Chapter 21

I rush to cover my hickeys with makeup. They're so dark on my pale skin. Shit, I should've invested in a lot more makeup. I say fuck it and put on a long-sleeved turtle neck dress. The black knee-length dress accompanied by my black heels and hair doesn't make much of a contrast. 

On the bright side, it makes my hazel eyes pop. Even if it does look like I'm going to a funeral. I hop into my car and buy breakfast. I run into the elevator before it closes. I immediately regret my decision when I'm smushed between boobs and bellies. I know I'm late when there are other people in the building. Shit! I scurry to my office and organize my files at a record pace.

Fuck, I'm so behind on my work. I have to finish all of it today. I knock on Jason's door and go in when he tells me to. I have to get my breathing under control. "Our summer collection is in the works. The design crew has gotten the basic designs down, but they're having a lot of disputes and need your opinion. The tech crew is doing a phenomenal job with the advertisements. You just need to look over some minor details. Our fabric is in shortage right now, and prices have gone up. 

Regarding our business partners, I haven't gotten to them yet, but I know they want a meeting with all parties involved sometime this month to discuss funding and potential investments,"

He looks up from his papers and stares me down. "What are you wearing? It's almost summer. You're going to catch a heat stroke. You clearly have a lot on your plate right now. I assumed this would happen with our recent...project. So I've hired an assistant for you. These next few weeks, you will train her. If she's not good at the job, tell me and I'll hire a new one. She's going to take over internal affairs while you travel with me and handle any outsiders."

 My jaw nearly drops. That's half of my work and what I'm assuming to be half of my paycheck! Not to mention that internal affairs are the fun and easiest part of the job. I don't want to deal with a bunch of stuck-up old people.

"That won't be necessary. I can handle all of it. I can't afford the cutback on my paycheck." This job may pay well, but I live in an expensive part of the city. Nothing here is cheap. Nothing! If he does this to me, I'll be broke.

 "Come here," he demands. I do as he says with caution. I look at the window and see the blinds are closed. That's a first. I'm at the front of his desk when he orders me to come closer. I go around his desk and stand in front of his chair. He grabs my waist and yanks me onto his lap. "What the hell!" It catches me off guard. Jason puts his nose into my neck. I clench down on him with my head.

"Don't do that! My neck is sensitive," I whimper out my last few words. His sniffing the mark makes it more sensitive. The mark glows and burns my neck, and a growl erupts from Jason. "You slept with that fucker," he says slowly with a deep voice. When I look back at him, his eyes are yellow. "Jason, you have to calm down," he squeezes my waist tighter. 

"You specifically disobeyed me. A date is one thing. Screwing him is another."

"You don't dictate who I have sex with! Nothing concerning my body has anything to do with you. So if you don't let me go right now, help me God, I will scream so damn loud." Jason ignores my protests and pulls my turtle neck down. I know he sees the hickeys when I feel a growl reverberate in his chest. "Are you going to completely ignore my protest for an assistant?"

"Your pay will stay the same," he dismisses my concern. I'm happy to hear this but worried. Our financial status is good, but it may get to the point of having to fire people to cut back on spending. Of course, having an assistant won't do that instantly, but it leads us one step closer. "Didn't you and Saiya do some freaky shit after I left? Don't deny it! The lust in your eyes said everything. You're the last person I need talking to me about this,"

"Saiya is my future wife. Sebastian-" Jason says Sebastian's name with disgust, "-is an enemy to this company and a disgusting person through and through." I roll my eyes at his excessive words. "I don't think your future wife would like you holding me like this," 

I try to appeal to a different side of him. He huffs and releases me. We need to get rid of this mark. "Do you have a few minutes to spare?" I look at the stack of piles on his desk and then look back at him. 

"Right, I would love an assistant if my pay isn't being split. And about our latest project, I'll have something by the end of the day." I leave his office and track down Delilah. I'll do my work later in the day. I track her down and find her on the other side of our section. 

"Hey," I say. She glances up at me for a second. "Give me five minutes." She types up a storm, and surely enough, five minutes later, she's done. I lead her to my office and pick Luke up on the way.

I grab chairs from outside my office and put them in for Delilah and Luke. Delilah sits in my office chair, in front of Luke and me. "I'm going to get right into things. This is going to be quite the explanation, but I'm going to try to simplify it as much as possible. First, let's start off with what Jason is.

 Obviously, he's a werewolf. The type is to be determined. There are multiple kinds of wolves. Their color and looks depend on their environment. 

Then you have royal wolves who are chosen by the Moon Goddess herself. She is the God that werewolves worship. She's also the one who grants mating bonds.

Wolves naturally mate for life most of the time. There are some exceptions. Werewolves choose their mate by biting them. This gives them a direct link to their mate's feelings and state of health. It's generally used to track them down and show other wolves they're taken. There are two different kinds of bites. Temporary ones and permanent ones.

 Temporary ones give the couple a feel of how their lives will be once they make the bond permanent. It can also be used on a friend. Since bonds help track, they can be used on another in case something happens to them. It can't be used on family.

The one you have is unique. It doesn't look like Jason had a specific intent when biting you. He instinctively bit whatever smelled good. Your body and the mark are confused, so you'll be experiencing a few different reactions from it. I'm not a wolf, and I don't know what triggers the response. Everything I'm saying is from a textbook. Witches and werewolves aren't exactly on the best terms. Supernaturals aren't even supposed to be on Earth, but the passageway between this realm and the other has been disrupted. Creatures are carving their way through. It's a problem. One you can't solve, so don't bother thinking about it.

I don't know why Jason grew up here instead of in my realm. I can't offer you much insight on him specifically, but anything else supernatural is something I should be able to help you with," This is it. We were just told that supernaturals truly do exist. I don't know why I'm in shock. So far, aside from that freaky levitation thing, Jason has been the only otherworldly thing I've had interactions with. Knowing that there's a lot more than just him makes me... excited. "So what are you, and why are you here?" Luke asks a good question.

"I'm part witch and part succubus. I came here to escape my other life after an incident. That's all I'm going to say about that." She crosses her arms in defense. "If you're wanted, then how can we trust you? What made you save Soren in the first place?" Luke doesn't let up. Delilah harshly sighs. "You don't have to trust me, but I'm your closest textbook to a life you're diving head first in. I saved myself, not Soren. She and Jason were producing too much noticeable magic. I didn't need humans or supernaturals investigating. "

Her words make my brain stop running for a few seconds. "Wait, I was producing magic as well?"

"Your mark specifically. That thing is out of control. Now, it's time for you two to tell me what the hell is going on. Don't leave anything out." Luke and I look at each other. I nod my head at him, confirming that it's okay to share what we know. But for some reason, I can't shake the feeling that she's not telling us something. Luke and I explain everything in coordination. Delilah has what seems to be a permanent frown by the end of it.

"What a big fucking mess. For what it's worth, I think you're doing the right thing, Soren. Getting to the bottom of Jason's mysterious past may help with his shifting problem. He knows what he is, but he's been raised as a human. He's as lost as you and I. Learning who his parents were can also help determine his status in a wolf pack. Investigating the whereabouts of his adoptive parents and their friend also seems to be the right way to go. If you want, I can keep an eye on you with a spell when you go on your first outing with the investigator. I can't do it all the time because magic is detectable. Speaking of which, Luke, did you find anything?"

I turn toward him and feel disappointment when he shakes his head. "I'm good with technology, but I'm no hacker. I couldn't find the basic information Keith gave you. I'm sorry that I couldn't help more." Well, I guess I have my answer. Almost as if he is watching us, Mr. Detective sends me a text saying, 'Tik tok.' I instantly reply, telling him he's got a deal. He sends me the address of the same restaurant as before. 'Tonight,' is the last text he sends me before deleting the number. It's really annoying since he can reach me anytime, but I always have to wait for him first. If we're going to be partners in crime, that's going to have to change.

"I just sent him a text saying that I will take the deal," Luke and Delilah share a look before Luke speaks to me. They've met for less than thirty minutes, and they already have a look? Technically, they've known each other longer, but that isn't the point. "Have you told Jason about any of this? About mystery guy or Delilah?" I look away from his gaze. This gives him all the answers that he needs. "Soren," Luke gives me a hard stare. "Jason is going to be busy preparing for the wedding. They start this weekend. Besides, he doesn't need to worry himself about this. He's got a mountain of papers. I already told him that I would do something behind his back anyway,"

"When I walked in on you guys doing...whatever?" I nod my head. "Speaking of which, he doesn't remember that either," I didn't realize just how much I was keeping from Jason until this moment. I can't tell him all of this at once. He would definitely blow off the wedding plans. "And you say you're not telling him for his benefit? Wow, how selfless," Luke sarcastically says. "I'll tell him after he and Saiya have a draft of their plans. They really want to get this ball rolling, and I don't want to stop it before it gets that chance. I can handle this. I have you two to back me up. We don't need Jason to know." They don't look convinced, but I throw them out of my office anyway. I groan and start to file down the massive stack of papers. I know Jason is super paranoid about being hacked and would much rather have most things down on paper, but it makes things so much harder for me.

-----

It's nearly midnight, and I almost laugh at the nostalgia of it all. When was the last time I stayed at the office this late? I pack my bag and start to leave. I stop in my tracks and turn around to head toward Jason's office. I lightly knock on the door before opening it. The lighting is dim, and he's still typing on his computer. "It's nearly midnight," I tell him before sitting on the couch that's pushed up against the wall on the right of the entrance. "Don't say it as if this is the first time this has happened. I still have ten more designs I need to approve of from the summer collection."

Jason was such a perfectionist at his job. So when he says he still has to approve the designs, that means taking nearly an hour on every little detail. He makes the design crew write a full report of the inspiration and concept of the dress, and then he makes the seamstress create a mini model. There, he examines the stitchwork, and whatever else goes into creating a dress. Only then, does he approve the dresses to be made. He's very particular about not wasting materials. I sigh, knowing that he won't leave no matter what I do. "I can help you with some of that," I tell him before he glances at me for only a second. "Go home," I roll my eyes and slap a sandwich on his desk. I snatch his laptop away before he has a chance to react. "Eat," he lightly growls at me. "Soren, give it back. The sooner you shove that sandwich down your mouth, the sooner you get your laptop back. Saiya wouldn't appreciate you working yourself to the bone. You need to be alive to marry her,"

He rolls his eyes but complies. I look over a few of the designs. Naturally, there were plenty of vibrant colors. One design in particular catches my eye. I look at the report on the design concept. The dress wasn't casual and was built more for an extravagant event. The dress was a florescent pink and gold. The train of the dress reminded me of the sun's ray, which is what the designer was going for, as stated in the report. It had a plunging neckline and was sleeveless. The front of the dress was well above the knees and reminded me of a rose petal. It was eye-catching. I scroll through the rest in record time. I looked at the fabric the designers said would be used in the report. I grabbed a pen and notepad from my bag and started to write down a few things.

"Did Saiya make this?" Jason asks. I don't take my eyes off the screen and continue to scribble on the notepad. "No, I did. Sorry, It wasn't made with love," When Jason doesn't make a retort, I lift my head and look at him. He's staring at the last piece of sandwich left in his hand. "What happened in here the other day, Soren?" I sigh and continue making notes on the dresses. "After our conversation, which is where your memory cuts off and gets a little hazy, a bite mark started to glow. It burned badly. It made me exceptionally horny. Something about my pheromones or whatever turned you on. Things were about to get messy before Delilah, a witch, came in and teleported me out of there. You weren't in control. Your wolf was. That's why you can't remember anything."

After a moment of silence, Jason speaks. "As in Delilah Summers? Witches exist? Sorry about the bite mark thing and whatever my wolf did. I swear I would never touch you like that," he sounded confused, worried, and regretful. "Yes, that Delilah. And are you really that surprised that witches exist? That's beside the point. I've got it handled. Just focus on your wedding and fiancé. I'm surprised you didn't take her virginity right then and there. I told her the whole stripper thing would be a bad idea since you have little to no self-control."

"I do have self-control. That's why her virginity is still intact. Don't get me wrong, I still had my way with her." I didn't have to look up at him to know he was smirking. "Ew, stop. Did you have any problems controlling your wolf?" He thinks about it for a moment. "I found other methods to achieve relief. With Saiya's help, of course. Resisting taking her right then and there in general was hard, but there was this moment where all I could feel was intense anger. I don't know where it came from. It was hard to be gentle with her after that, but she apparently liked it rough," I wanted to screw my brains out with a screwdriver. "TMI dude,"

"You asked," I didn't ask about the way my sister liked to be handled in bed. I internally pause for a moment. Intense anger? Was It connected to the bite mark glowing? I will have to investigate more about werewolf culture after this. Having Delilah as a source is useful, but I still don't know where to start. Maybe she brought a few books with her from home? Wishful thinking, Soren. I give Jason his computer back and throw the notepad on his desk. "You're done. Let's go home," I don't wait for him as I walk out of his office and toward the elevator. Just when it's about to shut, Jason slides his hands through to stop it. I speak up when I get sick of Jason looking at me the entire way down. "You overthink things too much. A lot of times, when people are as successful as you, they forget about the basics. The simplicities. I'm no fashion genius, so take it with a grain of salt. But I don't think I did too bad of a job." Jason grunts, showing that he acknowledged my words.

Before we separate to make it to our cars. Jason says, "Thank you for the sandwiches," I nod my head and wave goodbye before getting into the car. It's only when I'm pulling up to my driveway that I realize that he said 'sandwiches,' plural.