She pointed over my shoulder toward the building. "That's the way."
I rose to my feet and wiped my eyes. "Thanks, Iris. I mean it."
She clucked again and waved her hand. Then, she threw up a middle finger toward the back of the bus as a new round of honking rose to a crescendo behind us.
"Hurry up!" she called after me as I headed down the stairs to the curb. "And I meant what I said. Steer clear of those wolves, baby. They're nothing but trouble for girls like you!"
My back stiffened as her words carried over the quad, and I got a few blank stares from some of the other students hustling into the building. A new blush heated my cheeks. I turned around and thrust my chin out at Iris as she kept on waving then drew a finger across my neck, gesturing for her to shut it.
Her loud, infectious laughter had me smiling as I turned and readjusted the weight of my bag and headed into the building.
My breath hitched and gooseflesh spread across my neck as if I had some premonition. Wolves, she said. Stay away from wolves. I wonder how my life would have turned out if I had listened.
Chapter Three
If I had any intentions of heeding Iris's warning, they were shattered the next morning when Dale sat on my desk. Day two and he'd already started making a habit of it. He cleared a space and plopped his wide rear end on the edge of it then leaned down to talk to me.
"Field trip today," he said, plastering a smile on his face.
"Okay?" Just yesterday he'd warned me this job would involve hours of staring at my computer screen. Which it had. I wondered why the sudden change.
Dale pulled a thick brown envelope wrapped with a rubber band from beneath his arm. "The congressman is working on the draft of a new wetlands conservation bill. He's had some input from some of the local landowners around here. Which he values, of course. But, some hold more sway than others, and that's just a fact. One in particular requires special handling. That's where you come in today?"
"Special handling?" I did not like the near smirk on Dale's face when he said it. Smarmy seemed to be his default mood.
"In person," Dale offered by way of explanation. "We've got some reports and the congressman's notes on some of the language. We need them hand delivered."
My mouth went dry. In person delivery. I hoped this VIP constituent could be found within walking distance. He never asked, and I'd never found the occasion to tell Dale Thorp I rode the bus.
"Wild Lake Corporate Headquarters off of Exit 19. You know where that is? At the base of the water tower. You can't miss it. Look for the giant bronze wolf statutes."
"I, uh. I'd be happy to do it. It's just, I don't have a car today."
Dale gave me a quizzical look then reached into his jacket and pulled out a single key. "You do have a valid driver's license though?"
"Of course."
Dale lobbed the key at me and I caught it one-handed. "Silver Town Car on the first floor. My parking spot is marked. Try not to take more than an hour. When you get back, I need you to sink your teeth into an eminent domain memo we need by early next week. Grace has all the particulars."
I grabbed my messenger bag and slid Dale's file into it. It strained the straps to close it, but I managed.
"Who do I ask for when I get there?"
Dale gave me that shit-eating grin again. "You're seeing Lanier."
My fingers froze on the buckle of my bag. I pasted on a bright smile and tried to keep moving so Dale wouldn't notice my reaction. Sebastian Lanier. It seemed quite literally, Dale intended to feed me to the wolf.
"Is Mr. Lanier expecting me?" I asked, though my tongue felt like sandpaper. My heart thudded in my breast. God, what was wrong with me?
Dale's eyes raked over me and I swear they settled on the pulse beating near my temple. I wondered how much his werewolf senses told him about my inner turmoil.
"Relax," he said, reaching out to grasp a strand of my hair. I'd worn it down today, holding the thick mass of it back with a black headband. He rolled it between his fingers, and for a second, I expected him to lean down and sniff it. If he had, I'd already done the mental calculations about how hard I could smash him with my bag. Something bad was brewing with Dale Thorp. I just prayed this wouldn't go down the path I feared. He had creep vibe oozing out of every pore. I needed this internship, but not that badly.
I slung the strap over my shoulder, pulling my hair out of Dale's grasp. He straightened his tie but didn't leave his perch on my desk.
"Do I just ask at the front desk or is there some special entrance I need to know about?" I asked, keeping my voice toneless and flat.
"What? Oh. Right. Just ask at the front desk. Bas knows I'm sending someone over."
"Is there anything else? I mean, am I just handing him these files, or was there some message I'm supposed to convey or take back?"
Dale finally stood and shrugged. "Just the files. I'm sure Mr. Lanier will let you know if he wants to send any message back."
Great. After what I saw yesterday, I couldn't imagine Lanier had anything kind and gentle to say about Dale or the congressman. I also had a strong feeling that whatever was in that file, it wasn't something Lanier would be happy to see. I just hoped he wasn't a kill the messenger type.
I gave Dale a curt nod and headed for the elevators. He called out to me as I pressed the down button.
"Like I said, relax. I'm pretty sure Bas won't bite."
Chapter Four
Wild Lake Outfitters World Headquarters sat on a hill off the exit. The bronze wolf sculptures stood twenty feet high and overlooked a churning water fountain. On any given day, you'd see a dozen or more tourists lined up to take their picture in front of the massive sculpture. The store sat behind it, constructed to look like a hunting lodge with blond timber and a high arch with custom floor to ceiling glass.
I'd been in the place exactly once, though most of the people I knew in Wild Lake had worked here at some point or another if they didn't currently. More than just a hunting and sporting goods retailer, the place had a nature center, a giant freshwater aquarium featuring fish from the Great Lakes, and a petting zoo with rare albino deer in an adjacent paddock.
I straightened my skirt and headed for the corporate offices sign toward the back of the building. I took a glass elevator up to the third floor. I couldn't stop myself from chewing on my thumbnail as I waited for the doors to open.
Sebastian Lanier. I never expected to see him again so soon after yesterday's tirade. What kind of mood would he be in? Would his eyes still hold that contained fury? And if they did, would he blame me for the simple fact that Dale and Congressman Foster sent me here?
Cowards. That's the best thing I could think to call them at the moment. Dale in particular. I didn't know what bad blood flowed between those two, but he obviously sent me here today because he didn't want to carry out this job himself. Well, there was nothing to do but take a deep breath and do my job. Internships were about grunt work. I wasn't afraid to do it. It wasn't just Dale's and the congressman's recommendation I could earn. I wouldn't mind making a good impression on Lanier either. I just couldn't help thinking about the impression he'd already left on me. One that had me positively panting as I stepped off the elevators and met the receptionist at the end of the hall.
I brushed a hair behind my ear and took a deep breath. "I'm from Congressman Foster's office, Abby Winslow. I'm here to see Mr. Lanier."
The receptionist shuffled papers on his desk and gave me a pleasant smile. He was long, lean, with manicured nails and jet black hair sculpted into a side part. He tapped an ear piece and looked back down the long hallway toward the inner offices. "He's just getting back from lunch. Why don't I set you up in Mr. Lanier's office and he'll be in shortly? Can I get you anything to drink? I'm Curtis, by the way."
"Oh. I'm all right. Thanks."
Curtis rose from behind his U-shaped desk and led me down the hallway, moving with the telltale preternatural grace of a wolf. So, it appeared I'd be surrounded by them this year.
Lanier's offices couldn't be more different than the congressman's. There were no cubicles here. Just wide open spaces behind glass and long rows of brightly lit tables. Lanier had the corner office. Curtis opened the door and gestured for me to follow him in.
The view from the wall-to-wall windows took my breath away. The room faced away from the highway towards the park grounds. A pristine man-made pond sat at the edge of a wooded valley with a long wooden dock extending nearly to the center of it. Two mute swans dipped their heads beneath the water below then chased away a pair of mallard ducks. I imagined Lanier could sit at his desk and stare at that scene all day if he liked.