I sighed inwardly. There it was, the real reason Nico had recommended Orlando as a potential informant. He’d seen it as an opportunity to help out a member of his family. Nico went down a notch in my estimation. He, of all people, knew what the job entailed and what kind of person would be required. Why would he waste our time like this?
Ty thanked Orlando for coming in for the interview and escorted him from the office, leaving the man with a confused expression, no doubt puzzled by the abrupt end of the interview. Had he expected to be hired purely because his uncle had recommended him? Once the door closed behind them, I sat back and exhaled loudly. What a dumbass. The vibes were all wrong. My notepad remained blank, and there would be no conferring, no need for me to provide any feedback. Orlando was out of the running.
As I sat there, still feeling uneasy after the first interview, I wondered how the next few would go. If Orlando was the caliber of potential informants from Nico, I had no great expectations for the rest of them. I glanced at the clock. We’d ended the initial interview far quicker than expected. We had an hour before the next candidate arrived.
Ty returned to the office and went to his desk, picking up another cookie on the way. I stretched and moaned, shifting positions on the seat. My bones were tight. It had been a while since I’d shifted, and with everything that had happened over the last few days, I craved the freedom of a run and some fresh air.
“Hey, do you think I have enough time for a quick run?”
Ty looked up from his notes. “Sure, shouldn’t be a problem. Just be fast, and don’t lose track of time. I want your feedback on the candidates.” He eyed me with concern. “You seem tense. Would you like me to join you?”
I waved him off. “I’m fine. I just need to stretch and get some air. Besides, you need to stay here in case your next interviewee shows up early. You wouldn’t want to keep a potential employee with the amazing dynamic personality of Orlando waiting, now, would you?”
Ty rolled his eyes. “Yeah, that guy was a joke. How Nico thought OrlanDohwould be a good fit… Hopefully, the next ones will be better. They have to be, statistically speaking, right?”
“Right.” I kissed the top of his head. “I’ll let you get back to it. See you in about forty-five minutes.”
Taking advantage of some of the last warm, sunny days before the weather really changed, I dashed into the forest on the estate grounds, stripping my clothes off and shifting in one smooth motion.
As I moved into a clearing, I relished the warmth of the sun on my fur, and the vibrant colors of the subtly changingleaves surrounding me. The energy of the moon was absent during these daylight hours, which made it a wholly different experience. I didn’t often shift in the day, but the sights and sounds of the forest provided their own unique stimulation.
Sunlight filtered through the trees, painting patches of warmth amid the shadows as I sprinted through the woods, my paws pounding against the soft earth. The rustling leaves created a natural symphony that accompanied the rhythm of my strides. Piles of leaves were scattered around, marking the onset of fall in the forest. The air was alive with the scent of pine and damp earth, an invigorating blend that gave me the energy I’d require to make it through the rest of the interviews.
The gentle sounds of birdsong reached my ears, their melodies harmonizing and bringing me a peace I hadn’t realized I needed so badly. The wind whispered secrets through the leaves as my keen senses picked up the faint traces of rabbit trails and squirrel paths. I watched as the small creatures scurried to hide from me, tempting me to give chase. I refrained, wanting to avoid the thrill of the chase and losing my sense of time—and the need for a shower before returning to Ty’s office. A cookie would tide me over until dinner. I’d kept a hidden stash in the kitchen in case Ty couldn’t help himself and ate everything I’d left out in the office.
The earlier meeting with Cecily’s parents had left an uncomfortable heaviness in my chest, a mixture of sympathy and tension that lingered within me. But as I ran, the thud of my paws acted like a soothing balm to my soul. With each stride, the tension slowly ebbed away, replaced by a liberation I needed more than anything. The colors of the forest blurred as I picked up speed, my body moving effortlessly through the terrain.
Suddenly, an unfamiliar sensation gave me pause. My ears perked, and I went on high alert. Fear threatened to overwhelm me as I discreetly scanned the area for any signs of danger. Iscouted through the trees, trying to act normal so as not to alert anyone I was on to them, but the feeling vanished as quickly as it had come. I laughed at myself, chalking it up to paranoia. After all, the estate was secure, with high fences, security guards, and cameras everywhere. There was no safer place I could be.
On my way to the house, however, I couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that someone had been watching me. I shifted back into my human form and hastily pulled on my clothes, checking my watch. I only had two minutes before the next interview.
I rushed into Ty’s office, breathless from my run and the strange sensation that lingered. The next interviewee was already seated across from Ty, waiting for my arrival.
“Sorry I’m late,” I panted, taking my seat on the side of the room, and studying our next candidate. Ty introduced him as Harlem, and his aloof demeanor immediately put me on edge. He gobbled down a handful of my cookies, acting like the entire tray had been baked especially for him.
What the hell?
“These are delicious.” He spoke with his mouth open, bits of half-chewed cookie flying out of his mouth and landing on Ty’s desk. “Does your chef make these here at the estate?”
“Er, no.” Ty stared at the nastiness accumulating on his desk. “Liza, my mate, made them.”
“You have an excellent mate. You’re smart to keep her in the kitchen, Ty. It’s getting harder to find a woman who wants to look after her mate the way they should.”
My mouth dropped open. Antiquated, sexist moron.
As the interview progressed, it became abundantly clear that this was not Harlem’s only condescending thought regarding women. “Women should know their place,” Harlem stated between bites of my cookies.
My blood boiled. Regardless of being the alpha’s mate, there was no way I could stay quiet while he spewed such disrespect. “And where exactly do you believe a woman’s place is, Harlem?” I challenged, eyes narrowing to slits.
“Clearly not here, trying to act like they belong in positions of power,” he said, sitting back with a smirk.
Ty gave me a worried glance, but I refused to back down. “It sounds like you’re the one who doesn’t understand where he belongs,” I shot back, my voice cold and unwavering. It wasn’t too long after that Ty showed him the way out.
Needless to say, Harlem was another definite no.
As soon as he returned to the office, Ty scowled. “Which age did that asshole come from?”
Both interviews had been draining and disheartening. After discussing the day’s candidates, Ty and I agreed that Nico’s recommendations were questionable, to say the least. What the hell had he been thinking when he’d given the list to Ty? Was he screwing with us?
