Vivian Black did not flinch.
She had trained that out of herself years ago right along with hope and the dangerous habit of trusting people who smiled too easily.
But her pulse betrayed her.
One sharp beat.
Then another.
Jamo Start watched her like he could hear it.
The warehouse felt smaller now. Tighter. Like the walls themselves were listening.
Vivian forced her voice to stay level.
"You've got five seconds," she said quietly, blade still loose but ready in her grip. "Start talking."
Jamo didn't move closer.
Didn't reach for a weapon.
Didn't look remotely concerned about the three unconscious men at her feet.
That, more than anything, set her nerves on edge.
Predators who didn't rush were always the most dangerous.
"You haven't changed," he said instead, almost thoughtfully.
Vivian's eyes narrowed.
That was new.
"…We've never met."
"Not formally."
The way he said it made something cold slide down her spine.
She masked it fast.
"Congratulations," she deadpanned. "You're officially being creepy."
For the first time, real amusement flickered across his face—brief and sharp.
Then it vanished.
"Your brother isn't dead."
The words landed like a hammer.
Vivian's chest tightened hard enough to hurt but her expression stayed carved from stone.
"Careful," she said softly. "You're getting very close to a bad decision."
Jamo's gaze sharpened, studying her reaction like data.
"You never found a body," he continued calmly. "Never confirmed the remains. Just a burned vehicle and pack reports you chose to believe."
Her throat went dry.
Because
Damn him.
He wasn't wrong.
Vivian took one slow step forward.
The air between them snapped tighter.
"Where," she said carefully, "did you get that information?"
Silence stretched.
Jamo tilted his head slightly, considering her like a chess piece he hadn't decided whether to remove from the board.
"Before I answer," he said, voice smooth as cut glass, "we need to establish something."
Her grip on the blade tightened.
"Try me."
His eyes darkened.
"You've been interfering in my territory," Jamo said. "Disrupting shipments. Eliminating assets. Creating noise I don't appreciate."
Vivian's lips curved faintly.
"Cry about it."
The temperature in the room dropped.
For half a second, the wolf in him pressed closer to the surface raw power rolling off him in a suffocating wave.
Vivian's instincts roared.
Alpha.
Real alpha.
Not the pretend pack leaders she'd outmaneuvered before.
This one was dangerous.
Still…
She didn't back down.
Didn't even blink.
Something in Jamo's expression shifted.
Interest.
Respect.
Trouble.
"You're either very brave," he said quietly, "or very reckless."
Vivian met his gaze head-on.
"Occupational hazard."
Silence.
Then
He stepped closer.
Not fast.
Not threatening.
But deliberate.
Each step measured.
Each movement controlled.
Vivian held her ground but her body had already shifted into full combat readiness, every muscle coiled tight.
He stopped just inside her reach.
Too close.
Way too close.
His voice dropped lower.
"You want answers about your brother," Jamo said.
Not a question.
Her chest tightened.
"…Yes."
One word.
Careful.
Controlled.
Honest despite herself.
Something flickered in his eyes at that.
Then—
"You help me stop a pack war," he said calmly, "and I'll give you everything I know."
The world went very, very still.
Vivian stared at him.
"You're kidding."
"I don't joke about war."
Her laugh was short and sharp.
"You run half the wolf crime in this city, and you want my help keeping the peace?" She shook her head once. "Find someone else."
Jamo didn't react.
Didn't argue.
Didn't push.
Which, somehow, was worse.
"You don't actually believe this is optional," he said quietly.
Her eyes flashed.
"Watch me."
Vivian turned
and froze.
Because the warehouse doors behind her had silently closed.
Locked.
Her pulse kicked hard.
Slowly, she looked back at him.
Jamo hadn't moved.
Hadn't signaled.
Hadn't done anything visible.
But the message was clear.
This conversation was not over.
Her voice went dangerously soft.
"You just made a mistake."
For the first time, something sharp and predatory surfaced fully in his gaze.
"Did I?"
The air between them sparked.
Vivian's mind raced.
Options.
Exits.
Angles.
She could fight her way out.
Probably.
Maybe.
…Unless he shifted.
And something told her Jamo Star didn't lose fights.
Not often.
Not cleanly.
Her jaw tightened.
"I don't work for packs," she said flatly.
"I know."
That answer came too fast.
Too certain.
Her eyes narrowed again.
Jamo's voice softened just slightly.
"You work for the truth."
The words hit harder than they should have.
Because damn it
That one landed.
Vivian hated that he could see it.
Hated that he wasn't wrong.
Hated most of all the small, dangerous flicker of curiosity rising in her chest.
"What kind of pack war?" she asked finally.
Victory didn't show on his face.
But something in his shoulders eased.
"Territory fractures," Jamo said. "Missing shipments. Someone is pushing smaller packs into open conflict."
Vivian's mind clicked fast.
Pattern recognition.
Escalation.
Pressure points.
"…Traffickers are involved," she guessed.
His gaze sharpened.
"Yes."
Her stomach twisted.
Because that fit too well with what she'd been seeing.
Too clean.
Too intentional.
Which meant
Someone was orchestrating this.
Vivian exhaled slowly.
"This doesn't explain why you know about my brother."
For the first time since he appeared
Jamo hesitated.
It was small.
Brief.
But she caught it.
And suddenly, every alarm in her system went nuclear.
Oh.
Oh, hell.
"You don't just know something," Vivian said quietly.
Her voice dropped.
Dangerously soft.
"You're involved."
The silence that followed was razor thin.
Jamo's eyes darkened.
Not denial.
Not quite confirmation.
But close enough to set her blood on fire.
Vivian took one slow step closer, blade glinting faintly at her side.
"If you're lying to me," she said, voice low and lethal, "I will burn your entire empire to the ground."
For the first time
Jamo Star smiled like he meant it.
Dark.
Interested.
And far too pleased.
"I'm counting on you to try, Vivian Black."
Her pulse slammed hard.
Because something in his tone said
This alliance?
This war?
This man?
Was about to change everything.
And deep in her bones…
Vivian had the terrible feeling she had just stepped into a trap she wasn't going to walk away from clean.