Hebert's POV
The beeping sound of the disconnected call echoed softly in the quiet office. I set the phone down, my fingertips still carrying the cold, metallic sensation.
Ashley.
Her name turned over silently on my tongue, carrying a kind of reverence I had never felt for any other she-wolf before. Almost sacred.
"We're friends."
Friends? A safe, non-threatening word. Something that let her lower her guard, something that allowed her to take just the tiniest step toward me.
That was fine. Patience has never been an issue for me, especially not when it comes to the one I've set my sights on.
My lips curled into the faintest trace of a smile. An art exhibit. Could I consider this a date? Technically, there would be a lot of other people there.
But honestly, as long
