Andy blinked, the corner of his mouth twitching. He pushed himself up with fluid, athletic grace, rising to his full height like a skyscraper unfolding. He adjusted his suit jacket, the movement sharp and precise, before reaching a hand down to her.
His hand was large, well-manicured, and steady. An anchor in the chaos.
"Ms. Salinger," he started, his voice regaining that cool, boardroom baritone. "If you wanted a performance review, an email would have sufficed."
Louise opened her mouth to apologize, to explain that she had just seen a ghost, but before she could take Andy's hand, a shadow fell over her.
"Louise!"
David.
He rushed forward from the cluster of stunned employees, pushing past a confused intern. He looked perfect—young, handsome, concerned. The very picture of a loving fiancé.
"Honey, are you okay?" David asked, thrusting his hand out to grab her arm.
The moment his fingers grazed her sleeve, instinct took over.
It wasn't the instinct of a loving partner. It was the instinct of a prey animal recognizing a predator. Louise didn't see the concerned fiancé; she saw the man who had stood over her bleeding body, calculating his insurance payout.
"No!" Louise screamed, scrambling backward on her butt like a crab, kicking her heels against the carpet. "Don't touch me! Get away!"
She curled into a ball, covering her head with her arms, trembling violently.
The gasp that went through the office was audible.
David froze, his hand hovering in mid-air, a look of utter bewilderment on his face. "Louise? It's me. It's David."
"I know who you are!" Louise choked out, peering through her fingers with wild eyes. You're a murderer. You're a gold-digger.
She had promised the Moon Goddess she would be a vengeful wolf. She had vowed to burn them to ash. But here she was, five minutes into her second life, cowering on the floor.
So much for the brave avenger, she thought bitterly. I'm an embarrassment to werewolves everywhere.
Andy frowned. His gaze darted from the terrified woman on the floor to the man reaching for her. The playful glint in his eyes vanished, replaced by a cold, hard steel.
He didn't say a word. He simply moved.
With a single, deliberate step, Andy placed himself between Louise and David.
He didn't shove David. He didn't need to. He just occupied the space, his broad shoulders creating a physical wall. He stood with his back to Louise, facing David down. The temperature in the room seemed to drop ten degrees.
"Back off, Salinger," Andy said. His voice was low, dangerous. It wasn't a request.
David blinked, intimidated despite himself. "Mr. Finch, she's my fiancée. I'm just trying to help—"
"She said don't touch her," Andy cut him off. He didn't even look at David. He turned slightly, crouching down on one knee so he was at eye level with Louise, but still keeping his body angled to block David's approach.
"Louise?" Andy asked softly, his tone completely different from the one he used with David. It was gentle, almost… tender. "Look at me."
Louise lowered her arms slowly. She looked into those piercing blue eyes and felt a strange sense of calm wash over her. He smelled like sandalwood and pine—clean, expensive, and safe.
"Are you hurt?" Andy searched her face. "Did he hurt you?"
There was a hidden question in his eyes: Do I need to call security? Do I need to destroy him?
Louise stared at him, surprised. In her past life—her first life—Andy had always been distant, mocking. "Do you always fail to deliver on your promises, Mrs. Salinger?"
But this man? This man looked ready to tear the world apart because she was trembling.
Could he be her fated mate?
She took a deep breath, her heart rate slowly coming down from imminent cardiac arrest to mild panic attack. She realized how this looked. She was screaming at her fiancé in the office. If she claimed David was a murderer now, seven years before the crime, they'd lock her up in a padded room, not him.
She needed time. She needed a strategy. She needed to stop looking like a lunatic.
"I..." Louise swallowed, her throat dry. She grabbed Andy's offered hand. It was warm. "I'm okay. I'm fine."
Andy helped her up, his grip firm, supporting her elbow as her legs wobbled. He didn't let go immediately.
"You don't look fine," Andy noted dryly. "You look like you've seen a corpse."
I have. Mine.
"It was... a nightmare," Louise lied, the words tasting like ash. "I fell asleep at my desk. I was having a terrible nightmare, and I woke up disoriented. I didn't know where I was."
She forced a laugh. It sounded manic. "Sorry. I must have watched too many horror movies recently."
David let out a loud, performative sigh of relief. He stepped around Andy, reclaiming his territory.
"Oh, babe," David cooed, ignoring Louise's flinch as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her forcibly into his side. "You scared us half to death! A nightmare? Really? You have to stop stressing about the wedding planning."
He squeezed her tight—too tight. Louise felt nauseous. His cologne, which she used to like, now smelled like betrayal.
Andy took a step back, his hand falling to his side. His face shut down, the mask of the aloof CEO sliding back into place. But his eyes remained fixed on David's arm around Louise's waist.
"A nightmare in the middle of the workday?" Andy raised an eyebrow, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "I wasn't aware Moonlit Tech was paying you to nap, Ms. Salinger. Perhaps you were up to no good last night?"
It was a dig. A challenge. Why are you so tired?
David grinned, a smug, oily thing. "Guilty as charged, boss. I just got back from my business trip yesterday evening. Louise missed me so much... well, let's just say we stayed up very late. Being affectionate."
David winked.
Louise felt her stomach turn. Liar. Last night—seven years ago—when David came back from his business, they had ordered pizza and watched TV. There was no marathon of passion. David was just posturing. He was pissing on his territory because he sensed a bigger Alpha nearby.
Andy's expression darkened instantly. His jaw clenched so hard a muscle feathered in his cheek.
"I wasn't asking you, David," Andy snapped. The venom in his voice was palpable.
The office flinched. Even David looked taken aback by the ferocity of the retort.
Andy turned his glare to the sea of heads popping up over cubicles.
"What is this? A theater production?" Andy barked. "Don't you people have code to write? Unless you all want to join Ms. Salinger in hallucinating unemployment, I suggest you get back to work."
The crowd dispersed like roaches under a kitchen light. Heads ducked, chairs swiveled, and typing resumed at a furious pace.
"And you two," Andy pointed a finger at David and Louise. "Keep the domestic drama out of my hallway. This is a billion-dollar tech company, not a soap opera."
With one last, unreadable glance at Louise, Andy spun on his heel and stormed toward his office, slamming the door shut with a definitive click.
Louise let out a breath she didn't know she was holding.
"Sheesh," David muttered, loosening his tie. "Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed. What a tyrant."
He looked down at Louise, his eyes gleaming with false concern. "Are you sure you're okay? You really freaked out."
"I'm fine," Louise said, deftly stepping out of his embrace. "Just... shaken. I need some water."
"Louise!"
A high-pitched squeal came from the direction of the breakroom.
Louise froze. She knew that voice. It was the voice that had whispered 'Goodbye, Louise' as a foot pressed down on her heart.
Natalie.
The young woman bounced over, clutching a stack of orientation papers. She looked different—younger, less polished. She was wearing a cheap off-the-rack suit instead of designer silk, and her hair was in a messy ponytail. She was currently an intern, having just been introduced to the company via Louise's referral.
"Bestie!" Natalie cried, rushing over and grabbing Louise's hands. Her grip was clammy. "I heard someone screaming! Was that you? Are you okay?"
Louise stared at her hands being held by her murderer.
A violent urge surged through her. She wanted to strangle her. Right here. She wanted to wrap her hands around Natalie's neck and squeeze until the light went out.
Calm down, Louise told herself. Rule Number One: Seven years ago.
She looked at Natalie's face. It was wide open, concerned, innocent. Or was it?
Louise realized she didn't know the timeline. Had they started sleeping together yet? Was Natalie already plotting against her, or was she still just the annoying, needy stepsister?
Louise needed intel.
"I'm okay," Louise lied, pulling her hands away slowly, wiping them on her skirt as if she had touched slime. "Just a nightmare."
"A nightmare?" Natalie's eyes widened. "In the middle of the day? Was it scary? Tell me! You know I'm into dream interpretation."
Louise looked from Natalie to David. A dark idea formed in her mind.
"It was... vivid," Louise said quietly, watching them both like a hawk. "I dreamt I was the Moon Goddess."
"Ooh, fancy," Natalie giggled.
"And a she-wolf came to me," Louise continued, her voice steadying. "She was crying. She was dying of a terrible illness. She thought her wolf was weak because of the sickness."
David checked his watch, looking bored. "Sounds depressing, babe."
"But," Louise raised her voice slightly, locking eyes with Natalie. "Later she found out her wolf wasn't weak because of the illness. It was weak because her heart was broken. It turned out... her husband was cheating on her."
David didn't flinch. He was looking at his phone.
"With who?" Natalie asked, leaning in, her eyes full of gossip-hungry glee.
"With her best friend," Louise said coldly. "The she-wolf begged me for justice. She wanted them to suffer."
Louise held her breath, waiting for a reaction. A twitch of the eye. A nervous glance between them. Guilt.
But Natalie just gasped, clutching her chest. "Oh my god! That is horrible! What a bitch!"
Natalie shook her head furiously. "That poor woman! The best friend is the worst part. Stealing your bestie's husband? That's violation of the Girl Code! She deserves to be... I don't know, shaved bald and kicked out of the pack!"
Louise blinked. Natalie's outrage seemed genuine. Or she was a Meryl Streep-level actress.
"Yeah," David chimed in, finally looking up from his phone. "Sounds like stress, Lou. You're worried about the wedding, so your brain is making up worst-case scenarios. Just anxiety. You need more sleep."
Louise looked at them. David was dismissive. Natalie was indignant on her behalf.
They haven't done it yet, Louise realized.
The affair hadn't started.
Relief washed over her, followed immediately by a wave of nausea. They were still innocent in this timeline. But the seeds were there. David's selfishness. Natalie's envy.
"So, what did you do?" Natalie asked. "As the Moon Goddess? Did you punish them?"
Louise looked at Natalie's young, eager face.
"I didn't get to finish the dream," Louise said softly. "But I agree with you, Nat. The best friend... she deserves severe punishment."
"Totally," Natalie nodded vigorously.
"I agree," Louise repeated, a small, cold smile touching her lips. "And she will get it."
"Ms. Salinger!"
The sudden bark of her name made everyone jump.
Everlyn, Mr. Finch's terrifyingly efficient secretary, was standing ten feet away, holding a tablet like a weapon.
"Mr. Finch wants to see you," Everlyn said, her face impassive. "In his office. Now."