"Rise and shine," a groggy voice tells me. I feel kisses being peppered on my neck and cheek. It's hard, and it takes a while, but I finally open my eyes. "Morning, beautiful." Sebastian smiles. He's already showered and in a fresh suit. "Are you even human? What time is it?" I lazily search for my phone. "It's around 4:40 am," he gives me my phone fully charged. "Mh, yeah, I have to get up. You never answered my other question."
He looks at me, amused. "The one about being human? I thought that was rhetorical." I shift on the bed and snuggle back into it. "It's a genuine question in this day and age." I hear a snort emit from his mouth. He rounds the bed, pops a squat, and makes eye level with me. "You have to get up." He caresses my face and kisses my nose. I groan into my pillow and sit up. My clothes are somewhere around here.
I drag the pillow around with me, covering only my chest and stomach. "If you keep looking that sexy, I might just have to keep you in bed a little longer." Sebastian's husky voice grazes my ear from behind as I am seated in the bed. I let out a small chuckle. "Sebastian, there's nothing sexy about me in the morning." I'm facing the headboard as he wraps his hands around my waist. "Now, if that isn't the biggest fucking lie I've ever heard. And we work in business, baby. I've heard a lot of lies."
He puts his face in the crook of my neck. A small moan escapes my mouth, and I become stiff. "Mh, you know that's a highly sensitive spot." I feel the gradient of his tongue slide up my neck. "That's exactly why I'm doing it." A small smile lifts my lips. I cup his face from behind as I snake my right hand to the other side of his face. "Are you supposed to be this good to a booty call? Don't other girls fall in love with you at some point?" I feel his smile on my neck before he retracts himself.
"Other girls? What makes you so confident that you won't go down the same path?" He looks me directly in the eye. I don't feel comfortable talking in his face before having brushed my teeth, so I roll around to the other side of the bed and into the bathroom on my left. I throw the pillow back onto the bed. "You know, you have a nasty habit of answering a question with a question. Is that the businessman in you?" Sebastian slowly walks towards me. "You just did the same thing."
"When I talk, I fully expect the entire sentence to be addressed. Not half of it."
"If you want, I can treat you like shit. You're a good woman, so I'll treat you like one. I've kept others at a greater distance and sure as hell don't go around with them more than three times. I'm not as cautious with you because I trust you more. We have similar backgrounds, and we both know how complicated this would be if feelings got involved. I answer questions with a question to know more about you because I don't like sharing much about myself. And yes, even though I feel like a zombie most times, I am human." His sincerity and remembrance of my questions make my legs weak for some reason.
"You remembered all of those questions," my voice is light and airy as I'm genuinely in shock. "Does it surprise you that I listen when you talk?" He leans against the bathroom door frame and crosses his arms. He rakes his eyes over my body again before focusing on my eyes with a small smile. "Yes, actually. Most people don't. Especially not big boss owners." He bends his head for a quick laugh. "Big boss owner," he repeats my words. He looks up at me through his beautiful long lashes and hazel-like eyes. He walks up to me and kisses my forehead. "I have to run, but I'll see you later?"
"Hopefully, you're my only semblance of peace right now." He gives me a confused look but I don't bother to elaborate. We say our final goodbyes before I jump into the shower.
----
After going to my house to get dressed, I drove to the office. "Ms. Hearftfelt," Jason's voice reaches my ears with instant recognition. "Mr. Madden," we meet each other at the elevator. "You'll be meeting your new assistant today. I expect you to show her the ropes and get her well acquainted with everybody." Right, he did say he was bringing someone new on.
"Understood," we sit in silence as we ride the elevator to the highest floor. "Is everything going well with the...shifting?" Jason glances at me from his peripheral. "What I do outside of work is none of your concern right now. Distance, remember?"
I roll my eyes at his pettiness. "Are you saying that because of the distance thing or because I didn't tell you what I was doing yesterday?"
"A bit of a combination," he holds his head high and a tint of blush grazes his cheeks. "Ah, so you can feel a bit of shame from your pettiness,"
Jason looks at me with an adorable pout that makes me do a double take. "No, I'm just not usually like this. I'm ripping out a page from your book."
"Right, it doesn't matter. Trevor keeps me updated anyway. Are you incapable of doing anything without me? He says you haven't been trying." He growls at me before saying, "I've been busy. I don't have the luxury to sneak around outside of work hours doing secretive crap." I put my hand on Jason's shoulder and give him a condescending look. "Are you mad because I have a life now? Is it lonely being up here all by yourself at late hours without my lovely presence to accompany you? All you have to say is that you miss me. C'mon, don't be shy." I smirk.
He picks my fingers off his shoulder one by one. "Don't be so delusional. You finally have a life and I'm about to have a wife. I'd say I'm the more successful of us two. Did I mention I created the most successful fashion company of the century?" I roll my eyes but keep my smirk. "Did I mention that your company nor your wife would be where they are without me?"
"You give yourself too much credit,"
"Nobody else will. Look, I'm sure Saiya and this company would still be a success. I know both would be. But you wouldn't. Admit it, I spice up your life just as much as you spice up mine."
Jason pauses to stare at me for a moment before the elevator doors open. Neither of us moved. "You've brought...something to my life. I can't say I hate it." I roll my eyes and exit first. "One day, I'll get you to say the specific words." I sashay to my office. "I'd never give you the satisfaction. You annoy me,"
"Oh, please, you love me," I playfully wink at him. He shakes his head with a smirk and heads in the opposite direction to his office.
---
"Hey, I'm Remi. I think you're the one that's going to show me around." A petite woman with short light brown hair, doe brown eyes, and legs that stretch for days enters my office. "You must be the new assistant. Professionally, I go by Ms. Heartfelt, but my name is Soren. I'll give you the run-by, and you can watch me for the day to get an idea of what you will be doing." A light blush tints her face, and she eagerly nods her head before shrinking.
"Are you okay?" I ask her. She easily gets flustered and says, "AH, yes. I'm just really nervous. Our boss is an icon, and you're gorgeous, and I'm just feeling very small right now." She squeaks. Her face is beat red. "Right, thank you for the compliment. This may seem intimidating at first, but once you get into the groove of things, you'll be fine."
I get up from my desk chair and do my daily rounds. "Mr. Madden insists that we constantly check up on the other departments and report back to him. For the first week or so, you'll shadow me. During the second week, we will split our tasks, and I'll let you take the lead. I'll be there to correct you and clear up any of your questions. Depending on how you do and what Mr. Madden says, that will determine if you're capable enough to take the reigns for the third week."
"I'll do my best," she says with conviction, although her voice is still meek. I introduce Remi to all of the departments and show her who she will be emailing for the daily reports. I don't show her any of my files since I don't know if she's trustworthy or not, but I tell her the kind of information that she'll be handling.
"Ms. Heartfelt, I need you to come to my office later today after you've completed all of your work. It's urgent, don't be late. Ms. Waltz, I trust that Ms. Heartfelt is giving you a proper and comfortable welcome." He adverts his attention towards Remi. Her face instantly flushes, and she can barely hold eye contact with him. "Oh, uh-um, yes. Soren- ah, I mean, Ms. Heartfelt is treating me well. Th-thank you for this opportunity." I give her a questioning glance for a few seconds before reverting back to my poker face. Jason doesn't acknowledge the stuttering. He nods his head and leaves for his office.
Remi heavily sighs. I head back to my office, and Remi trails after. Once we're behind closed doors, I tell Remi, "He's taken you know," I place a few files on my desk and sit down. She immediately waves her hand in a criss-cross manner as she denies what my statement implies. "Oh gosh! I wouldn't dream of that. I mean, yes, he's sexy, has a mysterious vibe, muscles that put a boxer to shame, a cool and calm demeanor, ice-cold eyes, hands that could wrap around my body for ages, a voice that can melt a woman's panties right off, and oh my God, I'm totally embarrassing myself, and offending you by hitting on your lover!" I eat my sandwich as I watch Remi externally panic.
I quickly choke on it after hearing her last sentence. "Woah, Jason and I are not a thing," My lips pull up in disgust. "Jesus, I'm embarrassing myself even more. Wait, then how do you know he has somebody? He doesn't seem like an open book."
I sip some water before responding. "We share a bit of our personal lives with each other. I wouldn't be telling you this if it wasn't obvious that you like him. He won't address it at first, but if it ever affects your performance, it would make for a very awkward conversation."
Remi sulks in shame. "Since my dignity is already on the floor, can I ask you a personal question?"
"Sure," I say nonchalantly as I twirl once in my chair. "Is it serious? Do you think I'd have a chance?" I can't help the laughter that bursts through my mouth. Remi's face immediately drops in horror. "First, that's two questions. Second, I'm not judging or making fun of you at all. Quite the opposite, actually. Mr. Madden is an attractive man; there's no denying that, but only on the outside. He's madly in love with somebody right now, and if you did stand a chance, I don't think you'd be able to handle all of his demons. I laughed because I realized how different Mr. Madden appears to others."
Remi sighs and plops herself on the mini couch. "Right, what was I thinking?" She groans, closes her eyes, and lays her head back. "You were thinking about the same thing we all have at some point in our lives. There's no shame in fantasies." Remi peeks her left eye open. "You've had fantasies about Mr. Madden?" I chuckle at her question. "I've fantasized about working with him. That got shut down quickly. I've never fantasized about being with him though. I don't dream about what I feel to be impossible. I don't give it a second or first thought."
Remi covers her face with her hands. "How did somebody snatch someone so unobtainable?" Her voice is slightly muffled by her hands. "I ask myself that same question every day. I guess her personality is magical. She's a very kind-hearted person. That's something that Madden needs in his life."
"You know her personally?" I suddenly have Remi's full attention. "Not nearly as much as I should, but I know enough. None of which I'll tell you," Remi pouts but accepts the fact. "How did you get so close to him?"
"Funny enough, I don't know much about him. I know the important things, but I'm not close enough to call him a friend." Should I be trying to get closer to Jason as a friend instead of keeping him at arm's length? Maybe that'll help with getting him to shift in command consistently. "You're closer than most,"
"Not because either of us chose to be. It was by chance. A coincidence."
"There's no such thing in this world, Soren. Especially not when it comes to men like Mr. Madden. The seemingly unobtainable man just happens to come within reaching distance. Too many "coincidences" are what we call fate."
I ponder on Remi's words. Seriously, what are the chances that my boss happens to be a werewolf who is engaged to my sister with a secret past that connects to the supernatural world, which connects to the gang Keith and I are investigating? And what are the chances that Delilah conveniently happens to be a witch who works at the same place as me? I've never been one to believe in fate or destiny, but too many dots are connecting, and I don't like it.
"You may be onto something. You're free to leave. It's about that time anyway." We leave my office, and I lock my door. "Thank you for being so nice," Remi smiles. "Anytime. I'll see you tomorrow," Remi and I wave our goodbyes before I rush into Jason's office. "We need to talk," I lock his door and sit on the chair in front of his desk. "You're earlier than expected. I also have something important to tell you. Something that Trevor informed me about."
"Okay, you go first," Jason finishes what he's doing and adverts his attention from his task towards me. "Supernaturals have a mating season. For werewolves, that season happens to be spring. As we both know, spring is coming to an end, and my inner wolf has just awakened. Because you're currently marked as my mate, be it temporary or not, our bodies are going to constantly need to mate more so than ever. Rather than the mark taking its effect when we're aroused." He says bluntly.
"You're joking. I can't be aroused every minute of the day! I have other things that require me at full strength."
"At least you're able to ease the pain. With Saiya being celibate until post-marriage, these next few weeks are going to be hell for me. The bad news about you being able to scratch your itch is the fact that I'll be able to tell whenever you're having sex with somebody else."
"I- I don't even know what to say to this. Wait...why isn't your wolf attracted to Saiya?"
"What do you mean?"
"Think about it. You've been with Saiya for over a year, and you haven't had a single moment where you wanted to bite her in the neck. We have one emotional moment togethe,r and suddenly, it's chomp city. When we were at your place the other day, your wolf said it would find the right time to claim me. Whatever the hell that actually means."
"So what are you implying? Are you trying to say that my feelings for Saiya aren't genuine?" Jason suddenly gets defensive. "No, I'm saying that you have two separate entities in you right now that can't coexist. If we can figure out what part of me sparked an interest in... the other you, maybe that can contribute to us finding what makes your wolf tick. If you know how your wolf operates, you can control it better. And control is just another step in the two of you becoming one. You're confused and uncertain right now; that's what causing this mark and your shifting to malfunction."
"So you want to go with Trevor's idea of using your presence to help me shift?"
"No, I want you to talk to your wolf. Your wolf only comes out when your instincts are high, which is what happens when you're in heat. Your wolf may be you, but it's a part of you that you don't understand. Being that you're supernatural, I'm sure you'll be able to figure it out by literally talking to yourself. Experiment a little. This way, we can still be at a distance while you find the time to work on yourself. Literally."
"I guess that could work, but I've never talked to... him. What happened at my place was the only time I could see what I was doing. I'm afraid that if I try to talk to him, I'll accidentally bring him out and won't be able to control him."
"That's your problem right there. You're afraid. Be more open to him. This guy may seem like a stranger, but it's just a nonlogical version of yourself."
"Without logic, I don't know who I am. Everything I do, everything I plan is based on reasoning."
"Did you calculate your love for Saiya? Did you calculate how our relationship would be after I had found out you were a werewolf? Is there reason to any of this? We're dealing with the supernatural. You're supernatural, Jason. Logic and reasoning will get us nowhere. Be okay with sitting in the uncomfortable. In the unknown. It's the only way that we'll get through this. By the way, do you know when exactly this heat wave will start?"
"You're so calm about all of this. Even after everything I've done to you."
"Like I said in the elevator, you've spiced up my life. Yes, our interactions have been unpleasant, to say the least, but I'm having fun with all of the mystery. And I think that I'm about to find a break in our case, detective." I wink at him, hoping that my playful attitude will lighten the mood.
A small smile plants itself on Jason's lips. "Is that so? Care to tell me the source?"
"A girl never kisses and tells. Let's come up with a secret code."
"Why?" Jason's face is perplexed. "Because there's a high chance of shapeshifter-like creatures entering our lives, and we need to know if we're the real deal or not."
"Shapeshifters? Soren, what's going on?"
"I'll tell you everything after the fact. You just need to trust me, okay?" Jason intently looks at me in my eyes. "Fine, but if anything goes wrong, I need to know immediately."
"Sure, now back to our secret code. Oh, what if we do code names. You could be 'Hairball,' "
"No,"
"Shit head?"
"No"
"Lover boy?"
"No"
"Oh, you'll love this one. How about-"
"No. No code names." He crosses his arms. I pout and groan. "Fine. You don't deserve a code name anyway," I cross my arms in a childish manner and glare at him. An expression that I can't quite describe makes its way onto Jason's face. "You're so childish," his face transforms from something akin to repulsion to a small smirk. "Oh, you have no room to speak about childish actions when-" I'm quickly cut off by a sharp pain.
Jason stands up and appears at my side. I clench my stomach and hunch over. "Holy fuck," Jason puts his hand on my back. "Are you okay?"
"Do I sound okay?" I snap. He growls but quickly jumps back. "You need to go," He covers his nose with his arm as he tries to not breathe in my pheromones.
I shuffle out the door to my office. I see Delilah by the door with her bag on her shoulders. "We need to talk. Things are about to get crazy,"
"You mean they haven't already?"
"If my theory is right, we're going to have a lot more on our plates than a confused werewolf."
"I'm jumping for joy," I unlock my office door and dread whatever Delilah is going to tell me. I wish I was back in Sebastian's arms, where everything was simple and sweet. How long am I going to have to endure the effects of this mark?
I take a seat in my chair. "Do you have any magic that can ease this pain?" Delilah puts her fingers on her chin as she thinks. It's almost comical as it's an exact replica of what you'd see in cartoons. "I do, but I don't know if you should take it. The side effects are brutal and might make the situation between you and Madden worse."
"Pitch it to me anyway," I groan. "I have magic that can vanquish the pain or at the very least, subdue it, but when the magic wears off the pain is going to be unbearable. Your need to mate with Jason will be incredibly strong. If he ever got a sniff of you in that state, he'd go ballistic." I whimper at the sound of it. I can barely handle this kind of pain, much less a stronger version.
"How long will I have to endure this?"
"Well, the average amount of time for a heat cycle in werewolves is five to fourteen days. But you aren't a werewolf and this isn't a normal mark, so I can't say for certain." Perfect. "Sex will ease the pain, right?"
"I mean it'll prevent it for a few hours or so but the pain won't fully go away until-"
"-I screw my sister's fiance. Yeah, I get it. Anyway, what terrible news do you have for me?"
"I think the rift between this dimension and mine is getting bigger. Effingolos need a lot of magic to warp a person's vision, and the more people there are, the more magic it'll take. This rift shouldn't have been big enough to allow that much magic to seep through. I'm afraid that it's spreading faster. This means that you'll encounter more supernaturals. Even worse, didn't you tell us that Jason's parents were fleeing supernatural forces?"
I sigh, "Yes, I did. How was this rift created in the first place?"
"I didn't get to see much of it myself, but apparently it was because of a shapeshifter. It doesn't matter what it is, they can transform into it. It makes them the second most powerful creatures to Gods and Goddesses. The rift ripped across multiple realms. It affected some more than others. It's said that this rift has disrupted the peace between them. That's just a rumor, so I can't tell you what's true or not based on that, but this rift has definitely caused discordance.
There are some supernatural creatures that should never make their way to Earth. Not every supernatural can be seen, though. Vampires, werewolves, fae, etc- the more common supernaturals- are visible to the eye. The more wicked and tricky ones are a different story. I'm afraid that things are going to start to get hectic. Keep an eye out for odd behavior. As you know from this gang you're infiltrating, we aren't the only ones being affected by this."
"Right, of course. Anything else?"
"Nope. On a different note, though, Luke and I were thinking of clubbing tomorrow. Are you in?"
"I can't. There's a full moon tomorrow. I can't believe it's already been a month."
"I thought you and Jason were distancing yourselves? Even more so as it's mating season."
"Yes, that's true, but I don't want to be intoxicated if things go wrong."
"You mean when things go wrong."
"What do you mean 'when?' "
"I mean, Jason is a wolf in heat with his potential mate running around with someone else. A very suppressed wolf, might I add. If Jason couldn't control his wolf before he bit you, I find it hard that he'll allow you to be anywhere outside of his vision when he turns. But I'm assuming that you guys have a plan for that." She smirks knowingly. Of course, we don't have a plan for that. It was Jason's idea for us to be separate, but Trevor, the knowledgeable one, said that I should be there.
"Right, of course," I find myself repeating those same words. Delilah leaves my office with a small click from the door. I'm relaxing as the cramps die down when I hear maniacal laughter. It's a far cry from the childish laughs I heard at the gala. "Listen, if there is someone here, you might as well show yourself." The laughter disappears, and I'm left with silence. It isn't too long before I hear, "Boo!"
I jump in my chair before I swivel to my left to find a dark, shadowy figure in the corner of the room. Dandy. "What are you?" I ask the figure. "Not important," I can slightly make out an outline of a smile on its face. Its voice is that of a female. A teenager almost. "Like hell, it isn't. What are you doing here?" The creature doesn't bother to move. "I've been watching you for a while. You're very risky, you know. A powerless human thinks that she can handle the scary supernaturals that will eventually come her way. That werewolf nor that witch will always be there to help you. As for Keith, well, those detective or combative skills won't do him any good."
"What are you trying to say?" The sun's rays are low in the sky as sunset falls upon my office. The dusk light shines through. The figure remains in the dark corner by my materials closet. "I'm saying that we should make a deal. I'll offer you protection if you share that body of yours," Its grin rivals that of the Cheshire Cat. It sends chills down my spine. "Hard pass. You won't tell me what you are; I have no idea what you can do or why you want my body; you're also supernatural, the very things you seem to want to protect me from; I have no reason to trust you; and my body belongs only to me." Her grin falls, but not for long. It isn't as prominent as before, but it's there.
"Fine, I'll have my way eventually. You won't last long anyway," Just as quick as she appeared, she disappeared. I look at the time, half past six. I sigh, thinking I will not make it to my usual hours here. Jason always leaves early the night before a full moon, so I shouldn't have to wait much longer. I look out the window, and a lingering chill surrounds me. What the hell was that thing? And why did it say that I wouldn't last long?