Celeste wished she could figure out what had her all pissed off. It felt like someone was rubbing her against the grain and all it did was make her want to run. She had no idea where but if she didn't figure this out soon she'd probably end up biting someone. And not in the fun way.
"You gotta get this together, Cuz!" Tyler muttered after the last applicant left shaken and perplexed.
To be fair on the woman, Celeste had not said a word to her all interview. She'd sat there, arms and legs crossed and ground her teeth. Not exactly the kind of impression one of the owners should leave an applicant, but Celeste couldn't help it. What ever was riding her had her patience thinner then usual.
"She was ok, wasn't she?" Kyra asked, scratching her head. "Her references are pretty amazing."
"I didn't like her," Celeste growled, offering no tangible reason because there wasn't any. She just wasn't right to work with Hunter.
"Maybe it'd help," Tyler drawled, becoming more and more frustrated, "if you could tell us what you were looking for?"
Celeste didn't know so she just ground her teeth until Tyler sighed, cracking his neck. "We'll take five before the next one."
Kyra stood as quickly as her body would allow. "Pee break!" she crowed. "Don't start without me, I'm keen to see how Sally handles her highness." With a maniacal cackle Kyra hobbled off to the bathroom.
Tyler also stood, stretching and glaring at her a little, testament of how irritated he was. "Sally Smith is our last applicant before I force you to go have lunch with Hunter. Get your shit together so we can finish this up today."
"Yeah, yeah," she muttered, also standing and stalking out of the room. She stopped when she got to a kitchenette tucked away on this floor, grabbing a glass and some water while she fumed. Maybe she'd take a run after this last applicant. Worst case scenario they could interview the rest tomorrow after she got over what ever this was.
She wasn't sure how long she stood, trying to calm the agitation, but she gave up eventually, certain it’d been five minutes and headed back into the interview room. Tyler and Kyra would be back by now and she could get this over with.
The moment she opened the door it all clicked solidly into place.
The woman before her was the most bewitching creature she had ever seen. Cream skin dashed with freckles, hidden beneath a charcoal suit. A scarlet wave of hair pulled tight against her head and curls left cascading down her back. A small slightly turned up nose and a sweet pout of lips. Wide, innocent eyes flecked with emerald watched her, the same feelings reflected in her gaze.
Mate!
Everything in Celeste screamed it out and she fought the urge to just grab the small human and take her from the room. And she was human, Celeste could smell it when she breathed her in. She smelt like the bush land, heady and natural and every fibre of Celeste's being wanted her. She could also smell that she wanted it too. Her arousal spiked as her eyes fell on Celeste and she preened beneath the weight of it. Her mate was aroused just from looking at her.
Then the moment hit her like a bowling ball.
She had another Mate.
Hunter had to know.
Celeste looked straight at Tyler.
Keep her here. Do not let her leave.
Celeste did not like to make use of the clan’s connection around outsiders. It was rude and just because they weren’t part of the family didn’t mean she shouldn’t be polite. But right now she was sure if she opened her mouth it would either come out as a growl, or declaring the girl as her mate in front of the company’s two biggest gossips.
To Tyler’s credit the only thing that physically changed was a lifting of his eyebrows.
What?
Don’t let her leave, Celeste repeated. Tell the other applicants the position is filled. I have to see Hunter. Now.
She didn’t wait for a response, turning and closing the door firmly behind her.
She took the stairs through the fire exit at a gallop. She had two mates. She couldn’t even begin to phantom it. And one was a little slip of a human girl. How was she going to be able to explain this? She had never had to explain herself, or her life, to anyone before.
No wonder she had been so agitated for the last hour. Her mate had sat out in that waiting room the whole time and she had had no clue. But she had felt her there, like an itch under her skin that wouldn’t go away.
The shear amount of turmoil that ran through her had her pausing before the last floor, trying to compose herself.
What the hell would Hunter say?
Other’s scuttled out of her way as she strode towards his office. Even the temp at Kyra’s desk didn’t try to stop her as she entered his office without knocking. Celeste could only imagine how wild she must look right now.
Hunter had three financiers working with him on something. They all looked at her as she entered unannounced, varying degrees of outrage and reprimands on their lips.
Celeste was not sure what they saw in her eyes but every one of the suits straightened within moments, and left the room with little more then promises to email later. The door clicked shut behind them with a echo of finality.
Hunter lent forward as Celeste crossed the room to take one of the seats in front of his desk. “Please hold everything,” he murmured into the intercom for the front desk before muting the machine. His golden eyes did not leave Celeste’s as he sat back in the chair, watching her closely.
Just seeing him relaxed something tight in her, but not completely. For the last seven years she had thought her life was complete. Only now did she realise she was missing a large part of it.
And this was something she had to talk to Hunter about before anything else happened.
“I have just met my Mate interviewing as your new PA.”
***
Author's Note: Whelp, half a day late. Hopefully I don't make a habit of it
Six Months Later"Mamma!"Sally was delighted when the other petite red head opened her door and squealed. It had been a long time since she'd been home and enveloped in the warm place that was her home. It was wonderful to see the woman hadn't changed even though Sally hadn't seen her in over a year."Josh," Her mother practically screamed back into the house, "Sally's home!"Hunter chuckled behind her, "I understand what Yuki meant now."Sally lifted an eyebrow at her mate over her shoulder, waiting for him to to expand on his thought. She didn't have to wait long."That you get more then your beauty from your mother," he grinned cheekily and Sally imagined the punishment he would get later. He shivered a little at her stray thought before stepping forward. "Hunter North, madame, those video calls never prepared me for your beauty." He kissed the back of her hand while winking at Sally.She shared a look with Celeste ove
Hunter held Celeste's hip steady in one hand while he lifted the zip on her dress with the other. She looked stunning, the pale cream dress hugged her curves and complemented her chocolate skin perfectly. and the way she smiled at him over her shoulder told him she could practically read his mind.She turned, placing her hands on his chest, smoothing them up to his silver tie, fixing the placing. Still grinning she patted him over his heart. "Keep it in your pants big boy, you can eat me later.""I will hold you to that, wife!"She chuckled, sashaying away to check her hair and makeup one last time. Celeste looked perfect, but he loved to watch her preen. Actually, he loved to watch her do basically anything."Luna says the Clan is already there, are you ready?"He laughed, cocking an elbow for her to slip her arm through. "For you my love? Always."***Hunter was happy to say he'd never seen the place look nicer. The Clan had d
Celeste watched, biting her lip as Sally slipped out of her clothes. Her tiny mate was sin personified and she didn't even seem to notice it. Before she had a chance to go any further, Celeste grabbed her by the braid, gently tugging her to a stand still. Celeste bulled out the hair tie, separating the curls quickly till they flowed down her shoulder blades."Better," she purred, "I like having something to hold onto when you go down on me."Sally grinned cheekily, "who says I'm going down on you this time?"Celeste just smiled before swatting her arse, sending her towards the shower with a squeal.The hot water had steamed up the bathroom fairly quickly. Even though the space was supposed to be the ensuite, Celeste had made sure when they brought the apartment that it was large enough to fit the two of them more then comfortably. She was grateful for the extra space now there were three of them. The shower cubical spanned a wall and had two l
Sally could not deny in anyway how relieved she was that it was all over. That they had done what they had set out to do, and in one night no less. It was going to be a long time before she was use to Clan members just ‘popping in’ to her brain. Some just wanted to check in on her, while the young cubs who had no mate yet thought of it as a cool game to play. Aside from the Matriarch or your mate, this connection was very rare in shifter circles apparently. The fact she was linked to the whole Clan was going to be the talking point for some time to come.She sighed against Celeste, burrowing into her arms as they sat with the Clan. She wanted to go to bed, and soon, but she was also delighted to sit here among her new family as they revealed her addition to their Clan.Tyler sat on Celeste's other side and Sally opened her mouth to say something but was cut short upon noticing four deep scratches on his chest, just above his heart. Four marks th
Hunter had pulled on a pair of boxes before he had laid down next to Sally. Her breathing was starting to even and she looked like she was finally starting to actually rest. He pressed his body against her back, just needing to hold her for a while, taking in the scent of fire in her hair. She was just so many things, and the trouble would be over now.Ensuring the Clan had two Matriarchs would work in everyone's favour. Luna liked to be here more then anywhere else, she would be able to appease the old fogies more then Celeste ever could and give the illusion of them having some sort of power. They would also keep each other honest, ensuring both of the sister's had the Clan's interests at heart.::Will you be long?:: he prodded Celeste gently ::You should be here when she wakes.::::I will try not to be,:: she sounded flustered and it made him smile. ::Everyone wants to talk to me, but I'll leave Luna to it soon.::At least most of the Clan was legitima
Celeste barely had a moment to step forward as the bowl dropped from Sally's fingers and she went down like a sack of shit. Hunter was right with her as Sally's mind appeared to scream out before it was gone. Last night their Mate bond had felt fuzzy, now it felt like it was entirely gone. Holding her mate to her chest she bared her teeth at the women in front of her."What have you done?" she snarled before a mighty wind rushed out from the bush, snuffing out the torches as the last of the light of dusk leached out of the sky. The echos of a hyena wail filled the air and Celeste held Sally's body even closer to her own, trying to shield her from whatever was coming.Because out of the tree line walked five of the largest hyenas she had ever seen. Their coats seemed to be made out of starlight and they didn't appear to be entirely there. It took her far longer then it should have to realise these were the ancestors Sally had talked of non stop this morning. Still, she felt a little saf