A sudden family

After the dramatic scene with the little pup, Nate chuckled at the speed with which that girl appeared and disappeared.

He barely had time to see her features. Yet, when she looked back at him, he could feel that ancient instinct inside him. The same one of six years before.

His whole body tensed up as a voice inside his head repeated to claim her, to let everyone know she was his.

He didn't need any more proof to know that she was the girl from that time. Nor to understand he had a daughter.

And a son, he realised: the little blond thing who ran to his mother and jumped in the elevator with them.

He had suffered loneliness for six years, thinking he wouldn't ever meet his mate again. And then, all of a sudden, he had a family.

The smile on his lips surprised everyone in the hallway.

«I'm sorry for this little incident,» he said to his clients. «The kids sometimes cause trouble.»

«Oh, no worries, CEO Woods. That was a cute scene. I heard your employees can leave their children in the company's kindergarten.»

«That's right. We also have an elementary school.»

«Such a huge company is like a smaller country in a single building,» the client stated. «It's very commendable.»

«LY Corp's success starts with healthy and motivated personnel,» he explained while accompanying the men to the elevator.

He signalled to Manager Cooper to wait for him, and he greeted the clients with a business smile.

He returned to his usual, cold demeanour as soon as they were alone.

«What was that?» he inquired.

«I was trying to understand too, but I guess there's more to the story. The girls at the reception told me there was a woman that wanted to meet me without an appointment. They were settled to send her away, but then one sensed wolves on her. A human woman carrying the scent of a werewolf. Oh, two, to be exact. It sounded so curious that I decided to meet her.»

«What was she looking for?»

«A job.»

«How come? We don't hire.»

«Do you remember the incident with the announcements? The one from two months ago? Well, we forgot to take it back from somewhere, apparently. She came here mentioning that one.»

«Clean the mess already. I don't want to have humans around if they're not customers or suppliers. It's dangerous...»

«I know, I know,» the manager sighed. «But this was so curious that I couldn't help but want to meet her.»

«And?»

«And? What do you want to know?»

«The wolf scent. Was it the pups?»

«I haven't smelled the pups, so I can't be sure. But there aren't any other scents. I don't think the two's father lives with them.»

«Of course, he doesn't,» Nate sighed.

How could he miss his children's scent? He recognised the little girl as soon as he could smell her. Even just her eyes, so similar to his, were enough for anyone to tell.

He was a father, Nate understood once again. How much time would he need to get used to the idea?

«What's the woman's name?»

«Clayton.»

«Not the surname, Bass. The name!»

«Oh, Lara. Her name is Lara. She comes from Sheton, but there aren't werewolves there.»

«Does she know about us?»

«As far as I can tell, she has no idea. How could she even raise two pups without knowing how to recognise a wolf?»

«Find out everything about her,» he said.

Lara.

«I want the report on my desk by the end of today.»

«How am I supposed to do this?» Bass Cooper complained. «Am I some kind of investigator?»

«You're an HR Manager. It's your job.»

«HR Manager,» he repeated. «I don't have much to do in this place either way. It's not like we hire people for real.»

«Find out her information. Now.»

Before the manager could despair, the lift opened again.

«Manager Cooper, oh... CEO... ehm... About the woman of before,» she stuttered, blushing at the sight of the astonishing CEO of LY Corp. «I've found out...»

She stopped talking, anxiety taking over. She wasn't used, as a receptionist girl, to stand so close to the Alpha.

«What?» the manager said, rolling his eyes at her reaction.

«She indeed had an appointment. The mail was buried in the spam folder, but this agency sent us the warning for a candidate at three o'clock.»

«Uh, I have to withdraw the job offer from there too...» the manager mumbled, looking at the name of the agency.

The paper was stolen from his hands, and he saw how the CEO read it as if his life depended on it.

«Lara Clayton,» he voiced.

All her information was there as if delivered from heaven directly.

His heart returned beating for the first time after years.

«She will work here from tomorrow,» he instructed. «Find a position that doesn't require too much insight.»

Even though the two interpreted his words as a precaution, for Lara Clayton not to see anything dangerous, all he wanted was to avoid over-exhausting her.

He wouldn't let her run away again, not like that morning of six years ago. When he got up, the bed was empty, and nothing was left in the room. No matter how desperately he searched, there was no cellphone number. Not even some object she forgot because in a hurry.

The hotel room was empty.

If not for her scent still lingering in the room, he would have thought she was just a dream.

But she wasn't. She was more real than anything else Nate could feel. His emotions were so clear about it. She was his mate.