Lyra Hale had never seen a building so tall it nearly kissed the clouds.
Blackthorn Enterprises towered above the city like a glass giant. It was powerful, intimidating and untouchable, the kind of place she used to walk past without daring to look too long.
And now she was standing in front of it with her palms damp, clutching a purse she had definitely bought on sale and praying her uncle never finds out.
Rogan would definitely lose his mind if he knew where she was.
He had always said the Blackthorn Pack was dangerous and unpredictable. It was a place she had no business being near.
So obviously, she hadn't told him about the interview. Instead, she had said she was going to a friend's place to drop off a résumé.
It wasn't exactly a lie, just strategically edited.
She adjusted her shirt, drew in a steadying breath and pushed through the revolving doors.
The moment she stepped inside, the air shifted.
Warmth bloomed beneath her ribs, soft at first, then slowly spreading, like heat curling under her skin. It pressed against her chest, unfamiliar and unsettling.
Lyra stopped walking when her breath caught.
'What was that?' she thought.
She placed a hand over her sternum, grounding herself.
"Miss? Are you alright?"
She looked up to find the receptionist watching her with concern.
Lyra forced a smile. "Yes, sorry. Just nervous."
The receptionist nodded politely. "Are you here for an interview?"
"Yes. Lyra Hale"
After confirming her appointment, the receptionist gestured toward the elevators. "Eighteenth floor."
"Thanks," Lyra said, heading toward them.
But as she reached the elevator bank, the warmth flared again suddenly and sharp, like a spark striking bone.
Lyra sucked in a breath.
Whatever she was feeling was definitely not normal.
She patted her chest lightly, forcing herself to relax.
"Just nerves," she told herself.
The elevator arrived and she stepped inside alongside two employees whispering about quarterly numbers and something strange happening on the top floor.
Lyra stared at the buttons, pretending she hadn't heard.
When she stepped onto the eighteenth floor, the air changed again. It grew heavier and denser as if the building itself had become aware of her presence.
A shiver traced down her spine.
"Lyra Hale?"
She turned to see a sharp-looking woman holding a tablet.
"I am Adina. Right this way," she said.
Lyra nodded and followed her.
They walked down a glass-walled hallway where the soft hum of office life surrounded them.
Everything looked normal until Adina paused near a closed door and lowered her voice.
"Are you the unshifted candidate Mr. Zino recommended?"
Lyra nodded slowly.
The word 'unshifted' still stung, no matter how used to it she was.
She hadn't shifted, she had never felt a wolf stir inside her. And that always left her caught between worlds—too wolf to belong with humans and too incomplete to belong with a pack.
Her uncle never spoke about their heritage and over time he had learned not to ask.
Adina straightened. "We don't usually hire from outside packs but Mr. Zino insisted."
Before Lyra could respond, a pain flared beneath her ribs, sharp, sudden and breath-stealing.
"Are you okay?" Adina asked.
Lyra blinked, forcing a smile. "Yes, I just didn't eat much."
The lie came too easily.
The interview itself passed in a blur with questions, answers and polite smiles.
But all the while, the pull inside her chest grew stronger, steadier, rhythmic and alive.
When the interview ended, Adina escorted her back toward the elevators.
Lyra took one step and froze.
Her breath punched from her lungs, heat surged up her spine so violently she grabbed the railing to stay upright.
The pull slammed into her again, stronger than before like her soul had recognized something, like something massive had turned its attention toward her.
"Miss Hale?" Adina said sharply. "Do you need a medic?"
Lyra shook her head. "No. I am fine, just a little dizzy."
She stepped into the elevator the moment the doors opened.
When they parted on the ground floor, she hurried out of the building with her heart racing.
….
Outside, the air was cool and sharp but the warmth inside her only intensified.
She pressed a hand to her chest and whispered, "What is wrong with me?"
But she didn't know that fifty floors above her, an Alpha who was fighting his curse had gone still.
Because her wolf had felt her presence.
….