CHAPTER ONE
Boris Dragomir closed the binder full of documents, folding his hands over it with a smile. “Now that business is concluded, let us discuss what I really wanted to speak about.”
Val did not smile back. He had a sneaking suspicion what his father had in mind, and it was not something he was interested in hearing. He leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest. “What is it?”
“How old are you now, son? 32? And still unmated! You will lead the pack after me, but you must have heirs. And the Alpha is only as strong as the woman at his side.”
“Mom has been dead for fifteen years. You seem to be doing just fine.” Val regretted saying it almost the moment it came out of his mouth, but Boris didn't even flinch at the mention of his wife.
“It is because of your mother that I am the man I am today,” he said, shaking his head. “The memory of her love supports me. You will see when you find a mate of your own, if you will ever give any of the women a second glance.” Val pursed his lips. It wasn't as if he hadn't had lovers, but he had avoided forming lasting relationships. After seeing what his mother's death had done to his father, he’d decided they weren't worth the trouble.
But he could hardly say that to Boris. “Promise me you will think on it, son? Family is important to our kind. By not taking a mate, you neglect yourself as much as you neglect your duty.”
Val sighed. “I will take it under consideration.” Boris nodded, seeming to realize this was the best he was likely to get. “I have another meeting,” Val said, getting to his feet. “I’ll see you back at the house.”
“Of course,” his father replied. “Safe travels.” They both knew there was no other meeting: Val just needed to clear his head before returning home. If the rest of the family sensed his agitation, it would cause nothing but trouble. He left the conference room with long, swift strides, bypassing his own office to go right to the elevator, while sending a message to his assistant that he would be out the rest of the day. Anka had clearly expected that outcome, and Val bit back an irritated curse. Did his father tell the entire pack about his private business? He was so annoyed that he was hardly paying attention to his surroundings when he went through the lobby.
*************************
Hazel was having one of those days. Her editor had decided to add a new article to the magazine at the last minute, so the whole layout had to be rearranged, and then the office printer broke. The line at the print shop was ridiculous, and on her way out, it started pouring rain. Of course, Hazel had forgotten her umbrella back in the office.
So now she was soaking wet and shivering in the lobby of the gleaming office building she'd run into to escape the storm. At least she’d managed to keep her documents dry by wrapping the box inside her coat. She set them on a nearby table and stood to take off her jacket, since it was only serving to make her colder, but she was knocked to the ground by someone barreling toward the door. The breath went out of her in a whoosh as her butt hit the ground, and her small purse, which she hated carrying anyway, fell from her hands, scattering its contents all over the lobby.
“Ouch,” she whimpered, too defeated to utter the litany of curses that came to mind. Painful as it was, considering the past few hours, it practically seemed inevitable.
“I'm terribly sorry,” said a deep, masculine voice. “Are you all right?” She looked up, blinking in the bright light until the shadow above her resolved into the form of a man. A huge man. Well over six feet tall, if she could trust her judgement from her place on the ground, and so broad-shouldered and obviously muscular that he looked out of place in his tailored business suit.
“Er… Fine. My pride is bruised, but no lasting harm done,” she said, still a bit breathless. He offered her his hand, and when he pulled her to her feet, she couldn’t help but notice how her fingers were swallowed by his.
“You look like you’re having a rough day,” he said, the hint of a smile on his lips. “Let me help you pick this stuff up.” Luckily, there had been nothing embarrassing in her purse. Just ChapStick, change, and some business cards. Her phone had, thankfully, also survived the fall intact. The man, who was both perpetrator of this latest mishap and her would-be rescuer, gathered up her things more quickly than she would have thought possible and deposited them into her hands with a smile.
“You’re sure you aren’t hurt? That was quite a tumble,” he asked, straightening his jacket and tie. Intimidating size aside, he was handsome, his shoulder length brown hair and neat beard giving him a pleasingly feral air.
“I’m okay, really,” she said, smiling in return. If he only knew how many times a week she tripped over her own feet. “Thanks for your help.”
“It’s the least I could do,” he said. A sudden chiming noise made them both look at their phones. “Looks like my ride’s here. Hope your days gets better, Miss Waterton.”
How in the hell did he know my name? she thought, unable to do anything but stare as he went out the door and into the back of an expensive black car. The gears in her mind spun wildly for a few seconds before arriving at the obvious answer. He’d been picking up her business cards, and must’ve noticed her name.
There was nothing weird about that. Of all the times to run into a super-hot rich guy, it would be when she was looking like a drowned puppy. At least she never had to worry about seeing him again. Atlanta was a big city, and he was definitely not part of her normal crowd.
After a few minutes, the rain finally lessened to a desultory drizzle. Hazel folded her jacket under her arm, grabbed her box of documents, and went back to work.
******************
Three days later she received an unexpected call. “Hello, is this Miss Hazel Waterton?” asked the unfamiliar voice, high and chirpy. Hazel immediately suspected a telemarketer.
“This is her,” she answered warily. “Who’s calling?”
“I’m calling on behalf of my boss, Mr. Val Dragomir. Apparently, you met a few days ago. He’d like to offer you a job.” Hazel frowned. The name was distinctive, bordering on weird; she was sure she would have remembered . . . Could she possibly mean the guy from the lobby? Surely not.
“What kind of position is it?” she asked. Though Hazel wasn’t specifically looking for work, she’d never planned on ending up as the copy editor for a local news magazine. If there was something better on offer…
“Mr. Dragomir would like to discuss that privately. He wants to schedule a meeting in his office at your earliest convenience,” the assistant replied smoothly. There was something odd about that, but after a moment of thought, Hazel reasoned she could do some research later. If things seemed fishy, she wouldn’t go to the meeting.
“How about Friday, around lunchtime?” That would normally have been a workday for Hazel, but her boss was going on vacation. Apparently, he didn’t trust them not to burn down the office when he wasn’t there. Considering some of her coworkers, the concern was perhaps not unwarranted. The assistant agreed to the date, and gave her the address.
It was almost certainly the same building she’d used to get away from the rain. She let out a slow breath. Maybe it wasn’t that guy. It could all be a coincidence. As soon as she got off the phone, she opened a new internet window on her computer and typed ‘Val Dragomir’ into the search bar.
It was definitely the same man. His father’s company, Dragomir Inc., was started several generations earlier as a law firm, but had begun to expand into a few different local markets. Val had a master’s in civil engineering and was the vice-president of the environmental division. They did all sorts of interesting work, from wildlife monitoring and habitat restoration to environmental law, but she wasn’t sure why they’d especially need a writer. Still, it wasn’t as if the company itself was shady. All she could do was wait and see what he said.
By the time Friday arrived, Hazel was a bundle of nerves. She had decided not to go several times before changing her mind a moment later, had switched her outfit twice, and paced the floor of her apartment for half an hour before walking to the subway station.
When she got to the building, it seemed much larger and more intimidating than she remembered. The lobby was done in black marble and chrome, the sound of water from a fountain against the back wall lending an artificial hush. Security was expecting her, and she took the elevator to the 37th floor. He was waiting for her outside the elevator, his hair pulled back in a sleek ponytail, but he still looked completely incongruous in a suit.
“Miss Waterton. We meet again,” he said, offering his hand to shake. She took it, trying her best to keep her grip firm and steady.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you properly, Mr. Dragomir,” she replied. “Although I can’t imagine what about our first encounter made you think you wanted to hire me.” He raised an eyebrow; she thought he was trying not to smile.
“If you’ll step into my office, we can speak about it further.” She followed him down the hallway, past men and women talking on cell phones and carrying documents. The normalcy was soothing, and Hazel only felt her heart start to race again when they entered the dimly lit corner office.
Just like the lobby, everything was black, from the marble floors to the leather furniture. It was a room meant to intimidate, but also, she thought, to impress with its luxurious comfort. “Do you want some coffee?” he asked as he filled his own mug from a pot on a table in the back corner.
“No, thank you.” The last thing she needed was to be more jittery. He took his seat behind the desk, which was huge and so immaculate it looked unused, and she sat down across from him. The chair was too soft, pulling her inside like a sumptuous leather amoeba. It seemed designed more for napping in rather than a serious conversation.
“Let me get straight to business, then,” he said, steepling his fingers in front of his face. “I want you to have my child.”
She blinked, sure she had misheard. “Excuse me?”
“This would be a professional arrangement, under condition of anonymity,” he said, as if she hadn’t spoken. “I need an heir. I’ve done a background check on you. You are healthy and well-educated with no criminal record to speak of. I’ll compensate you for your time and cover all medical expenses, of course. After the child is born, I will assume all parenting responsibility, and you can go about your life.”
“You have got to be kidding me…” she said, shaking her head back and forth in denial.
“I assure you I am not joking,” he replied with an arch of his eyebrow. “I will pay you well, since I’ll need you to quit your job, for reasons of safety.”
That was really the last straw. She had worked so hard to get that job, there was no way she would give it up just like that. “No. This is ridiculous! I’m not some sort of… brood mare you can hire out for your convenience,” she exclaimed, getting to her feet, her fists clenched. “I don’t know what planet you live on, but you can’t just throw money around and expect a complete stranger to rearrange their life to suit your whims.” He didn’t move, letting her anger wash over him with an expression of patient tolerance that she found almost insulting.
“You have a degree in creative writing. You won some awards for your work while you were still in school,” he said. Hazel felt her mouth fall open, and she snapped it shut, unwilling to show him how surprised she was. “I assume you didn’t plan on working as a copy editor forever. I can get you a contract at a real publishing house, with a professional editor and a full marketing team. After the child is born. And in the meantime, I’ll pay twice your usual salary.” She sat back down.
*********************
“I can’t believe you said yes. He sounds like an ass,” Cassie said through the phone. Hazel chopped the onion for her dinner much more forcefully than necessary. It was a good thing it was only chili; it didn’t matter if the pieces were uneven.
“He’s the most arrogant, entitled prick I’ve ever met,” Hazel agreed. “But what was I supposed to do? He promised to get my book published. And he’s paying me double what I’m making now. I couldn’t ask for a better opportunity to finish my novel.”
“Still… carrying his child. A complete stranger? Kind of a big deal. I don’t understand why he can’t just get married like a normal person, if he’s good-looking and rich.”
“Maybe he’s gay,” Hazel mused, though she hadn’t felt any sense of that while they were talking. Not that she seriously believed you could tell with one conversation.
“It would explain a lot,” Cassie said. “But that doesn’t give him an excuse to be a jerk about it. I mean, he didn’t consider your feelings at all, and just thinks throwing money at a problem will solve anything.”
“Definitely. He probably has to pay someone to have his kid because he’s impossible to live with.” Talking to Cassie made her feel better, but Hazel still wasn’t looking forward to the amount of time she’d probably be spending with Val Dragomir in the near future. But it was so hard to get published. Being a surrogate wasn’t that strange. It was a chance she couldn’t afford to waste.
*****************************
Late that afternoon, Anka came into Val’s office to give him an update on the documents that the family’s lawyers were drawing up for him, and found him sitting at his desk with a glass of whiskey and a scowl. “What’s your problem? She said yes, didn’t she? You got what you wanted. Your father isn’t thrilled, but he’s accepted that it’s your decision.”
“Miss Waterton made it clear that she detests me. That’s going to make matters a bit difficult, don’t you think?” he replied, swirling the golden liquor in his tumbler and staring at it as if it might offer him answers.
“I don’t know what you expected, asking a woman you hardly know to bear your child and give it up as soon as it’s born. You basically bullied her into it,” Anka said, shaking her head. “I don’t understand why you didn’t ask someone in the pack to have your children, if that’s all you want. Plenty of females would be more than happy for a few nights with you, and you wouldn’t even have to pay them.”
“That would only complicate matters. I wanted this to be a professional arrangement,” Val said, pursing his lips.
“But why her specifically?” Anka pressed. “They have services for surrogacy, you know. There are plenty of women already prepared to do this sort of thing, and they’re vetted by the agency. It’s a lot less work.”
“You know we can’t trust an outside group to handle things like this. Besides, running into her… I don’t know, it felt like an omen, like the will of the goddess. The solution to my problems falling into my lap. Plus, she smelled nice. I trust my instincts.”
Anka snorted. “Most men would take that as the signal to ask someone on a date, not bribe them into bearing a child.”
“I don’t date,” Val retorted. “She isn’t one of us, and this way the pack gets new blood and she never needs to know. Everyone is happy.”
“Except her. And you, judging by the expression on your face.”
Val didn’t answer because he didn’t want to give Anka the satisfaction. She was right, of course. He’d come up with this idea on impulse. He’d been so irritated by the conversation with his father, and then running into that woman… Hazel, had seemed almost destined.
Despite her dripping wet hair and bedraggled expression, there had been a connection. But his mind had refused to even consider it in a romantic way, so instead he’d devised this logical, professional, and completely ridiculous plan, and now he was committed. There was nothing to do but see it through.