Page 29 of An Anomaly of Sunlight

I’m already seated at my desk as Maeve climbs the last step. Those obnoxious heels click across the floor as she heads for the chair I motioned for her to take. Setting down her expensive looking bag, she clears her throat. “Sky,” she begins, but I interject. “Don’t call me that. You come here and try to be chummy every few months, and each time I tell you how you repulse me. Drop the formalities. Ashford, to you, will do just fine.”

Her eyes narrow and I know she’s offended. She’s expressed interest before. Maeve is absolutely not something I’ve ever been interested in. Before, to be polite, I would have said it was because the big city vibe wasn’t my type. Not to mention, our personalities were completely different. But now I would say she eclipses me, and I much prefer the golden rays of sunlight.

I work on rolling up the sleeves of my shirt and nod for her to speak. She straightens in her chair as the words finally start coming again. “Right, well. Ashford, I have received an anonymous complaint that you are having relations with one of your employees. Which, as you know, is gravely against company policy.” I can’t help it. I throw my head back bursting into laughter.

As I suck in a breath to calm myself, she is looking at me expectantly. “Anonymous you say. Are you sure this isn’t your own complaint born of petty jealousy?” Maeve clicks her tongue, but I don’t give her a chance to respond. “This wouldn’t be an issue at all if it was you I was allegedly fucking, right?” I’m letting anger get the best of me.

I’m already considering leaving Burrow’s, anyway, come what may. It’d be strange for her to fire me, though. Seems like she would’ve done it a long time ago if she wanted to. Maeve knows I’ll show up and do my job no matter what. And that I’ll travel for her at a moment’s notice, no matter how disrespectfully we speak to each other. Not to mention I could easily nail her for sexual harassment.

The chair squeals as she pushes to stand. “You know things are easier to hide on corporate level!” As Maeve slams her fists down on my desk, I rise as well. She’s uncomfortably too close. “But no, this is a very real complaint from someone in your store. A female employee is all I can tell you. She says you and another female working here are seeing each other and conducting yourselves in a very unprofessional manner here at the store.” I see her reaching for me and try to avoid it, but she’s too fast.

Fucking vampire.

A growl erupts from my chest as I feel her ice like fingers on my face. The veins in my left hand turn into liquid fire as rage burns up my wrist. Maeve runs her fingers through my hair and my canines elongate. I’m surprised my jaw doesn’t break from the force of my clenched teeth.

“Personally, I don’t give a shit what you do,” she starts, but I don’t hear a single word that comes after as I lock eyes with Amethyst. She’s stiff and has her fists curled tightly enough at her side that I can see the white of her knuckles. She encompasses every bit of my nickname for her as I see the phosphorescent gleam in her eyes. In that moment, I realize I’m feeling her anger through our bond.

I can’t help but feel a bit relieved. Amethyst may not know entirely what being bonded encompasses, but she does feel it. I need to de-escalate this before she shifts, which she is dangerously close to doing.

“How cute,” Maeve sneers, a laugh falling from her lips. She plants a hand on my chest, leaning up and taunting in my ear, “Jealousy looks good on her, doesn’t it?” Maeve’s icy hand cups my cheek as the world around me turns red.

No one will disrespect Amethyst like this. No one will touch me like this except for my mate. I will never allow there to be any doubt in Amethyst’s mind that I am hers.

My own eyes glow with the fury of my wolf, and before my Sunlight has a chance to let her own animalistic instincts take over…

I shift.

There’s not much room to work with in the tight office space. My head nearly touches the ceiling. I crouch down, a snarl leaving my maw as I lunge across the room toward Maeve. I’ll rip her fucking hand off for touching me in front of my mate.

I make contact with the bare floor of the office; Maeve just out of reach baring her own fangs at me. Reaching up, I snap my jaws just a breath away from her face. A reminder that it could be her bones my teeth close around instead of the air.

She hisses but pulls back. “Message received,” she growls. I shift my weight from side to side, my wolf itching to just dig its fangs into her flesh. Somehow, I’m able to focus on taking long, even breaths and think about what’s best for Amethyst as Maeve gathers that ridiculous bag and throws it over her shoulders. The rage I feel doesn’t need to cause my Sunlight any more distress.

I scan the room quickly and see that Amethyst has moved to the filing cabinets at the far right of the office. Moving my gaze back to Maeve, I don’t dare take my eyes off her as she clicks toward the door. I don’t trust her for a fucking second. Especially not while she’s in the near vicinity of Amethyst.

She has the audacity to toss a seductive wink over her shoulder as she reaches the door. “Don’t forget to call me if you get bored with her.” Enough of this shit! “Close your eyes, love.” I send the words to Amethyst’s mind. No longer caring if she questions how she can hear me or not as I dash across the room.

Maeve needs taken down a peg. I’ve made my intentions clear time and time again. She needs a lesson in respect. As I reach out to sever the hand she touched me with, my nose is met with the rough wood of the door. The roar of frustration that leaves me echoes off the walls.

Unbelievable. If I wasn’t sure before, I certainly was now. I have to get out of here. If not for my own sake, then for Amethyst’s. I don’t know if Maeve is violent, but she is vindictive, and I will not leave my mate in her line of fire. With one final growl toward the door, I cut the air with my tail and turn back to my Sunlight. I close the distance between us, nudging the hand covering her eyes with my snout.

Her eyes are back to their normal color, no longer glowing. A whimper escapes me as I nuzzle her cheek. Her eyes are sorrowful. Who made her feel this way? They will wish they hadn’t.

She reaches up to wrap her arms around my neck, burying her head in the fur of my chest. I whine as I rest my head atop hers. She smells like a freshly baked pastry, warm and inviting. She smells like mine. Her touch awakens me.

I want to feel her skin on my own. To run my fingers through her decadent chocolate hair. I need to kiss her. Until she forgets her sorrow and feels only pleasure. My mate should never feel anything less. She is perfect. A goddess in her own right, the very essence of the world. The warmth and light that sustains life.

I feel my bones falling back into place of my human form. Grateful that I never changed back into my original uniform, which was not spelled to stay intact during a shift, I pull Amethyst as close to me as possible. I hold her against my heart with one arm while I cradle the back of her head with the other. This is where she belongs, and I will do anything to keep her here.

“I’m eternally sorry you had to see that, Sunlight. Maeve has always been pushy. Despite the many times I’ve turned her down. But to touch me like that… To touch me at all, especially in front of you, I wanted her to lose that hand. No one will ever disrespect you like that again.”

She smiles up at me, “I understand, Angel. You can’t blame yourself for other people’s actions. And your actions portrayed how much you care about me and my feelings. She’s gone now. Everything is fine.”

I slip soft, chocolate hair behind her ear, staring into her eyes and praying to spend the rest of my life at her side.

Nineteen

Amethyst