Girl's Night Interrupted

~Justin~

I spend the rest of the day cleaning the conference room, getting reports ready for the rest of the week, and working with Ms. Stone. Ms. Stone seems to be a smart woman and she is fiercely loyal to Ms. James. I'd imagine that is what you want in your VP. I was able to figure out where certain information was kept at this office. This will be useful for later. I need to find out more about the company I'm hunting down. I just have to take my time and not get caught. I clean my desk and start to head out, running into Katie on the way. "How was your first day, Mr. Case?"

"Please, no need to be so formal. Just call me Justin." Katie giggles and nods.

"So how was your first day, Justin?"

"It was great actually. I don't think I have ever worked for someone so efficient and bright. Ms. James is pretty young isn't she?" Katie doesn't answer my question immediately. Looking at her face, she looked a bit….irritated, but I couldn't imagine why. Katie clears her throat.

"Um…..I believe she is in her mid-20s." She is that young, with all of this. That is very impressive. I simply nod in acknowledgement to Katie. "Why talk about work? Let's go get drinks. I know this nice place, not too far from here." Before I can respond, my phone vibrates. I take it out and notice a text message. It is a meeting time and place and was sent by one of my contacts. I put my phone back into my pocket and look up at Katie. I take her hand into mine and kiss the back.

"I'm so sorry, but I can't tonight. Can I possibly have a raincheck?" I lay on the charm as thick as I can. Something tells me that she will be helpful down the road so I need to stay in her good graces.

"As long as you don't make me wait too long."

"I would never," I say and kiss her hand again. This makes her giggle and blush. The elevator doors open to the parking garage and we go our separate ways. I have enough time to change and stake out the meeting place before my contact and I are set to meet. It isn't that I don't trust my contact, I just don't trust the company. I'm sure there have been eyes on me before, if there aren't any now. I have to make sure I am not being followed or watched.

~Janessa~

I have no idea what time it is, just that it is dark outside. I didn't intend to sleep at all, let alone the entire day. I hear knocking on my door and mumble something that sounds like 'come in'.

"I would have been up sooner, but I figured you needed the rest," Lana says, walking in and sitting on my bed.

"What time is it Lana?"

"It's 8 o'clock." I sigh and roll over onto my back. I swear I had no idea I would sleep this long.

"Sorry to leave you alone with everything. I didn't realize I was that tired." Lana waved me off.

"You know I got this. I have been worried about you though." All of a sudden, the door flies open with Gemma dancing in.

"I got the wine so let's get this going." Gemma walks over to the bed and plops down, placing the wine between us. Times like this, I'm always glad I went with a King size bed. I swear we never sit on the couch like civilized people. I sit up on the bed and lean back on the headboard. I place my hands on my face and groan.

"Did you tell Lana yet?" I don't remove my hands to look up, but I can feel eyes on me.

"Hello?! Tell me what exactly?" Lana pokes me in my arm. I pull my hands down and glare at Gemma.

"What?! You will need to tell her sooner or later." Gemma is right. There is no way I can keep the fact that I found my mate a secret. Lana is my Beta and if I start feeling the need to seek my mate out, Lana would be the one to step into the Alpha role in my absence. I proceed to fill Lana in on everything that happened at the office. If Lana's eyes get any bigger, they would pop out of her head.

"So let me get this straight..." Lana gets up and starts pacing in front of the bed. "You met your mate, at work, but he is human and you are worried about accepting him." Lana stops pacing and shakes her head. "Well isn't that a tough situation," she mumbles, but we all heard it.

"Oh, but that isn't all that happened today." I continue relaying the events of the day, letting the ladies know what happened when I got home.

"Goddess, that woman is something else, you know?" Gemma runs her hand down her face.

"Alpha Jasper?!" Lana makes a regurgitating sound. "That guy gives me the creeps for real." We all nod in agreement and it gets silent. Everyone seems to be in their own minds. Before anyone can say anything, my door flies open.

"Janessa, we need to talk...now!" Damn this woman. Does she have some sixth sense when someone is talking about her? I really don't have the energy to entertain her right now. Lana and Gemma hang their heads down. This isn't new to them, but they will be sure to not get involved. I don't bother to get out of the bed, I just raise my head and stare at my mother.

"As you can see, I'm busy right now. Our talk will have to wait."

"Damn it Janessa! Don't talk to me like that. You will talk to me now! Gemma and Lana please leave."

_Don't you two dare move a muscle. I mean it!_

"Mother, they will not be leaving because we are not done with our gathering. You need to leave and when I am available, I will come find you. Please close the door on your way out." I know I'm pushing her, but I just can't help it. I'm still pissed over what went on earlier and now she barges in my room demanding a meeting. I'm over all of this and I'm definitely over her. I swear the only thing that saves her is the fact that she is my mother and my dad is so in love with her. If I had my way, I probably would have banished her already.

I can see my mother's wolf trying to break free. Her eyes are going from brown to black and back again. I can see claws starting to grow out of her hands. There is no way in hell I'm going to let her shift right now and if she does I will be forced to respond in kind. That will kill my father because I will easily best her. I rise to my knees on the bed and stare directly at her.

"ENOUGH!" I yell in my Alpha voice. Mother drops to her knees and bares her neck in submission. I slowly get off of the bed, allowing my strong aura to permeate the room. I know this has to be uncomfortable for Lana and Gemma, but this has to be done. I start walking over to my mother until I'm directly in front of her. I kneel down to her level and lean in close. I can see that she is trying to fight my strength, but she isn't able to. "Mother, I need you to listen very carefully right now. You do not run my life nor do you get to make decisions for me. I am your daughter, but I'm also Alpha to this pack. I am YOUR Alpha and I will not be treated as anything less than that. When I'm done with this gathering, I will come and find you and we can talk then. Until then, you need to go and rest." I stand up and turn back towards the bed, reeling in my aura. As my power recedes, I hear my mother growl and slam the door shut.

"Your mother is so fucking intense! Why is she like that?" I sigh and sit on the bed taking Gemma's hand into mine.

"I have no idea, but I feel like it is getting worse."

"I think it is getting worse too," Lana joins in. Lana and I have been friends since we were children, always with each other. She has always been a witness to my mother's coldness. We met Gemma in middle school and have always been together since. "Maybe I need to keep an eye on her while you are gone, just to keep tabs on what she is up to." I hate to keep tabs on my mother like that, but it may be a good idea.

"Sure," I sigh. "Maybe just minimal surveillance for now. I just hope it isn't truly necessary." We spend the next hour discussing the events of the day. Lana gets a phone call that has her rush out of the room and Gemma retires for the night. As much as I don't want to, I decide to go find my mother for the talk she demanded to have.