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“Ari’s an elephant, as I’ve explained, and she’s just moved to the area. She’ll have a team of guards with her, and we’re looking at the six of you to see who would be the best fit as the primary,” Atticus says. He waits until all six of the men nod before starting with the man on the far left.
The one furthest away from the elephant who is obsessed with her.
“This is Kieran, and he’s a tiger shifter,” Atticus says, and Ari walks forward. She looks him up and down before shaking her head firmly.
“No?” Atticus asks.
“No,” Ari says, and Kieran frowns but nods. He doesn’t seem happy to get the instant dismissal, but Ari’s pretty confident in her decision.
“Next is Liam, and he’s a panther,” Atticus introduces. Liam and Ari shake hands, and she inhales before slowly shaking her head.
Another one not to make the cut.
“Let’s just cut to the chase,” I say, and Atticus lets out a huff of laughter but doesn’t stop me. I look at the man on the end, and he unsurprisingly doesn’t even look my way. “Do you want to introduce yourself?”
“I’m Alvie,” he says, taking a step forward, and Ari’s eyes meet his. There’s a small gasp from her, but he doesn’t seem perturbed by it. “I’m—”
To my utmost surprise, Ari immediately runs to the door, all of the potential guards standing in shock, but Alvie grins. Like full on beams as if that’s the best thing that could have happened.
I go to follow her, worried she’s struggling, but Atticus holds me tight in his arms as my new friend disappears out of sight.
“What’s happening?” I whisper when Alvie silently counts to fifteen before racing out after her. My panic increases, but Atticus isn’t worried. “Atticus!”
“Her elephant is testing him,” Atticus says, and I frown. “She’s wanting to see if he can be her mate, Nora.”
“Oh, wow!”
“They’re both elephants,” Atticus continues, a small smile on his face. “So, she runs, he chases, and, eventually… they might mate.”
“Eventually?” I ask, tilting my head. “Might?”
“Elephant’s can take a while before accepting it,” one of the men says, smiling at me with a soft smile. “So, Ari’s elephant might take a while to accept the game of cat and mouse. Alvie’s got his work cut out for him, especially considering Ari’s situation.”
Ah, that explains what she meant earlier about this not being the norm for elephants.
“He’s a good man,” Atticus says.
I smile, and Atticus kisses the top of my head. “Well then, I hope they mate.”
“It’s likely,” the same man continues, a sparkle in his eyes as if he knows something we don’t.
“Okay, Liam and Kieran, she dismissed you both,” Atticus says, and both men nod. “Thank you, but you’ll no longer be needed.”
Both men nod once more, the tiger seeming more annoyed about this than the panther, before leaving. The remaining three men seem a little hesitant.
“They might be a while,” Atticus says. “You’re more than welcome to wait in the living room.”
As the men move away, one of their scents reaches me. It’s the same man who explained about elephants and their mating rituals.
“What are you?” I ask, when I catch the scent of something… dangerous. I grab his arm, the scent drawing me in, and it’s so strange as I step closer to him. Atticus moves with me, seeming amused more than anything.
“Happily mated,” he says, and Atticus laughs.
“Sorry, that was rude,” I whisper, dropping his arm immediately. The man steps back so he’s out of my reach.
“You can’t help it, queenie,” he says, and I tilt my head at the nickname. My wolf likes the title, though, like it’s ours. “I’m a mythical, a siren to be exact.” My eyes widen, the little bits I know about them making this moment make sense, and he smiles. “How about you ask me a few questions, and I’ll ask you a few?”
“Absolutely.” I barely even thought the word before it was out of my mouth. I gasp.
