broke it off with her this past summer.”

“Man really?” Charlie looked surprised. “The way it looked to me, she just about had you on lockdown.”

“Looks are deceiving and that’s how the cookie crumbles…and crumble it did. When things aren’t meant to be, you let them go. You know how that is; there’s no fooling the wolf.”

“Yeah.” Charlie nodded. “I know what you mean.”

“Where’s the birthday guy?” Jayson wasn’t here to dabble in his love life or lack thereof.

“There’s no telling.”

Jayson chuckled, and got up from the bar. “I’m off to wish him well…and get in a little trouble of my own.”