Her stomach tightened, not with attraction, not with fear but with the uncomfortable sense of being examined too closely.
Lyra looked back down and forced herself to keep writing but she could still feel his eyes on her.
She tightened her grip on the pen to compose herself, but she couldn't ignore the shiver down her spine.
The meeting ended eventually but the feeling didn't fade.
Her first day had gone smoothly, too smoothly.
And even without the pull she had feared, Lyra couldn't shake the certainty that she had already been noticed.
The meeting wrapped up with the usual scrape of chairs and murmured conversations.
When Lyra was about to leave, Riven closed his tablet and leaned back slightly.
His gaze swept the room before settling on Jacob.
"You have a new hire?" he asked casually.
Jacob straightened immediately. "Yes, sir. Her name is Lyra Hale. She is starting today."
Riven didn't respond right away.
His eyes drifted slow, deliberate until they landed on Lyra again.
And she stiffened under the weight of it because it didn't feel like a glance but curiosity.
It felt like she was being measured.
For a long moment, the room stayed quiet as Riven studied her with an intensity that made Lyra's skin prickle, like she was something placed under glass.
Then, just as suddenly, Riven smiled.
"Well," he said lightly, breaking the tension, "first day and you are already burdening her with meetings like this?"
A ripple of laughter moved through the room.
Jacob chuckled. "Trial by fire."
Lyra forced a smile, even though her pulse hadn't quite settled.
Riven's gaze flicked back to her, warmer now and convincing enough that she almost believed it.
"Welcome to the team, Lyra," he said. "And if Jacob bullies you too much, feel free to complain directly to me."
Jacob groaned. "Sir—"
"I will personally put a ban on his black coffee addiction," Riven added.
The room erupted again.
Lyra laughed along with them and her discomfort swallowed beneath the noise.
"Alright," Riven said, standing. "That's all for now."
Chairs scraped back, people filed out and conversations resumed as the tension dissolved.
Lyra gathered her notebook and followed the others toward the door.
Behind her, Riven didn't move.
When the last person exited and the door clicked shut, silence fell in the boardroom again.
And just like that, Riven's smile vanished.
He reached into his pocket, pulled out his phone, and typed.
It's not Lyra Hale. She doesn't have a scent. She is just a weak, unshifted wolf.
He placed his phone down and sighed as a weird feeling creeped his mind.
Then a reply came faster than Riven had expected.
Kaelen: Continue the search, don't stop until you find her.
Riven stared at the message for a moment longer before slipping the phone away.
His gaze drifted to the empty chair Lyra had just vacated.
Something about her lingered, something he really couldn't place his finger on yet but he didn't have time to linger.
He was on an important mission.
But Riven also didn't like unanswered questions. He would definitely not let go off the weak unshifted wolf who had just peaked his interest and curiosity.
…