Nathan Harper leaned back in his office chair, his legs crossed on his desk, his gaze fixed on the distance.

The sky above him was pitch black, and the city below him was as busy as day.

Despite the late hour, he treated himself to another coffee – his fourth? Fifth? He had long since lost track.

He looked out the large window of his Vancouver office, which gave him a panoramic view of the city's twinkling lights. It was a new moon, so the moon was barely visible. But he knew it was there, obscured by the Earth's shadow. The phases of the moon played a big role in Nathan's family, and even though he lived in the middle of the city, he still felt deeply connected to those ancient rhythms and meanings. The new moon represented a new beginning - and a moon goddess, just what he needed.

Nathan felt as if fate personally had a score to settle with him.

The past year had been a rollercoaster ride for Nathan. His construction company struggled with the unpredictable moods of the stock market while construction costs soared to astronomical heights. As if that wasn't enough, last week the company had to deal with the withdrawal of several key investors, resulting in the sudden shutdown of several projects. Nathan felt the pressure on him, not only for his own future, but for the well-being of his entire pack. His company was far more than just a business; it was the foundation of his family's wealth and his father's legacy.

For months he had been working tirelessly to improve the health care of his pack by building modern medical centers. At the same time he was building youth centers that would provide a safe place for young werewolves to develop and train their skills. These centers were not only meant to be places of healing and education, but also to provide community and security. But without sufficient financial support his entire project was in jeopardy. So Nathan was desperately looking for new investors, even from other packs, to make his vision a reality. But the last investors had dropped out.

As if the chaos of the last few weeks had not been enough, the resignation of his assistant was the icing on the cake. In a move that looked less like a new career move and more like a stab in the back, she had leaked a list of all potential investors to a competitor. It was now his lawyers' turn to find out the extent of the damage.

On the desk in front of him was a handful of new applications - five potential candidates for the position of his personal assistant, selected and placed by his beta Alex, who obviously believed Nathan could simply pick a new assistant from a stack of applications like looking for a new shirt. His trust had been strained enough. Certainly Alex was not particularly thrilled to be taking over the assistant's job since Nathan's employee had so shamelessly betrayed him. In fairness, Nathan did not think Alex would last much longer. So he had no choice but to take the chance and hire one of the applicants.

But Nathan had little hope that any of the applicants would come anywhere close to what he was looking for in an assistant: reliability, discretion, and, above all, someone who could handle the unique dynamics of his life as an Alpha.

As he pushed the first pile aside, his eyes fell on the name of one of the applications. Serena Bradford. An unexpected name in this pile. The name wasn't particularly familiar, was it? He pulled the folder closer and looked at it skeptically. Why would she be here? Serena belonged to another pack, on the other side of the country, somewhere near Montreal. It seemed unlikely that she would be interested in working for another pack, especially not his. He remembered her from the past - she was one of the higher daughters, destined to become the mate of a Beta or Gamma and produce perfect pups. He hadn't really thought she had any more ambition than that.

When Nathan opened the folder, his eyes fell on a glossy photo of an attractive blonde. She was no longer a student at the boarding school of his youth, where his parents had sent him, but her features were unmistakably familiar. In the photo, her hair was tied back tightly, and a long, full braid fell elegantly over her shoulder. Her prominent, high cheekbones, flawless-looking skin, and rose-colored lips gave her a noble aura. She wore a blouse and a rose-colored tweed suit, probably with a short skirt. Her look and posture conveyed the impression of old nobility, wrapped in one of the brands that were popular in Nathan's circles. But despite the obvious quality of her clothing, it was not current, not even from this year. The outfit looked older and slightly worn, yet well-kept, as if it were a treasured piece that the wearer took careful care of.

As Nathan looked through her resume, he realized that she had been living in Vancouver for years. Interesting. How was it possible that she had lived in his city all this time without being noticed? Despite the vastness of Vancouver and the fact that he obviously didn't know everyone who lived here, it was unusual for a strange wolf to remain undiscovered for so long. In Vancouver, people lived by themselves, but the wolves had built up an infrastructure and were able to mix well with the people.

Strange wolves usually did not remain unnoticed for long. Especially during the full moon, when most of the wolves transformed to hunt, his people kept a watchful eye on renegades and newcomers. The risk was too great that people would be harmed and his wolf pack would be blamed for it.

A new wolf on its territory would inevitably leave tracks, its scent would be noticeable. So how had she managed to fly under the radar?

Despite the tiredness that was wearing on him and his general annoyance, Nathan felt his curiosity slowly but surely awakening. The moon goddess had provided him with a welcome distraction.

♥

Suddenly a waitress placed a cocktail on the table in front of Serena. She looked up in surprise - after all, she had just had an espresso, which she had finished quickly. It was late afternoon and she was sitting on a bar stool in the cozy café, engrossed in working on her laptop, from where she sent out her applications. Time was pressing; if she didn't find a job soon, she would no longer be able to afford her rent payments, let alone the luxury of a cocktail.

"Excuse me, but I think there's a misunderstanding. I didn't order that cocktail," Serena said to the waitress with a friendly smile.

The waitress, her cheeks slightly flushed, replied shyly, "Oh, that's right. Sorry. Actually... over there, the cute guy ordered it for you." A discreet nod drew Serena's attention to a table where a handsome man sat. Dressed in smart beige suit pants and a shirt that accentuated his impressive figure, he looked casual yet elegant with his gently fallen light brown curls.

Serena had to admit that the man was quite an eye-catcher, as the waitress had already noticed. But Serena was not looking for such distractions right now. The thought of uninvited company, however charming it might be, made her sigh inwardly.

With a gentle but firm gesture, she pushed the cocktail back. "Could you please tell him that I decline his offer? Tell him... I'm not interested and besides, I'm taken..."

"Of course, I will. No problem," replied the waitress.

When she glanced back at the man, she saw him stand up before the waitress could reach his table. With a charming smile, he took the cocktail from her hand and headed straight for Serena, full of confidence and as unerring as a predator that could already smell victory.

Serena watched him as he approached - tall, confident, and clearly not used to being rejected. Only one thought was spinning in her head: He was not letting go. Good, she thought, he was persistent, she was more persistent.

There were more pressing concerns in her life than charming strangers. She had lost her last job a few weeks ago. Her savings weren't going very far. She was looking for a job after her internet connection was cut off at home. The café was her last anchor, her last bit of hope to send out her applications before she ended up without a roof over her head.

As the man approached, she adopted a casual posture, a slight challenge in her gaze. Serena wasn't the type to back down easily, and she wasn't afraid to show it. She was determined to maneuver her way through this situation, just like she always did.

She decided that attack was the best way to defend herself.

"You don't seem to understand no?"

He shrugged and sat down on the bar stool across from her. "I don't often get to hear no," he admitted, amused. "I thought it wouldn't hurt to keep them company."

Oh yeah? she thought with a raised eyebrow, visibly annoyed by his arrogance.

"I'm here today to help even out the average. Consider it a charitable contribution to your social growth."

The stranger takes heart: "Oh, they can bite."

"You have no idea," she said threateningly. Although she knew full well that she was nothing more than a harmless... human. Despite her origins as a wolf daughter of one of the respected families, she had never been allowed to turn into a wolf, no matter how much pressure her parents had exerted. She had never been able to speak to her wolf and the moon goddess had never assigned her a mate. With this fact, she was nothing less than an Omega in the pack's rank, unsuitable as a mate for a Beta, or Gamma, let alone an Alpha. Omegas were often doomed to die alone. This fact made it frighteningly easy for her parents to accept her banishment.

He grinned: "What are you doing here?"

She frowned and looked at her espresso, signaling with her eyes that it was obvious.

"I mean Vancouver. You're not from around here," he said slowly, drawing out, "Are you looking for a job?"

Serena looked at him suspiciously, almost alarmed. Annoyed by the fact that she wouldn't be able to get any further today, she closed the notebook. No matter what he had planned for her, Serena was now visibly ready to get rid of him as quickly as possible. She closed her notebook and began to pack her things. "Listen, maybe you didn't quite understand. I don't need your attention or your questions. Unfortunately, I have to go."

She hoped her words would make him back off, but he didn't seem to be easily discouraged.

She knew she was in the territory of the Hawthorne Pack, one of the dominant wolf packs in Vancouver. Serena had successfully kept herself hidden until now, careful not to leave any trace that might alert the pack to her. Her past as an outcast member of her own pack had taught her to be cautious, to avoid ever becoming a pack focus again.

The stranger seemed to sense her reticence, but just smiled gently and ordered two coffees. "Sit down," he said in a calm, determined tone, and his predatory nature seemed even more threatening to her, "I won't be long."