《The Genius Delta》 Chapter 1 - Silvercloud Chapter 1 - Silvercloud I am not the nine-to-five, five-day, forty-hour-work-week kind of guy. I don¡¯t have the attention span for something, so mind-numbing. I prefer the Nethends¡¯ thirty-hour work week at best. This is why my hours. People are a lot happier with it. They also like that we have a hybrid work situation for some positions. Any position where they would be building or using chemicals has to be done at the office, but for many departments, they can telmute. I telmute as often as possible. While my office is excellent, and we have manybs for various research, I still prefer to stay in my bunkerb and fiddle with tech at my leisure between tasks for the pack. Another reason I don¡¯t go to the office often, I like to keep my identity a secret. Since the Kinsley brothers helped meunch Silvercloud Industrial under theirpany umbre, we¡¯ve kept my given name and face out of the public. The only person at the office who knows who I am is my assistant Shikoba, who isn¡¯t telling anyone my secret because I¡¯m awesome. Okay, seriously, she¡¯s just super loyal, and it helps that I gave her this job and made sure ourpany insurance has covered every medical expense for her transition from a man to a woman. I trust Shikoba a lot. She¡¯s like my John. Everything goes through her before ites to me, and nobody gets past her to see me. And in thest four years, Silvercloud has been up and running, and she¡¯s been my assistant no one has. I asionallye to the office, but anyone who sees me thinks I¡¯m goofy Jonny Weaver. When Ie into the office, people are always surprised and nervous that I¡¯m still employed. I may have had a couple of incidents that resulted in the fire departmenting and the building being evacuated. But I haven¡¯t blown the building up, so don¡¯t look at me all judgmental like the Kinsley brothers. Besides, mypany¡¯s office is very well insured, at John¡¯s insistence. Strangely enough, insurance is why I¡¯m not in my bunkerb. Shikoba sent me paperwork to sign off on increasing the coverage I have on the Silvercloud headquarters as per a request from one John Kinsley Jr. When I asked her why there was a request, she was as baffled as me and asked if I had ns to spend more time at the office soon. Even my PA is concerned I¡¯ll blow the office up with one of my inventions. But I have no ns to spend time at the office. I have plenty of space and tools at my disposal in myb. ¡°Jonathan, get your feet off my desk.¡± John sighed as he walked into his office at Kinsley Industrial¡¯s headquarters. I smiled brightly at the eldest Kinsley brother. He¡¯s usually the more put-together of the pair. Always in a nice suit and clean shave. Or almost always. This morning is different. Sure he¡¯s still in a suit, but it¡¯s wrinkled, and I would bet money that the weird purple goop on his tie is baby food. He also has subtle dark circles under his eyes and a five o¡¯clock shadow at eight am. Oh, the joys of parenthood. Better him than me. ¡°You might want to swap your tie. It looks like little AJ left some of his breakfast on you. That or you¡¯re so tired that you dribbled yogurt on yourself.¡± I taunted, pointing at his tie. ¡°I¡¯d ask who had you awake all night, but I would only assume it¡¯s AJ. Farah is too sweet to be disruptive. And it can¡¯t be Sarael. You look drained-tired, not oversexed tired.¡± I chuckled as he dumped me out of his chair and pulled a new tie from his desk. John shook his head at me as he took off his stained tie and expertly tied the clean one. I still don¡¯t know how he does that. I¡¯ve seen him tie a tie many times, and he¡¯s shown me how to do it for myself, but I create a jumbled, knotted mess, and he growls in frustration. In the rare instances that I¡¯m expected to wear a tie, I have him tie it. I could loosen but not untie my ties, but where¡¯s the fun in that? ¡°Guess I picked a bad day to drop in.¡±I sighed, getting to my feet and dusting off my jeans. ¡°Are you good? Need me to get you some coffee? Maybe an IV drip of it? Or tell your assistant not to disturb you for four hours so you can take a nap?¡± I offered, gesturing with my thumb toward his office door. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Michele will bring me my coffee shortly. She usually does.¡± John waved dismissively at me as he sat down and booted up hisputer. ¡°I can handle my work day without a nap, thank you. Amal was just a little extra crankst night as he has a toothing in.¡± John sighed. ¡°Now, why don¡¯t you exin why you¡¯re in my office and how you got past security? You don¡¯t work here and aren¡¯t authorized to ess any part of the building.¡± He frowned, checking to see if I had a badge or a visitor badge. ¡°John, did you forget who I am?¡± I teased, holding my hand to my heart. ¡°I¡¯m offended you would think it¡¯s outside my capabilities to bypass every security measure in ce. I did, after all, design your security system.¡± ¡°Jonathan, I am not in the mood for games or a bigger headache. So save us both the time and energy to tell me why you¡¯re here.¡± He sighed, rubbing his temples. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll put you out of your misery. I want to know why you submitted for additional insurance on Silvercloud HQ. Aren¡¯t my premiums high enough?¡± I asked. ¡°You had Shikoba worried that I nned to spend more time at the office.¡± A tiny upturn of his lips told me he was at least amused. ¡°You forgot. You promised my niece you wouldn¡¯t forget, and you¡¯ve already forgotten.¡± He sighed. I furrowed my brow as I stroked my beard. Yes, I know I¡¯m an anomaly. I¡¯m of indigenous descent and have a full beard. It was not easy to grow. This took me years to cultivate. I was tired of people thinking I was too young to be the pack Delta and figured a beard would make a better impression when I had to meet other pack leaders. And now I at least don¡¯t look like the baby face of our quartet. ¡°What did I promise Isis?¡± I pondered aloud. ¡°Persephone Fayte.¡± John gave me his stern big brother look. I raised my eyebrow, still not understanding what he was getting at. I could see the frustration growing in his eyes. It appears I¡¯ve awoken the beast as Irving¡¯s eye color started to bleed into John¡¯s. ¡®Can we not piss our Beta off so early in the morning?¡¯ Jaci sighed. ¡°You do know who that is, correct?¡± John frowned. ¡°Yes, of course, I know who it is. Persephone is Darren¡¯s aunt-inw. Right? The sister of the Incubi Luna. What about her?¡± I nodded, knowing who she was but what I would have promised Isis about that involved her. ¡°She and her little sister Delh areing to Bloodmoon for the summer, possibly longer.¡± John sighed and dug a bottle of aspirin from his drawer out. ¡°Persephone is going to be a summer intern at Silvercloud. Isis asked you to look out for her. I¡¯ve assigned Scott to watch after Delh while she attends a botany program at the college.¡± He exined. I groaned and pped my hand to my forehead. How the hell did I forget that the Faytes wereing? The better question is, how did I forget one of them would be working for me? This does exin why John wanted to change the insurance on the building. While I¡¯ve not heard of her blowing anything up, Kurt told me something about her being a girl version of me, and that ¡°Okay, now it makes so much more sense.¡± I nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll sign off on it today. When do the Faytes arrive? And you said they are staying in Bloodmoon, not Silverw?¡± ¡°Alpha Alec feels it¡¯s safer for his mate¡¯s sisters to stay in Bloodmoon. We are a long-established pack.¡± John shrugged. ¡°But from what I know, Kurt is dropping Persephone off for work, at least her first day. After that, I will expect you to do it.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± I started to protest. Thest thing I need is an intern to know who I am. I don¡¯t go into the office much, and if she¡¯s staying in Bloodmoon, she¡¯s bound to hear someone call me Silvercloud. Not to mention the amount of my free time for testing and building in my bunker driving her to and from the office would take up. ¡°No buts. The Fayte sisters are priority visitors to our pack. Alpha Alec and Luna Crista are entrusting us with their safety. Scott tried to gripe about what he called babysitting, and I¡¯ll tell you what Logan told This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org . him. If you want to know what babysitting is, you can watch all four heirs for the summer.¡± John left me no room to argue. ¡°Am I clear? Or do you want to be responsible for Roselyn, Farah, Connor, and Amal all summer?¡± He arched an eyebrow. ¡°No,¡± I grumbled. ¡°Not that I don¡¯t like the tykes. I do. In small doses.¡± I tried to recover from possibly offending John. ¡°And if I got stuck watching the heirs, I¡¯d have to deal with Hana.¡± I wrinkled my nose. I would love to forget about Princess Hana Kinsley. Every eligible male in the pack would, but me more than the rest. She turned sixteenst month and is disappointed, to say the least, that not a damn soul stepped forward to im her as their mate. Sure I feel empathy for her. I truly do. But she¡¯s fixated on me being her mate since before puberty, and I don¡¯t want to deal with her shit all summer. ¡°Watch it.¡± John red. ¡°Hana is emotional right now. We all know she had her heart set on finding a mate. And me finding Sarael did not help her wishful thinking of a human and werewolf mating.¡± He sighed. ¡°I know she had her heart set on a mate. I was her prime suspect. Which, thank fuck, I¡¯m not. I¡¯m not looking to have a mate right now, and no offense to you, Logan, or Hana, but she¡¯s thest person I¡¯d want as my mate.¡± I shuddered, remembering how she jumped me on her birthday to see if I was lying about not scenting her. ¡°That¡¯s enough,¡± John growled. ¡°And Hana won¡¯t be an issue soon. She ns to travel with some of the others this summer to other packs in hopes she has a mate outside of Bloodmoon.¡± He shrugged. ¡°Oh, thank the Goddess.¡± I sighed in relief. ¡°I mean for her. May she find a mate at the gatherings.¡± I quickly recovered. ¡°Mhmm. You can go now. I have a business to run, and so do you.¡± John waved a dismissive hand. ¡°I¡¯ll leave you to it.¡± I need to research Persephone Fayte if I¡¯m going to babysit her all summer. ¡°See ya back at the pack.¡± I mock saluted as I exited his office. Chapter 2 - Persephone Chapter 2 - Persephone At longst, I am getting to leave Sicily! Even better, my wildest dream ising true. I am going to America to work for Silvercloud Industries, and I don¡¯t think I can contain my excitement. I felt terrible that I missed Isis and Kurt¡¯s wedding, but they understood I needed to finish my finals and get everything packed toe for my summer internship. I¡¯ll see plenty of them while I¡¯m there, or as much as possible, given they are Luna and Alpha of Silverw, and I¡¯ll be super busy with my internship. Oh, I hope I¡¯ll be super busy. I will be so bummed if Tie¡¯s jokes about interns being brought in as goffers to fetch coffee and things for the actual employees are valid. I would be so bitter and disappointed if I worked so damn hard, getting rejected two summers before this, only to be a coffee fetcher. I¡¯ll probably dump the first cup of hot coffee I¡¯m told to fetch on the person issuing the order. I am Persephone Adide Fayte, and I am a fucking genius inventor. I¡¯d stay home and work at the cafe if I wanted to serve coffee. ¡°So you pack anything sexy? Like a new bikini?¡± Andr¨¦ asked as he started plucking items out of my suitcase. I nearly jumped out of my skin. Andr¨¦ snuck up on me, and I hate when he does that. I must have been too caught up in thinking about what-ifs that I didn¡¯t notice him. I rolled my eyes, snatched a sports bra from his hands, and stuffed it into my luggage. I¡¯d be more embarrassed that he touched my bra if he was straight and single. But he¡¯s neither of those things, so why bother? ¡°Andr¨¦, stay out of my clothes. None of them will fit you.¡± I scolded. ¡°And why would I pack sexy clothes? And my bikini fits me just fine. Not that I¡¯m expecting to go swimming a lot. I¡¯m going to Oregon to work, not hang by the pool.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a blonde bombshell heading to a pack with many eligible, handsome males. Don¡¯t you want something hot to wear if you find your mate? Or to catch the eye of a summer fling?¡± Andr¨¦ countered. I scoffed as I put thest of the clothes I¡¯d nned to bring into the suitcase. ¡°Andr¨¦, I am going there to work. I want to prove myself in Silvercloud Industrial so that this internship can be a real job. I won¡¯t have time for flirting, and you already know I prioritize my work over finding a mate.¡± ¡°Yes, and I think you are lying to yourself. Everyone wants to find a mate. You cannot look me in the eyes and tell me that Sara isn¡¯t itching to find her mate. Especially after not finding him in any of the Sicilian packs these past two years.¡± Andr¨¦ folded his arms. ¡°And I know some seriously hot eligible males in Bloodmoon and Silverw. You¡¯d have known it too if you¡¯d gone to Isis¡¯ wedding.¡± He added with that unsettling gleam in his eyes. If I¡¯ve learned anything about Andr¨¦ D¡¯Amore over the years, it¡¯s the beware of that look. It means he knows something that he won¡¯t tell me. ¡°Sara is fine, thank you very much. Finding a mate is not high on my priority list, and she knows. Now stop getting in my way. Delh and I have a flight to catch.¡± I shooed him away as I zipped my bag. ¡®Don¡¯t talk for me. You may be fine without a mate, but I¡¯d like to find him sooner thanter. I may respect your dedication to your passion for technology, but that doesn¡¯t mean my wants and needs will be dismissed.¡¯ Sara snorted from where she was lying on the far side of our shared mental space. ¡®I¡¯m not dismissing them. I¡¯m simply saying I am young, and there is plenty of time to find our mate countered. That shut her up, or more likely, she¡¯s going to give me the silent treatment till we reach Bloodmoon, and she¡¯s begging to go for a run. ¡°I know you do. Why do you think I¡¯m here? Papa and Crista are taking Gwen and Christina for their checkup. So Darren and I are here to take you to the airport. Darren is helping Delh with her bags.¡± Andr¨¦ exined. That¡¯s right. I nearly forgot my nieces had their annual checkups. I hadn¡¯t even thought about who would take us to the airport. I figured they¡¯d have Damon or Isadora take us. I didn¡¯t expect Alec to have either of his kids do it. They have packs to run, so they should be too busy for something so trivial. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be running your pack?¡±I asked as he hefted my luggage and led the way downstairs. ¡°Of course, we have a pack to be running.¡± Andr¨¦ smiled. ¡°But what kind of nephew would I be if I didn¡¯t make sure my little Zias made it to the airport safe and sound.¡± ¡°Andr¨¦, I told you already you aren¡¯t sneaking onto their flight. We don¡¯t have any business in Bloodmoon or Silverw.¡± Darren rolled his eyes, taking my suitcase from Andr¨¦. ¡°But I want to make sure they get there okay.¡± Andr¨¦ pouted. ¡°Stop pouting. I told you I¡¯m not kissing you for pouting anymore. It only encourages your childish behavior.¡± Darren shook his head. ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about them arriving safely. My parents will pick them up at the airport and drive them directly to the Bloodmoon pack house.¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s sweet that Andr¨¦ is worried about us.¡± Delh smiled as she hugged him. ¡°But you should listen to Darren. We¡¯ll be perfectly safe. Your inws will pick us up, and then Darren¡¯s former Alpha and pack will watch out for us all summer.¡± ¡°Fine¡­¡± Andr¨¦ sighed. ¡°Let¡¯s go then. Don¡¯t want you two to bete.¡± Andr¨¦ conceded, and we thankfully got on the road. The flight to Oregon was long and tedious. I spent most of it researching Silvercloud. I wanted to be as up-to-date on their currently announced projects as possible as anyone in thepany of note. I still haven¡¯t found anything regarding the elusive Silvercloud founder in all my digging. Thepany site doesn¡¯t show a picture and only refers to him as J. Silvercloud. There are no details about him beyond that he partnered with Kinsley Industrial to start thepany. From there, it links to Kinsley, which I know all about them, and that Alpha Logan and Beta John of Bloodmoon are the co- owners of thepany founded by their family decades ago. I don¡¯t like that I can¡¯t find out who I¡¯ll be working for. For all I know, J Silvercloud is a woman, which would be way cooler. Delh spent the flight doing something simr to me. She¡¯sing for the summer after getting into a botany summer early college program at OSU. She¡¯s super excited about it. When we weren¡¯t busy researching our summer futures, we were sleeping. Sixteen-plus hours on an airne is killer. I should be grateful we traveled on a private jet instead of on a regr flight. If we¡¯d been on amercial flight, there would have been many other people and probably multiple longyovers in strange airports. And let¡¯s not forget the time zones. We left home at eleven in the morning, so by the time we touched down in Pornd, it was nearly four in the morning back home. Yet it¡¯s only seven at night here. It¡¯s all kinds of nuts and will take a couple of days to adjust. I don¡¯t remember much about our arrival. Darren¡¯s parents were weing, and we slept on the car ride to Mount Hood. I remember being greeted by Alpha Logan and Luna Aurelia with their three kids, but it was a blur leading up to my head hitting a soft pillow. I don¡¯t know how long I¡¯d been asleep, but I wasn¡¯t in bed when I woke up. I grumbled, squinting as I realized I was outside somewhere. ¡°How did I get out here?¡± I pondered. ¡°Your wolf.¡± An unfamiliar voice announced. I yelped, jumping up before realizing I was naked in front of a stranger. Sara and I will have one hell of a fight about this. I quickly grabbed the nket, realizing he must have covered me up. I narrowed my eyes at the dark-haired male. He looked up at the sky to give me some sense of modesty. I cocked my head as I looked at him, noting the several piercings and tattoos I could see. ¡°Who are you? Where am I?¡± I questioned, wrapping the nket around me to ensure I was at least covered. ¡°David Bryant, Miss Fayte. I¡¯m one of Luna Aurelia¡¯s guards. And you are in the forest, obviously.¡± He answered with a smirk, still not looking at me. ¡°I am covered up now.¡± I rolled my eyes. ¡°And no shit, I¡¯m in the forest. What I¡¯m asking is how far I am from the packhouse. And I can¡¯t imagine why my wolf would bring me out here.¡± I frowned. ¡®Sara! What did you do while I was asleep?¡¯ I demanded. ¡®Can¡¯t you smell it? He¡¯s here. I could smell him everywhere at the packhouse, but you were too jet- that. ¡®What do you mean HE? Like my mate? And if you were on his trail, why am I waking up in the forest?¡¯ I questioned. ¡®Bingo! I went in circles for hours, but the trail disappeared, and I couldn¡¯t find him.¡¯ Sara whimpered. ¡°You¡¯re about ten miles from the packhouse. I take it you¡¯ve had a talk with your wolf, and you know what possessed her to bring you way the fuck out here.¡± David sighed, now looking at me. ¡°Um.. yes.¡± I nodded. I wasn¡¯t about to tell him she scented our mate and came to a dead end. I don¡¯t want to even think about it. ¡°Good. Now, change into spare clothes behind that tree, and I¡¯ll take you back to the packhouse. Kurt and Isis are waiting to take you to your summer job.¡± David instructed, pointing to a tree. ¡°Oh shit! My internship! I can¡¯t bete for my first day!¡± I eximed as I hurried to change. David was stillughing at me when he dropped me off at the packhouse. Kurt and Isis were inside talking with Delh. Delh rushed over and hugged me the minute she saw me like I had returned from the dead. ¡°Where did you go? Why did Sara take control like that? Are you okay?¡± Delh asked back-to-back questions. This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org . ¡°Sara decided that my being jetgged wasn¡¯t an excuse for her not to go for a run. I guess she got lost andid down to rest.¡± I shrugged. I should feel bad that I¡¯m lying to my sister, but I don¡¯t want to mention that Sara scented our mate. Speaking of¡­ I took a deep breath, trying to see if any scents clicked. And there was one. It was faint like he hadn¡¯t been here in a while but was so ingrained in the packhouse that he used to spend much time there. It smelled like a new car: coffee beans, clove, cedar, and leather. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Isis asked, raising her eyebrow at me. ¡°Yep, I¡¯m great. I am just frazzled by jetg and Sara pulling that stupidte-night run. I¡¯ll be ready in a sh. I don¡¯t want to bete for my first day.¡± I assured her before rushing upstairs to get dressed for my first day at Silvercloud Industries. It¡¯ll be a great way to not think about that scent and who it belongs to. Chapter 3 - Silvercloud Chapter 3 - Silvercloud I groaned, rolling my shoulders as I sat up. Great, I fell asleep at my work table again. I yawned and rubbed my face, bits of wires and scrap metal falling out of my beard. Not the first time I¡¯ve done this, and it won¡¯t be thest. I looked around the table to see if I had made anything in my sleep. And sure enough, there was something that wasn¡¯t therest night. I cocked my head as I raised the metal dove. The exterior was tinum with etchings, making it look like a metal totem. I squinted and tried to look inside some of the etchings that went straight through to figure out the function of the Dove and could seeputer parts. I frowned and turned the bird in my hands as I tried to understand what I had built. ¡°What are you?¡± I questioned, holding it so I could look into its eyes. ¡°Tell me your purpose, turtle dove.¡± At the word ¡®turtle dove,¡¯ the eyes glowed green, and the wings of the metallic Dove tried to open in my hands. I had to let it go and watched as it flew around my bunker. I furrowed my brow as I watched it find a perch on a beam, watching me. I¡¯m not sure what it¡¯s supposed to do or why I built it, but at least it didn¡¯t explode. As I stood, intending to inspect the robotic Dove further, my phone started to ring somewhere in the bunker. ¡°Crap. Where¡¯d I put my phone?¡± I groaned as I started moving things around to find my phone. ¡°Silvercloud, make sure you get to the office today. Isis and I are dropping Persephone off shortly.¡± A soft voice cooed. I furrowed my brow, looked around, and realized it came from the Dove. ¡°You¡¯re connected to my phone?¡± I blinked. ¡°What are you?¡± I found myself questioning again. ¡°I am DOVE. Dynamic Operating Voice Experience.¡± Dove answered.This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org . ¡°And you are linked to what exactly?¡± I questioned as I started rummaging around my bunker for clean clothes. I cannot bete arriving at the office today. John would have my head if I didn¡¯t show up and left Persephone high and dry for a way back. ¡°Everything. I am connected to all your systems.¡± Dove answered. ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound like a good thing. If that were true, anyone could use you to ess my data.¡± I frowned, realizing this bird was a massive security breach waiting to happen. I gulped as I realized just how dangerous this bird was. Why the fuck would I have made this thing? If Logan or John found out I made something like that, they¡¯d smash it and then me. I¡¯d have been better off building a bomb. At least then, it wouldn¡¯t ce the entire pack in danger. Hell, it isn¡¯t just the pack in danger. Any supernatural being I¡¯ve ever documented would be in trouble if this information got into the wrong hands. Just because the Adio guild has turned over a new leaf and only takes down the supernatural beings that are an imminent threat to humanity doesn¡¯t mean there aren¡¯t other hunters out there or even other supernaturals who¡¯d love to get their hands on this intel. ¡°Tell me that you have security protocols so not just anyone can ask you questions and get into my data.¡± I grimaced, trying to stay hopeful that I used some safety protocol even in my sleep. ¡°I am voice-activated to only respond to requests from Jonathan Silvercloud. No other voice recognition has been approved.¡± Dove answered. I sighed in relief and slipped on my sneakers, ready to go to the office. ¡°Good. Stay in the bunker and keep not answering anyone but me. But first, do you know where my phone is?¡± I asked as I checked my jeans pockets to be sure I didn¡¯t have it on me. ¡°Understood. Your cell phone is¡­.¡± Dove turned its head, and a green glow scanned the room. Suddenly it flew from its perch straight to a shelf. I grimaced, waiting for it to crash. Instead, it hovered in front of the shelf and used its feet to grab my phone from one of the top shelves and fly it over to me. Okay, that was impressive. I could have made something useful in my sleep. Helper birds. I could see a use for this for anyone with a disability. Maybe I mentally modeled her after Aislinn¡¯s raven Morpheus. ¡°Thanks, Dove. Stay here. I¡¯ll be backter.¡± I assured it as it flew back to its perch. ¡°Going into power save mode,¡± Dove announced as the green glow of its eyes faded. I sighed as I climbed out of the bunker, locking it for extra security. As I started for my car, Jaci was on high alert, pacing around in my head. ¡®What is it? Do you sense something bading? Is it about Dove?¡¯ I questioned. Jaci has a sixth sense. He knows when bad things areing, but not always with pinpoint uracy. ording to John, it¡¯s probably something I inherited from my mother, a shaman of my birth pack. Either way, I generally trusted Jaci¡¯s gut on things. ¡®No, it¡¯s not about the stupid bird. Don¡¯t you smell that?¡¯ Jaci rolled his eyes. I furrowed my brow and took a deep breath. I could smell the soft, warm summer breeze as it carried all the smells of the nts and wildlife of the forest around my bunker. And then it hit me. It was subtle, lingering in the air, so not a recent scent. It smelled like a new car¡ªthat perfect bnce of coffee beans, clove, cedar, and leather. In an instant, I knew what the smell was and why Jaci was all antsy. That smell is like no other. It¡¯s the smell of my mate. Holy shit, I found my mate! I need to follow my nose, leading me straight to her. But one major problem, the smell ising from the opposite direction I need to go. ¡®Hey, where are you going? We need to follow her scent.¡¯ Jaci questioned as I forced my feet toward my car. ¡®The smell is going in the direction of the pack. We¡¯ll find herter. If we don¡¯t show up today, it won¡¯t matter that we find her because John and Logan will kill me.¡¯ I reminded him as I opened my restored and modified midnight blue 64 Aston Martin DB5 that, trust me, has more gadgets and toys than every James Bond carbined. ¡®Fine. I don¡¯t care how much you say you don¡¯t care about finding her. I know you care. We find our mate as soon as we drop off the visiting she-wolf. She is here, and we are not missing this opportunity for anything short of direct Alpha orders.¡¯ Jaci warned. ¡®Fine. I¡¯m pretty sure if I tell them I¡¯m heading out to find my mate, none of them will stop me.¡¯ I assured him as I pulled out of my hidden garage and headed for my office. ¡°Text Kurt,¡± I instructed my onboardputer. ¡°Texting Kurt.¡± Theputer voice responded. ¡°What is your message?¡± ¡°I¡¯m on my way. How does your friend take her coffee?¡± I asked. ¡°Message sent.¡± It only took a couple of minutes before I got a response. ¡°New message from Kurt.¡± Theputer announced. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you fell asleep in yourb again. Just make sure you get there on time. And from what I remember, she drinks quad shot caffe mhiato, which means a quad shot espresso with frothy milk.¡± ¡°Do you want to reply?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll let Shikoba know. I¡¯ll be in the office soon.¡± ¡°Message sent.¡± ¡°Send work email from Jonny Weaver to Shikoba Thorn.¡± I trusted that the email would get to Shikoba and that she¡¯d handle things for me. ¡°Grab me a quad shot caffe mhiato for Persephone Fayte, please.¡± Twenty minutester, I was scanning my badge and entering the state-of-the-art Silvercloud Industries building. I had the building designed with mypany only in mind. None of the existing buildings in Pornd fit what I wanted and knew I¡¯d need for mypany someday. So, this sleek and modern was constructed, checking all the boxes for what I wanted and needed. ¡°Morning, Mitch!¡± I waved. I smiled at the security guard, who looked at me in horror. ¡°Weaver? I thought¡­ weren¡¯t you fired?¡± Mitch questioned, stopping me from passing through the security door. ¡°Uh, nope. I¡¯ve just been working remotely. I was told toe in today. Something about interns and one being assigned to me.¡± I shrugged, ying my role. Honestly, these people need to rx. Until I blow the building up, there is no harm and no foul in my mishaps. And even then, if the Kinsley brothers can forgive me for blowing up part of the packhouse, my employees can get over a fire. ¡°They¡­ they¡¯re assigning you an intern?¡± Mitch looked pale. ¡°I hope they have good life insurance.¡± He muttered as I scanned my badge at the door. ¡°What?¡± I asked, even though I heard him. ¡°Nothing. Just stay out of trouble. And don¡¯t work with anything mmable today, please. We¡¯ve had a long streak of no incidents in the building while you were working remotely.¡± Mitch sighed. I rolled my eyes and continued into the building. I selected several floors in the elevator, but in the specific order of 1, 10, 20, and 18. It¡¯s the exact date that I was named Delta of Bloodmoon after shifting for the first time. By entering that order of floors, it triggered a hidden security measure. The camera in the elevator switched to show a loop of me standing there whistling when the elevator took me to the 30th floor, where my Silvercloud office was. I wanted to check in with Shikoba before I went to Jonny Weaver¡¯s office. Shikoba looked like a proper businessperson wearing a ck pencil skirt, blue pinstripe button-down blouse, and ck zer, and her hair was in a neat bun giving her a very polished and professional look. She makes me look like a damn slob in my ripped ck jeans and faded red tee with my unkept beard and hair in a messy man-bun. Shikoba immediately greeted me by signing, ¡°Wee to the office, Silvercloud. The new interns are scheduled to meet their mentors in twenty minutes. As requested, Miss Fayte is assigned to you. I ask that you use restraint while you are here for her internship. You do not want her to discover your secret, and I do not want to deal with another emergency evacuation.¡± That¡¯s another reason I know Shikoba will never tell my secret; she is mute. ¡°Ye of little faith. I swear I¡¯m going to have aplex.¡± I rolled my eyes as I responded. ¡°Did you add that extra order of a quad shot caffe mhiato for Persephone?¡± I asked. ¡°Kurt said it¡¯s her preferred coffee drink.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t get additional instructions beyond the agreed-upon coffee and donuts at the wee meeting.¡± Shikoba shook her head. ¡°Crap. Oh well. Probably for the best, wouldn¡¯t want anyone to feel like Persephone¡¯s getting special attention.¡± I shrugged, not worried that the email didn¡¯t go through. ¡°Yes, that would be best. Miss Fayte is not supposed to know who you are. And you wouldn¡¯t want the other interns to think she got in on nepotism.¡± She agreed. ¡°Unless something urgentes up, don¡¯t reach out today. No reason someone as important in the to the elevator. My phone buzzed in my pocket, and I checked my texts. Kurt: Just dropped Persephone off. Good luck! I chuckled and checked my newest text. Shikoba: Good luck today. I chuckled and nced back at my assistant as she returned to herputer. Why does everyone seem to think I will need luck dealing with Persephone? It¡¯s not like I¡¯m a weird hermit who can¡¯t get along with others. I¡¯m very personable. There isn¡¯t a person in our pack that doesn¡¯t feelfortable approaching me. And I generally get along with everyone. So unless this Persephone is some brat needing an attitude check, we¡¯ll get along fine. Or that¡¯s what I thought until she showed up in my Jonny Weaverb, and all hell broke loose. Chapter 4 - Persephone Chapter 4 - Persephone ¡°Are you excited to start your internship?¡± Isis asked, turning in her seat to look back at me. ¡°Does energy equal mass times the speed of light squared?¡± I scoffed. Kurt and Isis shared a look and broke out intoughter. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s so funny. I made a science joke, but it wasn¡¯t even that funny. Maybe they are just humoring me and want me to feel at ease as I enter my dream job and be around a thirty-story office full of people I don¡¯t know. ¡°Thanks forughing, but it wasn¡¯t that funny.¡± I shook my head at their weirdness. ¡°We know, but Kurt¡¯s best friend Jonathan uses that line too,¡± Isis exined. ¡°Oh. Well, at least that exins yourughter. Will I be meeting this infamous Jonathan? He¡¯s supposed to be the Bloodmoon Delta, but while my arrival meet-and-greet is a jetgged blur, I don¡¯t remember him.¡± I asked, leaning forward. ¡°Um, yeah. Jonathan wasn¡¯t at the pack housest night. He works at Silvercloud, so you¡¯ll meet him. He¡¯s supposed to be your Bloodmoon liaison.¡± Kurt exined. ¡°My what?¡± I furrowed my brow. I missed a lot with my jetg and Sara¡¯ste-night run searching for our mate. ¡°Uncle John and Alpha Logan assigned you and Delh a liaison. Sort of like a guide and bodyguard all in one. Scott Fowler will be Delh¡¯s liaison. It will be his job to show her around Bloodmoon and Pornd and ensure she gets to her sses and anywhere else she needs to go. Jonathan will be yours.¡± Isis exined. ¡°I guess that makes sense. That Scott guy better not get any ideas about hitting on Delh. She hasn¡¯t gotten her wolf yet, and I¡¯d hate to have to break his face for being a pig.¡± I punched my right fist into my left palm. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Scott won¡¯t make a move on Delh. No one will. Beyond the fact she¡¯s underage, everyone in both packs knows you two are Alpha Alec¡¯s sisters-inw, and they do not want trouble with him worse with Logan.¡± Kurt chuckled. ¡°Okay, good.¡± I nodded my attention, leaving the conversation and turning to the gorgeous building we were pulling up in front of. Silvercloud HQ, I¡¯ve seen pictures, but it¡¯s even more impressive in person. I could feel the butterflies in my stomach. I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m nervous or excited. I guess it¡¯s both. If I prove myself this summer, this could be my future. I could move to Bloodmoon and work here full-time. Sure I¡¯d attend college but working for Silvercloud has been my dream since thepanyunched its first product. ¡°Good luck today. Remember, Jonathan will drive you home.¡± Kurt smiled as he pulled to the curb. ¡°Okay, but¡­ how am I going to know who Jonathan is?¡± I asked, reminding them I¡¯d never met the guy. ¡°Oh, right. Here, I¡¯ll text you a pic of Jonathan from our wedding.¡± Isis smiled as she tapped on her phone. My phone quickly pinged. I checked Isis¡¯ text and cocked my head as I looked at a photo from their wedding. It was Kurt in a white suit with his happy grin with an arm across the shoulder of a guy in a gray suit a couple of inches taller than him with ck hair braided and a short beard making him look a bit maturer with an equally bright smile. His eyes were dark brown with a swirl of amber, making them seem to take a life of their own. ¡°Are you done drooling?¡± Kurt teased. ¡°Just because I¡¯m a world away from Andr¨¦ doesn¡¯t mean I need you to provide hismentary.¡± I rolled my eyes and flipped him off. ¡°Have a great time. We¡¯ll find more time to hang out while you¡¯re here.¡± Isis smiled. ¡°Thanks for the ride, guys. Now get back to your pack duties.¡± I waved at them as I climbed out of the car. I took a deep breath and went inside. It wasn¡¯t hard to find out where I needed to go. There was someone from HR already corralling a dozen interns into a meeting room. We went through our orientation¡¯s doldrums, which included taking pictures and providing our security badges to get into the building from now on. Everyone seemed as excited as I was to be here. Though only myself and one other girl, M, I think her name is, are under thirty. It¡¯s crazy that the other ten interns are adults with college degrees taking an internship to get their toe in the Silvercloud door. We were treated to coffee and donuts. American coffee is GROSS. I¡¯m going to need to find real coffee if I¡¯m going to survive this summer. After coffee and donuts were given ourpany tablets, the first thing that popped up after I logged in was a request from Jonny Weaver, my assigned mentor, to bring him a quad shot caffe mhiato. He hadn¡¯t even officially met me and asked me to bring him coffee, not just any coffee but my favorite. Maybe it was too reactionary of me, but I made a cup of the shit American coffee we¡¯d been served and made my way to give Jonny Weaver his coffee with a side order of a piece of my mind. He is going to learn early that I am not going to be a gofer. I am here for an internship as an engineer, not his personal assistant. I was so pissed when I flung open the door to hisb, nothing but unleashing that anger mattered. ¡°Hey, stronzo! Here¡¯s your coffee.¡± I snorted as I threw the cup at him. I didn¡¯t aim for his face since it was still hot, so I threw it at his chest. ¡°What the fuck!¡± He yelped, holding his shirt away from his skin. ¡°Are you nuts? You don¡¯t throw coffee at people. And you certainly don¡¯t throw liquids around ab full of electronics.¡± He shouted as he carefully peeled the now-wet shirt off. Holy shit! I¡¯ve seen plenty of naked guys in my life. People shift to and from their wolf, so nudity is part of the culture. I¡¯ve seen some seriously handsome naked men too. Alexander Petridis looks hot nude, not that I would ever tell him that. He doesn¡¯t need the ego boost, and honestly, I put him in the brother category in my brain. But right now, looking at Jonny Weaver shirtless, I¡¯m speechless. My throat is the Sahara desert, my heart is beating like I ran ten kilometers, and let¡¯s not talk about what¡¯s going on downstairs and leave it that Jonny Weaver shirtless is a turn-on. This is wrong on many levels. First and foremost, I have a mate somewhere in Bloodmoon. ¡®Get your head out of your ass and take a deep breath.¡¯ Sara instructed. I figured she wanted me to calm down from my anger and stop getting turned on by this random guy. When I took a deep breath, I realized that was not what she meant. There it was, the new car smell of my mate, and it wasing from Jonny. Oh, fuck me, I just threw coffee on my mate and called him an asshole. He knowingly told an intern to bring him coffee, which is a dick move. So I won¡¯t feel bad. His hand froze as he used the dry part of his shirt to wipe away the excess coffee from his pecks. His head raised, his eyes connected with mine, and I recognized those eyes. The dark brown eyes with a swirl of amber, this is Jonathan. My mate is Kurt¡¯s best friend and the Delta of Bloodmoon. ¡°Mate¡­¡± He growled low, dropping the shirt to take a step in my direction. He stopped and shook his head that amber swirl in his eyes receding but still there. It seems the amber is his wolf. Does his wolf always ride shotgun like that? An ever-present part of him that even at his best friend¡¯s wedding, his wolf¡¯s eye color would be present? ¡°You¡¯re Persephone¡­. Darren¡¯s aunt-inw.¡± He pinched the bridge of his nose as if recognizing me was a bad thing. ¡°Your point of reference is Darren?¡± I furrowed my brow, finding that a strange one. Why not recognize me as one of Isis¡¯ friends or even as the sister of the Incubi Luna? ¡°I know there are a few other points of reference. Darren¡¯s just the one I went with.¡± He shrugged, and my eyes went from his face to watch how his muscles moved at the gesture. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m going to find a spare shirt.¡± He said, licking his lips as he looked at me before hurrying to the other side of theb. I raised my eyebrow, wondering what that was about. Is Jonathan pissed that I¡¯m his mate? I don¡¯t remember Isis or Kurt mentioning he had a girlfriend, but it¡¯s possible. The idea that Jonathan may have a girlfriend had me angry and Sara ready to w out a bitch¡¯s eyes. Is he embarrassed to be shirtless? Or is this about the whole coffee thing? As I pondered this, I This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. watched as he carelessly threw things around, making a lot of noise as he searched for a recement shirt. How does he get any work done here? Hisb is a total pig sty. ¡®It probably is because of the coffee thing. And because you are rted to a very powerful and feared Alpha.¡¯ Sara sighed. ¡®You need to apologize for throwing coffee at our mate.¡¯ She insisted. ¡°Um¡­so I¡¯m sorry about the coffee.¡± I apologized. What a start to our rtionship. Some day if we have kids and they ask how we met, I¡¯m going to have to tell them I threw coffee on him. Even if we don¡¯t have kids, my sisters and other people will want to hear how we met. Crista can say she met Alec in her darkest days. Katrina says she met Tie in her dreams. Andr¨¦ says he met Darren in the heat of battle. And I¡¯m going to say I threw coffee on him. Ugh. ¡°It¡¯s just that I got my work tablet and got an email from you wanting me to bring you a quad shot caffe mhiato,¡± I exined. ¡°And Tie has been teasing me for months that interns are just gofers that don¡¯t get to do work and are more coffee and food fetchers or the person taking notes or getting copies for a meeting.¡± ¡°That email wasn¡¯t supposed to go to you.¡± Jonny¡­ Jonathan sighed as he found a white tee. ¡°I asked the person in charge of the intern meeting about it. I asked Kurt what kind of coffee you liked. I know American coffee isn¡¯t up to par for people who didn¡¯t grow up on it. Isis still wrinkles her nose at it.¡± He frowned as he pulled the shirt over his head. It may not have a giant coffee stain, but it has various grease stains, so it¡¯s certainly not clean, but I kind of like that. ¡°Oh¡­now I feel even worse. You were trying to do something sweet for me, and that was before knowing I was your mate.¡± I sighed softly. Ugh, I know that sigh. Crista sighs like that when Alec does little things for her, like drawing her a bath. It¡¯s the sigh of a sap in love. I pped my face lightly. I can¡¯t turn into some pile of mush just because I met my mate. I am still here to do a job. I need to prove myself to thispany if I want it to be my career. And I can¡¯t do that if I¡¯m making goo-goo eyes at my mate all day. Chapter 5 - Silvercloud Chapter 5 - Silvercloud I¡¯d just managed to get into myb before I got a text from Shikoba telling me the interns were being sent to the mentors. I was getting a workstation prepped for Persephone to use when myb door mmed open. I turned in surprise at the aggressive way the door was opened, ready to tell off whomever it was. I didn¡¯t get that chance because hot coffee was thrown at me, and I was called something in Italian, and I bet it wasn¡¯t pleasant. I¡¯m a werewolf, so I¡¯ll heal from the minor burn from the hot liquid, but it hurt, and I shouted at the offending individual. I was so damn flustered with my annoyance and the pain that I ignored the person that threw coffee at me. Hell, I didn¡¯t even think about taking my shirt off in front of this belligerent stranger. I paid closer attention as I tried to dry the coffee off my chest. Jaci had been inching closer, trying to get me to focus on the person in the room with me. And when I smelled that new car scent from near my bunker, it hit me. My mate, my mate just cussed me out and threw coffee at me. I looked up and was stunned. She¡¯s gorgeous with long blonde hair in a french braid, making me look like a damn bum in tweed dress pants, a blue and white floral print blouse, and a white zer. While I was busy gawking, Jaci had pushed forward to im her as our mate. I came to my senses as he started to move toward her. My eyes connected with those green eyes, and it clicked. She¡¯s Persephone Fayte. She¡¯s supposed to be off-limits. ¡®She¡¯s our mate. Nothing is off limits.¡¯ Jaci snorted. I ignored him as I managed to sound like an idiot before wandering off like some prepubescent boy embarrassed by a cute girl seeing him half-dressed. She at least apologized for throwing coffee at me and exined why she did it. I made a mental note to run a diagnostic on my onboardputer to see how an email meant for Shikoba ended up in Persephone¡¯s inbox. After I found a new shirt and pulled it on, I realized why it was in theb. It was covered in stains from a project I¡¯d worked on thest time I was in the office. Logan is our Alpha and is more likely to be seen in jeans and nnel, but they are always clean with no rips. I am striking out at every turn to show myself to be apetent man, to show I¡¯m a guy who can look like a scientist and pack Delta. ¡°I just wanted to make you feel weed. It¡¯s your first day here, and I¡¯m supposed to be your liaison This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. and wanted to make something of a good first impression.¡± I shrugged. ¡°Well, you¡¯ve certainly made an impression. Do you usually remove clothes at work? Or am I just special?¡± Persephone teased. Her eyes changed colors for a brief moment which told me that it was more from her wolf. ¡°No, undressing is not something I do at work unless something dangerous is spilled on me,¡± I exined. I didn¡¯t need Persephone thinking that was a regr thing for me to do. I don¡¯t offer strip shows to people. ¡°Though I¡¯m d the email didn¡¯t actually get to whom it was meant for,¡± I admitted remembering my talk with Shikoba about not wanting to make Persephone stand out with any favoritism. ¡°And why are you d the right person didn¡¯t get the email? It would have saved me from throwing coffee on you.¡± Persephone arched her brow. ¡°While that part is true. If you had gotten a special-order coffee and the other interns found out¡­.¡± I gestured with my hand for her to connect the dots. ¡°They¡¯d think I¡¯m here because of some favoritism and grill me about who I know in thepany.¡± Persephone sighed. At least she wasn¡¯t angry about it and understood where I wasing from. ¡°Not that I know you. I know of you from Kurt, Isis, and Darren. And I doubt a random employee would have the kind of pull to get me an internship. Heck, I was rejected for the internship program thest two summers. So I know I earned being here.¡± She pointed out. ¡°Yeah¡­¡± I yed along. ¡°I don¡¯t get a say in who gets an internship invitation.¡± I hand-picked everyone intern and employee in this building. I didn¡¯t ever interview anyone in person, but I watched their interviews, and it was always my final say on who got approved. With the interns, I do a blind selection, meaning I didn¡¯t see the name of who submitted. All I looked at was their project to determine if they had what I was looking for. So she¡¯s right. She earned her spot. ¡°I¡¯m d you made the cut this year.¡± I smiled, letting myself walk closer, drawn in by her scent. ¡°That makes two of us.¡± She said, licking her lips as the space between us was mere inches. I was about to give into her tongue¡¯s taunting, leaning closer to kiss her, when a knock at myb door made us both jolt backward. The door opened, and a girl I didn¡¯t recognize poked her head in with a sheepish look in her gray eyes and a blush staining her cheeks. ¡°Oh¡­ sorry. I¡¯m a little lost. I¡¯m M Turner, one of the interns.¡± She apologized in a soft voice. ¡°No worries, M. I¡¯m Jonny, and this is Persephone.¡± I assured her as I pointed to myself and then to Persephone. ¡°Who are you looking for?¡± I was trying to be polite and friendly, which I generally am. Persephone, however, didn¡¯t look thrilled. I guess I can get it. M¡¯s interruption did stop us from kissing. But that might not be that bad of a thing. We are at work. I don¡¯t want any issues for her here, and getting caught making out with me, especially on her first day, would create many problems. ¡°Hi. I remember Persephone from orientation. We¡¯re the youngest interns.¡± M smiled, stepping further into myb, bing morefortable. ¡°I didn¡¯t catch yourst name, Jonny.¡± She shed a flirty smile my way as she offered her hand. ¡°Weaver,¡± I answered by shaking her hand, not flirting back. I¡¯m not much of a flirt any other day, but flirting in front of my mate would be the worst course of action known to werewolf kind. ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you, Jonny Weaver.¡± M smiled, still holding my hand as she stepped closer. ¡°Maybe you would be so kind as to show me where I can find Doctor Hill? He¡¯s supposed to be my mentor, but I have no clue where I¡¯m going. This building is so big, and I keep gawking everywhere I look.¡± She giggled, tucking some of her dark hair behind her ear. I furrowed my brow as I took my hand back, wiping it on my jeans. I know this tactic. Hana has used it plenty of times to get me alone. I may do things to appease Hana, but that¡¯s because she¡¯s my Alpha¡¯s daughter. I owe nothing to M. And given Persephone¡¯s entire bodynguage screamed annoyance, I knew I shouldn¡¯t offer to help. ¡°I totally get it. Everyone is like that for their first week.¡± I nodded. ¡°Reed¡¯sb is two floors down. So if you head out of myb, you¡¯ll want to hang a right. That will take you to the elevator bay down the hall. Go down to the 10th floor. From there, you¡¯ll hang a left and look forb 1021.¡± I instructed. ¡°That¡¯s a lot to remember. I¡¯m sure Persephone won¡¯t mind if you take like five minutes to show me.¡± M smiled. ¡°Right, Persy?¡± She finally looked away from me. I feared Persephone¡¯s teeth would crack because she clenched them so tightly. ¡°My name is Persephone. And Jonny was about to help familiarize me with theb so we could get started. You can find your own way.¡± Persephone dismissed M. ¡°I do need to get to work. I have some projects on my backlog that I want to tackle. I gave you the directions and¡­.¡± I took M¡¯spany tablet from her hands and tapped a few things before bringing up a map. ¡°The tablet has a map. It will GPS you directly to Reed¡¯sb.¡± I smiled, handing her back the map. ¡°Oh¡­ wow. I should have expected crazy tech stuff working at Silvercloud.¡± M giggled while holding my forearm. ¡°Thank you so much, Jonny. I hope I see more of you around the building.¡± ¡°Right. Good luck with your internship.¡± I nodded, pulling my arm back as I directed her toward the door. ¡°Thanks. Bye, Jonny.¡± M waved as she left theb. I sighed in relief when the door closed. ¡°What the hell was that?¡± Persephone questioned. ¡°Do you usually let women openly flirt with you and touch you at their leisure?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t control what other people do or don¡¯t do.¡± I rolled my eyes. ¡°So any flirting was all on her, and I didn¡¯t reciprocate. And I did extract myself from her grip whenever she touched me.¡± ¡°Are you going to be one of those super jealous mates? You realize I¡¯m a Delta in a pack, so I¡¯ll have to interact with females, and some of them will be unmated.¡± I furrowed my brow, unsure if I liked the jealous thing. ¡®Try not letting women get all in your personal space as that woman did. Stop pissing off our mate.¡¯ Jaci rolled his eyes. ¡°I am not jealous.¡± Persephone insisted. ¡°I¡¯m just asking so I¡¯m prepared when other women in the office throw themselves at you. And yes, when I have to deal with Bloodmoon bitches acting like they are in heat around you. Goddess knows you might already have a girlfriend or something back in the pack. That doesn¡¯t make me jealous.¡± She scoffed as she folded her arms and turned her head to avoid looking at me. I shouldn¡¯tugh, but I couldn¡¯t help it. I nearly doubled overughing. ¡°You are an asshole. Isis and Kurt never mentioned that personality w.¡± Persephone red at me. ¡°I¡¯mughing because you are very obviously jealous and needlessly. For starters, I don¡¯t have a girlfriend, never have. Beyond that, I¡¯d rather have waited for my mate¡­.¡± I stepped closer and, holding her chin, tilted her face to mine. I suppressed a shudder as the spark of the mate bond shot through me like a few thousand volts of electricity. Just the simple contact had my heart racing. I¡¯ve been told plenty about the mate bond. I¡¯ve heard all the lovey-dovey stuff from Charles. I¡¯ve listened to the rational things from John. And I¡¯ve heard all the raunchy stuff from Logan. So I thought I was well prepared for it. In a rare moment, I was wrong. ¡°Waited for you. I was always more interested in inventing than gettingid.¡± I hoped that cleared things up. And if that didn¡¯t, I can only hope what I did next did. I closed the short distance between our lips and imed her lips for a kiss. Chapter 6 - Persephone Chapter 6 - Persephone What the hell is wrong with me? I am not the jealous type. If I were ever going to be jealous, I would¡¯ve been jealous of Crista growing up. She was the firstborn and, therefore, the Beta heir. She was the one with a white wolf making her special before we knew just how special. But I never was, so there is no reason I should suddenly be the jealous type just because I met my mate. ¡®That fucking bitch was flirting with him and touching him on purpose. She¡¯s a werewolf too. She knows he¡¯s not her mate but still flirted with him.¡¯ Sara growled. ¡®She must have sensed the chemistry and tension between you and Jonny. She¡¯s a fucking bitch, and we should w her damn eyes out.¡¯ Sara snorted. ¡®We can¡¯t do that, and you know it. We are at work.¡¯ I reminded my wolf. This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org . Something tells me getting into a fight wouldn¡¯t just risk my potential future working for Silvercloud, but it would put Jonathan in the middle. I¡¯d feel terrible if my being possessive cost him his job. Sure, he has his position in his pack, but I¡¯m sure he enjoys working here. Who wouldn¡¯t if they love tech even half as much as I¡¯ve been told Jonathan does? ¡®We can¡¯t risk our future with thepany or Jonathan¡¯s job.¡¯ I pointed out. That seemed to work as she huffed and went back to lie down, which let me focus on the conversation and try to exin away these unnecessary and unwanted feelings of jealousy. Not that Jonathan but he didn¡¯t have tough at me. I wanted to be mad at him forughing, but he had to go and be all sweet. It shouldn¡¯t work. I¡¯m not the girl who melts for a few sweet words. I gag during scenes like this in movies or books. Yet here I am, melting because he told me he¡¯s never had a girlfriend because he was waiting for his mate. Maybe it¡¯s not the words making me into some swoony girl and the mate bond. Yes, that¡¯s the problem here. Jonathan was touching me, and the mate bond sent sparks all through me. Every cell in my body was buzzing, wanting more of his touch. And then he went and kissed me. I don¡¯t want to ask if this is his first kiss. Just because he hasn¡¯t had a girlfriend doesn¡¯t mean he hasn¡¯t kissed someone before. And I¡¯m not so close-minded that I would be pissed at him if he had. I¡¯ve never kissed someone, but that¡¯s more to do with abination of being a tomboy most of my life and then thesest few years living in Incubi being the sister-inw of their Alpha. Delh and I were any of the Sicilian packs I¡¯d want to kiss. Plus, even if I had kissed someone before, it would pale I moaned, instinctively wrapping my arms around his neck, wanting more. Thankfully he got the hint as his arms pulled me closer, and he deepened the kiss, his tongue slipping past my lips to mingle with mine. He growled into the kiss as one of his hands reached down to squeeze my ass. I squeaked in surprise, but it quickly became a moan as his tongue swirled around mine. I¡¯m pretty sure we would have just kept making out in hisp if his pocket hadn¡¯t started buzzing like crazy. With a groan of frustration, he pulled back, licking his lips as more amber swirled in his brown eyes. At least I¡¯m not the only one affected by the mate bond and general attraction. ¡°I¡­ I should answer this.¡± Jonathan let out a controlled breath. ¡°Right. For all you know, it¡¯s Kinsley business.¡± I nodded. I didn¡¯t want to say pack or Bloodmoon in case someone would poke their head in or this room was monitored. No need to give away our secret of being werewolves. But I blushed and turned pale as the tech as Silvercloud. They wouldn¡¯t want someone to stealpany secrets or risk an ident. This means whoever monitors the security footage probably just saw us making out. Oh, cazzo! This is not how I wanted to start my internship. This is a HUGE HR issue. If it gets out that Jonathan and I are together, I¡¯ll probably get reassigned to a different mentor or, worse, released from the program. I¡¯m sure I vited some policies I agreed to during orientation. ¡°Crap¡­¡± Jonathan groaned as he pocketed his phone. ¡°Everything okay?¡± I hesitantly asked. ¡°Yeah¡­ just got warned about interoffice rtionships and that while thepany can¡¯t control rtionships, it is encouraged to keep intimacy beyond the asional hand-holding outside the building.¡± He sighed as he rubbed a hand over his face. ¡°Cazzo. So, I was right. They do have security cameras in all thebs.¡± I sighed, feeling even more embarrassed now that it was confirmed. I nced around the room, and sure enough, I found the glowing red light from a corner of theb. Why didn¡¯t I think to look for a camera? Why didn¡¯t he? Right mate bond. It tends to trump rational thought. Is this going to mean I¡¯m on a warning? Is my internship in danger? ¡°Hey¡­ Persephone.¡± Jonathan sighed, holding my hand. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Stop freaking out. You aren¡¯t saying anything but the look on your face, especially in your eyes. It¡¯s like you¡¯ve got a million thoughts happening all at once.¡± ¡°How can it be okay?¡± I asked. ¡°This is my first day at my dream job, and I¡¯m already blowing it. I¡¯m probably on some warning that I don¡¯t know about yet. HR will most likely be requesting to see me.¡± I shook my head, taking my hand from his as I started to pace. ¡°It was so stupid of me to let this happen. I always said I would never let love interfere with what I wanted most. My work would never take a backseat because I found my one.¡± I frowned and turned to look at him, realizing what I said maye off as dismissive of him. ¡°That sounds bad. And I don¡¯t mean it as a slight against you. It¡¯s just that I saw how the mate bond affected my sister. I mean, it wasn¡¯t instant, but it felt like it. She went from my strong big sister to a horny bitch more interested in fucking than anything serious.¡± I sighed. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I didn¡¯t take offense. Trust me. I totally get it. Last of my¡­ friends to find love. I was a kid when I watched Charles fall for Sybille. Then I watched, with popcorn, as Logan and then John fell. I¡¯ve always watched my best friends like Kurt falling in love.¡± Jonathan shrugged, like me, not mentioning being a werewolf and his pack. ¡°I was like you. I always said finding love wouldn¡¯t change my priorities.¡± He sighed. ¡°And now that you¡¯ve found me?¡± I arched my eyebrow. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. We are too smart and rational to let it interfere with getting our jobs done. You¡¯ve made it clear that working here is important to you. And I live and breathe inventing, so my work here is as important and part of me as my wolf.¡± He exined. ¡°So I think we can manage to control ourselves.¡± He smiled. ¡°Not like we won¡¯t see much of each other outside of the office.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. You are supposed to be my ride to and from work from now on.¡± I nodded. ¡°But what about the text you got? Won¡¯t I get in trouble with HR too?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. It was a warning from someone I know. It was a heads-up. They¡¯ll make sure the footage is squashed.¡± he assured me. ¡°Seriously? Are they part of¡­ your friends?¡± I ached my eyebrow, silently asking if the person who warned him and was going to handle the security footage was part of Bloodmoon ¡°They are a friend, but not in the way Logan and John are my friends. But don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s handled.¡± He assured me. ¡°So how about we try to work to distract ourselves from what we really want to do.¡± ¡°And what do we really want to do?¡± I teased. ¡°You¡¯ll have to wait till after work to find out.¡± He winked as he directed me to the only area in theb that seemed to be clean and somewhat organized. ¡°This will be your workstation. I tried to clean it up before you arrived, but I got here a bitter than nned. I fell asleep in my personalb and found I had made something in my sleep, so I had to test it and see what it was. Thankfully it wasn¡¯t an explosive.¡± He chuckled. ¡°I¡¯ve heard that story. You invented something when you were younger, and Kurt pushed a button on it and ended up blowing part of the building.¡± Iughed as I jumped on the stool to look at what he had at the workstation for me. ¡°Yep. And we will never be allowed to live it down. I¡¯m sure John and Logan will lord that over our heads to their dying day. May that be many years away.¡± He sighed. ¡°Now, back to work.¡± He pulled out a blueprint. ¡°This is what I¡¯ve been working on recently. It¡¯s a bot that will be used in dangerous medical conditions. Like if there is a highly contagious disease. These bots, once functioning properly, will be able to care for those afflicted without putting the regr doctors and nurses at risk of catching the disease.¡± He exined, leaning close behind me, one arm around me, so his body basically trapped me. I bit my bottom lip as I reminded myself I needed to focus and not let myself sink into his warmth and smell. The assignment he¡¯s working on would be life-changing for so many people. I didn¡¯t realize Silvercloud did things like this. I¡¯m only familiar with the tech that is sold in stores. ¡°Wow, that sounds amazing.¡± I smiled as I thought of how this medical bot could help the world. ¡°It could also be used to bring medical care to areascking medical staff either due to economic reasons or because they are so remote few people are willing to go to them.¡± ¡°Exactly. So I want you to look at this draft blueprint and start thinking of ways to make it possible and if there are improvements to be made. I¡¯m going to be working on the medical coding program.¡± He smiled. ¡°Sounds like a n.¡± I agreed, turning my head to look at him, and found my breath caught in my throat at how close our faces were. The urge to close distance and kiss him was so powerful. Sara was all for it. And based on the amount of amber in his eyes, his wolf agreed. But he managed to step away. Probably for the best. We did say we wouldn¡¯t give into temptation at work. Chapter 7 - Silvercloud Chapter 7 - Silvercloud I used to tease Logan that he and Aurelia couldn¡¯t be left alone in his office, or they¡¯d get no work done because of all their fucking. He would flip me off and tell me to wait. I fully understand why none of my friends share an office space with their mates, and I don¡¯t think I can do this. Myb at the office is spacious when it¡¯s just me, but with Persephone in here, I feel like I¡¯m in a closet. She¡¯s both too far and too close. It wouldn¡¯t be a big deal if this were my bunkerb. I could touch Persephone as much as she¡¯d let me without worrying about someone watching and what it could do to her future in this industry. But we are in the Silvercloud HQ, and I don¡¯t want to do anything that risks the reason she¡¯s here. She didn¡¯te here to find her mate. She came here for this opportunity with mypany. So despite what Jaci and I want, I¡¯ve tried to ignore her scent and the pull of the bond. I¡¯m both grateful and annoyed that Shikoba sent that text that interrupted our kiss earlier. She was right to remind me that this is a business, and we shouldn¡¯t be doing that here. And as much as I wanted to go into the system and turn off the cameras in myb, I didn¡¯t. It would look suspicious if anyone paid enough attention. I already have Shikoba asking me what¡¯s going on with my intern. I don¡¯t need more people asking questions. Thankfully I got a chunk of the coding done for my med-bot. Having a task to focus on was helping, for the most part. It didn¡¯t stop me from being hyper-aware of Persephone¡¯s presence in myb. And I couldn¡¯t help but nce over my shoulder every so often to look at her. More times than not, I would catch her looking back at me, and we¡¯d both be embarrassed that we got caught and look away. This happened to be one of those moments, though the reason I¡¯d turned was less to do with my attraction and more with the gurgling noise emanating from her side of the room. If this were someone else making those sounds like anyone in the pack¡¯s stomach, I¡¯d have wrinkled my nose and asked if they needed an exorcist or something along those lines. Yeah, I got it bad if her stomach gurgles are cute. ¡°Hungry?¡± I asked with a smile as she blushed, holding her hand over her stomach. ¡°I may have forgotten to eat this morning. And the donuts and coffee they offered weren¡¯t all that appetizing.¡± Persephone confessed. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you eat this morning?¡± I asked because anyone that leaves the packhouse hungry should see a doctor. Mrs. Carmichael makes delicious food and plenty of it. ¡°I know there is always a great spread of food where you¡¯re staying.¡± ¡°Jetg and an impromptu run left me without enough time to eat. It was either eat ande to work N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. still in the clothes I traveled in or skip breakfast to take a shower and change.¡± Persephone shrugged, still blushing. I love seeing that soft stain of pink on her cheeks. I wish she were blushing for something other than the embarrassment of being hungry. For example, I can¡¯t help but wonder if she¡¯ll turn the same shade of pink when aroused or post-sex. I shook my head slightly because I should NOT let my mind go down that path. If I start thinking about sex with Persephone, I will be sporting wood for the rest of the day. It¡¯s not a good look and would make the rest of the day ufortable. I nodded and didn¡¯t press why she went on the run. We must be cautious about what we talk about here for the sake of werewolf secrecy. I assume the run is because her wolf wanted to stretch her legs after a long flight from Italy. I can¡¯t me her for that. Jaci would be going stir-crazy if we had to travel that far. He gets stir-crazy if I spend too long in my bunker. ¡°Gotcha.¡± I nodded and checked the time. ¡°No wonder your stomach is growling. It¡¯s way past lunchtime. Come on, let¡¯s grab something to eat.¡± I suggested locking down myputer. ¡°Sounds good to me. Is there a cafeteria in the building? Or are we going somewhere nearby?¡± She asked, following my lead as she locked herputer. ¡°Well, there is apany cafeteria. I tend not to eat there when I¡¯m here.¡± I shrugged, putting my hand on the small of her back as I guided her out of the office. Was I looking for an excuse to touch her? Duh. Her back stiffened for a half second when my hand pressed against her, but she quickly rxed into my touch. So I¡¯m not the only one who wanted the excuse to be physically closer. ¡°Why don¡¯t you eat at the cafeteria? Is the food bad?¡± Persephone asked as we got into the elevator. ¡°No. I¡¯m sure the food here is great. I¡¯m the outcast of Silvercloud.¡± I shrugged. I still found it hrious that the boss is the pariah of his ownpany. I¡¯m sure people would be nicer to me if they knew who I really am, but this is much more entertaining. Shit, that reminds me, I need to tell Persephone who I am. Like who I really am. I hope she¡¯s not going to be pissed at me or anyone else for never telling her that Delta Jonathan is Jonathan Silvercloud, founder and CEO of Silvercloud. I can¡¯t tell her my real identity here at the office¡ªtoo many eyes and ears. Thest thing I want or need is the public eye¡¯s scrutiny. I¡¯m not like John and Logan, who can handle it. Maybe I can tell her at lunch, or I can tell her on the drive back to Bloodmoon. ¡°Why would you be an outcast? The way Kurt and Isis talk about you, it sounded like you¡¯re one of the most liked people in town.¡± Persephone frowned. ¡°To them, I¡¯m the most liked person. Here I¡¯m, the guy that¡¯s caused a few minor fires.¡± I chuckled. ¡°They worry every time Ie into the office.¡± ¡°Justifiably, Weaver.¡± Reed Hill stated in his monotone voice as he and the girl from earlier stepped into the elevator. ¡°You should find out if they will reassign your mentor, youngdy. Weaver is nothing but trouble, and associating with him will only reflect poorly on youter.¡± ¡°Always nice to see you, Reed.¡± I greeted him with a bright smile. ¡°You just light up every room you enter with your warm and weing personality.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t imagine Jonny causing trouble. I thought he was very charming.¡± The girl, I can¡¯t remember her name, batted flirty eyes at me. I really should remember her name. She¡¯s a werewolf from another pack that had to get express permission from Logan to work here as an intern as this is Bloodmoon territory. But I can¡¯t bring myself to give a shit. She¡¯s pissing off my mate, and I don¡¯t like it. ¡°Thank you for that totally unsolicited professional advice. So you can take your Malfoy vibes elsewhere. I enjoy working with him.¡± Persephone rolled her eyes with a dismissive wave of her hand at Reed. ¡°y nice, Persephone.¡± I snickered, resisting the urge to pull her closer. Reed does remind me of Lucius Malfoy from the books. ¡°I see you two have gotten cozy,¡± Mmented. ¡°I didn¡¯t know inter-office rtionships were allowed.¡± ¡°They are highly frowned upon. Especially in such circumstances. You better watch yourself, or you and your blonde bimbo will be on the street.¡± Reed scoffed. ¡®Kill him. Kill him now.¡¯ Jaci snarled. I was on board with Jaci¡¯s n because Reed was cruising for a bruise. That much was for sure. I was ready to reply, but Persephone beat me to it. ¡°Are you jealous that my blonde hair is natural while yours clearlyes from a bottle?¡± Persephone snorted. ¡°And watch whom you¡¯re calling a bimbo. I earned my spot as an intern here, and nothing will stand in my way of turning this internship into a full-time job.¡± Wow, it still amazes me how passionate my mate is about working here. And once again, I hope she doesn¡¯t get upset when she finds out who I am. I don¡¯t want her to think she was given special treatment in her cement. I¡¯ll exin to her how I blind assess the submissions for new interns, so at no point in the process did I know she had even submitted. She is here on her merit, not because of who she knows or is rted to. ¡°Now, excuse us. We are taking our lunch break.¡± Persephone shouldered past Reed as she walked out of the elevator with the poise you¡¯d expect of a Beta-born wolf. ¡°Well, it was nice to see you, Reed. Good luck with your intern. Hopefully, you are teaching her things that are relevant to the workce.¡± I shrugged as I hurried out after Persephone. ¡°You good?¡± I asked when I finally caught up to my long-legged mate. ¡°He¡¯s an asshole. And do not get me started on that M flirt.¡± Persephone growled. ¡°How can management hire people like that? Thepany website makes Silvercloud sound like this great ce to work that¡¯s epting and open to all. Yet day one, I meet jerks like that?¡± She frowned, pointing her thumb over her shoulder to where Reed and M stepped out of the elevator. ¡°We only hire the best and brightest here,¡± I exined. ¡°Reed¡¯s personality may becking, but he has a brilliant mind. Everyone is here for what they can bring to the table, and Reed gets along with his peers in his division, which is most important for the teamwork side of things. I don¡¯t need him to like them.¡± I shrugged. ¡°And M?¡± Her blond brow arched as we walked out of the building. ¡°Who¡¯s M?¡± I asked half-seriously because I would keep forgetting that girl¡¯s name. Persephoneughed, and shit, I love the sound. ¡°Are you fucking with me? cating me? Or do you honestly forget the names of every pretty woman that flirts with you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not fucking with you. I wouldn¡¯t be insincere enough to say something to appease you. And the only pretty woman I want flirting with me is you. So unless I have to remember names because they are pack, I don¡¯t care who they are.¡± I assured her as I led her away from the office. I must have said something right because just as we had gotten out of the line of sight to the building, Persephone pulled me by my shirt and kissed me. We aren¡¯t in the office, so we can¡¯t get called out for being inappropriate before, and we aren¡¯t going to just run into anyone from the pack to taunt me about kissing in public. I¡¯m certainly not going to protest a little PDA. I only pulled back from her lips because her stomach growled again. We both snickered and smiled. ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s get you fed before your stomach rumble gets mistaken for an earthquake or pending eruption of a nearby volcano.¡± I taunted, slipping my hand into hers. Chapter 8 - Persephone Chapter 8 - Persephone It was rather endearing that Jonathan kept forgetting M¡¯s name. I don¡¯t even care if he does so intentionally or not. She can eat her heart out. I may mean that literally because he¡¯s mine. She¡¯s a werewolf, so she better start respecting that. If she doesn¡¯t, we are going to have serious problems. ¡®You know what would put her in her ce.¡¯ Saramented as we entered a little bistro a couple of blocks from the office. ¡®Kicking her ass?¡¯ I offered. ¡®Well, that could help. But the best way to get any she-wolf to leave our mate alone is to mark him.¡¯ Sara licked her lips. I couldn¡¯t help it. I looked at Jonathan¡¯s neck and tried to picture a mark there. I¡¯m Beta by blood, but he is a Delta. So, whose mark would it be? Would his neck bear the Fayte dove, or would it be his family¡¯s mark? That made me ponder his family¡¯s mark, and more than that, I wanted to know more about him. I only know a little from what others have told me. ¡°What¡¯s your family like?¡± I found myself blurting out as we took a seat in a booth. He blinked at me for a second, then frowned. ¡°I just meant that I don¡¯t know much about you beyond the few things others have mentioned. No one talks about your family. And well, you know plenty about my family. But you don¡¯t have to tell me if you don¡¯t want to.¡± I tried to backpedal. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Just seemed a little random to go from silence to asking about my family.¡± He assured me. ¡°My family is the pack.¡± I furrowed my brow, trying to understand that answer. ¡°That¡¯s a vague answer. I know everyone, generally speaking, feels like family in a pack. Especially if you are someone of rank. That¡¯s not what I meant when I asked about your family.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t remember my family. All I know is what the Kinsley family has told me. My family¡¯s pack was attacked, and I¡¯m the sole survivor. My mother was barely able to escape and get me to Bloodmoon. She died shortly after Logan found us.¡± He shrugged while picking up the menu. It was strange how casually he could talk about it. I still get choked up if I speak of papa and mama. Hell, I get choked up thinking about them and how we lost them. Yet he¡¯s still here talking about losing his family, like he¡¯s discussing the weather. ¡°How old were you?¡± I asked. ¡°It had to be young not to remember your parents.¡± ¡°I was six when it happened. I remember bits and pieces. Like I know my dad was white, and my mother was an indigenous person. I remember my dad was a scientist.¡± He sighed, putting the menu down. ¡°I can¡¯t remember his face, but I sometimes have dreams about him. Of being little and rushing into a he was working on. I never remember what he says beyond when he first greets me and calls me Jonny.¡± He frowned. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I didn¡¯t mean to dig up painful memories.¡± I apologized as I reached across the table to hold his hand. ¡°But it¡¯s good to remember things. Even if it¡¯s vague or small and insignificant to someone else, it¡¯s how they stay alive in spirit.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I know you didn¡¯t ask to be mean or something.¡± He nodded as he squeezed my hand. ¡°We¡¯re mates, so it makes sense you¡¯d want to know more about me. It¡¯s just been a long time since anyone¡¯s asked. Even the ranked females haven¡¯t asked about my past. They know what their mates told them, and I think they wanted to let me decide if I opened up further.¡± ¡°Well, I don¡¯t want to force you to open up. We don¡¯t have to talk about anything you don¡¯t want to.¡± I assured him. ¡°I told you, it¡¯s okay. You¡¯re like me in that you have an inquisitive nature. You like to have answers. And we have somemon points like we both are inventors, and we¡¯ve lost a lot.¡± He shrugged. He is right. Not just about my inquisitive nature but ourmonalities. Not that having a simr tragedy is a great foundation for love, but it does mean we will understand each other better. He lost his family when he was so young that we won¡¯t understand each other to some degree. But it still helps us be considerate of each other¡¯s pains. ¡°And you¡¯re right that I know a lot about you already. I may or may not have done a full background check on you after John said I would be your liaison.¡± He admitted with a subtle blush on his cheeks. ¡°Seriously?¡± Iughed, not sure if I was offended or impressed. ¡°I wanted to be prepared for dealing with you. I¡¯d already raised some gs at work when I requested you to be assigned to me.¡± He chuckled. ¡°Well, for as excruciating as being trapped in ab with you all day, I¡¯m d they gave in to your request. I can suffer through not being close during the work day as long as I can still be around you. It¡¯s like a catch twenty-two.¡± I chuckled. ¡°Yeah. Blessing and a curse to share ab with someone I¡¯m insanely attracted to.¡± He admitted, and I blushed. Goddess, what is wrong with me? I¡¯m blushing because he said he¡¯s attracted to me. ¡®Insanely. Jonathan said he¡¯s insanely attracted to you.¡¯ Sara unhelpfully chimed in. ¡°I know the feeling,¡± I admitted. I sighed in relief when we were interrupted by the waitress, and we had to choose our lunches. It gave me a chance to focus on something that wasn¡¯t his handsome face and this urge to jump him here in the restaurant. Yeah, I need to get that shit under control ASAP. Everyone in my family would happily say, ¡®I told you so¡¯ if they found out I let sexual desires override rational thought. Hell, Andr¨¦ would throw a party mostly because he loves a party, but he¡¯d make the theme ¡®told you so.¡¯ While we ate, the conversation was lighter. I didn¡¯t try to dig further into Jonathan¡¯s parents. He told me what he could remember and what others had told about them. His father was Daniel Weaver, a scientist, and his mother, Jacira, was a shaman in the pack. Otherwise, he told me about growing up in Bloodmoon and how John Sr and Elizabeth Kinsley were his foster parents. But in his opinion, John Jr, Logan, and Charles all took on a big brother/father role in his life as they are whom he looked to more than John Sr. He told me about growing up with Kurt and how some in the pack were mean to Kurt because of his douchebag father. People started to ept Kurt because Jonathan was his friend, and soon Kurt had people like David, the guy I met this morning, and Mikali joined their merry band of friends. It was so cute how animated he became when he talked about his friends. His eyes lit up, and he talked with his hands nearly as much as Andr¨¦ does. It was tough to resist leaning across the table to kiss him. We were finishing our lunch when the familiar scent of my sister hit me. I turned in my booth and grinned, waving my arm as I spotted her and a guy I remember from the war. He must be Scott, the liaison Kurt told me about. He didn¡¯t look super thrilled to be escorting my sister but whatever. That¡¯s on him. My baby sister is as sweet as sugar. ¡°Delh!¡± I shouted, waving for them to join us. ¡°Persephone!¡± Delh beamed at me as she hurried over, Scott trailing behind. ¡°Oh, you must be Jonathan. I¡¯ve heard so much about you through Isis.¡± Delh smiled, offering her N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. hand to Jonathan. ¡°I¡¯m Delh Fayte.¡± ¡°Hi, Delh. Nice to meet you.¡± He smiled and shook her hand. ¡°Hey, Scottie. Stop looking so down in the dumps. Logan catches you looking like someone ran over your dog. He¡¯s going to think you don¡¯t like your job.¡± Jonathan teased. ¡°Remember what you could be doing instead.¡± I¡¯m not sure what the alternative to escorting my sister around is but based on the look on Scott¡¯s face, it¡¯s not pleasant. ¡°Don¡¯t even suggest that, Silverclo¡­.¡± Scott¡¯s eyes went wide as he pped a hand over his mouth. Jonathan growled at Scott and then looked at me with concern and regret. Delh eeped, unsure what was going on but picked up that it wasn¡¯t good. I was stunned. My brain was processing what just happened, and then it clicked. Scott called him Silvercloud. Why would he call him that? He works there, but why call him that? And why does Jonathan look concerned and regretful? I suddenly stood from the booth and grabbed Delh¡¯s arm. ¡°Let¡¯s go for a walk. I need some air, far from people that keep secrets.¡± I dered, half dragging my sister out of the restaurant before I did something I regretted. ¡°Persephone?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Why did we leave?¡± ¡°Where are we going?¡± ¡°Could you slow down?¡± ¡°You¡¯re starting to hurt my arm.¡± My sister kept asking questions, but I was ignoring her, the sound of my angry blood pumping fast through my veins drowning everything out. He¡¯s Silvercloud. MY MATE IS SILVERCLOUD! He didn¡¯t tell me his realst name! He LIED to me! And because of a slip-up from his packmate, I found out. If his packmate knew, that means others in Bloodmoon knew. That means Kurt knows! Kurt knew all this time his friend was Silvercloud and never told me! Why?! Why wouldn¡¯t anyone tell me!? I¡¯ve talked about Silvercloud, my love for thepany, and how I wanted to meet the founder someday. They let me ramble on like that for YEARS and never thought to say that the Bloodmoon Delta is the Silvercloud. Darren would have known the truth. Does that mean Andr¨¦ knows? How could he keep that from me? From anyone, if I¡¯m honest, since Andr¨¦ doesn¡¯t keep secrets that aren¡¯t his own. I thought Kurt and Isis were my friends, but they kept something like that from me. Why? And why wouldn¡¯t Jonathan tell me? We¡¯re mates, and he LIED! I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m more pissed or hurt. I¡¯m both, and I don¡¯t know how to express it. I tugged Delh into the small alley and let out an angry howl as I punched the wall. ¡°PERSEPHONE!¡± Delh eximed, rushing over as I slumped down to the ground, no longer caring if my work clothes got dirty. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Delh asked, holding my hand and checking it to ensure I was okay. Of course, I¡¯m okay. I¡¯m a werewolf, so I heal. ¡®You are so overreacting. You ran out on our mate without letting him exin himself.¡¯ Sara huffed. ¡°He lied to me.¡± I sniffled, hating myself for crying. ¡°Who? About what?¡± Delh asked as she pulled me into a tight hug. ¡°My mate¡­¡± I choked out the words as I cried in my little sister¡¯s arms. ¡°Your mate?¡± Delh gasped. ¡°Jonathan¡­or Silvercloud¡­ or whatever his name really is. He lied about his name.¡± I tearfully exined. Chapter 9 - Silvercloud Chapter 9 - Silvercloud Shit, shit, shit! I quickly got up from the booth as my future ran out the door dragging her sister behind her. Scott at least had the self-awareness to look remorseful. ¡°I¡­¡± He opened his mouth but quickly shut it when I red at him. ¡°You pick up the tab. I need to chase down my mate and hope to Goddess that she forgives me.¡± I growled, jabbing my finger into Scott¡¯s chest. ¡°And you get to answer to Logan for your slip.¡± My identity is supposed to be a fucking secret. It has been that way since Iunched thepany. The only way someone outside the pack finds out who I am is because they are mated to someone in the pack. The only tiny sliver of gratification I got was how pale Scott turned when I said he¡¯d have to answer to Logan. ¡®She¡¯s our mate, and your dumbass couldn¡¯t find time in the conversation, like when she asked about your family to mention you¡¯re Silvercloud?¡¯ Jaci scolded me. ¡®If you ruined things with our mate, I¡¯m not forgiving you, and we are beating Scott so bad his mother won¡¯t recognize him.¡¯ ¡®I hadn¡¯t thought about it. I don¡¯t generally think about my name. And I was still going to tell her. If not during lunch on the way back home. Scott¡¯s the one that screwed me.¡¯ I grumbled as I rushed out of the restaurant, following her scent. ¡®While he¡¯s the dumbass that opened his mouth and inserted his foot till his toes poked out of his ass, you are the one that was responsible for informing our mate of such things. Now it looks like we were keeping secrets.¡¯ Jaci reminded me. Of course, he will not let this slide or let all the me go to Scott. Darn wolf and being a moral did want to tell her in my own time and away from the office. Fuck Scott for taking that option away from me. I rounded the corner, following her scent, and felt like even more shit when I saw her on the ground. She was wrapped in a hug as her sister consoled her in a dingy alley. I hated to see her upset. I hated even more that it was my fault. She knew I was there but stubbornly refused to look in my direction. ¡°I didn¡¯t lie.¡± I sighed. Well, at least opening my dumb mouth got her attention. It got the attention of both Fayte sisters, and nearly identical green eyes narrowed at me. To my surprise, the little one was the one that got up and poked me in the chest. ¡°I don¡¯t know whom you think you are, but nobody makes my sister cry. I may not have a wolf to unleash some gift on you, but you can bet your ass I¡¯ll be sure our sister Crista sees you put in your ce. No one gets to mess with the Fayte sisters.¡± Delh scoffed. It would be scary if she were anyone else threatening me. I mean no disrespect to the younger Fayte, but she¡¯s not intimidating. I¡¯ve dealt with enough women, especially those I don¡¯t find intimidating like Hana, to know how to handle this situation. I held both hands up in surrender. ¡°I am Persephone¡¯s mate. No matter what anyone calls me, that will always be true. And I don¡¯t like upsetting Persephone or anyone, especially her.¡± I sighed. Delh frowned and nced at her sister. ¡°I think you should listen to him. He doesn¡¯te with some long list of deplorable rumors like Alec did, and Crista still gave him a chance.¡± She encouraged stepping aside. Well, at least she¡¯s sort of on my side. I sighed, taking cautious steps toward my mate. If I¡¯ve learned anything in my life, it¡¯s always to be careful when approaching a she-wolf that is upset for any reason. I knelt in front of her and took the risk of touching her chin, so she had to look at me. I didn¡¯t like the hurt I saw in her eyes or that it looked like she¡¯d been crying. ¡°I am sorry I hadn¡¯t told you earlier. I couldn¡¯t say anything in the office. No one else but my assistant knows who I am. And I should have told you at lunch, but we were talking about many things, and I didn¡¯t.¡± I apologized, hoping she¡¯d ept my reasons. ¡°I had fully intended to tell you on the drive home tonight, but dumbass Scott blew that for me.¡± I sighed. ¡°Please don¡¯t be mad at me.¡± She took a deep breath, closing her eyes. I¡¯m not sure if this was her calming down or just that she didn¡¯t want to look at me. I hope it¡¯s the first one. I don¡¯t want her to be mad at me. This is day one of us being together, and I¡¯ve already screwed it up. But so long as she doesn¡¯t let this get in our way, I can and will make it up to her. ¡°It¡¯s not just you that I¡¯m mad at.¡± Persephone sighed. ¡°I¡¯ve talked about yourpany and wanted to meet you for years. And in all that time, no one said they knew you. Kurt, Isis, Darren, Andr¨¦. None of them told me. Yet one dumbass I barely know identally does.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be mad at them either, please. When Iunched Silvercloud Industrial, we all agreed my identity should remain a secret. I couldn¡¯t handle the public eye like John, and to a lesser extent, Logan does. So to protect the pack and me, it became a pack secret.¡± I exined, letting my hand cup her face, wiping a stray tear. ¡°In the pack, I¡¯m Silvercloud. Sure some people call me Jonathan. John only ever calls me Jonathan. But Logan¡¯s been calling me Silvercloud since I was a kid, and well, it caught on.¡± I sighed. ¡°I can almost get it. Having a secret identity to work and not have your employees freak out.¡± She sighed. ¡°But don¡¯t sit there and say you didn¡¯t lie to me. You introduced yourself as Jonny Weaver.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s not technically a lie. Silvercloud was my mom¡¯s surname, but Weaver was my dad¡¯s. I guess because he moved to her pack, I was given her name and not his.¡± I shrugged. ¡°What¡¯s in a name? That which we call a rose. By any other name would smell as sweet. Weaver? Silvercloud? No matter what people call me, I¡¯m still me. I¡¯m still your mate.¡± I smiled softly as I brushed my thumb across her cheek, hoping the bond would help quell her rampaging emotions. ¡°Awe, Pers, he¡¯s quoting Shakespeare to you.¡± Delh gushed. Persephoneughed/sighed as she shook her head. ¡°Don¡¯t think quoting Shakespearean tragedies where both leads kill themselves will make me swoon.¡± I smiled less nervously now. ¡°Perish the thought. I leave the pretty swoony words to John.¡± Persephone chuckled softly, and the anger in her eyes faded. I bet she¡¯s feeling the same pull of the bond as me. She must because we keep getting closer. ¡°Will you two kiss already? I want to get a picture to send Crista and Andr¨¦.¡± Delh sighed. I groaned, my forehead resting against Persephone¡¯s. Suddenly it¡¯s clear why all my mated friends get annoyed with me. Am I that much of a cockblocker? Shit, I probably am. I owe apology gifts to all my friends. At least I¡¯m not alone in my annoyance because Persephone looks like she wants to snap at This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. her sister. ¡°Put that damn phone down. You don¡¯t get to announce to anyone that I have a mate. That¡¯s my job.¡± She sighed. ¡°We should probably get back to work. We can discuss your name and all that tonight.¡± ¡°We can discuss anything you want.¡± I nodded as I helped her stand up. ¡°There you are. Delh, we need to go. You have another ss in twenty minutes.¡± Scott announced as he reached the alley. He was met with three res. I know why Persephone and I are ring at him. I guess her sister red on her sister¡¯s behalf. It better be on Persephone¡¯s behalf. If Scott has said or done anything to offend or upset the youngest Fayte, he¡¯s a dead man. Nothing would save him from death because Logan would straight up hand him over to Alec. I don¡¯t want to think about what the Alpha of Incubi would do to someone that wronged his youngest sister-inw. Shit, I hope that this whole name issue isn¡¯t something that would result in me being in trouble with Alec. Because I am always secure no matter what I do, so long as I don¡¯t hurt Aurelia or one of his kids, Logan would never kill me. I can¡¯t say the same for Alec. ¡°Look, sorry for blowing up your spot. I wasn¡¯t even thinking about the mixedpany.¡± He held his hands up. ¡°And know nothing you can do to me will be worse than what Alpha will do. Not only for the slip but if I don¡¯t get her¡­.¡± Scott pointed at Delh. ¡°To her ss on time.¡± ¡°Let it go, Persephone. Logan will not go easy on him, and his punishment will only worsen if your sister iste.¡± I chuckled and wrapped my arms around Persephone as she still looked annoyed. ¡°I¡¯m d you made up. You better tell at least Crista before I do.¡± Delh smiled. ¡°I better go because as important as working for your mate is to you, is how important this botany course is to me. I¡¯ll see you at the house.¡± She waved as she left with Scott. ¡°We should get back to work. I wouldn¡¯t want you to get in trouble for taking a long lunch. I hear our boss is a real whip-cracker.¡± I taunted as I kept one arm around her to escort her out of the alley. ¡°Is that so? Didn¡¯t take you for the kinky type.¡± She teased, pulling away from me before we reached the office. Not being able to touch my mate all day at work will drive me crazy. And her saying stuff like that isn¡¯t helping. She knows I can¡¯t say or do anything now because we are at the office. But I¡¯ll say and especially do plenty tonight. And it¡¯s that thought that¡¯s going to get me through the rest of today. Chapter 10 - Persephone Chapter 10 - Persephone I will me the mate bond, and it was screwing my emotions. It¡¯s the only exnation I have for my strong reactions to things that are not me. There was a logical reason he went by Weaver at the office. And it makes a lot of sense. People would treat him differently if they knew he was Silvercloud. For example, Reed would undoubtedly have a 180 change of attitude. He¡¯s damn lucky Jonathan is as easygoing as Kurt and Isis said. I can¡¯t imagine any other boss, undercover or not, would ept that kind of treatment. And while it might make jerks like him rethink their treatment of Jonathan, it would also make bitches like M fawn over him more than they already do. That girl was getting on myst nerve. At least THREE times after lunch, she ¡°identally¡± came to our at the bitch. It¡¯s good that I heal because I¡¯ve dug my nails into my palms in sheer frustration. Each time Jonathan was polite and reminded her to use the map on her tablet. That worked the first two times to get her to leave. But thisst time, she ¡®forgot¡¯ her tablet. I¡¯ve seen how low some horny bitches will go to try and get in bed with a guy, especially one with any authority. Jonathan may not have been born a Delta, but he has the aura, and this bitch knows he is a ranked wolf. And he¡¯s not marked, and we are at work, so I can¡¯t just tell her he¡¯s mine, and if she doesn¡¯t back off, I¡¯ll rip her throat out. ¡°M, you know how to get to Reed¡¯sb. You¡¯re intelligent enough to navigate independently if you got an internship here. You have other talents enabling you to sniff out Reed¡¯sb. He is, after all, on the chemist floor.¡± Jonathan subtly told her she was a fucking werewolf and needed to use her nose to find herb if her navigational skills were that shitty. I smirked, taking his remark as a win for me. M tittered like some airhead and touched his arm. ¡°Oh, Jonny, you¡¯re too funny.¡± I could feel Sara inching forward, eager to cut a bitch. I was a half-second from getting off my stool and killing her. Jonathan, however, frowned at M and pulled his arm back, taking a step away from her. ¡°M, your behavior is very unprofessional.¡± He sighed. ¡°This is your first day here, and I¡¯m trying to give you the benefit of the doubt. But touch me again or ¡®identally¡¯ show up in myb, and I will report you to the HR department for harassment.¡± His tone and posture took on a more authoritative vibe. Okay, it¡¯s hot when he gets authoritative. I¡¯m guessing this is his Delta mode. While I was getting turned on, M blinked as she realized he was serious. She may not know he¡¯s mine, but she better realize he¡¯s off fucking limits to her greedy paws. It¡¯s time she got the memo. ¡°Of course, sorry, it¡¯s just my nature.¡± M apologized, and I don¡¯t believe a fucking word of it. ¡°I promise I¡¯ll be more discreet at the office.¡± Yep there it was. Jonathan sighed and folded his arms, shaking his head. I knew M wasn¡¯t going to realize he was off-limits. ¡°No. You will not bother me at all. I have a girlfriend and am not interested in you or anyone else. Now, leave myb before I file aint with HR.¡± He pointed to the door. I managed not to look smug when M pouted as she quietly exited theb. He called me his girlfriend, and I could feel the smile I was fighting to win as soon as the door closed. I wanted to jump up and kiss him, but I knew I couldn¡¯t. Not here, and it sucks. I¡¯ll have to wait till after work. ¡°Girlfriend, huh?¡± I arched an eyebrow as I watched him return to his workstation. ¡°Something like that. It¡¯s new but very serious.¡± He smirked as he nced over his shoulder at me. He is too adorable for words. His beard may hide his blush, but I could see his ears turning pink. I smiled back, certain I was blushing too. ¡°Good to know. We¡­ should get back to work. Only a few more hours till we can clock out.¡± I cleared my throat needing the distraction of work, before I acted recklessly and got us both in trouble. ¡®He¡¯s the owner. I don¡¯t think he can get in trouble.¡¯ Sara pointed out. ¡®He still should abide by the rules he expects his employees to follow. Plus, I don¡¯t want some creep watching the security footage to see us in apromising position.¡¯ I countered. ¡°Yeah¡­ we probably should.¡± He agreed, licking his lips, and damn the look he was giving me as me blushing brighter. I quickly turned around to focus on rendering a model for the med-bot we were working on. This is going to be the most frustrating summer of my life. I¡¯m not sure I will survive a summer in thisb with him working but unable to touch him. His scent has me on edge at all times, and I feel one or both of us will break sooner thanter. I would never have dreamed I¡¯d be more excited to leave a Silvercloudb than I was to arrive. Yet here I am, eagerly shutting down myptop, itching to get out of this building and somewhere I can touch my mate and not get in trouble. I was tapping my nails on the desk as I waited for myptop to shut down when I felt him. He wasn¡¯t touching me, but he was close enough that I could feel the pull of the bond. ¡°Impatient to go home, Persephone?¡± He taunted in a low husky voice that sent a shiver down my spine. ¡°No more impatient than you, Jonny.¡± I teased, smiling when theputer finally finished shutting down. ¡°Now, let¡¯s get out of here.¡± ¡°Here I thought working at Silvercloud was your dream. Wouldn¡¯t think you¡¯d be in a rush to leave.¡± He chuckled as he locked up hisb, and we headed for the elevator. ¡°What can I say? There¡¯s something equally as interesting waiting for me after work.¡± I shrugged as we stepped into the elevator. I wasn¡¯t surprised to find a few employees already inside. What annoyed me was that some of them This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. gave Jonathan a wary look. I get that he has caused some mishaps in the office, but he¡¯s a brilliant scientist. You don¡¯t create the mind-blowing things he does on the first try. Being a scientist means experimentation, and sometimes that has dangerous side effects. Thankfully when the elevator stopped on M¡¯s floor, we were too full to fit her and Reed. As we reached the first floor, I started to walk for the doors but stopped as I realized Jonathan wasn¡¯t with me. I furrowed my brow and turned to find him. He was standing off to the side with a very tall professional- looking woman. They weren¡¯t talking, at least not verbally. They were using signnguage. I know Italian Sign Language because of Amelia Fun of Madonie, but American Sign Language is as different as English is from Italian. So I couldn¡¯t understand what the woman was saying to him. I only assumed it was about me as she nced in my direction, and I felt like I was being weighed, measured, and judged on if I was worthy. ¡°Persy? What are you standing around for? Don¡¯t you have to go home?¡± M interrupted me, trying to follow what they were saying. ¡°Persephone. My name is Persephone. Call me anything else, and I¡¯ll show you how we treat uppity bitches in Incubi.¡± I growled. That got her attention. I don¡¯t know what pack she¡¯s from, but obviously, the infamy of Incubi has reached there because she looked scared. ¡°I was only trying to be friendly. No need to bite my head off.¡± M held her hands up and looked at Jonathan. ¡°I guess that must be his girlfriend. It¡¯s ridiculous when one of our kind dates a human. It¡¯ll never work.¡± She scoffed. I rolled my eyes. ¡°You have no idea who that woman is or her rtionship to him. You shouldn¡¯t jump to conclusions like that.¡± ¡°Whatever. She¡¯ll get the same message I¡¯m about to give you. Jonny¡¯s mine, so back off.¡± M snorted. ¡°Are you saying he¡¯s your mate? Because his attitude towards you says, you aren¡¯t.¡± I shook my head at her gull. ¡°No, but that doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t have him. So stay out of my way.¡± She warned me by gripping my arm tightly to try and make her point. ¡°Touch me again, and I¡¯ll rip your arm off and shove it up your ass.¡± I smiled as I delivered a threat of my own and yanked my arm away from her grip. ¡°Ready to head out, Persephone?¡± Jonathan interrupted us before M could say something. ¡°Yes. Let¡¯s go.¡± I agreed, giving M the stink eye. ¡°Wait, Jonny, are you giving her a ride to her the temporary residences Silvercloud offered interns from out of town?¡± M asked, obviously angling to get in my way. ¡°Nope. Persephone is staying with one of my friends. So I told him I¡¯d drive her to and from work.¡± Jonathan exined. ¡°Now, if you¡¯ll excuse us, we should go.¡± ¡°But, maybe you could drop me off? I don¡¯t want to take an uber if I don¡¯t have to.¡± M put herself between us. ¡®Let me out. I¡¯ll put this bitch in her ce.¡¯ Sara growled as I barely managed to contain her. ¡°No can do. Beyond that, I don¡¯t want you in my car. We are going in the opposite direction of the ¡°Look, apany-paid uber van is waiting with some other interns. If you hurry, you¡¯ll be able to get a ride.¡± Jonathan pointed to a minivan waiting at the curb outside the office with some other interns getting inside. M huffed and didn¡¯t look at all happy. ¡°Maybe next time, then. We¡¯ll have lunch tomorrow. Bye, cutie.¡± She winked. I swear if Jonathan hadn¡¯t held my arm, I¡¯d have lost it and decked her. ¡°Not interested! Maybe some of your fellow interns will eat lunch with you.¡± Jonathan called out, which caught the attention of at least three of the guys in the intern program. ¡°Deep breaths,¡± Jonathan whispered as we entered the parking garage. I nodded and tried to do what he suggested. M just pissed me off, and I want to go back out there and pummel her. ¡°Sorry¡­ she just¡­¡± I grumbled. ¡°I know. That girl is one of those bitches. I¡¯ve not dealt with one of them before. I¡¯ve seen Logan and John deal with them in the past. Logan would have sent her packing in a cruel and humiliating fashion.¡± He snickered at whatever memory popped into his head. ¡°I remember when he first met Aurelia, Jenna was waiting for him naked in his office. He made her take the walk of shame out of the packhouse naked and burned his chair.¡± He shook his head. I wrinkled my nose and remembered the night we arrived at Alec¡¯s vi and saw Beatrice leaving in lingerie. I felt nauseous just thinking about it. I felt even worse thinking about M trying to dress like that or pull off anything simr to Jonathan. But more than sick, I was angry, and the urge to go back out there and find her was bubbling inside me. ¡°Get your wolf in check,¡± Jonathan whispered. ¡°Now stop thinking about someone of no importance. And instead, take a look at my ride.¡± He suggested turning me to face a parking spot. I was about to protest with him, but all words left me as I looked at the car in front of me. I don¡¯t know what kind of car I expected him to have, but a 1965 Aston Martin DB5 in midnight blue convertible was NOT one of them. I have a deep-rooted love of cars because my papa and I were gearheads. And we both liked the James Bond films, so standing in front of the same model car from the movies made me speechless. Chapter 11 - Silvercloud Chapter 11 - Silvercloud When we stepped out of the elevator, I¡¯d been excited to leave and spend time with Persephone far from the office. But, of course, that was impeded by Shikoba. The other staff that saw her snag me by the cor probably assumed I was in trouble for something. While no one in the building but Shikoba and now Persephone knows who I am, they all know that Shikoba is the eyes and ears of the mysterious Silvercloud. ¡°Want to tell me what¡¯s going on with the intern?¡± Shikoba signed as she narrowed her eyes at me. ¡°Not really.¡± I shrugged and signed back to keep our conversation private. Usually, if she is dealing with someone, it¡¯s done through a text-to-speech device I designed for her. I¡¯m working on a side project at the moment, which, if Shikoba is down, would involve an imnt in her brain that would instead take her thoughts, and theputer would speak them, eliminating her from even having to type. It will be groundbreaking once I get it perfected. ¡°Right, because you randomly make out with women in yourb.¡± Shikoba rolled her eyes before looking at Persephone. ¡°Does she know your secret? Can she be trusted?¡± ¡°Okay, so I don¡¯t randomly make out with anyone,¡± I tell Shikoba many things, but the one thing she¡¯s not allowed to know is that I¡¯m a werewolf. ¡°And yes, she knows who I am, and I trust her. It¡¯s tough to exin.¡± I sighed. ¡°Try to exin it.¡± Shikoba was giving me a serious all-business look. ¡°If you can try to exin string theory to me, you can exin to me why the intern you asked to have assigned to you knows your secret and was ying tonsil hockey with you.¡± I sighed and ran a hand through my hair. ¡°It¡¯s a cultural thing. Sort of like how Logan ended up with Aurelia and John with Sarael. Persephone is my person.¡± I tried to exin, hoping she would leave it at that. ¡°Great, so some weird cult leader arranged this.¡± Shikoba rolled her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s not a cult.¡± I shook my head. ¡°It is till you tell me what the real reason is.¡± Shikoba countered. ¡°But I¡¯ll drop it for now. Just make sure you two keep your rtionship private. I don¡¯t need to deal with an HR uproar over an intern sleeping with her mentor.¡± ¡°We will keep it professional in the office. And oh fuck. I need to go rescue Persephone.¡± I groaned as I noticed M. ¡°Pull everything you can about the new intern named M. I don¡¯t like her and don¡¯t trust her. She¡¯s an HR problem waiting to happen, and if she touches me again, Persephone might kill her.¡± I added, not waiting for Shikoba¡¯s reply before hurrying over to intervene before blood was shed. The more M spoke, the more I didn¡¯t trust her. Shikoba will pull what records she can find. I¡¯m going to do some research of my own as well. Logan had to sign off on her being in the territory so we would have more information on her back home. At least I got her off my back and away from my mate. I don¡¯t want Persephone in a bad mood. I want her to be in a good mood, and based on her shocked smile, she was in a better mood. ¡°You¡­ you have an Aston Martin DB5.¡± Persephone gasped, eyes wide as she took a step closer to my car. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen one outside the Bond movies my papa, and I would watch.¡± Her voice was soft, filled with nostalgia and the pain at knowing her dad was gone. ¡°He would have lost his mind to see this car.¡± She smiled sadly, running her fingers across the hood. We¡¯re both orphans, but it feels different for us. I barely remember my parents, so I don¡¯t have this ache and nostalgia about them. She was a teenager when she lost hers, so that hurts deeper. I stepped closer and put my hand on her back. ¡°Then he¡¯d have lost it if he realized it¡¯s got more gadgets than any Bond vehicle.¡± I grinned. She spun around to look up at me, those green eyes full of wonder and curiosity. Shit, we are like peas in a pod. If John thought my office needed more insurance, he would have to tell Logan the pack needs it because Persephone will be our new Delta female. ¡°Can I drive?¡± She asked eagerly. ¡°As hard as saying no to you should be¡­ no.¡± I shook my head andughed as she frowned. ¡°Maybe another time when you¡¯re familiar with the area. While the onboardputer can navigate you to Mount Hood, I¡¯d rather not on your first day.¡± I added so she didn¡¯t think it was a hard no but more a not this time. ¡°Fine. That¡¯s at least a maybe. Alec, Katrina, and Andr¨¦ are all touchy about their sweet rides back home, which is ridiculous. I¡¯m a far better driver than Katrina and Chesed. And okay, I drive more aggressively than Alec and Andr¨¦, but still.¡± Persephone huffed. I chuckled, d that the mood had changed from the growing mncholy of memories of her dad. ¡°I¡¯ve never had to ride in a car with them. Interestingly, Alec¡¯s wolf has driven a vehicle while controlling the human form. I don¡¯t think I know anyone else whose wolf has had that level of control before.¡± I ¡°Thankfully, Chesed has spent less time in control since Crista entered Alec¡¯s life. She put him in his ce.¡± Persephone shrugged as she climbed in. ¡°Not sure you¡¯re one to talk. While your eyes don¡¯t go full amber, some of your wolf¡¯s eye color swirls in your own.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ yeah..¡± I bashfully rubbed the back of my neck as I went around to the driver¡¯s side. ¡°Jaci and I are kind of unique. John says it¡¯s because of my shaman heritage. My connection with Jaci is less divided than most werewolves. Our spirits are more entwined, I guess.¡± ¡°Huh¡­ that¡¯s pretty cool. Almost as cool as this car¡­.¡± She grinned as she ran her hand across the dash. She gasped as the dash opened to show various buttons and as I started the car, the inside of the windshield lit up with disys associated with the controls. ¡°Whoa¡­ you were serious about this being tricked out more than a Bond car.¡± She whistled as she reached to touch a button. I quickly stopped her, letting out a sigh of relief. ¡°Disable allbat programs,¡± Imanded. ¡°Combat programs disabled.¡± Theputer confirmed, and several of the icons went dark. ¡°Holy shit, this car hasbat programs. What was I about to hit?¡± Persephone asked, peering at the buttons with intrigue. ¡°A headlight missile.¡± I chuckled. ¡°Daaammmn.¡± She eximed. ¡°That is awesome. And Alpha Logan and Beta John just let you drive around armed and extremely dangerous?¡± ¡°They may or may not know about everything my car can do.¡± I grimaced as my mateughed. ¡°Oh wow, that¡¯s priceless.¡± She smiled, shaking her head as she slowly stoppedughing, and I pulled out of the parking garage. ¡°Do you have a manual that details everything in this car and how it all functions? I would love to read it.¡± She asked as she looked at all the buttons like she was trying to figure them out. ¡°Not a physical one. I have a data file on my local server in my bunker of everything I¡¯ve done to my car. You¡¯re wee to peruse it.¡± I offered. She¡¯s my mate and also a brilliant person in her own right. So no reason to keep anything from her. When we mark each other, she¡¯ll be able to get in my head directly if and when I let her. I don¡¯t know if our mating was the Goddess punishing or blessing Bloodmoon, but I¡¯ll take it as a blessing now that our pack will have two very talented Deltas. ¡°Wait, you have a bunker? Is that where you werest night instead of the packhouse?¡± Persephone asked. ¡°Yeah. After the incident with blowing up part of the packhouse, Logan and John decided myb should be far enough from everyone not to cause damage. So they built me a bunker. It¡¯s a little over ten miles from the packhouse.¡± I exined. ¡°Holy shit, that exins it.¡± She blinked as something clicked in her head. I, however, was lost. ¡°Exins what?¡± I asked. ¡°Last night, I was jetgged, and Sara picked up your scent and shifted while I was still asleep. I woke up ten miles from the packhouse when David found me. Sara said she¡¯d followed our mate¡¯s scent but went around in circles, unable to find him.¡± Persephone exined. ¡°Oh, and now it makes sense why Jaci picked up your scent when I left the bunker.¡± I chuckled. ¡°Do you often sleep there?¡± She asked. ¡°Sometimes. It beats needing earplugs to drown out Logan and Aurelia fucking or on the heirs crying.¡± I chuckled. ¡°I can rte. I wish there were a bunker back in Incubi I could escape to. Having to listen to my sister and Alec fucking is beyond cringe. Especially when they go into the dark room.¡± Persephone shuddered. ¡°Yeah, I could see that being a problem. Are your nieces the fussy type? Light sleepers? Or can they sleep through all the noise their parents make?¡± I asked. ¡°They were fussy as newborns, but after they started being able to sleep through the night without needing to be fed, they¡¯ve been great. And I don¡¯t know how they manage to sleep through Crista and Alec going at it. I know a she-wolf only goes into heat once, but it feels like Crista never got out of it.¡± She sighed. ¡°I think that means their rtionship¡¯s physical side is strong. Logan and Aurelia are the same. Thankfully I can¡¯t speak to how much John and Sarael have sex as they never lived in the packhouse as a couple. Charles and Sybille weren¡¯t exactly quiet either before they moved out.¡± I shrugged. ¡°Honestly, I should have moved out when Aurelia moved in. I wasn¡¯t in a hurry and slept in my bunker more often than not.¡± I shrugged. ¡°Though now that we¡¯ve met, I should look into moving out sooner thanter.¡± ¡°Speaking of that. How do you think your pack will take the news that you are moving to Incubi?¡± Persephone asked. I mmed the brakes in shock and confusion at her question. ¡°Ahhh¡­. Jonathan¡­¡± Persephone yelped as she held the door handle. ¡°I don¡¯t want to sound like some weird sexist here. But are you fucking with me right now? Why would I Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. move to Incubi? I¡¯m the Bloodmoon Delta. I wouldn¡¯t leave my pack.¡± I shook my head, hoping she was teasing me. She must be fucking with me. There is no way that she would expect me to abandon my role in the pack to live in Incubi. She holds no rank, and her hereditary title in Nebrodi was void the day she took the Incubi oath, not to mention when Tiberius and Katrina swore in their new ranked members. So she has to be messing with me or nuts. Persephone looked at me with this serious expression for half a minute before she started tough. ¡°The look on your face and the reaction were priceless. But please never m the brakes on such an iconic car again.¡± I could finally breathe. Persephone was messing with me. ¡°As long as you don¡¯t pull shit like that again.¡± ¡°Fine.¡± She assured me. ¡°And don¡¯t worry, I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d give up being Delta toe to be a nobody in Incubi.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a relief. After we let the others know we found each other, we can discuss living arrangements.¡± I smiled and continued driving. For the rest of the drive, we mostly talked about what I do in the pack to help her understand what Aurelia and the otherdies might expect of her as the female Delta. When we arrived at the pack house, we¡¯d just walked in when I cringed hearing Hana. ¡°Silvercloud! I missed youst night!¡± Hana greeted me as she went to kiss my cheek. Before I could move to dodge like I ALWAYS do and tell her to knock it off, Hana was yanked back by the cor to was happening. Oh crap. Chapter 12 - Persephone Chapter 12 - Persephone Riding in Jonathan¡¯s Aston Martin DB5 erased all my troubles about M from my mind. Hard to think about annoying bitches that want my mate when I¡¯m in a car like this. And while it was fun to tease him about himing to Incubi, I never even considered that an option. If I were in line to be Beta of Nebrodi, I¡¯d have fought for my rank. But I don¡¯t have a rank and wouldn¡¯t dream of taking him away from his role as Delta. Every trouble I had melted away on the drive back to Bloodmoon. Nothing else mattered between being in this car and talking about our future. I was excited to get to the packhouse because we¡¯d let others know we were mates. I¡¯ll have to video call my family back in Sicily. I would say I don¡¯t know who will be more excited at this news, but I already knew it would be Andr¨¦. I had a smile on my face as we went into the Bloodmoon packhouse. The smilested all of five seconds. I should¡¯ve recognized her, but I met many people when I got herest night and was too tired to care. And right now, I¡¯ve had it up to my eyeballs with bitches trying to throw themselves at Jonathan. I couldn¡¯t do anything about M because we were at the office, but now I¡¯m done letting people think they can touch my mate. ¡°Hana? What is going on?¡± Alpha Logan questioned, raising his toddler daughter¡¯s hands from his eyes as she was perched on his shoulders. ¡°What happened? I was trying to bathe CJ.¡± Luna Aurelia frowned as she came down the stairs with their infant son wrapped in a hooded baby towel in her arms. ¡°She grabbed my cor and threw me to the ground.¡± Hana used, urately but still using, as she got up, pointing a finger at me. It dawned on me very suddenly who this human was. She¡¯s the Bloodmoon Princess. I folded my arms because there was no way I would back down. Being an Alpha¡¯s kid doesn¡¯t mean a free pass to throw yourself at other people. ¡°Alpha Logan, Luna Aurelia.¡± I bowed my head respectfully. ¡°Tell your daughter she touches my mate again, and it will be worse than her ass hitting the floor.¡± I red at Hana. All eyes turned from me to Jonathan. ¡°Guess who found their mate this morning.¡± He grinned and moved closer to me before wrapping an arm around my waist. Logan groaned while Aurelia sighed. Hana, however, looked at Jonathan and then at his arm around me, tears filling her eyes before rushing upstairs past her stepmother and baby brother. I should feel something, right? Like empathy or something like that. But I can¡¯t bring myself to. What did she think would happen? That Jonathan would never find his mate and be hers? ¡°I¡¯ll go check on Hana.¡± Aurelia sighed. ¡°She shouldn¡¯t be so surprised. She knew he wasn¡¯t hers.¡± I heard her muttering as she walked up the stairs. ¡°Coud!¡± The little red-haired girl on Logan¡¯s shoulders pped before holding her arms out. ¡°Up!¡± Jonathan arched an eyebrow at me. ¡°Are you going to duck it out with a toddler if I hold her?¡± ¡°A two-year-old is very different from a sixteen-year-old and older throwing themselves at you.¡± I rolled my eyes and elbowed him. Jonathan chuckled as he took the younger Bloodmoon princess off her father¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Hey, Rosie. Are you at least happy for Uncle Silvercloud finding his mate?¡± He spoke in the sweet voice people use when talking to a child. ¡°Happie.¡± Rose parroted with glee. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about Hana.¡± Logan sighed. ¡°She¡¯s unfortunately had a crush on this idiot most of her life.¡± He shrugged. ¡°I never encouraged it, to be clear. And you don¡¯t have to worry about Rosie here.¡± Jonathan smiled, kissing the little girl¡¯s cheeks. ¡°She¡¯s already got her sights set on Royce Bryant.¡± Logan growled and took his daughter back. ¡°Let¡¯s not start talking that way. She¡¯s two. She doesn¡¯t know what having a crush means.¡± I chuckled. ¡°I wonder if this is what Alec will be like when Gwen and Christina start liking boys. Then again, I wonder if he was like this when Katrina and Andr¨¦ were growing up.¡± ¡°Probably.¡± Logan sighed and nuzzled his daughter¡¯s face. ¡°Stop trying to grow up so fast. No liking boys or dating till you find your mate.¡± ¡°Are you going to tell CJ the same thing about girls?¡± Jonathan arched his brow. ¡°Of course. Not going to give CJ special treatment because he has a dick.¡± Logan rolled his eyes and then looked at me with a heavy sigh. ¡°So you¡¯re his mate. So I have to deal with both of you for the rest of my life?¡± He shook his head. ¡°And I¡¯ll have to call Alec and let him know your summer visit became a permanent residence. Speaking of residence, you don¡¯t n to keep living here, do you? Cause I swear to Goddess I¡¯m not insured enough for two crazy inventors under my roof.¡± Jonathan and I were bothughing. He warned me this was the most likely reaction, at least from Logan. I wish he¡¯d warned me about Hana and her crush on him. I might have been less aggressive. The key word is might. ¡°Don¡¯t worry so much, Logan. It¡¯s not healthy.¡± Jonathan teased. ¡°We nned to discuss our living arrangements tonight. We¡¯ve got bigger issues to deal with.¡± I sighed. ¡°Like?¡± Logan arched his eyebrow. It¡¯s so weird to look at him. I¡¯ve been told he was shorter than his brother but resembled him. So I was prepared to meet a good-looking man. I didn¡¯t expect him to be shorter than me. Thank the Goddess that I was too jetgged toment about his height. I¡¯ve heard stories about what happens to people that mock his size. ¡°Work and skanks,¡± I grumbled, thinking about M. She had better note sniffing around Jonathan tomorrow. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to keep Sara in check, especially if she shows up without a justifiable cause. And by justifiable cause, I mean she was sent on an errand by her mentor Reed. I cannot think of any reason Reed would need tomunicate with Jonathan. I¡¯m sure if Reed needed Jonathan for something, he¡¯d use the office email. ¡°Which reminds me, I need to ess the database we keep for approved nonpack in the territory,¡± Jonathan announced, walking quickly past Logan. Oh good. It sounds like Jonathan¡¯s going to do some digging into that bitch. I hope she didn¡¯t file the correct forms and gets sent back to wherever the fuck she came from. And with her ditz routine around Jonathan, I wonder if M got a spot as an intern on her merit. Like maybe she submitted someone N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. else¡¯s project. Or perhaps her name isn¡¯t M, and she¡¯s impersonating the real M to spy on Silvercloud and/or Bloodmoon. ¡°Wait, what¡¯s going on?¡± Logan frowned as he watched Jonathan go into his office. ¡°M Bn,¡± I growled. ¡°She¡¯s an intern too, and a werewolf. She¡¯s been getting on myst nerve, and if we weren¡¯t in an office with the mixedpany, I¡¯d have ripped her throat out.¡± ¡°Gotcha.¡± Logan nodded as he looked past me. ¡°Wee back Delh. Scott, why do you look pale? If you¡¯re sick, you can go to the doctor and stay far the hell away from my pups.¡± He narrowed his eyes at Scott, turning enough to keep Rose away. I looked over my shoulder and smiled at my sister. I know precisely why Scott looked pale. He¡¯s terrified we¡¯ve already ratted him out because I know who Jonathan is. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Alpha Logan. Scott is not sick, at least not in a way that would be contagious to your adorable babies.¡± Delh assured. ¡°Oh, she¡¯s so cute with those red curls. May I hold her? Being so far away from Gwen and Christina, I miss my baby fix.¡± She sighed. Back home, Delh is the baby whisperer. She¡¯s excellent not only with Gwen and Christina but with the babies of the other packs, like Katrina and Tie¡¯s little boy Thales or Stephen and Amelia¡¯s little girl Grace. Between Delh and Regina the heirs of all three packs have loving sitters. It¡¯s like they are born mothers. I don¡¯t have that gene. ¡®I bet you will feel different when it¡¯s your baby with Jonathan.¡¯ Sara taunted. Damn her and getting that thought in my head. Now I¡¯m trying to picture how our gics would mesh. But more than trying to imagine what our future child could look like, my brain rolled into the gutter. I remembered how he looked shirtless and wondered what it would be like to have sex with him. I must have spaced out because Delh was standing next to me, holding Rose, when I blinked back into the conversation. Scott was stammering, trying to exin why he looked pale. Ugh, he¡¯s going to drag this out. I can¡¯t watch this any further. ¡°He¡¯s terrified because the dummy called my mate Silvercloud when they ran into us at lunch. In his utter stupidity, he revealed Jonathan¡¯s identity to me before my mate could. Jonathan said he¡¯d have to deal with you for the slip.¡± I shrugged. ¡°You did what?¡± Logan growled, stepping towards Scott. Scott went wide-eyed as Logan¡¯s eyes narrowed, bing less blue by the second. Scott was quickly scrambling backward till he hit the front door. Logan¡¯s alpha aura was oppressive even for me, and I dealt with Chesed. It was bad enough that Rose started to sniffle. The aura dropped at her sniffles, and Logan looked back at Rose in Delh¡¯s arms. His eyes were back to being blue. He sighed and looked at Scott. ¡°You are fortunate that Rose is right there. Go to your apartment and do not leave it till I say so. I will deal with youter.¡± Hemanded, pointing to the door. He didn¡¯t have to be told twice. Scott eagerly ducked out of the packhouse. I would almost feel bad for him, but he¡¯s the idiot who revealed Jonathan¡¯s identity publicly. More than just Delh and myself could have heard him. I hope no one else from the office was there. I didn¡¯t even think about it before now. I¡¯ll have to ask Jonathan so we can confirm. ¡°LOGAN! Get in here!¡± Jonathan shouted, leaning out of Logan¡¯s office door. I furrowed my brow, not sure I liked the urgency in his voice. Something was wrong, and I was going to find out. I know he didn¡¯t call for me, but I followed Logan to the office to find out anyway. Chapter 13 - Silvercloud Chapter 13 - Silvercloud I felt terrible for Hana. Honestly, I do, but at the same time, she knows I¡¯m not her mate, and I can¡¯t and won¡¯t fault Persephone for what she did. Show me a werewolf who would shrug off someone throwing themselves at their mate, especially their unmarked mate, and I¡¯ll show you that you¡¯re really on a movie set, and it¡¯s just make-believe. No werewolf would be chill about that. M was bad enough trying to touch and flirt with me. But she didn¡¯t push the limit of Persephone¡¯s patience by trying to kiss me. Even if I knew Hana would kiss my cheek, Persephone didn¡¯t. I¡¯m d Logan and Aurelia didn¡¯t get angry at Persephone. Not that I¡¯d have expected Aurelia to, she was the first person to put Hana in her ce. Plus, she¡¯s had to put horny bitches in their ce when it you and your mate. And while it¡¯s a hard lesson, it¡¯s one Hana needs to learn. So I might have left Persephone to the metaphoric wolves, but I know Logan won¡¯t do anything. Even if it was his daughter she put on her ass, Persephone is his future Delta female and the sister-inw of our ally Alec. So she¡¯s fine, and my brainser-focused on wanting to dig into M¡¯s background more. Jaci and I both had a gut feeling about that girl, which wasn¡¯t good. I don¡¯t have an official office at the packhouse. I suppose I should be sharing an office with Charles and John, or more likely, I should be sharing an office with Charles while John shares with Logan or gets his own, but that¡¯s beside the point. I¡¯ve never needed an office of my own. I don¡¯t officially meet with anyone to require one. I think my office at Silvercloud HQ is a waste ofb space, but I was told I needed it for appearances. So I went to Logan¡¯s to use hisputer and dig into M. It didn¡¯t take me very long to find her request for permission to be within Bloodmoon territory for the three-month internship program. We only had three requests for this year on file. Persephone and Delh, of course, are the other two. I¡¯ve already looked at Persephone¡¯s request when I was researching her. I started scanning M¡¯s file looking for anything that stood out. And then I saw it. I saw one word that made my blood freeze. I blinked and rubbed my eyes, wishing the word would disappear or change to anything else. But there it was, staring at me, and it was probably my imagination, but I think it was I quickly jumped up from the chair, my heart beating irregrly as I nced at theputer and that word taunting me. Maybe I¡¯m wrong. Perhaps I remembered things wrong. I know I¡¯m not. I wouldn¡¯t forget that word, EVER. But I needed confirmation. And suddenly, feeling more like the scared boy I was when I first came to Bloodmoon than a grown-ass man who¡¯s now the Delta of the pack, I rushed to the office¡¯s doorway. ¡°LOGAN! Get in here!¡± I shouted, needing him to calm me down. Shit, I haven¡¯t needed Logan like this since I was eight, and the nightmares that gued me of the massacre of my birth pack finally stopped. I haven¡¯t had a nightmare, at least of the massacre. It took two years of therapy with Charles and a sleep device I invented to work through my nightmares and turn them into something else. But right now, I feel like I¡¯m in a waking nightmare. ¡°Silvercloud? What¡¯s going on? You look like you¡¯ve seen a ghost.¡± Logan frowned as he entered the office, Persephone right on his heels. She doesn¡¯t know me even a fraction as well as Logan, but even she seems to know something is wrong. There¡¯s worry in her green eyes, and it¡¯s like she¡¯s resting the urge to hug me. If that word is on that file, I will need many hugs. ¡°I need you to look at the file and tell me if I¡¯m seeing things.¡± I pointed to theptop. ¡°Um¡­ okay. I can¡¯t imagine what would be in a file to make you this out of sorts.¡± Logan frowned as he patted my arm to walk around me. ¡°Jonathan?¡± Persephone asked, her voice soft andced with concern as she stepped closer and took my hand. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°I¡­I want to be wrong.¡± I shook my head. ¡°Tell me I¡¯m wrong, Logan. Say I¡¯m overworked and losing my mind and should see an optometrist or schedule a session with Charles to get my head shrunk.¡± I pleaded as I looked at my Alpha, brother, and quasi-father figure. Logan frowned as he looked at the p*f. I don¡¯t know if that frown is because he sees what I saw or that he¡¯s still a slow reader. I should have highlighted the word, but I didn¡¯t want to because somehow that could make it real. His frown turned into a scowl and a low growl. Shit, shit, shit. That means I didn¡¯t Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. see things. ¡°Want to clue a girl in? What¡¯s going on? What does the file on M say?¡± Persephone asked. ¡°Demonw,¡± Logan growled the vile word. I shuddered involuntarily as he saw the word. I haven¡¯t heard that name since I was a kid. The mention of it essentially became taboo. I¡¯m sure some people may have still said it, whispered it, but always away from me. ¡°Um, hello. Not from here. Who or what is Demonw? And why is everyone losing their shit?¡± Persephone asked. Logan looked at me with rare sympathy in his eyes as he sighed. ¡®Do you want me to tell her? That way, you don¡¯t have to.¡¯ Logan offered through the link. It was a nice gesture. Logan knows that talking about it hurts me, like someone wanting Kurt to discuss Seigfried. Under any other circumstances, I¡¯d have let Logan exin, but Persephone isn¡¯t just anyone, she¡¯s mine, and it would be cowardly for me to let my Alpha exin my life story. ¡°I told you that my parents died when I was young. About how my pack was massacred.¡± I sighed, instinctively squeezing her hand. ¡°Yes. So was Demonw your birth pack or the ones that attacked?¡± Persephone asked, squeezing my hand back, leveraging the bond to try and offer me an anchor. ¡°They¡­they are the ones that attacked my back,¡± I confirmed. ¡°And you didn¡¯t end that pack? Or at least end their Alpha?¡± Persephone¡¯s gaze locked on Logan. ¡°Or were you not the Alpha yet?¡± ¡°I was the Alpha when Silvercloud came to us.¡± Logan nodded. ¡°It¡¯s not all that simple. Jacira told us it was Demonw, and I believed her. We went to what was left of Wildw to search for survivors and to catch some Demonw warriors, hopefully.¡± ¡°And? I won¡¯t say you did nothing since you gave Jonathan sanctuary in your pack. Bute on. Alec at least ripped Ignazio¡¯s head off and avenged my parents.¡± Persephone arched her brow. ¡°There were no survivors¡ªjust me. I¡¯m thest of the Wildw pack. They found a massive pile of ashes from where all the bodies had been burned. Nothing around the pack vige indicated that Demonw or even werewolves attacked us. The only scents were from the Wildw pack.¡± I exined, closing my eyes. ¡°So they covered their tracks. Weren¡¯t their signs of the struggle? Paw prints to show it was another pack?¡± Persephone pressed. ¡°All we found was the ashes of the dead. They erased themselves from the vigepletely. I had my best trackers scouring every inch of the vige and out twenty miles.¡± Logan exined. ¡°That doesn¡¯t seem possible. To cover up an attack like that would require not only manpower but a lot of strategies and possibly witchcraft.¡± Persephone frowned. ¡°We found nothing that indicated it was a werewolf pack that attacked. I still went to Demonw and demanded answers.¡± Logan said. ¡°I met with their Alpha Lucian ?uri?. He said he didn¡¯t know what I was talking about and told me to go home before he sent me there in a body bag.¡± Logan snorted. ¡°I was ready to fight him then and there. He wouldn¡¯t have been the first or thest to underestimate. He¡¯d be the second in the time of me being Alpha I¡¯d have put in his ce.¡± Logan sighed. ¡°So why didn¡¯t you? I¡¯ve heard a lot about your wolf. I¡¯ve been told about the Bloodmoon wolf and how the Bloodmoon spirit is as powerful as Darkness and Light. That Bloodmoon is the brother of Darkness. If you possess such an extraordinary wolf, why didn¡¯t you?¡± Persephone demanded. ¡°Because of Silvercloud,¡± Logan admitted. ¡°What do you mean? I may have been six, but I¡¯d have cheered you the fuck on to take the head of the Alpha who ordered the destruction of my people. The one responsible for me being an orphan.¡± I furrowed my brow because that was a part of this story I didn¡¯t know. ¡°It was for your safety.¡± Logan ran his hand through his hair. ¡°As far as Demonw and anyone else was concerned, the Wildw pack was extinct. We had no evidence linking the Demonw to the attack beyond your mother¡¯s word. But if we revealed that Jacira came to us, we¡¯d have revealed you survived. To this day, we don¡¯t know why Demonw attacked. They are in Vancouver with plenty of territory and far enough away from the Wildw.¡± He sighed. ¡°So, to avoid revealing my identity and possibly giving Demonw a reason to attack Bloodmoon, you left.¡± I nodded. ¡°It was more John¡¯s idea than mine. I figured if I killed Lucian, his pack couldn¡¯t do shit, but John was diplomatic and said without evidence that didn¡¯t involve putting you in the line of fire, we should back off.¡± Logan sighed. ¡°And he was right. As eager for blood as I was, I wouldn¡¯t do anything that put you in danger. I promised Jacira to protect you, and I don¡¯t break promises.¡± He shrugged. ¡°So we dropped it and kept your connection to Wildw a secret.¡± ¡°Okay¡­ so I guess I can¡¯t fault you for that. You chose to protect Jonathan.¡± Persephone sighed. ¡°But back to why that pack is mentioned in M¡¯s file. Are you saying that¡¯s her pack?¡± ¡°Yes. ording to M¡¯s request form, she is from Demonw.¡± Logan nodded. ¡°She was only a toddler when Silvercloud¡¯s pack was attacked. So not like she¡¯s at fault for the damage caused.¡± ¡°But that does mean we need to keep a closer eye on her.¡± I agreed. ¡°If she finds out who you are¡­.¡± Persephone gasped. ¡°Exactly. If this girl finds out that Jonny Weaver is Jonathan Silvercloud, it could be reported back to Demonw, and depending on how vindictive they are, and it could lead to war.¡± Logan nodded. ¡°But won¡¯t she also recognize the surname Weaver? Silvercloud was his mother¡¯s surname, but Weaver was his father¡¯s. Her being at the office, let alone the territory, is dangerous, period.¡± Persephone shook her head. ¡°That¡¯s possible, but of my parents, my mother¡¯s family was more well known. Plus, my father wasn¡¯t originally from Wildw.¡± I pointed out. ¡°Not to mention kicking her out of the program and the territory would only raise suspicions.¡± Logan sighed. ¡°I¡¯m going to pull Azriel from Sarael guard duties and include Cillian MacCarthy to watch M¡¯s every move.¡± Logan started putting a n together. It made sense to pick a Dney, and Cillian was also a good choice. He¡¯s shown himself to be a highly skilled warrior and spy. Cillian may not be able to turn himself invisible, but he can hide his scent using some pheromone the Firew pack designed, and his gift of x-ray vision would help track her without being too close. ¡°I¡¯ll also give them ess to the tracking program on her work tablet and provide which temporary residence she¡¯s been assigned,¡± I said. It was a good start. I¡¯ll have to be extra careful from this point on regarding her. Chapter 14 - Persephone Chapter 14 - Persephone I now have one more reason to want M dead. And while Logan and Jonathan are not as concerned that she even knows him as Jonny Weaver, I am. She upped her flirting after he introduced himself. She¡¯s fixated on him, and I don¡¯t like it. And no, it¡¯s not just because he¡¯s MINE, and I will cut a bitch for trying to get between us. Knowing who he is, not just to thepany but to Bloodmoon, makes him a high-profile target. Then add in finding out she¡¯s from the pack that destroyed his pack. Yeah, so many red gs are waving. At least Logan and Jonathan had ns to monitor her. I remember Cillian from the war in Sicily. He was with the others from Bloodmoon, looking for his mate. I don¡¯t remember if he found one, but I know he fought well. He didn¡¯t get himself in trouble like that guy, Clement. I wonder what happened to him after he came back to Bloodmoon. Not enough to ask or look for him. ¡°I¡¯ll also ask Shikoba to impose additional restrictions on M¡¯s ess to the building. I don¡¯t want her just wandering around.¡± Jonathan sighed. ¡°You¡¯ll have to do that to all the interns. She will get suspicious if she¡¯s the only one being restricted.¡± I pointed out. ¡°Good point. You realize that means I¡¯ll have to restrict your ess too.¡± Jonathan arched his eyebrow. ¡°Duh.¡± I rolled my eyes. ¡°Doesn¡¯t hurt my feelings. Restrict the intern ess to floors that directly involve their assignment and tomon areas like the lobby, HR, meeting rooms, and thepany cafeteria.¡± I shrugged. ¡°That sounds fair. Persephone is assigned to you anyways, so it¡¯s not like you are limiting your mate¡¯s This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. ess to you.¡± Logan nodded. ¡°Though for appearance¡¯s sake, you better keep the fucking outside the office.¡± I don¡¯t know why I¡¯m blushing. I have dealt with Tie my whole life and, worse yet, Andr¨¦ for thest three years. Yet I¡¯m blushing because Alpha Logan told us not to mess around at the office. I guess this feels different. Tie is like the big brother I never had or wanted. And Andr¨¦, well, he¡¯s his own ssification. Logan, however, is a stranger. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Logan. Unlike you and Aurelia, we can be in the same workspace and not fuck.¡± Jonathan rolled his eyes. ¡°For example, we made it the whole day with only one slip up of making out when we first realized what we are to each other.¡± ¡°Uh-huh. This was only day one. Don¡¯t think you¡¯ve got some will of steel. Even John couldn¡¯t stay stoic and in control in the face of the bond. And you do not have my brother¡¯s self-control.¡± Logan pointed out. ¡°We¡¯ll figure it out,¡± I assured him. ¡°I hope you do. Because I can¡¯t imagine Shikoba will want to deal with erasing surveince footage to cover up her boss fucking an intern over doing her actual job.¡± Logan snickered. ¡°Okay, I¡¯m lost. Who¡¯s Shikoba? What¡¯s her job if she¡¯s not part of security? And you¡¯re implying she knows who Jonathan is.¡± I furrowed my brow. ¡°Shikoba is my assistant. You saw me talking to her before we left the office. She knows who I am minus the whole werewolf part, as she¡¯s human.¡± Jonathan exined. ¡°Oh.¡± I nodded, remembering the woman he was speaking in signnguage to. ¡°So your assistant is deaf or mute?¡± I asked. ¡°I saw you speaking in sign. Of course, I couldn¡¯t understand any of it. I know Italian signnguage tomunicate with Amelia, and it¡¯s totally different from your American version.¡± ¡°She¡¯s mute. She can talk with a text-to-speech program I designed for her, but what we were discussing was private, so we signed instead.¡± Jonathan nodded. ¡°Private?¡± I arched my eyebrow. ¡°She was asking me about you. And pretty much told me what Logan just did. Not to fuck around at work because she won¡¯t go around covering up our rtionship.¡± He shrugged. ¡°She¡¯s pretty sure the Kinsley brothers and I are in some cult since I can¡¯t exin why I¡¯m already involved with someone I just met.¡± ¡°It must be veryplicated to deal with humans daily. The Sicilian packs don¡¯t mingle much with humans unless we travel to a city outside of the pack. We don¡¯t have that back home. And I don¡¯t count the witches as humans as they have magic.¡± I shrugged. ¡°It can certainly getplicated. But there are a select few humans that know about werewolves.¡± Logan nodded. ¡°By that, he means Aurelia¡¯s parents and her best friend, Alex. Otherwise, all humans that know about us are Adios, and I don¡¯t count hunters like you don¡¯t count witches.¡± Jonathan chuckled. ¡°Right. I think Darren mentioned that. Alex Whind, the bumbling human friend of Luna Aurelia. He¡¯s a dad, right? Does his girlfriend know?¡± I asked. ¡°Fuck no,¡± Logan eximed. ¡°My mate can¡¯t stand that bitch. And her name is mud in this pack after she abandoned Alex and their boy Tristan after a month, saying it wasn¡¯t working and she didn¡¯t want to be tied down to a man and a baby.¡± Logan scoffed. ¡°Wow, that¡¯s a cunt move.¡± I blinked. I may not have a mom gene, but to abandon your baby sounds horrible unless circumstances make you do it. Like Grace was given to Stephen Amelia because her father refused to ept her, and her mother could not raise a baby. At least it sounds like baby Tristan had his dad and this pack to be there for him. ¡°Exactly.¡± Logan sighed as he got up. ¡°I¡¯ll leave you two to discuss things further. I¡¯m going to see if I can get my little girl back from your sister and check on my older one.¡± Giving me a pointed look. ¡°If you¡¯re expecting an apology for putting your daughter on her ass, you won¡¯t get one.¡± I rolled my eyes. ¡°She was in the wrong and knew it. Being the Alpha¡¯s daughter doesn¡¯t give her a free pass.¡± Logan nodded and left without saying anything further. Jonathan and I shared a smile as we realized we were alone. Our bodies had moved closer like mas, and our lips were only a breath away from touching when Delh poked her head in. ¡°Oops, I¡¯m not interrupting, am I? I just wanted to know if you guys are going to eat dinner and if Persephone nned to call Crista to tell her about finding your mate.¡± Delh batted innocent eyes at us, knowing full well she interrupted us. Jonathan snickered and rested his forehead on mine. ¡°So many apology gifts.¡± He sighed. I¡¯m unsure what that means, but I turned my gaze to my beaver-blocking sister. ¡°We¡¯ll be there in a moment. And Delh, I can¡¯t call Crista till morning. Remember, we are nine hours behind Incubi. It¡¯s like three in the morning there. I¡¯m not risking waking her up.¡± I reminded her. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right.¡± Delh smacked her palm to her forehead. ¡°I totally spaced. Okay, we can call her in the morning to update her on everything that happened on our first official day here.¡± She smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll meet you in the dining room.¡± Delh waved before finally leaving us alone. ¡°Is there anywhere in this ce we could be alone?¡± I asked, hoping he knew somewhere we won¡¯t get disturbed. I sighed, d that we were alone again. Jonathan¡¯s lips curled into a devious smile barely visible behind his beard as the amber color in his eyes swirled in mischief. I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s a good or bad thing. I know it¡¯s got me hot and bothered. Again I me the mate bond and that Sara is a horny bitch. I am not under any other circumstances the kind of girl who gets so easily worked up over a guy. ¡°I¡¯d say my room upstairs, but that¡¯s not guaranteed. Nor would your guest room. So the only ce I know for sure we wouldn¡¯t be bothered is at my bunker.¡± He exined. ¡°Good thing I¡¯m not ustrophobic. Spent enough time in an underground bunker during the war.¡± I teased. ¡°Yes, but I can guarantee you¡¯ll enjoy your experience in my bunker much more.¡± He chuckled as he kissed me quickly. Or I think it was meant to be a quick kiss. It didn¡¯t pan out that way as the kisssted and deepened. His arms wrapped around me, and mine around him. We were so lost in our kiss we didn¡¯t notice when my back hit the wall by the office door. We only pulled apart because someone cleared their throat. I blushed, a little embarrassed to be caught making out in the Alpha¡¯s office. Even more so when I looked and saw the interrupting person was Luna Aurelia. She cocked her head, shifting the bundle in her arms with a smile. ¡°I do hope I¡¯m interrupting.¡± She teased green eyes full of mischief. ¡°Take your forey elsewhere. Only Logan and I get to fuck in here.¡± Sheughed as she shooed us out with her free hand. ¡°Now scoot. I have some work to do.¡± ¡°All right, we¡¯re going. No need to shove.¡± Jonathan stuck his tongue out as he guided me out of the office. ¡°Let¡¯s go eat with your sister before she tries to track us down again. Then I¡¯ll take you to my bunker.¡± Jonathan suggested. ¡°That sounds like an excellent n to me.¡± I nodded. ¡®Not in the car! I want to run! I want to meet his wolf!¡¯ Sara shouted. I rolled my eyes but decided to appease her. Plus, it is an excellent excuse to see Jonathan naked without being sexual. I¡¯ve seen him shirtless and liked what I saw, so I¡¯m confident I¡¯ll enjoy the rest of the view. ¡°Would you mind if we ran instead of driving to your bunker? Sara is itching to go for a run and meet your wolf.¡± I asked. ¡°Is that so? Or are you just looking to get me naked? Because I¡¯m okay with that.¡± Jonathanughed as he led the way to the dining room. ¡°But yes, we can run. Jaci is eager to meet your wolf too.¡± He assured me as we entered the dining room. I blinked as I realized it wasn¡¯t just Delh at the table. And there was enough food on that table to feed twenty. I¡¯m so used to living in an Alpha vi where meals are just enough for use. This must be what it¡¯s like living in a packhouse. There has to be enough food to feed anyone that¡¯s around. I can get through dinner with my sister and a bunch of strangers. I have to remind myself not to eat too quickly, even if I¡¯m in a hurry to go to his bunker. Chapter 15- Silvercloud Chapter 15- Silvercloud Typically, I¡¯m a distracted eater. So no one thinks twice about me sitting down, loading my te, and digging in without much conversation. They always chalk it up to my brain going a mile a minute, and I¡¯m probably eager to get back to myb. And they would be right. But tonight is different. I still want to get to myb, though not to work. Today I¡¯m in a hurry to fuck or at least fool around with my mate. ¡°Is everything okay?¡± Delh asked. ¡°Was there some urgent pack business?¡± She cocked her head, blinking innocent green eyes at me like she hadn¡¯t just cock blocked me a few moments ago. ¡°It¡¯s fine, Delh. It¡¯s being handled.¡± Persephone answered her sister. Mikali arched his eyebrow from his seat at the table. I doubt it escaped his attention that Delh¡¯s question was directed at me, but Persephone answered instead. Annai was giving me a simr look while still managing to stuff her face. I won¡¯t call her out on how much she¡¯s got on her te. She¡¯s pregnant, and if I¡¯ve learned anything, you don¡¯t fuck with pregnant she-wolves. ¡°It¡¯s rude to stare, Mikali.¡± I taunted before I shoveled a forkful of mashed potatoes into my mouth. ¡°It¡¯s also rude not to make introductions.¡± He countered. ¡°If it¡¯ll get you to stop looking at me like that.¡± I rolled my eyes. ¡°You know of the Fayte sisters. Delh and Persephone.¡± I gestured to each as I said their names. ¡°They are here for summer, though Persephone¡¯s stay has be permanent since she¡¯s your new Delta female,¡± I exined. ¡°Persephone, Delh, meet Mikali Hamilton and his mate Annai. Mikali is one of the pack doctors and a Luna guard.¡± I introduced, gesturing with a turkey leg at them. ¡°Priceless.¡± I put my fork down to hold my camera up to take. The looks on Mikali and Annai¡¯s faces were priceless. I snickered, texting the image to Kurt. Me: Should I expect this look from everyone I tell that Persephone is my mate? I knew I hadn¡¯t told him yet, and this was just an amusing way to go about it. I groaned as my phone blew up, and I suddenly realized it wasn¡¯t just my text thread with Kurt I sent that to. It¡¯s the group chat with him, David, Mikali, and Tanner. David: CALLED IT!!! Kurt: Excuse me, Isis and I called it first when we met Persephone Tanner: That wasn¡¯t ¡°calling it,¡± Kurt. That was suggesting how catastrophic that mating would be to the world atrge. Mikali: Still in shock. Does this mean we get to get him back for EVERY cockblock he has ever dished out? Me: Mikali, I have been cock blocked by her sister twice, work the whole fucking day, and Aurelia. I owe you an apology basket. But cock block me, and I build the ultimate glitter bomb and put it in each of your homes. ¡°I feel like we are missing something,dies.¡± Persephone shook her head and leaned over to look at my phone just as her phone started to buzz. I snickered as I nced over and saw she had multiple new text notifications from Isis, Crista, Katrina, and Andr¨¦. So much for the time difference as a reason not to tell her older sister. ¡°You told Kurt, and he couldn¡¯t keep his trap shut, so Isis texted in our group chat.¡± Persephone groaned. ¡°What are these people even doing awake? The sun isn¡¯t even up in Sicily.¡± ¡°Well, I don¡¯t want to assume or guess why Andr¨¦ would be awake. But for Katrina and Crista, the kids may be fussy.¡± Delh suggested. David: That is NOT cool! Kurt: Glitter bomb my castle and regret it Tanner: Please don¡¯t. I am NOT dealing with Zelma freaking out over that. Mikali: Do not Me: At least the boundaries are set. And TY Kurt, you just put Persephone in the middle of a barrage of messages from her family whom she¡¯d nned to tell when it wasn¡¯t before dawn in Sicily. Kurt: I¡¯m sure they were already up. Crista and Kat have kids. And Andr¨¦, well, he probably got up for a morning fuck before Darren takes his insane 10k run. Me: Didn¡¯t want or need that mental image, thank you very much. Now I¡¯m putting my phone away. The sooner I stop talking to you, the sooner I can finish eating. The sooner I finish eating, the sooner I get to be alone with Persephone. TTFN With that, I put my phone on silent and pocketed it with no ns to check it till morning. Mikali was snickering, showing his phone to his mate. I¡¯m assuming the chat is still going, and I¡¯ll have to look through a shit tone of messages to catch up. Persephone sighed and straight up turned her phone off. ¡°You alright?¡± I asked, arching my eyebrow. ¡°I don¡¯t know. You don¡¯t want to know half of what Andr¨¦ said in that thread.¡± Persephone sighed, rubbing her forehead. ¡°Delh, don¡¯t look at that chat for a while. You are far too innocent to read the graphic smut Andr¨¦ suggested.¡± I arched an eyebrow. ¡°Oh, now I want to read. What twisted shit did Andr¨¦ suggest?¡± I asked as I gestured for her to hand over the phone. ¡°Nope.¡± Persephone shook her head, starting to turn pink. ¡°You realize I can easily hack your phone in five seconds.¡± I pointed out. ¡°And I could do the same to you. Just leave it as Andr¨¦ is a twisted person, and Darren has my Persephone shook her head. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll leave it be¡­ for now.¡± I shrugged. ¡°You can tell meter when innocent ears aren¡¯t listening,¡± I suggested gesturing to her sister. ¡°I¡¯m not that innocent.¡± Delh pouted. ¡°I know the kind of things Andr¨¦ says. He probably suggested you get a strap-on and see if Jonathan likes pegging.¡± Everyone at the table coughed. Some of us coughed on food or water, while others coughed on our saliva. Poor thing looked so worried as everyone coughed. Certainly not what I expected toe out of the mouth of the youngest Fayte. ¡°Are you guys okay? Can I get you anything? I¡¯m sorry. I shouldn¡¯t have been so crass. Though I don¡¯t think there is a way of saying such a thing politely.¡± Delh apologized as she poured fresh water into all our sses. After an awkward few moments, we got ourselves under control. ¡°Delh, I love you and don¡¯t expect you to be innocent forever. But please, never repeat things you hear Andr¨¦ say.¡± Persephone sighed. ¡°Fine. As long as you aren¡¯t like some people who think I will be perpetually thirteen.¡± Delh huffed. I don¡¯t know what that is about, but it reminds me of Hana and how she gets upset that people like me still see her as a kid. I can¡¯t help that I have only ever seen Hana as a little sister I never asked for. I was nine when Logan brought her and Suzu home. I hope she goes on that trip to attend the gatherings soon. It will get her mind off of me and some of the boys her age that has found mates. ¡°Delh, you are on the other side of the world. You got invited here to attend a college summer This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org . program in a field you are passionate about. Stop thinking about that fuckboi Alexander.¡± Persephone rolled her eyes. Things were starting to piece together. Delh has a crush on the Madonie Beta Alexander Petridis. I¡¯ve, of course, never met him, but by all ounts, from the Dney brothers, he¡¯s a good enough guy with a revolving door of women in his bed. I¡¯m not going to judge because it¡¯s not my style. Everyone has to make their own choices in life. May the mate the Goddess paired him with not hold his whoring youth against him. ¡®See. This is why we¡¯ve opted to wait to find our mate. Wouldn¡¯t want her thinking less of us or calling us a fuckboi.¡¯ Jaci wrinkled his snout. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t call him that.¡± Delh scolded. ¡°He¡¯s a pack Beta, and you will now be a pack Delta. You should learn to treat other ranked wolves with respect.¡± ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll treat Alexander with respect when he starts earning it.¡± Persephone rolled her eyes. ¡°If you¡¯re done eating, Jonathan. You promised my wolf a run. And trust me. You don¡¯t want to make her wait longer than necessary.¡± Persephone teased as she got up from the table. ¡°Goddess forbid.¡± Iughed while gathering our dishes. ¡°Have a good night, everyone. I¡¯ll see you¡­ whenever I leave my bunker ande back to the packhouse.¡± I smiled, ignoring theughter of Mikali and Annai as I led the way out of the dining room. I made a quick stop to put our dishes in the dishwasher. I am not some rude shithead that would leave dirty dishes in the sink for Mrs. Carmichael to wash in the morning. ¡°This way,¡± I instructed with my hand on Persephone¡¯s back as I guided her out the back. I shouldn¡¯t be this nervous about seeing her naked. Maybe it¡¯s not nervous but more excited energy. Either way, I¡¯ve seen plenty of she-wolves naked, so I shouldn¡¯t be nervous. ¡®You haven¡¯t seen our mate naked. Whole different ball game.¡¯ Jaci snickered as my breath got caught in my throat when I nced to the side and saw Persephone already stripping. ¡°You have no qualms about stripping at the office. Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re suddenly shy.¡± She taunted me as she threw her blouse at me. I know what my tombstone will say. Here lies Jonathan Silvercloud, a genius and aplete idiot who dry-drowned while gawking at his mate in a bra. Persephone at least was amused by me gawking at her in her dress pants and white with gold floral detail bra that was possibly a little too small or just one of those bras designed to make a woman¡¯s breast appear to be spilling out. Am I drooling? Most likely. Do I care? Not in the least. Change the tombstone to drown in his saliva. Chapter 16 - Persephone Chapter 16 - Persephone I haven¡¯t been this eager to shift since the first time. I also haven¡¯t been this d I didn¡¯t wear my standard sports bra and boyshorts. Andr¨¦ may have taunted me about what I was packing, but that doesn¡¯t mean I didn¡¯t bring or don¡¯t own cute underwear. The only reason I didn¡¯t put on my usual sports bra is that this morning Sara tracked our mate, and I figured if I came across him, I should put in some effort. ¡®Judging by how he¡¯s staring at you, it was the right call.¡¯ Saraughed. Okay, that was the ego boost I needed. Undressing to shift at the pack is totally different. I quickly undress and change to my wolf. I¡¯m naked for all of two minutes. Right now, however, I¡¯m taking my time undressing because Jonathan is looking at me like that. His brown eyes were getting darker and more intense, with the amber of his wolf swirling around starting to overtake more of his iris. I¡¯ve been leered at once or twice. The offender lost some teeth and, when one dared whine to Alec about it, lost some more for leering at his younger sister. The way Jonathan is looking at me is nothing like that. Nothing about his gaze makes me nauseous or angry. If anything, the way he¡¯s looking at me is giving me butterflies and making my body feel hot with an ache between my legs. ¡®Well, keep going. You¡¯re impeding me from meeting Jonathan¡¯s wolf. You know MY mate.¡¯ Sara encouraged, nudging me. That encouragement pushed me to flick the front sp of the bra to the sound of Jonathan sucking in a breath and breathing out a growl that resonated in my bones. I could onlypare this feeling to the spark of the mate bond, but I can¡¯t me the bond as he¡¯s not touching me. ¡®If you feel this way without him touching you naked, just wait.¡¯ Sara snickered. ¡®Now stop wasting time. I want to shift.¡¯ I get she¡¯s in a hurry, but I feel like a deer in headlights with him looking at me like that. After I shrugged out of my bra, my hands hovered at my cks, nervous about taking them off. Especially as he¡¯s still standing there fully clothed. Somehow it feels both unfair and hot¡­ mostly hot having him staring at me. His eyes raked down my body to look at my hands, and his eyebrow arched at my hesitation. ¡°Want some help with that?¡± Jonathan offered as he gestured to my waist, his voice changing pitch like he was just as nervous about making the offer as I was standing here half naked. My answer was lodged in my throat, but before I could answer, an annoyed sigh made us both jump. My arms quickly moved to cover my breasts. Jonathan growled, and suddenly his shirt was off his body and pulled over mine, trapping my arms inside the stained shirt. Our heads turned to find Azriel Dney walking up from I don¡¯t know where with his head cocked and augh bubbling on his lips. ¡°I wonder if my brother-inw knows about this.¡± He chuckled. I am going to die of embarrassment at this rate. ¡°Persy, if you¡¯re going to strip for a man, you should probably do it in private. At least not right behind a packhouse where anyone could walk by.¡± He teased me. ¡°And Silvercloud, rx. Mated father of two over here. Plus, she¡¯s like the kid sister I always wanted and thankfully never got.¡± Heughed, holding his hands up. ¡°I¡¯m making a mental note to put something terrible in your personal vehicle and telling Sadria not to use your car under any circumstances.¡± I narrowed my eyes at the near replica of Darren, Azriel got the lighter hair, but otherwise, I¡¯d be unable to tell them apart quickly. ¡°Oh please, don¡¯t try to intimidate me with the kind of threats your mate over there makes. You¡¯ve never blown anything up that I¡¯m aware of. So I¡¯m more afraid of him messing with my ride.¡± Azriel chuckled. ¡°What are you doing here? Should you be at home cleaning up after your pups and giving Sadria a break from them?¡± Jonathan questioned, taking a stance that kept me slightly out of sight. ¡°You should know why I¡¯m here. Alpha called me about one of your interns needing to be watched. I was at the training grounds, so I reported straight here.¡± Azriel shrugged. ¡°Stop wasting my Deltas¡¯ time and get yourzy ass in here, Dney,¡± Logan called behind us. Yep, I¡¯m going to die of embarrassment at this rate. Or maybe it¡¯s less embarrassment and more that I¡¯m going to die from a never-ending loop of beaver blocking in this pack. I get it, Goddess. You are making me live karma for being a pain in Crista and Alec¡¯s necks. Bute on! Have a heart! ¡°See you two around.¡± Azriel winked, stillughing, as he passed us and went inside with Logan. ¡°Karma¡­so much fucking karma,¡± Jonathan grumbled. ¡°Do you mean karma is catching up to you or Azriel?¡± I asked. ¡°Because I¡¯m fairly certain that karma is hitting me. I will openly admit I was a pain in the ass to my sister and Alec early on. Not that it did much good. They still fucked like rabbits, and the result was my nieces.¡± I shrugged. ¡°Peas in a pod.¡± He chuckled. ¡°Karma is catching up to me too. Not that I intentionally tried to get in Logan¡¯s way. I like all my limbs attached, and as much as I joke, he would never kill me if I got in the way of him, and Aurelia fucking, he would, and if not, she totally would.¡± He smiled. ¡°How about we head further into the tree line so we aren¡¯t so visible to anyone walking up to the packhouse.¡± He suggested nodding his head to the tree line. ¡°Yes, that sounds like a good n. I¡¯m not from this pack, but I know enough people I don¡¯t want to run into because of Darren and Kurt.¡± I agreed, wiggling my arms through the sleeves of his shirt. I don¡¯t think I¡¯m giving him this shirt back. It smells like him and is warm. Yeah, he¡¯s not getting his shirt back. ¡°You realize this is now my shirt. Right?¡± I teased. ¡°Not even a full day and stealing my clothes?¡± He shook his head with a smile. I was about to tease him back, but the words didn¡¯t get to leave my lips as he pinned me to one of the shoulders. This is the third time we¡¯ve kissed, and damn, they keep improving. Or maybe this time feels more intense because his hands have slipped under the shirt to touch my bare skin. My lips parted to moan as his calloused fingers danced their way up my sides. He took full advantage of my parted lips as his tongue slipped into my mouth and swirled around mine, taunting me. I growled into the kiss, wrapping my arms around his neck to pull him closer as my fingers pulled his thick hair out of his bun. Who knew kissing could be this addictive? Regrettably, we had to pull apart oxygen and all that. I opened my eyes to realize Jonathan¡¯s face was still incredibly close to mine. His forehead against mine, his nose brushing mine, sharing ragged heady breaths. His brown eyes were focused on mine, and I was starting to feel hypnotized at the swirling movement of amber, not entirely overtaking his iris but ever-present. I¡¯ve never seen eyes like his. It¡¯s incredible. He¡¯s incredible. ¡°As fun as watching you strip is¡­ if we hold off shifting any longer, Jaci will try and force his way out.¡± Jonathan broke the sexually charged silence in a raspy needy voice that had me clenching my thighs. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if you are trying to encourage or dissuade me from quickly shifting.¡± Unconsciously I licked my lips. ¡°Fuck¡­ Persephone, don¡¯t toy with us.¡± Jonathan¡¯s voice was deeper as it ovepped with his wolf. ¡®Yeah, stop toying with them and let me out! The sooner you shift, the sooner we get to the bunker.¡¯ Sara nodded as she moved closer. She is probably preparing to shove me out of the way. ¡°Probably a good idea.¡± I agreed with a sigh as my hands slid down his neck and across his shoulders. I smiled as he shuddered, goosebumps dotting his skin as my fingers continued to explore. I know we just agreed we should quickly shift, but I didn¡¯t want to give up this opportunity, even if I will have it again soon. He¡¯s shirtless here and now, and I will take full advantage and trace the lines of muscle and space chest hair. His breath hitched as my fingers moved lower, culminating in a deep growl as my hands stopped at his jeans. ¡°Do you want some help with your jeans? They¡­¡± I licked my lips as I boldly let my hand slide lower over the outline of his cock in the denim. ¡°A bit snug.¡± I felt a little smug as his eyes slid closed, and he groaned while cock twitched under my hand. I¡¯m the one that is making him hard. I have this control over him. It¡¯s a bit of a power trip. ¡°Fuukkk.¡± He growled long and low as his eyes snapped open, the amber swirling brighter in his This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org . eyes. ¡°We said to stop toying with us.¡± His voice had a harder edge, and I blinked at the realization that it was more his wolf speaking. ¡°Jac¡­¡± I didn¡¯t even get his name out before Jonathan¡¯s lips were against mine. I gasped into the kiss at the sound of fabric being torn. He ripped his shirt I¡¯d wanted to keep along with my dress cks and panties. It was strange and arousing as fuck to have the rough bark of the tree against my back and his hot soft chest pressed against mine. He growled into the kiss, deepening it while his hands started exploring my naked body. Fucking hell, are we going to fuck against a tree a stone¡¯s throw from the packhouse? I don¡¯t know. And right now, I¡¯m not sure I care. All I know is that my hands have taken on a life of their own as they eagerly unbuttoned his pants. I don¡¯t think Sara has the strength to rip denim, so I opted for the traditional method of yanking them down, pleased that his boxers decided toe along for the ride. And now, nothing separated us. This may not be the first time I''ve seen a man naked. However, this is the first time I''ve been this close to a naked man. And holy hell, Inded a hot mate. He''s mine, all mine. And even by his admission, he''s not been with someone else, so I''ll also be his only. Chapter 17 - Silvercloud Chapter 17 - Silvercloud So typically, when someone thinks of the personality traits of us four ranked wolves, we each have our own vibe. Logan is the grump who¡¯s easy to piss off. John is the polite level headed one. Charles is the rational, logical one. And I¡¯m theid-back one who willugh off situations. That whole protective growling thing I did to Azriel was out of character. Yet nothing is more out of my usual vibe than Jaci taking more control and ripping the clothes off Persephone. Even before I could shift, it always felt like I had Jaci riding shotgun in my head, and after I shifted, he remained as my shotgun. I know it¡¯s not how most human/wolf spirits work, but it¡¯s how we are. So for him to take more control caught me off-guard. I get it. Jaci is as affected by the mate bond as I am. I just figured we had more self-control than that. Apparently, Persephone rubbing her hand over my dick as she offered to take them off was the straw that broke the camel¡¯s back or the wolf¡¯s patience. Not that I¡¯mining. Shit, I¡¯d be nuts to I¡¯m so lost in the bond, drowning in this intoxicating feeling, that I don¡¯t care where we are. There is only one thought, okay, two thoughts in my head. First is being inside her, and the second is marking her, making her mine in every way possible. This was strange. Not the wanting her like this part. I¡¯m sure that¡¯s perfectly normal. But I¡¯ve never only had one or two thoughts in my head. Even when I¡¯m focused on an invention, I think of a dozen others. However, kissing and touching Persephone somehow eradicates all thoughts that don¡¯t evolve her moaning in pleasure with my name on her lips. It took every ounce of control I had to pull back from her lips. Her green eyes blinked at me, darkened with desire and the hint of something else, most likely her wolf. I could see the confusion in her eyes as I had to force myself to stop. Our first time is going to be against a tree behind the packhouse. We need to get somewhere private. My bunker may be a mess, but there is a futon, and there will be no chance of interruptions. Licking my lips, I looked at her naked body flush with arousal and started to ask why the where mattered. All instincts said the only location that matters is my dick inside her. I shoved down my instincts, much to Jaci¡¯s grumbling. ¡°Follow. Bunker. Privacy.¡± I was not being very loquacious, but I got my point across as I stepped further from her and shifted to Jaci. ¡®You realize that Sara and I don¡¯t care about the where. We¡¯re wolves. We can and will fuck in the woods.¡¯ Jaci remarked. ¡®Don¡¯t even fucking think about it. My first time and, more importantly, Persephone¡¯s first time will NOT be in wolf form.¡¯ I instructed, ensuring I still had a hand on the metaphoric wheel even if we were in his form. Jaci rolled his eyes and shook out his thick brown fur to look back at where Persephone had been. Persephone was no longer standing or leaning naked against the tree. In her ce stood a gray wolf. And the wolf, Sara, I reminded myself, didn¡¯t waste time as she closed the distance and rubbed the length of her body against Jaci before nipping at his neck. Not enough that it would have triggered the mark, but it certainly had Jaci eager to mark as he growled. I don¡¯t think Jaci has EVER run this fast in our life. Not even in battle has he moved like this. I guess life-and-death situations don¡¯t measure up the same as him being in a hurry to getid. I tried to get him to slow down as we started to get into the security area of my bunker. I don¡¯t have Persephone programmed, and thest thing I want is for my security to shoot at her. I managed to get Jaci to stop rushing forward and used his body to block Sara from going further. Based on the look in Sara¡¯s eyes and her posture, she was confused and a bit miffed at me for stopping her. And, of course, we aren¡¯t from the same pack or marked, so I can¡¯t simply exin myself. The only way I can do that is by shifting. I¡¯d have to do that anyway since theputer won¡¯t recognize I quickly shifted and held a hand up for Sara to stay put. ¡°Don¡¯te closer. My bunker has biorhythm security protocols. Only certain individuals can get within a set radius. I don¡¯t have you in the system yet. It will take like two seconds.¡± I exined, going to an innocuous-looking tree on the other side of the invisible boundary of my bunker. ¡°Take your time!¡± Persephone shouted at me. ¡°Enjoying the view!¡± She taunted, herughter echoing around the clearing. I shook my head, trying to contain myughter as I scanned my hand to open the control panel. ¡°Hold perfectly still for like five seconds,¡± I called back as I entered her into the system. ¡°Why?¡± Persephone questioned before yelping. ¡°What the¡­ holy shit, did that scan me to record my biorhythm for the security protocols? What level of clearance am I getting? Do you use this at HQ? Is it used anywhere else in the pack? Have you considered using it around the territory to ensure that Logan has approved of any supernatural being that enters? Is it safe for me toe closer now?¡± She rapidly fired out questions. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Yeah, I¡¯m not sure what the Goddess was thinking, pairing two people that are so alike. We will be the best or the worst thing ever to happen to Bloodmoon. I guess we¡¯ll have to wait and see how that goes. I want to think it will be the best thing for Bloodmoon. We were doing great with one genius delta, and now we¡¯ll have two. ¡°Yes, it scanned you, and you can, by all means,e closer.¡± I started answering her many questions as I turned around. I¡¯m d for my facial hair as it helped hide my blush when her eyes went directly to my dick. At least she was smiling as she closed the distance between us, though I was unsure how I felt that she was locked in on my dick for most of her walk. At least before she reached me, her eyes returned to my face. ¡°Interesting. So did your dick go from limp to hard because I was looking at it, or was it that the distance between us closing?¡± Persephone arched her brow and nced back down at my dick, and I¡¯m not going to deny it was standing at attention. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I suppose we¡¯d have to test both hypotheses, but to do that, I¡¯d have to beid again, and I don¡¯t think that¡¯s happening till post-climax.¡± I shrugged, trying to be casual about the fact that we were standing only ten feet from my bunker naked. ¡°But after that, if you want to test my dick¡¯s reactions, I¡¯m in as long as you don¡¯t n to do anything that would cause it pain.¡± I offered, my voice going up an octave as Persephone decided to be bold again, wrapping her slender hand around the base of my cock. ¡°Sounds fun. Promise I¡¯ll be gentle, for the most part.¡± Persephone teased her green eyes full of mischief that I was all in for whatever devious thoughts were swirling in her mind. ¡°Are you going to answer my other questions?¡± She asked. Instead of answering, I groaned as she started stroking my aching cock. She giggled, obviously amused with how much control she had in this situation. ¡°Or are you perhaps too distracted to answer questions? Perhaps we should test your theory to see if reaching climax...¡± Her words were muffled as I crashed my lips to hers in a hungry kiss. She wants to y it that way so she will realize she¡¯s not the only one who can distract and control the other¡¯s ability to think clearly. She moaned into the kiss, tongue eagerly greeting mine while my hands explored her body. She yelped into the kiss as I toyed with her nipples that had pebbled with desire. I want to explore every inch of her body, but such expiration may be easier done in the bunker. With my decision, my hands slid lower, one begrudgingly removing her hand from my dick to grip her ass, picking her up. She gasped as her legs wrapped around my waist and her arm around my neck. She has a seriously great ass. I like how well it fits in my hands. I may have lost my train of thought as I spent a few moments kneading her ass. Not that her ass was the only distraction, everything about Persephone is a distraction. Especially her moans and the way she teased my tongue in our kiss. But nothing was more distracting than when she rolled her hips against me. My poor aching dick was trapped between us as her pussy side against it without letting it inside. Pure, exquisite torture, and I don¡¯t think I can take much more of it. ¡°Bunker, now,¡± I growled, pulling back from her lips. ¡°What if I like where we are?¡± Persephone countered, emphasizing her question with another roll of her hips, sliding her pussy along my dick. I growled and tightened my grip in an attempt to stop her. ¡°Keep doing that, and we¡¯re fucking here and now,¡± I warned her. I¡¯m not sure the warning had the intended reaction. Persephone¡¯s eyes simultaneously got darker and brighter. Obviously, her wolf was showing herself. In the act of defiance, she raised her hips higher and, without hesitation, lowered herself onto my length. I groaned while she winced yet made no attempt to back down, taking my entire length. My grip tightened on her ass as I clenched my jaw. We¡¯re both lucky I could still stand because, holy shit, the intense jolt of the bond that just went through me was like a bolt of lightning. Chapter 18 - Persephone Chapter 18 - Persephone Maybe it¡¯s the mate bond, Jonathan, that I¡¯ve spent too much time around the D¡¯Amore family, or perhaps I never knew I was a sexually bold person. Whatever the reason, there¡¯s no going back now. I made my choice, and despite the initial difort of having his cock buried deep inside me, I regret nothing. Is this how I pictured my first time? Outside with my legs wrapped around my mate, held in his strong arms in a standing position? No, absolutely not. Is this a LOT hotter than what I¡¯d pictured? Hell yes. Then again, I never really thought about what my first sexual experience would be. And I hadn¡¯t tried to imagine what my mate would look like. I can assure you I would never have thought he¡¯d look like Jonathan. That might have made me a pessimist, but I figured I¡¯d end up with someone dull as toast. A stable, average guy in the Goddess¡¯ effort to try and bnce out my personality. Yet here she went and surprised me by giving me a man who has been my idol for thest four years and is so like me it¡¯s almost scary. We fit together, sure, pun intended, like two puzzle pieces. And damn, I can¡¯t imagine this being any other way with anyone else. ¡°Fuuckk¡­ Persephone¡­¡± Jonathan groaned as the grip on my ass got so tight it would probably leave a bruise. Which is saying something given I¡¯m a werewolf and heal. I liked how he said my name. I¡¯ve heard my name in various settings and tones, but this is my favorite. The mate bond had my body on sensory overload. I¡¯m not naive to think sex wouldn¡¯t be good. I didn¡¯t know it would feel this good. My eyes practically rolled back when he used his hold on my ass to start moving me up and down his cock. Major props to Jonathan because he¡¯s doing all this standing with nothing to even lean back against. A genius, handsome, and strong. This man is a triple threat. ¡®Yeah, a threat to your pussy with a chance of multiple orgasms.¡¯ Sara snickered. ¡°Jon-ATH-an,¡± I moaned, my voice raised and lowered as the waves of pleasure crashed through me with each thrust. I clung to him as I tried to keep in rhythm with him. I dug my fingers into his thick hair and kissed him, moaning his name into the kiss as his cock hit just the right spot to make my body quake with pleasure. I¡¯m not sure how long either of us, especially him, will be able to stay in this position. I knew I wanted to make the most of it while itsted. I was right that we wouldn¡¯t stay like this for long. I know Jonathan had wanted us to get to the bunker, and maybe I should have waited, but I just couldn¡¯t. After I got my hands on his cock I knew I needed it inside me asap. I don¡¯t know where the entrance to the bunker is, but it could have been a meter, and it would have been too far to wait. ¡°Need¡­to¡­relocate¡­¡± Jonathan instructed between kisses as he went from standing to kneeling to having me on my back in the grass. I don¡¯t care that I will have grass stains on my backside. I was going to need a shower anyway. The new angle meant new discoveries. I seriously enjoyed the feel of his weight on me as we didn¡¯t miss a beat and as we continued our rhythm. This actually made it easier for me to put as much into matching his movements. I tried to catch my breath as he kissed down my neck, but as he scraped his teeth over where his mark would go, I sucked in sharply and dug my nails into his shoulders. He hadn¡¯t even bit me, and I was This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. pushed over that metaphoric edge. I¡¯m not saying this is my first orgasm, just my first one, not self- created. And shit, it blew every masturbatory orgasm out of the water. ¡°Jonathan!¡± I shouted in pleasure as my head tilted back in ecstasy, my neck fully bared to him. I don¡¯t think I¡¯d mind if he marked me here and now. Granted, I¡¯m not looking to miss even a day of my internship. Least of all, for my heat, but a week of this sounds like a sinful heaven on earth. As his movements slowed and he growled my name against my throat, finding his release, one terrifying thought crossed my mind. We didn¡¯t use protection! ¡®Dummy. Crista insisted you start on the birth control intended for she-wolves after you shifted. It¡¯s a five-year imnt. We have three more years before his swimmers could create a pup.¡¯ Sara reminded me, and my blood pressure went back to normal. Jonathan must have had the same thought moments after I did because he went from cked against me to suddenly leaning up with concern in his eyes. ¡°Shit¡­ I didn¡¯t even think about a condom or pu¡­.¡± He started to speak. I stopped him by pressing my finger to his lips. ¡°We¡¯re good,¡± I assured him. He didn¡¯t look very reassured. ¡°But I should¡­.¡± He protested, so I kissed him. ¡°IUD.¡± I sighed as I pulled back from the kiss. When his brow furrowed, I realized he had no clue what I was talking about. I guess that should be expected from a male. ¡°Crista was pretty insistent that I be on some form of birth control after I shifted. I didn¡¯t want to keep up with remembering a pill or a schedule of a shot every three months. So we have about three years before it needs to be reced.¡± I exined. He sighed in relief and rested his head on my shoulder. ¡°Good to know. When I send out apology baskets, I guess a thank you basket goes to your sister.¡± He snickered against my skin, sending a shiver through me. ¡°You can send her a thank you basket while I send an apology one.¡± I chuckled, and he groaned. ¡°We really should go inside.¡± He sighed and made us both groan as he pulled out. I didn¡¯t want to move as my thighs felt sore in the best way, and the grass wasfy. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I want to or can move.¡± I sighed. ¡°Come now. I¡¯m sure you have more stamina than that, Miss Fayte.¡± He chuckled as he knelt between my legs. I flipped him off on instinct. The yful smile on his lips looked out of ce to the way his eyes darkened, and the amber started to swirl as he leisurely pursued my body. He licked his lips when his eyes locked on my breasts and again at the blonde curls hiding my very satisfied pussy. ¡°Take a picture. It willst longer.¡± I taunted him. ¡°Two problems with your suggestion. First, both our phones are on the ground by the packhouse. I¡¯ll have someone pick them up and put them in my room to charge.¡± He pointed out. The downside of ripping clothes and shifting, things like cell phones get left behind. ¡°And the second problem, Mister Silvercloud?¡± I arched my brow. ¡°If I take a picture, someone else could see it no matter how many firewalls I hide the file behind. And no one gets to see you like this¡­.¡± He gestured to my still flushed naked body and my thighs where I could feel our mutual climaxes¡¯ slickness. ¡°but me.¡± Who knew possessive Jonathan could be so hot? Who knew I¡¯d like possessive Jonathan? The Goddess, that¡¯s who. She thinks of everything when she matches our souls. Andr¨¦ is right when he says the Goddess knows what she¡¯s doing. ¡°Okay, valid points.¡± I conceded. ¡°So where is this bunker entrance, and do you have a shower? You¡¯ve made me very dirty.¡± I asked as I gestured to my thighs. ¡°Just over there.¡± Jonathan pointed to a random patch of grass. ¡°And yes, there is a shower you can use. It¡¯s not going to be anything fancy. Sort of the bare minimum type of bathroom.¡± He warned me as he got to his feet and offered me his hand. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect a great shower. You did say it was a bunker.¡± I nodded as I took his hand and, with a grunt, got to my feet. Yep even with werewolf healing, my thighs still hurt. I watched as Jonathan hit what looked like random spots on the grass. ¡°Am I missing something?¡± I asked as I stepped back in awe as the grass area flipped to reveal a hole. ¡°The keypad isn¡¯t visible to the naked eye. I designed it so that only I can see it using Jaci¡¯s gift.¡± Jonathan exined while he reached into the hole and the tunnel became illuminated to reveal a ¡°Ladies first. Plus, I have to close the lid.¡± He gestured for me to go first. ¡°Whoa. This will either be way cooler than the treehouse I built with my dad when I was ten or give me ustrophobia.¡± I teased as I carefully started to climb down thedder. ¡°It¡¯s a tight fit and messy as fuck since, well, I don¡¯t usually have guests. But it¡¯s my home away from home and has more tech than you¡¯ll find at HQ.¡± Jonathan exined as he closed the lid and followed me down thedder. I blinked as I reached the bottom and looked around. Well, Jonathan wasn¡¯t wrong about it being a mess. I¡¯m not all that tidy, but I think I could help him get more organized. My eyes went to the wall of monitors and the workstation of who knows whattest Silvercloud tech he was working on. As I started to walk toward the workstation, something swooped down, nearly hitting me in the head. ¡°Stay back, Persephone Adide Fayte.¡± A voicemanded. I blinked as I realized the voice wasing from a metallic dove etched with an intricate indigenous design that reminded me of totem animals I¡¯d read about. ¡°A dove? Why a dove? Jonathan, do doves have a special symbolism for Bloodmoon, your family, your birth pack, or you personally?¡± I asked, looking over my shoulder. ¡°I see you¡¯ve met Dove. I have no idea why I made him. I created him in my sleepst night.¡± He shrugged, digging out a pair of boxers from a bin. ¡°And no, the Dove is not a symbolic animal to me in any context. The Silvercloud totem animal is an owl.¡± ¡°Interesting, and you made it in your sleep?¡± I asked as I reached to touch the Dove. ¡°The Dove is the Fayte mark. It was meant to represent our role as peacekeepers as the Betas of Nebrodi.¡± I exined. I blinked as the bird cooed and rubbed its smooth metallic head against my fingers. This was officially the coolest thing I¡¯ve seen. I can¡¯t believe he made this in his sleep. Like, wow, who does that? The level of detail and work that would have gone into Dove¡¯s creation is high. Jonathan continues to leave me in awe and inspire me to prove myself as an inventor. ¡°Maybe my subconscious was telling me something. Maybe Jaci¡¯s shaman sixth sense knew our mate wasing.¡± Jonathan suggested as I felt his warm arms wrap around me, pulling me into his chest. ¡°You can look at Dove in more detailter. You asked for a shower. So let me lead you to the bathroom before you get too distracted to shower.¡± He teased, picking me up and turning toward the bunker¡¯s other end. ¡°Straight back. You can¡¯t miss it since it¡¯s the only door.¡± He chuckled, pointing to the end of the bunker. ¡°Alright. But after my shower, I want to look at your new invention in greater detail. And I want answers to the questions I asked before we had sex.¡± I reminded him as I turned my head just enough to kiss him. Chapter 19 - Silvercloud Chapter 19 - Silvercloud HOLY SHIT! Many things have blown my mind in my life. Usually, it has been some new discovery I¡¯ve made. But nothing, and I mean NOTHING, has blown my mind like sex with Persephone Fayte. I was so caught up in the moment that I forgot a condom. Though saying I forgot a condom implies I have condoms. I¡¯ve never required them. I bought a few boxes of condoms once. I bought multiple boxes of different sizes, types, and brands for an experiment when I was fourteen. Luna Elizabeth, unfortunately, came across my experiment and had a total meltdown over a minor having condoms. She called it improper and scolded Logan for ¡®raising a heathen.¡¯ She didn¡¯t care that I was running scientific experiments. This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. Logan rolled his eyes and said she should be happy I was learning about safe sex. He also pointed out that I was in college getting my master¡¯s degree, so the fact that I was doing such a lowbrow experiment showed that even if I¡¯m a genius, I¡¯m still a kid. Logan was big on the idea that kids should get to act like kids. I guess that included experiments on condoms. He asked for the results from my findings and would probably buy stock in the brand I found most effective. After reviewing my findings with John, they bought the one I deemed the best instead of simply investing in a brand and then made improvements to the product based on my results. It¡¯s funny to think about now. That was sort of what gave birth to the eventual founding of Silvercloud Industrial. My But I digress and have lost my train of thought. Not an unusual thing for me to do. Now, where was I? Right, my negligence in using protection. Even if I had a condom on my person, Persephone climbed on my dick before I would have had the chance to put one on. And let¡¯s be honest, no matter how many improvements get made to condoms, ayer oftex will never feel the same or as good as bareback. I was serious that I was sending a thank you basket to Luna Crista for ensuring my mate had such a good andsting form of birth control in ce even before she needed it. I have a mental list of all the apology baskets I need to send, so adding her as a thank-you wasn¡¯t a stretch. It still amazes me how alike Persephone and I are; she has an apology list too. I hadn¡¯t wanted to move. I was perfectly content lying in the grass, still buried inside Persephone. But we both should wash up and get somewhere more private, even if no one oftenes near my bunker. Only a few people even know it¡¯s out here. Its location is a ¡®need to know¡¯ thing. Only we ranked wolves, and the guards of the ranked females know where my bunker is. Ben Bristow was blown away when he learned of my bunkerb. Born and raised in Bloodmoon, he never considered I had a secret liar, his word, not mine. It was bittersweet when Ben joined the guards. It took a whole year after Nigel died in the battle of Mount Adams before we finally selected a new Gamma guard. Warren would have pulled double duties as long as we needed, but we knew guard duty was not a one-person job. Ben¡¯s a nice enough guy, mated with three cute kids. He takes his job of guarding Sybille seriously and is doing his best to fill the irreceable shoes of Nigel. It still hurts to think he¡¯s gone, and Holly is on the other side of the country with their little boy. She hasn¡¯te back since Logan gave her permission to leave. We all felt it when she took the oath of Ironfur and returned to her birth pack. It was like losing Nigel all over again. But I¡¯ve seen pictures of their son, Sammy, and he¡¯s a cute little kid. He reminds me of photos I¡¯ve seen of Nigel as a kid. While Persephone went to use the shower, I thought about the guards and wondered who would be assigned to Persephone. I need to start at least narrowing down my choices. Who do I trust to protect the most precious person to me? The people I trust most in this world are ranked wolves here in Bloodmoon and up in Silverw. I nced back at the bathroom door and smiled as I heard her humming mixed with the running water. ¡°Dove, pull up a list of mated Bloodmoon warriors. Limit the list to those with gifts that either lend themselves to physical strength or stealth. Also, limit the list to warriors under the age of forty.¡± I outlined my query, knowing Dove should be able to do this from what it told me this morning. ¡°Generating. Your query may take a few minutes to process.¡± Dove answered. I nodded, having assumed as much. I turned my attention to the bathroom when the sound of water stopped, and her humming became easier to hear. Shit, she doesn¡¯t have any clothes here. I smacked my forehead and started digging around in the little stic dresser Sarael insisted I have since I spend more time in my bunker than at the packhouse. I managed to find a pair of Bloodmoon tearaway shorts and a tee. They¡¯ll be big on her, but it¡¯s better than her standing around in a towel or nothing. ¡®I think you are confused. The fewer clothes Persephone is wearing, the better.¡¯ Jacimented. ¡®Silence, horny wolf. We just had sex like five minutes ago. Shouldn¡¯t you be sated?¡¯ I rolled my eyes. ¡®You stopped me from marking her. I¡¯m not going to be satisfied till our mark is on her neck, so everyone knows she¡¯s ours.¡¯ Jaci scoffed. ¡®Of course, I stopped you. Persephone just started her internship. She doesn¡¯t need to miss a week so soon. If we mark her beyond what it needs to be with her full consent, it will send her into heat. Not to mention it will look sus as fuck if we are both out for a week. And that would be a week that M could spread whatever rumors she wants and discredit our brilliant mate in the eyes of her peers.¡¯ I pointed out. He had nothing to say to that. He sighed and sat down, knowing he¡¯d lost this battle. He may want to mark Persephone andplete the bond, but he won¡¯t do it at the risk of her professional reputation. He knows just as well as I do how much this internship means to our mate. And she earned this spot all by herself. I won¡¯t let false assumptions of nepotism taint that. My breath caught in my throat as she stepped out of the bathroom. The steam billowed out around her like a fog filled with her scent. Her hair was wrapped in a towel while a second towel wrapped around her body, hitting slightly above midthigh, and I currently envy the part of the towel that was tucked between her breasts. She smirked, green eyes dancing with amusement as she raised an eyebrow. ¡°Get dressed, ¨¢tawit.¡± I smiled,ing back to my senses. She needs to put clothes on before I rip that towel off and do something I didn¡¯t earlier¡­ taste her. ¡°What does that word mean?¡± Persephone asked as she quickly dressed. ¡°It¡¯s Yakama, my mother¡¯s nativenguage. It means love.¡± I exined. ¡°Nowe on, I¡¯ll exin what I know about Dove. After it finishes the query I gave, we can figure out what I don¡¯t know.¡± I offered as I took her hand. I¡¯m not sure where calling her ¨¢tawit came from. While I still know the indigenousnguage of my mother¡¯s people, I haven¡¯t used it since I was a boy. Her smile and soft blush indicate it was the right call. This is what the mate bond has done to me. I¡¯m not one of those nitwits using a pet name for my mate. If I start to lose IQ points, I will not be happy. ¡°What do you have it querying?¡± She asked as I led her back to the workstation. ¡°I¡¯m narrowing down the possible choices for Delta guards,¡± I exined, gesturing to the monitors that Dove had wireless connected to. Each monitor quickly sorted through multiple pack profiles seeking only those that met my criteria. ¡°Delta guards?¡± Persephone furrowed her brow. ¡°I¡¯m not sure how things are done in the Sicilian packs. In Bloodmoon, we have plenty of enemies, so every ranked female is assigned two guards. David and Mikali are Aurelia¡¯s guards, Colby and Azriel are assigned to Sarael, and Warren and Ben are assigned to Sybille. They mostly drive them to their meetings and events.¡± I exined. ¡°Yeah, we don¡¯t have that nonsense. In the Sicilian packs, our females don¡¯t need protection. A guard would be more useful protecting others from our ranked wolves.¡± Persephone scoffed. ¡°Crista turned a guy in a parking lot stain. Izzy can turn anyone and things to stone. And the Incubi Gamma and Delta females are no slouches here. And don¡¯t get me started in Nebrodi.¡± ¡°I think you¡¯re misinterpreting their role. Trust me. No one would ever think one of our ranked females is weak. Before bing our Luna, Aurelia killed two of our greatest enemies. Sarael may have a powerful new moon wolf, but wolf or not, she was a trained Adio hunter. Only a fool would discredit her. And Sybille can easily protect herself with her gift and in general.¡± I exined. ¡°So please don¡¯t think assigning guards is me dismissing your ability to protect yourself,¡± I assured. ¡°I did my homework on you before we even met. I know what your wolf can do, and I know you weren¡¯t a slouch in a fight even before your first shift.¡± ¡°As long as we are clear. So why do you only give the guards to the she-wolves?¡± Persephone folded her arms, waiting for an exnation. ¡°The guards assigned to our she-wolves are more inclined in stealth. They are there to identify and eliminate any potential threats before they even get near you. Their job is to provide support in whatever way is necessary, be it in a physical fight or a meeting with sub betas.¡± I tried to exin. ¡°Hmm¡­ okay, I can see how that makes sense.¡± Persephone conceded. ¡°Queryplete. Six potential candidates identified.¡± Dove announced as a different profile popped up on each of the monitors. ¡°Let¡¯s see who I may have to deal with following me around.¡± Persephone sighed, leaning her elbows on the workstation, chin in her hands as she read over the six profiles. ¡°Riordan McNamara, Finnian ¨® Corraidh¨ªn, Fion Tracey, Justin Gardner, Sebastian Crane, and Rohan Rock. Three born from Aurelia¡¯s birth pack and three native Bloodmoon members.¡± I nodded as I looked at the profiles, weighing what they said against what I could remember personally. Chapter 20 - Persephone Chapter 20 - Persephone I¡¯m still not sold on this whole guards thing. It seems weird to me, but who am I to argue with the ways of Bloodmoon? They have their reasons for doing things this way, so whatever. While I read over the six profiles on the screens, my contemtion was interrupted by Dove. ¡°Thirty-four missed text messages from The Boys group text. Would you like to respond?¡± Dove questioned as the screens rearranged tobine two profiles into one disy and brought up a string of text messages. I furrowed my brow as I looked at the text message thread. I only really know Kurt of those involved in the thread. I¡¯ve met Tanner and Collin during the war, but that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m overly close to them like I am with Kurt. And I¡¯ve only met David and Mikali briefly today. But based on what I¡¯ve just read, these males are as big of gossip queens as Andr¨¦. I arched an eyebrow at Jonathan, who was running his hand over his face in frustration. ¡°I am sorry you even had to read that¡­.¡± He sighed. ¡°Your friends are gossip queens.¡± I rolled my eyes. ¡°Dove, reply to the group text,¡± Imanded, but the bird didn¡¯t react. ¡°Um, it only answers my voicemands,¡± Jonathan exined. ¡°Well, that¡¯s at least oneyer of security.¡± I shrugged. I could certainly understand that necessity. Jonathan is the keeper of the knowledge of Bloodmoon, Silvercloud Industrial, and possibly Kinsley. So if Dove can ess any of that data, it would be prudent to ensure only Jonathan can ess it. And while I¡¯m his mate, we have only known that for less than a day, so he couldn¡¯t have added me to all his possible security protocols. He still hasn¡¯t told me what scanning me outside added me to. ¡°Dove, reply to the group chat with a message provided by Persephone Fayte,¡± Jonathan instructed. ¡°Replying to The Boys group text. What is your message Persephone Fayte?¡± Dove¡¯s eyes lit up as it tilted its head in my direction. So weird and so fucking cool. ¡°Are you gossip queens STILL talking? - This is Persephone btw. So unless you want graphic details about his dick get back to your mates and children, dumbasses.¡± I provided my response. Jonathan leaned on the workstationughing, saying something about pea pods. ¡°Message sent,¡± Dove announced. ¡°Are you going to be okay over there?¡± I asked, poking Jonathan¡¯s side. I shivered at the spark that shot through me when my finger pressed against his bare skin. I should avoid skin-to-skin contact if I want to remain focused. I hate that I¡¯m bing one of those people. The person I said I¡¯d never be. The person that lets the bond and intense attraction to my mate interrupt my concentration and ability to do my job. I don¡¯t want to be one of those people. And I know if I keep touching him, I will want to jump him. ¡®Again.¡¯ Sara chuckled. ¡®Excuse me?¡¯ I furrowed my brow. ¡®Jump him again. Let¡¯s not forget that you literally climbed his dick. You couldn¡¯t even wait to get into the bunker or get on the ground to fuck him.¡¯ Sara taunted. ¡®Go away.¡¯ I grumbled, not needing her to remind me how wanton I behaved. ¡°Yeah¡­ sorry, I¡¯ll be fine. For years before you came to Bloodmoon, I¡¯ve heard from everyone who met you in Incubi that I was constantly told there was a hot female version of me.¡± Jonathan exined as he got hisughter under control. ¡°A hot? Which one of those fuckwads was calling me that?¡± I arched my eyebrow, nodding to the screen with the group chat that suddenly no one was replying. ¡°None of them in the chat. Tanner, Collin, and Kurt wouldn¡¯t call anyone but their mates hot. But some of the unmated wolves that came back had some things to say. Which reminds me¡­.¡± He exined, turning his attention to Dove. ¡°Dove, put in my calendar to make an unannounced visit to Austin Shelton.¡± He instructed. ¡°Calendar updated for earliest avability. Visit Austin Shelton Friday at 9 pm.¡± Dove announced as the monitor had the text switched to Jonathan¡¯s calendar. Holy shit, his schedule is packed. Oddly the days before today, nothing in his schedule involved going to Silvercloud HQ. But every weekday from today forward has a slot of 8 am - 5 pm marked as Work w/ Persephone Fayte. I was about to ask if he even had free time, and then I realized the bulk of his calendar was cked out for inventing. ¡°So, will you have to pencil in dates and sex? Not sure your calendar has the avability for a social life.¡± I taunted him. ¡°My calendar is flexible. Most of what¡¯s there is me blocking out time for inventing, which means anyone with ess to my calendar knows to leave me alone.¡± He shrugged. ¡°Trust me. There will be plenty of time for sex and dates if you want them. And sex shouldn¡¯t be scheduled.¡± He wrinkled his nose, and it was my turn tough. ¡°Okay¡­ as long as you aren¡¯t going to have Dove schedule ¡®sex¡¯ into your calendar.¡± Iughed, shaking my head. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s not going to happen. Plus, I don¡¯t need the others knowing that level of detail.¡± He snickered, shaking his head. I blinked as I realized that somehow, during our banter, we¡¯d moved closer. Not just closer, I¡¯d turned to lean against the workstation, and Jonathan¡¯s muscr arms caged me. Our bodies were pressed so close I could feel him getting hard under his shorts, and I¡¯m sure he could feel my nipples hardening. My heartbeat quickened as I gripped the workstation to stop myself from wrapping my arms around him and climbing on him again. Shit being close like this is intoxicating. That urge was stronger as his eyes locked on mine, and the amber seemed to glow as it swirled in his eyes. Staring into his eyes is dangerous. They are hypnotic. And it¡¯s like his form of hypnotism is trying to turn me into a nymphomaniac. Unconsciously I licked my lips, and his eyes tracked the movement of my tongue with a growl that made my clit perk to attention. Damn him and his sexiness. ¡°New message from Logan Kinsley,¡± Dove announced, breaking the spell as we jumped apart. I winced as my back hit the edge of the table. Jonathan winced because I identally stomped on his foot. While it¡¯s probably for the best that we got interrupted, it was still annoying. ¡°Fuck even when not here, and he cockblocks.¡± Jonathan grumbled as he moved to be next to me. ¡°Yeah¡­¡± I agreed as I found a stool and sat down. ¡°What is the message?¡± Jonathan sighed. ¡°Take a break from fucking long enough to stop BLOCKING me in the pack link!¡± An exact copy of Logan¡¯s voice echoed in the bunker. This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org . ¡°That¡¯s freaky. Why would you have Dove sound like Logan?¡± I asked. ¡°And why would you block your Alpha in the pack link?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t. I don¡¯t think. I told you I made Dove in my sleep. There¡¯s a lot I don¡¯t know about Dove.¡± Jonathan shrugged. ¡°And, of course, I was blocking him. Thest thing I want as a voice in my head while having sex is Logan¡¯s.¡± He snorted. ¡°Okay, that¡¯s a very valid reason.¡± I conceded, shuddering at the idea of if we were in Incubi and Alec was trying to speak to me in the link. I cocked my head as I watched his eyes ze ever so slightly. He¡¯smunicating with Logan. I wish I knew what they were talking about, but I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll fill me in when he¡¯s done. While they had their mind link, I looked at the profiles again. Some rather interesting abilities these Bloodmoon wolves possess. However, one of them struck me as oddpared to the others. Rohan Rock shows his stats as unmated. Why would an unmated male be on the list when everyone else is mated? He seemed to check the other boxes based on his gifts, fitting the stealth aspect of the role as Jonathan described. He¡¯s also not a newly-shifted wolf nor someone too old. Though being unmated was the only thing that made his profile stand apart. It shows his job is Silvercloud Industrial Security. ¡°Anyone standing out that you want to know more about? Anything not in the pack member profile?¡± Jonathan¡¯s voice jarred me out of my contemtion. ¡°Um, well, this Rohan stands out. What were the query criteria you gave Dove?¡± I asked, pointing to Rohan¡¯s profile. ¡°I don¡¯t know why he¡¯s on the list. Maybe Dove has a glitch. I outlined my query for mated warriors, gifts that lend themselves to physical strength or stealth, and under forty.¡± Jonathan¡¯s brow furrowed as he looked at the screen. ¡°Yeah, I did find it odd you¡¯d select an unmated male, at least for as long as I¡¯m unmarked.¡± I nodded. ¡°Unlike the other candidates, he works for you at Silvercloud HQ in the security department.¡± I pointed out. ¡°Hmm¡­ still don¡¯t know why Dove would include him.¡± Jonathan frowned. ¡°I¡¯ll have to look into that deeper. There¡¯s a lot about Dove I need to take a deeper look at.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be happy to help you with that.¡± I offered with a smile. ¡°What did your Alpha want?¡± I asked, changing the subject. ¡°To tell me if I mark you before you¡¯ve at least finished a month of your internship, I¡¯m kibble. And that your family is going to be here in a week.¡± He shrugged though thest part was a little quieter. ¡°A month? Why?¡± I questioned before the second sentence registered. ¡°What does he define as my family? Like Crista ising or¡­.¡± I was suddenly terrified at the idea. If by family Logan means the D¡¯Amore family, then the highest-ranked members of the Sicilian packs would all descend upon Bloodmoon. And worse, Jonathan would be their target. I don¡¯t know what that would mean. I know how Alec has treated boys in the pack that has flirted with me. Jonathan isn¡¯t some boy I want to leave me alone. Jonathan is my mate and, therefore, the only male I don¡¯t want to stay away from me. Or they are alling because they want to pay back every time I annoyed them and interrupted them from gettingid. Chapter 21 - Silvercloud Chapter 21 - Silvercloud Logan can¡¯t get upset with me for blocking the pack link. It¡¯s not like he and the others don¡¯t do the same damn thing. So I wasn¡¯t going to apologize to him when I took him off mute. He knows why he was being blocked out and knows better than to expect an apology for it. I wasn¡¯t sure what he wanted, but I didn¡¯t expect him to drop bombs on me. First, he told me that I¡¯d got a week to be prepared to face three Alphas that have decided to pop in and check on Persephone and Delh, mostly Persephone because of me. I could handle that. I¡¯ve met Andr¨¦ and Alec. Though I only met Alec briefly at Kurt¡¯s wedding. And while he¡¯s intimidating in a way even Logan isn¡¯t, I¡¯m not worried about it. Honestly, I¡¯m not concerned about the D¡¯Amore family. I¡¯m worried about Crista Fayte. Along with Delh, she¡¯s the only family Persephone has left, and being mated to me means leaving her sisters to move across the world. While I doubt she¡¯d dare to interfere with the will of the Goddess, it doesn¡¯t mean she has to make things easy on us. Not to mention Persephone mentioned her sister is owed an apology basket, so she may want to interrupt our private time for payback. Either way, I can handle a visit from Persephone¡¯s family. The part I didn¡¯t expect and am miffed about was Logan telling me we must wait a MONTH toplete our bond. I couldn¡¯t think of a good reason to wait that long. She¡¯s not a human like Sarael, so we don¡¯t have to wait for a new moon. She¡¯s not in imminent danger like Aurelia was, nor has human parents that didn¡¯t like what marking would mean. Hell, if anything marking her sooner sounded logical to me as that would shut that girl from Demonw the fuck down. But that was Logan¡¯s strategy. He wants us to wait to mark for two reasons. The lesser reason is to let Persephone have a month in the internship program before she goes and misses days off, or I can make up some excuse of needing to work remotely that would be believable. His main reason, however, was the Demonw girl. After reviewing today¡¯s security footage, he thinks if we want her to slip up, we need to give her a false sense of security. He wants her to make a misstep and give away if she¡¯s here for something other than simply being that enthusiastic about the bioengineering division of Silvercloud. He thinks if we wait, she will slip up, and if she doesn¡¯t before the time frame, our marking will push her over that edge. Overall, he wants to give Azriel and Cillian time to uncover what she¡¯s doing here. ¡°Logan wants to give time for what¡¯s her name from Demonw to slip up. He figures a month would give time for her to either do that herself or for Azriel and Cillian to find something. If not, he figured when we mark each other, it will push her into revealing her reasons, if they were for anything other than a chance to work at mypany.¡± I sighed. Persephone¡¯s brow furrowed, and I could practically hear the gears turning in her head as she thought it over. ¡°I don¡¯t like that n. It means he wants to use you as bait.¡± She frowned. ¡°I am not bait.¡± Iughed, but she didn¡¯t. ¡°I¡¯m serious, Jonathan. M has made it clear she ns to im you as a mate. She even told me so while you were talking to Shikoba.¡± She exined. ¡°She needs to be put in her ce. The longer she This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org . believes you¡¯re unmated, the more likely I will break her limbs.¡± ¡°She said that?¡± I wrinkled my nose. ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t like that. Granted, she will have more limited ess to me once the new security protocols are in ce to limit intern ess to divisions they aren¡¯t assigned.¡± ¡°You can tell your Alpha, Azriel, and Cillian that they have till after my family leaves. If they don¡¯t find dirt on M in that time frame, it sucks to be their asses.¡± Persephone scoffed. ¡°We are marking, and that bitch is going to be put in her ce in the only way I can that doesn¡¯t involve kicking her ass at work.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t shoot the messenger, ¨¢tawit.¡± I smiled as I held my hands up in surrender. ¡°I¡¯m on your side. Jaci is still sulking because we didn¡¯t mark you topside.¡± ¡°Then we agree? They get two weeks. That¡¯s it.¡± Persephone nodded. ¡°Agreed.¡± I nodded. ¡°Now I have to tell them that.¡± I sighed. ¡®Logan. Azriel. Cillian.¡¯ I called out through the link. ¡®Yes, Delta Jonathan?¡¯ Cillian was the first to answer and will probably be the only one to address me by rank. ¡®What¡¯s up, Silvercloud?¡¯ Azriel answered. ¡®What?¡¯ Logan gruffly answered. ¡®Discussed your n with Persephone. She says tough shit. You get two weeks. If you find nothing useful on the Demonw girl by the time her family is gone, we move forward with our marking.¡¯ I exined. ¡®Not even marked, and she¡¯s got your balls in her purse.¡¯ Azriel taunted. ¡®Let me link Saddie and see where yours are.¡¯ I answered. ¡®He has you there, Azriel.¡¯ Cillian chuckled in his thick Irish brogue. The ent is probably one of the reasons that he¡¯s a popr guy with the unmated she-wolves and humans he works with at Kinsley. ¡®What makes your mate think she gets to set the time limits?¡¯ Logan questioned. ¡®What makes you think you get to set them?¡¯ I countered. ¡®The only person that set a time limit on you marking Aurelia was her parents. You aren¡¯t Persephone¡¯s father, nor are you a human getting ustomed to werewolfws. Not to mention Persephone is eighteen.¡¯ I reminded him. ¡®He has a point, Alpha. Who are we to put a strain on their bond like that?¡¯ Azriel sighed. ¡®Do you and Cillian feel two weeks will be ample time to find out this girl¡¯s underlying reason for being here? If there is one?¡¯ Logan asked. ¡®Of course, Alpha. Between the pair of us, we ought to easily find out why she¡¯s here.¡¯ Cillian assured. ¡®As a side note, she told Persephone she has sights on making me her mate.¡¯ I added. Logan let out a whistle. ¡®Well, that exins why the girl is set on marking you sooner thanter.¡¯ ¡®Marking is better than Persephone getting into a fight at work.¡¯ I pointed out. ¡®Alright, we have our orders. Cillian is on his way to monitor her till morning, and I¡¯ll take over after that. See if you can get me ess to your office building to follow her inside quietly.¡¯ Azriel requested. ¡®I¡¯ll get that taken care of after this. Thanks, guys. Good luck.¡¯ I closed the link and sighed. ¡°Did he try to give you a hard time?¡± Persephone asked. ¡°I will have Andr¨¦ give him hell if Azriel gave you grief. It wouldn¡¯t take much convincing. He enjoys tormenting his brothers-inw.¡± I had to smile at her offering to sick her Alpha nephew-inw on Azriel. It¡¯s very adorable. ¡°Only a little, but I put Azriel in his ce with a reminder that Saddie¡¯s wearing the pants in their rtionship.¡± I chuckled. ¡°Good, he should never forget that.¡± Persephone rolled her eyes. ¡°So, should we get back to choosing who might be my guards and why that Rohan character is on the list?¡± She gestured back to the monitors. I frowned and looked at the monitors. I don¡¯t know why or how Rohan made it to the list. It bothers me. And I don¡¯t simply mean because he¡¯s unmated. I¡¯m not one of those guys that will get super territorial and worried an unmated male could make a move on my mate. Okay, so maybe, to an extent, I am. Every werewolf is like that. Persephone feels that way about the Demonw girl. ¡®Why do you keep calling her ¡®demonw girl¡¯ or ¡®what''s her name¡¯? You aren¡¯t stupid enough to forget her name,¡¯ Jaci questioned. ¡®Because her name doesn¡¯t matter. And for all I know, it¡¯s not her real name. She¡¯s a potential spy and a threat to our pack and mypany. I know the saying is innocent until proven guilty. To me, anyone from Demonw is guilty of what happened to my parents and pack.¡¯ I exined. ¡®Alright. I thought you would say you don¡¯t say that girl¡¯s name or acknowledge it to abuse our mate. I¡¯d have epted that too, but your answer was good.¡¯ Jaci conceded. ¡°Why don¡¯t we save that for tomorrow? It¡¯s gettingte, and we both must work in the morning.¡± I suggested. ¡°Sounds fair. Are we staying here?¡± Persephone asked as she looked around the bunker, probably searching for anything resembling a bed. ¡°We can¡­¡± I shrugged and pressed a button on the workstation. Persephone jumped, turning to see a segment in the wall slide open to reveal an alcove with a mattress with a wad of nkets and pillows. Her blonde brow arched, and she looked from the nook as four rungs for adder popped out to give ess to the bed. ¡°That¡¯s your bed?¡± She asked. ¡°In the bunker, yeah. I don¡¯t often use it since I tend to fall asleep at my workstation.¡± I shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s going to be like sleeping in a cave.¡± Shemented as she walked to the wall and climbed into the bed. ¡°But at least the mattress isfy. Much nicer than sleeping on a cave floor or hunched over a workstation.¡± Shemented as she crawled around on the mattress, fixing the nket and pillows, her ass up in the air tempting me. Clenching my jaw, I looked away. I need to look away before I reach out and rip the shorts off Persephone. Not that it¡¯s a bad course of action, but I want to ensure Dove is shut down and secure before we do anything. There is still much we don¡¯t know about its capabilities, and thest thing I need is that mechanical bird making a sex tape of us. That would probably not endear me to her family when they arrive. ¡°Dove, shut down,¡± Imanded, wanting to be sure he was fully powered down for the night. Persephone peered out from the bed alcove to watch Dove fly off the desk to a beam on the ceiling. I furrowed my brow as I realized it had made a nest out of loose wires and scrap metal. We watched as it settled into the nest, tucking its beak against its chest as its eyes went dark. At least it¡¯s shut down. ¡°Come to bed, mia anima.¡± The sultry tone of Persephone¡¯s caught my attention more than the Italian pet name. I looked away from where Dove had settled and blinked as a shirt, and then a pair of shorts hit my face. I could hear Persephone giggling as I pulled the fabric off my face. I was rewarded for my trouble by seeing my naked mate kneeling on the bed, smiling at me as she crooked her finger. I¡¯m unsure how much sleep we will get, but that¡¯s okay. I know I can function on minimal sleep. Chapter 22 - Persephone Chapter 22 - Persephone Nothing could be better than falling asleep in Jonathan¡¯s arms after an epic orgasm. I was wrong. What could be better? Wake up to Jonathan¡¯s hot breath on my thighs, his searing kisses peppering my soft skin, all leading up to his tortuous tongue licking my pussy before dipping inside. He hadn¡¯t done that ¡°Jonathan¡­¡± I moaned, arching against him as I gripped the sheets. I moaned louder as his growl vibrated against my core, sending jolts of pleasure through me. His arms looped around my thighs, pulling them further apart as he devoured me like a starving man. I could already feel the pleasure building inside me, and I didn¡¯t know how long I could take it before it exploded. I know he¡¯s never done this before, so why is he so fucking good at it? Maybe it¡¯s because he¡¯s being methodical about it. He¡¯s taking his time, exploring, and learning, which touches push me closer to climax. How did I get the genius who can dream up the most insane and intricate inventions like Dove and apply that genius mind to sex? As he flicked his tongue against my clit my ws ripped into the sheet. And when he sucked on my clit I lost it. I screamed his name, my voice echoing around the bunker as my ws dug into the mattress. My heart was racing as my body quivered from the aftershocks of my orgasm. The aftershocks were not at all lessened by Jonathan continuing top at me and swirl his tongue inside me. ¡°Fuck, you taste good.¡± Jonathan groaned against my pussy before returning to devouring me. ¡°Jonathan¡­ oh fuck¡­¡± I bit my bottom lip as he started to coax my body back to the edge. ¡°Want¡­ need¡­ you.¡± I was panting the words as I reached down for him. It was a relief when heplied and started kissing up my body. My heart was still racing, but at least my body had otherwise gotten past the wave of that orgasm. I wiggled under him as his beard tickled my stomach, and the giggle bubbling inside me became a moan as his mouth found my breasts. At first, his attention was tender, soft kisses and swirling his tongue around my nipple. But as his hand massaged and teased my other breasts, he got a little rougher, nipping at the tender skin, leaving little love bites that we both know will fade. I hissed each time but not exactly in pain. It was this mix of pain and pleasure that had my pussy clenching in desire. Just as I thought he would put me out of my misery, okay, this was far from suffering, but you know what I mean, he switched breasts. ¡°You¡¯re trying to kill me¡­.¡± I growled as I tugged at his hair. He pulled back and looked at me with a smile, his beard glistening made me blush as I realized why his beard was glistening. That was my orgasm in his beard, and given that he kissed my body, I also knew I probably had a trail of it on my skin. It sounds gross, but I quickly realized I don¡¯t care. Besides, I can shower before work. ¡°What a way to go, ¨¢tawit.¡± He winked before dipping his head back to my chest. I rolled my eyes and arched against him. ¡°If I¡¯m going to die from orgasm, you better give me something thicker and longer to die on than your tongue.¡± I teased him as I reached between us. A smile spread across my lips as I found his hard cock. ¡°Persephone¡­¡± He sucked in a sharp breath, groaning as I wrapped my hand around his length. I love how my name sounds on his lips, especially when he says it like that. Like I¡¯m everything to him like I¡¯m the key to everything. His mouth was on mine in a hungry, desperate kiss before I could taunt him further with my words. Tilting my hips, I guided his cock to my entrance. That seemed to be all the direction he needed as he thrust inside me. ¡°Persephone¡­¡± He groaned my name into the kiss as our bodies moved in sync, finding a rhythm that satisfied our desires. We were limited in space in this alcove bed area, so we weren¡¯t changing positions. Last night, I learned the hard way when I tried to get on top and bonked my head as I couldn¡¯t fully sit up. It¡¯s not like all of our future intimacy will be in this alcove. He has a bedroom at the pack house, so we¡¯ll eventually have sex in a proper bed. And there¡¯s plenty of space in the rest of the bunker. I certainly wouldn¡¯t mind getting fucked on the workstation or against one of the shelves of parts. Likest night, the bunker was filled with the echoes of our moans and the smell of sex. That¡¯s the best part of the bunker. No one else is going to hear or smell us. If we¡¯d stayed at the pack house, the Alpha family and my little sister could have heard us. Delh has to deal with enough sex sounds back in Incubi. She doesn¡¯t need to listen to me having sex too. As we both inched closer to climax, I felt his teeth scrape across the hollow of my neck. I tilted my head on instinct to give him more ess, wanting him to mark me. I wanted and needed to feel the bond between us deepen. Sara was suddenly very much involved, as she held her breath as she waited and hoped that despite everything we¡¯d said and been told, he would mark me. Instead of sinking his teeth in, he sucked on the spot. I don¡¯t know how long the hickey willst, but I could already tell it would be a deep dark mark with how hard and intensely he sucked at the spot. Fuck, it was hot, even hotter, when I thought about going to work with it visible. It may not be our mate mark, but at least it says I¡¯m taken. With that thought in mind, I pushed his hair aside and sucked at his neck, wanting to leave a mark on him. That seemed to be enough to drive us both over the edge. I growled against his neck, refusing to let go till I knew the hickey wouldst a bit longer. Jonathan growled my name into my neck as my inner walls squeezed his dick, and I felt him release. I¡¯m so fucking d I have the IUD. But I still made a mental note that we should buy condoms. Better safe than sorry. ¡°Morning.¡± Jonathan smiled down at me. I chuckled and rolled my eyes. ¡°Good morning. I think I like waking up like this to an rm clock.¡± I teased. ¡°We need to head to the pack house.¡± Jonathan groaned as he pressed a kiss to my shoulder. ¡°Yeah¡­ that¡¯s where all my clothes are, and I¡¯m not going into the office in Bloodmoon training gear.¡± I agreed as I absently ran my hands down his back. ¡°Clothes are overrated. Maybe we could call in and say we¡¯ll be remote. Then I can keep you naked all day.¡± Jonathan suggested, leaning up on his forearms to look down at me. The level of mischief in his eyes is utterly adorable. ¡®If we work remotely, it also means not seeing M and maybe going for run breaks so Jaci and I can spend more time together.¡¯ Sara pointed out. ¡°So tempting.¡± I sighed. ¡°But it¡¯s only my second day, and I don¡¯t want to make a bad impression on others. Especially since I will be staying even after the internship ends.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± He teased me. ¡°Being my mate doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m going to hire you.¡± ¡°Nor should it be. I don¡¯t want you to hire me because we have an intimate rtionship. You¡¯re going to hire me because I¡¯m fucking brilliant.¡± I smirked up at him. ¡°We¡¯ll see how brilliant you are as your internship progresses.¡± He conceded. ¡°But let¡¯s head out since you insist we go to the office.¡± He sighed as he went to roll off me. ¡°Jonathan!¡± I quickly grabbed him as he yelped, having not been thinking in which direction he rolled and started to fall out of the alcove. ¡°See, this is how often I sleep up here.¡± We both startedughing as hended on me. He rolled in the other direction, and I climbed down first. We didn¡¯t bother grabbing clothes as we¡¯d be running in wolf form back to the packhouse. So we went topside, and once he had secured the bunker, we shifted to Jaci and Sara and made our way to the pack house. When we got to the pack house, we changed into some spare clothes in a bin near the tree line. ¡°Looks like you two had a good first night.¡± David snickered over his cup of coffee as we walked past the kitchen. ¡°Yep. Not all of us were stupid enough to date before finding our mate.¡± Jonathan shrugged. I¡¯m not sure I understood the dig, but David¡¯s eyes narrowed for a moment before Mikali pped his hand on his shoulder. ¡°Let it go, David. Let Silvercloud be happy. None of us want to get glitter bombed.¡± Mikali sighed. ¡°Trust me. I can do worse than a glitter bomb.¡± I smiled as we turned to head up the stairs. ¡°There you are, Persephone!¡± Delh greeted me as she suddenly hugged me on the stairs. ¡°You didn¡¯t ¡°Well yeah. I spent the night with Jonathan.¡± I pointed out as I freed myself from my little sister. ¡°But doesn¡¯t he live here?¡± Delh frowned and looked at Jonathan, then back at me. ¡°Did you mark? Or are those just hickeys?¡± She pointed at the spot on my neck he¡¯d spent so much time sucking on. ¡°Just hickeys. We are waiting till after our family visits to mark.¡± I exined. ¡°Oh yes, I heard they were alling. It¡¯s going to be so much fun to see them. We can tell them about what we¡¯ve been doing here in Bloodmoon. And I hope I¡¯ve made some friends by then so I can introduce them.¡± Delh happily pped. ¡°You have friends here. What about Suzie Walterson? And I¡¯m sure you could befriend Hana.¡± I pointed out. ¡°Well, yes, I have Suzie. We made ns to hang out today after I finished my sses. She¡¯s going to introduce me to all her friends. I hope they like me. As for Hana¡­¡± Delh nced up the stairs. I furrowed my brow as I saw Hana stepping out of a room with luggage. Is she leaving? Because Jonathan found a mate? How childish. It¡¯s not even like they were dating before I showed up. ¡°Princess Hana, are you ready?¡± Someone behind us questioned. I turned my head to see a red-haired boy that reminded me of Sadria standing. ¡°Yes, Iver. I¡¯m just waiting for the stairs to be clear. Then we can join the others. We wouldn¡¯t want to miss our flight to the first gathering.¡± Hana answered. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s shower and get ready for work.¡± Jonathan encouraged, tapping my hip. ¡°I¡¯ll see you at breakfast.¡± Delh smiled and moved around us so we could go upstairs. I could sense the tension as we got to the top of the stairs. Hana was staring at us, and it was ufortable, to say the least. Or at least it was for me. Jonathan seemed to take it all in stride. ¡°Safe travels, Princess Hana. May the Goddess show you your true path during the summer gatherings.¡± Jonathan nodded. ¡°Thank you. If things go well, I may only have to return for my things and say goodbye to daddy, Aurelia, and my siblings.¡± Hana nodded, not looking at me, before she hurried down the stairs with her bag. ¡°That was awkward. I know you said you never dated anyone, but¡­.¡± I frowned and gestured to the Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. stairs. ¡°Hana was a toddler when Logan brought her and her mother home. I have thought of her as a sister more than anything else. She developed a crush, and I¡¯ve never encouraged it.¡± Jonathan assured me. I sighed and nodded, believing him. ¡°Okay. I¡¯m going to my room to shower and change. I¡¯ll meet you downstairs.¡± I suggested. ¡°Or I could shower with you. Save on hot water.¡± Jonathan offered with a smile. ¡°Yeah¡­. No. I want to be on time for work. If I let you in the shower, we¡¯ll have sex instead of getting to the office.¡± I shook my head as I ducked into my guest room before he could retort. I don¡¯t trust myself to shower with that man. Chapter 23 - Silvercloud Chapter 23 - Silvercloud A tiny, like a nck worth, part of me feels sorry for Hana. She¡¯s turned sixteen and had hopes that someone in the pack would be her mate. In the end, none were, and some even found their mates within the pack. So it¡¯s an emotional time for her, but that¡¯s not an excuse to be a rude little shit. Persephone is the Delta female of Bloodmoon. Okay, she isn¡¯t yet, but she will be after I mark her and she takes her oath. Technicalities aside, as the Princess of this pack, Hana should be treating Persephone with more respect than she has. She was probably nicer to her before finding out we were mates, which is a problem. Hana cannot simply treat someone rudely just because of who their mate is, especially when that person is going to be a ranked member of the pack on top of being the sibling of an allied pack¡¯s Luna. She knows better but is choosing to be a child. I¡¯m d she¡¯s leaving today. She¡¯ll be gone all summer, and while the gatherings will most likely be a bust, she can use that time to mate gave her hope. It was false hope because humans being fated to a werewolf is a one-in-a-million chance. When she returns, most likely empty-handed, I hope she doesn¡¯t take it out on others who have found their mates. I wish Persephone had agreed to work remotely. Not simply because it would mean we could get away with more physical contact. But if we aren¡¯t at the office, we don¡¯t have to deal with that Demonw girl. I sighed as I entered my room and spotted my phone on the charging dock. I need to text Shikoba and get things in ce at the office to nip this Demonw shit in the bud. I also want to find out more about Rohan. I sent Shikoba a quick text instructing her to limit all intern ess to shared spaces and the floors relevant to their division. I also asked her to bring up thepany file for Rohan Rock. I need to find out why Dove put him on Persephone¡¯s list of potential guards. I was clear when I stated mated warriors. I tossed my phone on the bed, took a quick shower, and went about getting ready to go into This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. the office. By the time I was prepared to grab breakfast and leave, I had missed texts from Shikoba. Shikoba: You realize that if I limit the intern ess, including your f-buddy. Shikoba: Rohan Rock is a transfer in our security department. He worked for Kinsley until a month ago. John approved his transfer, citing that additional security would be necessary with our iing interns. Shikoba: Are you ever going to exin what¡¯s going on with your intern adequately? I need something concrete to provide to HR. Shikoba: yes, HR. I¡¯m sure you didn¡¯t even consider the ramifications of you having an interoffice rtionship. Shikoba: You¡¯re lucky I know thepany policies, that rtionships are okay if HR is notified, and that there isn¡¯t any misuse of authority. Thankfully HR only knows you as Jonny Weaver and, therefore, someone who¡¯d have no real say or power over an intern or anyone. I frowned as I exited my room. John transferred Rohan to mypany. I¡¯ll have to ask him his reasons. Maybe he felt we needed someone from the pack in my office security in preparation for Persephone being an intern. Other than him being unmated, which unsettles Jaci and me, it¡¯s sound logic. ¡°Everything okay, Jonathan?¡± Persephone¡¯s voice made me look up from my phone. I could have tried to dress professionally, but that¡¯s just not me. I dress professionally when I have to attend pack meetings as the Delta. But at my office, I¡¯m just Jonny Weaver. Once again, she makes me look like a slob, and I even put on clean jeans that aren¡¯t stained or ripped with a geeky ck shirt Kurt got me for Christmas that in white says ¡°Stand Back I¡¯m Going To Try Science¡± with a stick figure holding a beaker in one hand and a calctor in the other. Persephone, however, was looking to drive me crazy today. Today she¡¯s wearing ck kitten heels, a ck a-line knee-length skirt, and a teal sleeveless blouse that cinched at her waist and had an angled ruffle on the left. I don¡¯t pretend to understand fashion, let alone women¡¯s. Everything she¡¯s wearing makes me want to drag her into my bedroom and rip the outfit off her. ¡°Jonathan?¡± Persephone snapped her fingers in my face. ¡°Wake up and stop picturing me naked.¡± She rolled her eyes. ¡°Can¡¯t help it. Do you seriously want to go into the office? Yesterday not touching was hard, and yes, that¡¯s an intended pun. But now all I¡¯m going to be thinking about is yanking that skirt up and fucking you.¡± I sighed as I rubbed a hand over my face. ¡°Control your baser urges. If I can control myself, so can you.¡± She shook her head. ¡°And oh my goddess, that shirt is adorable. Do you ever dress for being in the office?¡± She pointed at my shirt. ¡°I¡¯ll try. And thanks, it was a Christmas gift from Kurt. Why would I? You do realize that before you showed up, I rarely went into the office. People would think I¡¯m a pod person if I started dressing business casual.¡± I chuckled. It¡¯s funny because it¡¯s true. Shikoba would probably demand I see a doctor because something must be wrong with me if I was to wear business attire. I didn''t dress up when I interviewed her for my assistant job. I looked totally out of ce during the interview next to John and even Logan. John was in his polished business suit. Logan at least wore dress pants and a button-down. Meanwhile, I walked in wearing jeans that had a stain and a shirt with the periodic table. ¡°Do you even own business clothes?¡± Persephone cocked her head. ¡°I mean, I like casual wear for my everyday wardrobe, but I knew I would be working in an office setting and bought, with Crista and, of course, Andr¨¦¡¯s input, a professional wardrobe for my internship.¡± ¡°Yes, of course, I do. I was a groomsman at Logan¡¯s wedding and the best man at Kurt¡¯s wedding.¡± I pointed out. ¡°That¡¯s formal wear. I¡¯m asking if you have business wear.¡± Persephone shook her head. ¡°Yes, I have that too. I think I have a couple of button-downs and cks in my closet. I only wear them for pack events where I¡¯m required to dress nicely.¡± I shrugged. ¡°I¡¯ll believe it when I see it.¡± Persephoneughed. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s grab something to eat, and you can tell me why you were frowning.¡± She suggested as she took my hand, tugging me to the stairs. ¡°I sent instructions to Shikoba before I took my shower. I told her to lock down the interns¡¯ ess and to get my info on Rohan.¡± I exined as we headed to the dining room. ¡°Okay. And? Did she give you pushback? Or was there something she found about Rohan to cause concern?¡± Persephone questioned, only grabbing a muffin and coffee. ¡°Well, a little. Shikoba asked about you, referring to you as my fuck buddy. She also asked for specifics regarding us to ensure everything is handled properly through thepany HR.¡± I shrugged, loading my te with eggs, bacon, sausage, and waffles. ¡°Excuse me?¡± Persephone growled as she sat down across from her sister. ¡°Who¡¯s calling my sister your fuck buddy?¡± Delh frowned, pouring more coffee into her cup. I could see Scott hovering off the side. I¡¯m not sure what went down with Logan. I¡¯m sure he was put in his ce and had the shit scared out of him. I felt terrible because it was a mistake, but it also pissed me off that he¡¯d slip like that after all these years. ¡°Scott, stop hovering. It¡¯s weird. Sit down.¡± I sighed and pointed to an empty chair. Scott didn¡¯t speak. He just nodded and quietly sat down as I instructed. Yeah, Logan scared the shit out of him. I¡¯ll have to ask Logan what exactly went down. Thest thing we need is Delh feeling ufortable with Scott around. I also don¡¯t want Scott to feel like he has to walk on eggshells from now on around Persephone or me. ¡°And my assistant at Silvercloud called her that. Shikoba knows I¡¯m Silvercloud, but not that I¡¯m a werewolf. She¡¯s human. And, well, I have not been permitted to loop her into our supernatural secret. So to her, this is all weird.¡± I exined. ¡°Oh. That must be difficult for you and Shikoba.¡± Delh frowned. Chapter 24 - Silvercloud Chapter 24 - Silvercloud That girl certainly has a lot of empathy for others. No wonder anyone I¡¯ve spoken to about the Fayte sisters has always called the youngest the cinnamon roll sweetheart. Crista is the eldest and takes on a more matronly and collected role. I am mated to the middle sister, who by all ounts is the unpredictable wild child that is a total smartass. And honestly, that¡¯s an urate description of my mate. ¡°She¡¯s your assistant and knows the truth. And even then, she only knows a part of the truth. Without knowing you¡¯re a werewolf and about our culture, you suddenly being involved with a person you just met is probably rming.¡± Delh sighed. ¡°Still don¡¯t like her calling me his fuck buddy,¡± Persephone grumbled, biting into her muffin aggressively. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to Shikoba to the extent I¡¯m allowed, and it will be handled,¡± I promised. ¡°I need to text her and confirm that all interns need to have their ess locked down and that it includes you.¡± I sighed, taking my phone out. Me: She¡¯s not my fuck buddy. We¡¯re dating. So do what is necessary with HR about it. And Persephone knows she¡¯s included in the intern ess lockdown. So get it down. Shikoba: Cult. I¡¯ll handle it. Me: It¡¯s not a cult. *eye roll emoji* ¡°Okay, that¡¯s handled.¡± I nodded, pocketing my phone before digging into my mountain of food. ¡°What¡¯s going on with Rohan? I heard you mention his name.¡± Scott decided to speak. ¡°That¡¯s right, you know him. I¡¯m not overly familiar with him on a personal level. But when I was searching for potential Delta guards, he came up. He works at my office in the security department. But he shouldn¡¯t have been in my search results as he¡¯s unmated. ¡° I exined. ¡°What did Shikoba have to say about him?¡± Persephone asked. ¡°She said he transferred from Kinsley Industrial not long before you arrived. John approved it, so I¡¯ll have to ask him what that¡¯s about. I can only assume he figured that a visiting ally¡¯s sister working at Silvercloud required someone from Bloodmoon in my security personnel.¡± I shrugged. ¡°I can confirm he was transferred from Kinsley because of two iing werewolf interns. He told me he would miss working at Kinsley since more of the pack are employed there than at yourpany.¡± Scott chimed in. ¡°And your search wasn¡¯t technically wrong to have him in the results.¡± N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. ¡°Well, that exins why he¡¯s at Silvercloud.¡± Delh nodded. ¡°It doesn¡¯t exin why he was in the search results. What do you mean the results weren¡¯t technically wrong?¡± Persephone questioned. ¡°Well, it¡¯s kind of personal.¡± Scott frowned. ¡°Scott, he works at mypany. He pulled up as a possible guard for my mate. I¡¯m this pack¡¯s Delta. No one gets to keep shit from me for personal reasons.¡± I reminded him. It¡¯s my role as Delta to ensure we, as leaders, know everything we can about every pack member. We could incorrectly assign someone to a mission or pack-rted task if we are missing data. I can¡¯t let that happen. There¡¯s a reason I have a database about everyone in the pack. So if I¡¯m missing something, I need to update my data. ¡°Fine¡­¡± Scott sighed. ¡°I¡¯m surprised he kept it a secret this long.¡± He frowned. ¡°Out with it.¡± Persephone gestured for him to hurry it up. ¡°Rohan was with us three years ago while traveling to the gatherings. He stayed in les Hurleurs Sanctifi¨¦s while the rest of us went onward and ended up stuck in Incubi for the war.¡± Scott started to exin. ¡°He found his mate in les Hurleurs Sanctifi¨¦s? Why wouldn¡¯t we know he has a mate? Did something happen to them?¡± I started to feel bad for Rohan if he found his mate, only to have them die. I didn¡¯t want to assume gender because it wasmon enough knowledge that Rohan was pansexual. ¡°Because his mate rejected him. The guy didn¡¯t want anyone to know he liked men. I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t care what the dickhead¡¯s sexuality is. I was the only one from the pack there with Rohan when the jerk rejected him in favor of a she-wolf he was dating.¡± Scott grumbled. ¡°Oh¡­ that poor man.¡± Delh and Persephone both gasped in unison. ¡°But why stay in les Hurleurs Sanctifi¨¦s after being rejected?¡± Persephone asked. ¡°I¡¯d want to get as far from the dirtbag as possible.¡± ¡°The rejection took a heavy toll.¡± Scott frowned. ¡°That¡¯s what it was? I remember something about someone falling ill during the gathering trip that year. But it was never detailed. Why was this kept from us? If we¡¯d been properly informed, he¡¯d have been given the necessary counseling and support.¡± I furrowed my brow, making a mental note to discuss this with Charles. Maybe Rohan sought him out privately. I hope he did because that isn¡¯t something someone should go through solo. ¡°Rohan didn¡¯t want people to know he got rejected. Better to be considered unmated than rejected.¡± Scott shrugged. ¡°I see. Well, that does change some things. I¡¯ll have to address it with Rohan and the other ranked leaders. If he hasn¡¯t sought out Charles independently, Charles will want to schedule sessions with him. Rohan should know better than this. We take care of each other in Bloodmoon.¡± I sighed, getting up. This changed many things. Knowing he wasn¡¯t officially unmated meant he belonged on the list of options. I don¡¯t know how Dove knew that. Yet another thing about Dove I don¡¯t understand. I will need to set aside time to investigate Dove¡¯s functionality. Things have been happening since I built it that don¡¯t add up. ¡°I hope you consider him to be Delta Persephone¡¯s guard. Rohan is a good wolf, loyal to our pack and his ability is truly unique. You¡¯ll never find another warrior like him.¡± Scott bowed his head as he got up. ¡°Miss Fayte. We need to head out, so you aren¡¯tte for your ss.¡± He gestured for Delh to go with him. ¡°Right. Well, I can¡¯t wait to hear about how things turn out. Remember, Persephone. I¡¯ll be hanging out with Suzie after sses. Try not to get in trouble at work.¡± Delh smiled as she hugged Persephone, then stopped and gave me one too. ¡°It¡¯s nice to have another brother.¡± She grinned sheepishly before hurrying out of the room. Luckily for her, Scott grabbed her bag that she¡¯d forgotten. ¡°We should head out too,¡± I suggested gathering my dirty dishes. ¡°So we are back to having six options. We should probably schedule meetings with all of them soon. If we can have them chosen before my family gets here, it will put certain people at ease.¡± Persephone nodded. ¡°I should also probably schedule a meeting with the other female, ranked members.¡± ¡°You¡¯re already on our calendar.¡± Sybille smiled as she walked in, holding Xavier¡¯s hand. ¡°Oh¡­ that¡¯s good.¡± Persephone blinked. ¡°Right, Persephone, this is Sybille, our Gamma. She¡¯s been a ranked she-wolf longer than everyone elsebined. The poor woman had to deal with us for years before Aurelia showed up.¡± Iughed. ¡°Yes, it was a hardship. Especially dealing with you.¡± Sybille scoffed as she got out a juice for Xavier. ¡°This is my son Xavier.¡± She smiled, stroking his blonde locks. ¡°Xavier, darling, this is Persephone. She¡¯s Uncle Jonathan¡¯s mate.¡± Sybille exined. Xavier gave Persephone a shy smile as he sipped his juice. ¡°He¡¯s adorable. He makes me miss my nieces and Kristina¡¯s little boy Thales.¡± Persephone sighed. Sybille stiffened slightly at the name, then nodded. ¡°Yes, I had heard that the new Nebrodi leaders honored myte nephew by naming their son after him.¡± She sighed. ¡°Wait, you are Thales¡¯ aunt?¡± Persephone blinked, obviously not aware of the family connection. ¡°Oui. My sister was his mother. This isn¡¯t our first meeting, Persephone.¡± Sybille smiled. ¡°We met when you were very young. Delh was only a baby when I visited my sister in Nebrodi before I was old enough to shift.¡± She sighed. ¡°I¡¯m not very surprised you ended up with Jonathan. Like Jonathan, you were a little spitfire of trouble as a toddler.¡± She chuckled. ¡°Oh wow. I didn¡¯t even realize that. I¡¯m so sorry for your loss. I don¡¯t know what I¡¯d do if I lost one of my sisters.¡± Persephone sympathized. ¡°Thank you. But it was your loss as well. My sister was your Luna. I wish things had been different, but it has worked out in the long run. My sister and her mate would be proud of Tiberius and Katrina taking over Nebrodi.¡± Sybille smiled, but there was sadness in her eyes. ¡°I¡­ I should be going. You¡¯ll see the meeting on your calendar. We¡¯ll meet at Sarael¡¯s house. Jonathan knows where she and John live and will be able to drop you off.¡± Sybille excused herself, picking Xavier up as she left. ¡°So strange to realize how the packs keep finding more ways to connect.¡± Persephone sighed as she watched Sybille walk away. ¡°I should have realized that she was rted to Luna Slyvia. They look so simr.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± I assured, rubbing her back. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get to work.¡± We were almost to the door when raised voices made us pause. We both looked to Logan¡¯s office, where he was shouting. ¡°WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN YOU CAN¡¯T COMPLETE YOUR ASSIGNMENT!? GIVE ME ONE GOOD FUCKING REASON YOU ARE BACKING OUT.¡± Logan demanded. ¡°It¡¯s personal,¡± Cillian answered. Cillian¡¯s only assignment was to help keep tabs on that Demonw girl. This caught our attention, and instead of heading out the front door, we both gravitated to Logan¡¯s office, wanting to know what was going on. Why would he bow out? Chapter 25 - Persephone Chapter 25 - Persephone I¡¯m d we could clear Rohan¡¯s name. That bird intrigues me almost as much as my mate. It doesn¡¯t exin how Dove knew something Jonathan didn¡¯t. There¡¯s no logical reason that Dove would know Rohan was rejected rather than mateless. That is such bullshit. It makes me want to travel to Paris, find his rejector, and teach him a lesson. I can¡¯t wait until we get the chance to dig into what Dove can do. And realizing that Sybille is Luna Sylvia¡¯s sister was a trip. I¡¯m going to have to tell Delh. I don¡¯t want her to find out suddenly. My sister is more emotional than I am. So knowing her, she¡¯d break down crying and hug Sybille making the woman ufortable. I should also make sure Crista and Tie know if they don¡¯t already know. I wouldn¡¯t want them getting caught off guard when they show up. There will be enough drama without adding to it. Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. A lot was going on in my head. I have a meeting with the female leaders of Bloodmoon, and we need to schedule appointments with my potential guards to make a decision, my family will be here next week, and we still have to deal with the office where we can¡¯t be physically. My brain reviewed everything and added what I still needed to work on at the office. I will not ck during this internship just because Jonathan is my mate. We didn¡¯t even have to discuss it. Jonathan and I were in sync as we turned from the front door and headed for Logan¡¯s office. My train of thought derailed when we heard Cillian getting yelled at by Logan for wanting to get out of his assignment. I winced as I stepped on a squeaky floorboard, and the office fell silent. ¡°Get your asses in here instead of eavesdropping,¡± Loganmanded. Jonathan grimaced as he pushed the door open. ¡°It¡¯s eavesdropping when people in Mount Adams could hear you shouting.¡± He yed off his concerns with a smile as we walked into the office. Cillian looked nervous as he nced at Jonathan and me. I¡¯m not sure if he¡¯s worried because Logan was shouting or that we are in the way of his only escape route. He certainly can¡¯t be afraid of Jonathan and me. I may not know Cillian well, but even during the Incubi war, Cillian didn¡¯t seem this unkempt. His dark strawberry-blonde hair looked like he¡¯d been tugging at it. His gray eyes were slightly bloodshot, and he appeared jittery. ¡°Cillian? What¡¯s going on, man?¡± Jonathan asked. ¡°Not to sound rude, but you look like shit. I haven¡¯t seen someone look that messed up since John tried to stay away from Sarael.¡± Jonathan teased him. Jonathan may have beenughing, but the look on Cillian¡¯s face said this wasn¡¯t aughing matter. Jonathan noticed and blinked. ¡°Are you shitting me? You found your mate?¡± Jonathan asked. ¡°Is that why you want out of your assignment? You don¡¯t want to be away from her?¡± I questioned. ¡°It¡¯s¡­that¡¯s not it. I have to quit this assignment because if I don¡¯t, I¡¯ll bepromised. I won¡¯t let that happen. I won¡¯t put myself in a position where the bond couldpel me to betray my Alphas.¡± Cillian shook his head, looking pale. ¡°Betray us?¡± Logan questioned. ¡°What does that mean? Cillian, I can¡¯t help you if you don¡¯t tell me what¡¯s happening. I¡¯ve already lost one pack member, someone I thought was loyal and trustworthy because they didn¡¯te to me with concern and ended up being used by their mate.¡± Logan frowned. ¡°We won¡¯t let that happen again.¡± Jonathan chimed in, nodding his head. ¡°You have to be honest with us, Cillian. We¡¯ll do whatever we can to help.¡± ¡°I¡­ I can¡¯t do this. She¡¯s my mate¡­.¡± Cillian shook his head. ¡°Who¡¯s your mate?¡± I asked. ¡°M.¡± He whispered the name. With how silent the room went, you¡¯d think he¡¯d just dropped a nuclear bomb. Of all the people in the world, for that bitch to be mated to, it had to be Cillian. Why Goddess? Cillian is, from what I can understand, a good man. Why would you pair him with slime like her? Then again, you paired a sweet person like Amelia with that trash Icky Iggy. Sometimes you work in ways that make zero sense. ¡°I can¡¯t spy on her when I know what she is to me.¡± Cillian shook his head, pushing through the silent reactions of the rest of the room. ¡°I feel like a fucking creep doing it. And worse is that Conchobar keeps wanting to take control and go to her. He wants to mark her and get the foolish thought of taking Delta Jonathan as a chosen mate out of her head.¡± Cillian growled, his eyes narrowing at Jonathan as his wolf tried to press forward. While I understand this is a bad situation for him, I¡¯m not letting that shit fly. So I took a page from the book of Katrina and how she deals with Chesed. I grabbed a paper off Logan¡¯s desk and thwacked Cillian on the nose. ¡°What the hell!?¡± Cillian blinked as he stepped back. ¡°Get your wolf in check. If he growls at my mate like this is somehow his fault again, I¡¯ll kick your ass.¡± I warned him as I shook the rolled-up paper at him. ¡°I learned from the best on dealing with unruly wolves.¡± Logan snickered as he shook his head from behind his desk. Jonathan was still in stunned silence at the whole incident. He¡¯s been silent since Cillian let the bomb drop about M being his mate. ¡°I can¡¯t help it. I know M has her eyes set on him. I heard her on the phonest night at her temporary apartment. She was talking to someone about finding him and that she¡¯d make Jonny Weaver hers before the week was out.¡± Cillian grumbled, folding his arms. ¡°That¡¯s on her, not Jonathan. He¡¯s mine, and you know that. So don¡¯t go taking your issues out on my innocent mate.¡± I narrowed my eyes, waving the paper again. ¡°Am I clear?¡± ¡°Cillian¡­¡± Jonathan sighed. ¡°I can assure you and your wolf Jaci, and I want nothing to do with her. I only want Persephone, so there is zero chance that what your mate was plotting will happen. I¡¯d rather die than let someone else mark me.¡± ¡°I know¡­¡± Cillian sighed, pressing the heels of his hands into his eyes. ¡°I know you wouldn¡¯t take a mate that isn¡¯t your own. It just¡­ it fucking hurts that she¡¯d take a chosen mate without even trying to look for me.¡± ¡°Cillian, I know you don¡¯t want to do something that would risk you betraying the pack. And I don¡¯t want to make you do something that would make you choose between your mate and your pack.¡± Logan sighed. ¡°I¡¯ll find someone else to cover keeping tabs on her when Azriel can¡¯t.¡± ¡°Rohan,¡± I spoke, the name suddenlying to mind. Everyone looked at me in confusion. ¡°Rohan Rock works at Silvercloud in the security department. He can easily keep tabs on her at work. And his power allows him to travel like he¡¯s mist. He¡¯spletely undetected and has all the necessary ess to Silvercloud properties.¡± I exined. ¡°But isn¡¯t he unmated?¡± Cillian frowned. ¡°I know he went looking for his mate with the rest of us and stayed in Paris after being sick.¡± ¡°He was rejected, so it¡¯s okay,¡± Jonathan assured. ¡°Why didn¡¯t I know he was rejected? Is that in the database?¡± Logan frowned. ¡°I didn¡¯t know till this morning. I¡¯ll fill you inter.¡± Jonathan shrugged as he nced at Logan. ¡°And Cillian, I don¡¯t think she¡¯s his type. Rohan may be pansexual, but he¡¯s always favored men or more masculine women.¡± He assured Cillian. ¡°I guess it¡¯s the best choice, then. I just¡­ ugh, it¡¯s going to be hard to stay away from M now that I know she¡¯s supposed to be mine.¡± Cillian sighed as he slumped into a chair. ¡°And we¡¯re sure she¡¯s an enemy?¡± He looked up at Logan and then at Jonathan wanting answers. ¡°We aren¡¯t sure, Cillian. But what you heard on that phone call is awfully damning. It means she came here knowing he¡¯d be at Silvercloud. It doesn¡¯t appear she knows he¡¯s Silvercloud, but she¡¯s made him a target.¡± Logan sighed. ¡°I know¡­ I just¡­ it doesn¡¯t make sense. Why would M want him? Why seek out his cover name Jonny Weaver? Why does she want him more than me if she doesn¡¯t know he¡¯s Silvercloud?¡± Cillian asked, putting his hands over his face. ¡°We don¡¯t know why she¡¯s after Silvercloud. But we will find out. I want this wrapped up sooner than degree.¡± Logan sighed. ¡°We¡¯ll figure this out, Cillian. And as long as she doesn¡¯t turn out to be a real enemy, no one will stop you from being with her.¡± Jonathan promised as he patted his shoulder. ¡°Persephone and I need to get to work. I¡¯ll contact Rohan and tell him about the change of assignment.¡± ¡°Yeah, you two need to go. It will already look suspicious enough showing up with matching hickeys¡­.¡± Logan rolled his eyes. ¡°Yeah, because Aurelia was never covered in hickeys that summer between you meeting her and marking her.¡± Jonathan scoffed. ¡°As I was saying. It will look even worse if you show upte. M doesn¡¯t know we are on to her. We stick to the n. Which means you two need to stay away from her. Especially you, Jonathan. Do not let yourself be anywhere alone with her.¡± Logan instructed. ¡°Don¡¯t want to be alone with anyone from Demonw, so no worries.¡± Jonathan nodded, holding his hands up. ¡°And you¡­¡± Logan pointed at me. ¡°I¡¯ve heard about her temper. Alec ensured I knew how you got into a fistfight with his head cyber division officer. Do not start a fight with this girl, least of all, at the office. Over ny percent of the employees are humans and don¡¯t know about the supernatural world. So keep your wolf in check, don¡¯t make me ship you back to Incubi till this M situation is resolved.¡± He warned. I gasped at the threat. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t fucking dare, shor¡­.¡± I started to shout before Jonathan mped a hand over my mouth. ¡°It will be fine, Logan. I¡¯ve locked down where the interns can go. So Cillian¡¯s mate will only potentially see us in the lobby or an elevator. She can¡¯te to our floor, and Persephone can¡¯t go to hers.¡± Jonathan promised as his other arm wrapped around me, carrying me out of the office and packhouse. ¡°Persephone¡­.¡± Jonathan sighed as he finally set me down next to his car. ¡°You¡¯re my mate, so I say this with love. Don¡¯t ever disrespect Logan, especially with a crack about his height. I know he¡¯s not your Alpha yet, but he is mine, and more than that, he¡¯s like my brother and father figure rolled into one. So for me, stop trying to piss him off.¡± He pleaded. I sighed. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll bite my tongue. But Logan was threatening to send me a world away from you. That would be agony.¡± I frowned. ¡°I know¡­but he wouldn¡¯t do that. He would never do anything that hurts our bond, or anyone¡¯s bond for that matter. The mate bond is sacred in Bloodmoon.¡± Jonathan sighed as he pulled me into a hug. ¡°Stay away from her and let Azriel and Rohan find the dirt to get her out of our lives.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to be near her anyways. So that¡¯s an easy promise.¡± I sighed, letting his warmth and the bond soothe my troubled emotions. ¡°Good. Now let¡¯s get to work.¡± He smiled, opening my door for me. The ride to work was uneventful, and the first part of the day seemed to be going great. Sure the sexual tension in ourb could be cut with a butter knife. But we were managing. I¡¯m sure we were in the same mind that we would find somewhere private to make out during our lunch break, if not have a quickie. My day, however, turned sour when M stepped into our elevator, and her eyes lit up at the sight of Jonathan. I hope Cillian will forgive me if I rip his mate¡¯s eyes out. Chapter 26 - Silvercloud Chapter 26 - Silvercloud The phone conversation Cillian overheard freaks me the fuck out. I still haven¡¯t managed to wrap my head around Cillian being that Demonw girl¡¯s mate. Yes, I¡¯m still calling her that. Until she¡¯s been cleared of suspicion, she doesn¡¯t get to have a name. And I don¡¯t think that will be happening. Persephone might be right that I¡¯m targeted not because I¡¯m Silvercloud but because I¡¯m a Weaver biologically. And I don¡¯t know what¡¯s more distracting. All this crazy shit or Persephone¡¯s presence in myb. Either This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org . way, I¡¯m distracted, and it¡¯s making coding difficult. Lunch break couldn¡¯t get here soon enough. I may not be able to do much about the Demonw shit, but I can do something about Persephone and the gravitational pull the bond creates. We hadn¡¯t directly discussed our lunch ns, but the way we kept looking at each other, I felt we were on the same page. I¡¯m not sure where we could go that would genuinely be private. Then the thought hit me that we could use my Silvercloud office. I need to get us into an empty elevator to enter the code. While trying to find the best way to do that, a voice that made me sick to my stomach called out my name. ¡°Jonny!¡± M shouted, pushing past someone else in the elevator to get to me. Unable to stop myself, I growled when she tried to push Persephone out of her way. Jaci wanted to take control and put her in her ce. Too bad we are in mixedpany, or I might have let him. I moved to put Persephone in front of me as a buffer. Maybe not the best idea since Goddess knows my mate might decide tosh out. I¡¯m not changing my decision now because I want that girl to stay as far from me as possible. M blinked in confusion. ¡°If you didn¡¯t get the non-verbal message, let me clue you in. Jonny would like you to keep your distance. You¡¯re freaking him out.¡± Persephone spoke on my behalf. In the mirror wall of the elevator, I could see her smiling. It was a scary smile somewhere between sinister and polite. ¡°He¡¯s my mate. So if you touch him, I¡¯ll make youpost.¡± Persephone whispered so quietly that only a werewolf or other supernatural creature could hear her. M blinked again and looked at the mostly faded hickey on Persephone¡¯s neck and the matching one on mine. Her gray eyes narrowed before snorting. Ugh, Cillian got stuck with a piece of work with this one. She doesn¡¯t believe Persephone. ¡°Hickeys aren¡¯t marks. Till he¡¯s marked, he¡¯s fair game, blondie.¡± M whispered back, ring at Persephone. Her whole demeanor changed when she looked up at me. A bright predatory smile spread across her lips. ¡°We should have lunch together. I think we interns should meet with other department members. It would help buildradery and a sense of belonging in thepany. It¡¯s totallyme how they restricted our ess to only the floor rted to our department andmon spaces.¡± ¡°No,¡± I stated. ¡°I don¡¯t want to have lunch with you. I don¡¯t even want to be talking to you. I, for one, am thrilled upper management realized you were wandering the building instead of doing your job.¡± I borated, making sure I was loud enough so the others in the elevator would take notice. ¡°Now, back the fuck off, or we are going to have an HR issue for harassment.¡± I ensured my tone was harsher and more aligned with my Delta authority. It¡¯s a rare day when I use my Delta voice. I don¡¯t like doing it since being a voice of authority isn¡¯t really my thing. M didn¡¯t seem bothered by the Delta authority. I didn¡¯t expect her to, as she¡¯s from another pack. However, the few humans in the elevator took notice as they unconsciously stood straighter. It didn¡¯t stop them from all looking at M with distaste. ¡°M,e stand over here. You are my intern, and your actions reflect on me. I won¡¯t have my reputation in thispany tarnished because you couldn¡¯t keep your grubby hands to yourself.¡± Reed huffed as he reached between some others and yanked M back to his side of the elevator. ¡°Wow, thanks, Reed. Who knew you¡¯d ever give a shit about defending my honor.¡± I chuckled. ¡°I could care less about your honor, Weaver. How you retain a job here is beyond me. Especially as you are so tantly sleeping with your intern.¡± Reed snorted as he pointed at our faded hickeys. This, of course, got Persephone and me dubious looks. I rolled my eyes. They may not understand that we are mates, but the fact remains that we are both adults from all points of view and free to do whatever we fucking want together. I don¡¯t care that they are judging us. I¡¯m not going to sit here and look remorseful or act like anything we did was improper. ¡°If you have a problem with our rtionship, that¡¯s your problem, Reed.¡± Persephone rolled her eyes. ¡°Maybe worry less about what Jonny and I do in our personal time and more about keeping your intern on a shorter leash. She crosses another line, and she will be an HR problem.¡± ¡°People in ss houses.¡± M scoffed. ¡°How low can you get hooking up with her mentor on the first day.¡± ¡°Not that our personal lives are anyone else¡¯s business, but Persephone and I have known each other for three years through mutual friends.¡± I shrugged. ¡°It was fate, destiny, the will of a higher power perhaps that put her as my intern. I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t make that call.¡± No one else seemed to pick up on my meaning, but M must have understood. She has a mate. She doesn¡¯t know it because his scent had been masked while he was spying on her. Persephone already said we are mates. The Goddess brought us together, and any werewolf with two neurons to rub together knows you can¡¯t go against the will of the Goddess. I hope she takes the hint and leaves me alone. ¡°For a scientist to believe in such silly notions.¡± Reed rolled his eyes as the elevator dinged open. I shrugged as he nudged M out of the elevator, and soon it was just us in the elevator. When Persephone went to step out of the elevator, I held her elbow to stop her. ¡°Aren¡¯t we getting off?¡± She asked, looking over her shoulder at me. ¡°Oh, we will certainly be getting off, just not here,¡± I smirked, reaching for the buttons to hit the correct sequence. As I was about to hit the first button, someone else stepped into the elevator. Jaci wanted to growl at the interruption, but I managed to keep him at bay when I saw it was Rohan. He was in the standard issue gray and white Silvercloud security guard uniform, with brown hair styled neatly into a pompadour, a trimmed beard, and sad hazel eyes. Now that I know about his rejection, the sadness in his gaze makes much more sense. He bowed his head respectfully to us as the doors closed. ¡®Delta Jonathan. Alpha Logan said you would need to speak with me. Is there somewhere we can speak privately?¡¯ Rohan questioned through the link ncing uncertainly at Persephone. Of course, he doesn¡¯t know she¡¯s my mate, so he may be concerned about speaking freely around her. ¡®We were about to head to my CEO¡¯s office. I was looking for privacy with my mate, but we probably should address your assignment.¡¯ I exined with a sigh. ¡°Rohan Rock, meet Persephone Fayte.¡± I introduced them so Persephone wouldn¡¯t feel left out. ¡°Nice to meet you, Rohan.¡± Persephone smiled, offering her hand. ¡°And you as well, Miss Fayte. Wee to thepany.¡± Rohan nodded, shaking her hand. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s head up,¡± I suggested reaching back to the panel and entering the 1, 10, 20, and 18 sequences. We didn¡¯t get far before the elevator froze, and a red light filled the room as guns pointed down from the ceiling with red dots focused on Persephone and Rohan. Rohan and Persephone both looked terrified. Rohan¡¯s legs started to fade into a mist, and a green energy armor protected Persephone. I groaned, running a hand over my face. ¡°Delta override code Glitter Bomb.¡± I rified my words to the security system triggered by the addition of unauthorized people in the elevator. At mymand, the guns went back into the ceiling, and the lights returned to normal as the elevator started to move again. ¡°What was that?¡± Persephone questioned, looking at the ceiling as her armor faded. ¡°Just like my privateb, I maintain a high level of security in my office here. The system realized I had two unauthorized people in the elevator.¡± I shrugged. ¡°I¡¯ll have to add you both to the authorized list.¡± ¡°See, if you had answered my questionst night about what taking my biometrics would grant me ess to, we¡¯d have known this would happen and already bypassed it.¡± Persephone tisked. ¡°I should have known something like this would happen if I worked for you.¡± Rohan sighed. ¡°You¡¯ll get used to it.¡± I smiled as the doors opened to the top floor. Holding Persephone¡¯s hand, I stepped out of the elevator. Shikoba rose from her seat, and her lunch spread over her desk. I sighed, realizing she was probably working while on her lunch break. ¡°Another working lunch, Shikoba?¡± I teased, shaking my head at her. Shikoba rolled her eyes and signed her response. ¡°What did she say?¡± Persephone asked, arching an eyebrow. ¡°She said unless I want to get off my ass and run thepany, she will work during lunch.¡± I sighed. I do feel bad that much of the day-to-day is on Shikoba. I need to reevaluate her workload and make sure everything is good. Honestly, I need to give her the official title of COO. John technically holds the role, but running twopanies, especially when they are thisrge, isn¡¯t easy. I am not saying I don¡¯t do my share of work as CEO. I do. And I pay Shikoba far more than any assistant would get. ¡°We are in mixedpany. You could use the text-to-speech program on your phone to not be inconsiderate. Persephone only knows Italian signnguage. And I¡¯m not sure if Rohan is familiar with any signnguage. Rohan¡­¡± I turned to look over my shoulder to see him frozen in the elevator. What¡¯s gotten into him? Chapter 27 - Persephone Chapter 27 - Persephone Damn, it felt good to put M in her ce. Sure it might get me in trouble with Loganter for iming Jonathan in front of M, but screw him. It¡¯s totally a hypocritical move to tell us we shouldn¡¯t be public about our rtionship. When I knew that even when he was supposed to be hiding that he and Aurelia were together, he let jealousy of Colby hit on her override logic and told him to back off his mate. Not like she believed me anyways. She probably thinks I¡¯m saying it because she tried to say the same thing yesterday. The only difference is that I¡¯m telling the truth. And whether we find out what she¡¯s up to before my family arrives or not, once they leave, my mark will be on Jonathan so no one can ever second guess who he¡¯s with again. It makes me wonder what the mark will look like. I¡¯m of Beta blood, so will he have the Fayte dove? Will I also get the Fayte dove being the higher blood rank? Or will we get different marks as Katrina and Tie did, or will our marks merge like Stephen and Amelia? So many options. But I can¡¯t find out till we get M out of the way, and my family is back on a ne home so we can mark and get through my heat without interruptions. I hope Azriel and Rohan can figure out what M is up to before my family gets here. If all this bullshit is going on when they get here, I¡¯m not sure I want to guess how things will go down. It¡¯s bad enough that my family ising and will probably alternate between grilling Jonathan with questions and threats and then cockblocking our sex life for the fun of it. I deserve the karma, but I would rather them not beaver-block me. With my brain on the thought of sex, I was eager to see where Jonathan was taking me. I hoped it was somewhere we could have the level of privacy we did in the bunker. It was difficult not to pout when Rohan joined us in the elevator, killing the chance that we would be alone. Nothing against the guy, but he¡¯s unintentionally beaver-blocking me, and Sara and I are unhappy about it. I shouldn¡¯t have been surprised that some serious security prevented unauthorized people from reaching Jonathan¡¯s official office. Yet I instinctively put up my defensive armor when those weapons came out of the ceiling. I barely stopped myself from snickering when Jonathan gave his override code. This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org . I have such a weird mate, and I love it. ¡®You love him.¡¯ Sara taunted in a sing-song voice. ¡®Oh shut up.¡¯ I rolled my eyes as we reached the top floor of the building. I didn¡¯t pay close enough attention to know what sequence of buttons Jonathan pressed to get us here. It wasn¡¯t as simple as hitting the correct floor number. It made me wonder how people who met with the CEO got to his office. Does he even take meetings with people? And how does Shikoba get to her desk? Or does she not work on the same floor as his CEO¡¯s office? My questions about Shikoba were answered as the elevator doors opened, and we stepped into a sleek and modern space. ck marble floors were highlighted by the floor-to-ceiling ss walls on either side of the room and the carbon ceiling with brass ents and unique lighting. Whoever designed this space, I need to give their name to Andr¨¦ because he would be gushing about this space. Shikoba was eating her lunch at a curved carbon and ss desk with ss shelves on the wall behind her filled with binders,pany awards, and some sulent nts. To the right of her desk were a set of frosted double ss doors that I assume open into Jonathan¡¯s office. I wonder what that looks like. I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll find that out soon enough. To the left was a seating area with a modern white furniture set of a sofa and two side chairs anchored by a gray rug and ented with silver circr end tables and a low coffee table in the middle. A small kitchte was also at that side of the room, probably to cater to the snack and drink needs of people that maye to do business with the CEO. I bet the only people thate here to meet with Jonathan as the CEO are the Kinsley brothers. His true identity is kept a secret. I mean, even I couldn¡¯t find information on who the CEO was. I contemted if J. Silvercloud was a woman. ¡®Aren¡¯t you d he¡¯s not? I¡¯m sure we¡¯d figure it out if he were a woman, but it¡¯s best for all involved that Jonathan is a man.¡¯ Sara chuckled. Ignoring her, I looked back at Rohan, who was still in the elevator. He knows that Jonathan is Silvercloud. So he can¡¯t be surprised that we are at the CEO¡¯s office. I doubt he¡¯s frozen in confusion about Shikoba using signnguage. If that¡¯s the reason, then he¡¯s being insulting. It would also be rude if he¡¯s staring because he¡¯s realized she¡¯s transgender. I didn¡¯t notice it the first time I saw her talking to Jonathan, but in my defense, I was distracted by trying not to rip M¡¯s throat out. But now that I¡¯m not as distracted, I¡¯ve noticed a few things about Shikoba that clued me into her being transgender. And okay, I¡¯ll admit that knowing that did help erase any unfounded worries about how close she must be with Jonathan to know his identity but not his werewolf nature. ¡°Rohan? Are you alright? Did Jonathan¡¯s over-the-top elevator security make you piss yourself?¡± I asked, cocking my head. Rohan¡¯s cheeks turned bright pink behind his short beard; if looks could kill, I¡¯d be dead. I¡¯m also sure that if I were part of the pack link, he¡¯d tell me to stop embarrassing him. Jonathan snickered, shaking his head next to me. At least he¡¯s amused. ¡°If you need the restroom, Mister Rock, it is just over there.¡± A mellifluous, feminine voice that reminded me of Rachel Weisz drew my attention. I blinked as I realized it was Shikoba. Well, not her directly, but it came from the phone in her right hand while she pointed to the bathroom with her left. So that¡¯s the programmed voice Jonathan used for her text-to-speech program. It¡¯s much better quality than most would get from such an app. I¡¯m d he didn¡¯t give her some genericputerized voice. You¡¯d probably believe she was speaking if she¡¯d moved her lips with the words. ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t need to use the restroom. Miss Fayte was teasing.¡± Rohan looked even redder as he finally stepped out of the elevator, or more so, was yanked out by Jonathan. Shikoba nodded as she typed on her phone. ¡°Wee to Silvercloud Industries. I understand you were a recent transfer from Kinsley Industrial. I¡¯m Shikoba Thorn, Mister Silvercloud¡¯s assistant.¡± She offered her hand in greeting. Rohan gulped and looked at her hand like it was going to bite him or something. Shikoba rolled her eyes and wiped her hand on the dark gray pinstripe high-waisted a-line skirt of her rather cute retro outfit paired with a white short ruffle sleeve tie-neck top. She¡¯s got style. I¡¯ll give her that. With her hand seemingly clean, she offered it again, arching a dark brown brow, daring him to decline to shake her hand again. Jonathan elbowed Rohan, and after what I assume was a pack linkmand, Rohan extended his hand. As their hands connected, I realized something. His hazel eyes darkened, bing entirely brown as his wolf started toe forward. I nced at Shikoba, and she was staring at him in disbelief and confusion as she quickly took her hand back like she¡¯d been electrocuted. Their MATES!? She¡¯s his second chance, mate!? And a human to boot? The craziest things happen in Bloodmoon. This won¡¯t be like Isis¡¯ aunt being mated to John Kinsley. Sarael was raised as a hunter, so she knew about our kind. Shikoba is in the dark about Jonathan¡¯s biggest secret. ¡°Holy shit!¡± Jonathan doubled overughing. Neither Rohan nor Shikoba seemed amused at his ¡°This isn¡¯t funny. It¡¯s a serious matter.¡± Rohan frowned as he looked at his hand and back at Shikoba. She was doing the same, but she looked more confused as she didn¡¯t understand what was happening. ¡°Wee to the cult, Shikoba.¡± Jonathan continued to chuckle, patting her shoulder. Her brows furrowed as she furiously typed on her phone. ¡°What the fuck does that mean? Shaking someone¡¯s hand does not mean I¡¯m in your damn cult. I¡¯ve shaken your hand and both Kinsley brothers¡¯ hands, and you¡¯re all in the weird cult you won¡¯t talk about.¡± Cult? Is that what she believes werewolf society is? I mean, I guess to her, it might make more sense. Primarily as she¡¯s worked with Jonathan long enough to have witnessed the intense light switch of emotions, a werewolf goes through when they find their mate. ¡°I keep telling you it¡¯s not a cult. And now that you¡¯ve met Rohan, you get to learn my biggest secret. I share a secret with the Kinsley brothers, Persephone and Rohan.¡± Jonathan smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t you think this may be a tad sudden? And certainly out of the ordinary?¡± Rohan questioned. ¡°Finding a mate is always sudden, Rohan. None of us can predict when, where, or with whom it shall be.¡± I pointed out. ¡°And while your situation is rare, doubly so, it isn¡¯t unheard of. Your pack, I¡¯m sure, is well prepared for handling this.¡± I added. ¡°What the hell is going on? Can someone tell me what¡¯s going on? What are you talking about? Why do you keep saying mate and pack? Seriously, I don¡¯t understand your messed up cult lingo.¡± Shikoba huffed, folding her arms. ¡°We¡¯re werewolves, Shikoba. I¡¯d have liked to have told you sooner. I trust you with my identity when I don¡¯t trust anyone else in thispany.¡± Jonathan shrugged. ¡°And before you go calling me crazy, it¡¯s true. I¡¯m the Delta of the Bloodmoon Pack. Logan is our Alpha, and John is our Beta. Rohan is a member of my pack and your mate. Mate is short for soulmate.¡± Rohan and I both groaned at how casual and straightforward he was being. He could have at least eased her into this news. Shikoba looked skeptical and shook her head. She looked at Jonathan like he was crazy. And when she looked at Rohan and me, it was like she was waiting for us to tell her that he was messing with her. ¡°It¡¯s true,¡± Rohan spoke up. ¡°Delta Jonathan is telling you the truth. We are werewolves, and with his permission, I will take the exnation from here.¡± Rohan nced at Jonathan. ¡°Go right ahead. Persephone and I will be in my office doing¡­ well, things I¡¯m not discussing.¡± Jonathan nodded as he grabbed my hand. ¡°Take as much time as you both need. Please get in touch with Charles if Shikoba has a breakdown and needs psychiatric assistance.¡± ¡°What the hell?¡± Shikoba scowled as Jonathan led me to his office. ¡°You¡¯ll be fine.¡± He waved a dismissive hand. ¡°Trust me. You¡¯ll love being part of what you once called a cult. Life is better with a mate.¡± I shrugged and tried to give her an encouraging smile as I was tugged into his office. The frosted ss door shut tightly behind me. I didn¡¯t even get a chance to take in the aesthetics of his office. The moment the doors were closed, my back was pressed against them. I gasped as his mouth was on mine in a searing kiss that had every cell in my body buzzing. He wasn¡¯t wrong that life is with a mate. Chapter 28 - Silvercloud Chapter 28 - Silvercloud I am so fucking happy for Shikoba and Rohan. After hearing what his first mate did, he deserves a second chance mate. And Shikoba is incredible. I¡¯m d she can finally know thest big secret I was keeping. Maybe now she¡¯ll stop calling the pack a cult. What a domino effect of new mate bonds the arrival of Persephone has created. Cillian wouldn¡¯t have been assigned to spy on that Demonw girl if she wasn¡¯t here. And if Cillian didn¡¯t spy on her to find out they were mates, he wouldn¡¯t have excused himself from the assignment. And because Cillian couldn¡¯t spy on the Demonw girl for the pack, Rohan was brought into the mix. And now he¡¯s found his second chance, mate. Other than the whole Cillian being mates with that Demonw girl, these are good things. It may take Shikoba some time to ept everything, but despite her cynical exterior, I know deep down that she¡¯s a softie who wants to be loved for who she is. She deserves the unconditional love that the mate bond should be. She¡¯s had her troubles in dating because of her transition. But I know Rohan enough to be sure he wouldn¡¯t let her transition stop him from loving her. This all worked in my favor because while Rohan gets to exin things to Shikoba, I get to be alone with Persephone. I know my office is soundproof, I may rarely use it, but I still made sure that anything said inside the space wouldn¡¯t even be overheard by a fellow werewolf or another supernatural being. So it¡¯s a safe bet that Shikoba and Rohan won¡¯t hear when I have Persephone screaming my name. Fuck, who the hell am I? That was NOT a sentence I¡¯d have even thought of a couple of days ago. That was more like something Logan would say. This is what the mate bond does. It turns perfectly sane people into sex-crazed deviants. That¡¯s the only exnation I have for my current behavior. ¡®It¡¯s simple, Jonathan. It¡¯s our animal instinct. The bond is calling us toplete the bond. It wants us to mark, fuck, and put a pup in her.¡¯ Jaci offered hismentary while I was busy hiking her skirt up. ¡®We are NOT getting her pregnant. Thankfully she has that IUD, but I should buy condoms.¡¯ I shook his words away, not wanting to let that thought get in my head and make me lose my hard-on. For a brief moment, the image of Persephone with a baby bump popped into my head, and let¡¯s say my dick liked the mental image. I pushed the thought aside because I would not let myself think about it. Instead, I focused on Persephone. On how her breath hitched. She growled into our kiss when my fingers pushed aside her underwear and dipped inside her. I love how her body responds to my touch. I know it¡¯s the bond, but it¡¯s nice that she¡¯s already wet and eager. Her hips rolled against my hand as she hooked one of her legs over my hip, giving me more ess. We broke the kiss only to catch our breaths. ¡°We¡­oh fuck¡­ we should move¡­ away from the door.¡± Persephone panted as I continued fingering her, adding a second finger. She¡¯s right. As solid as the door is, our silhouette could still be visible. Not that I think Shikoba or Rohan is paying attention. They have more important things to deal with than us fucking in my office. And it¡¯s not like I didn¡¯t have ces to move us. My office offered plenty of surfaces to enjoy Persephone on. The ss round meeting table, the ck leather club chairs, the soft velvet ck sectional sofa in the sitting area, against any floor-to-ceiling windows. But as I turned my head slightly, I smiled, looking at my clear desk. I had wanted to bend her over the workstation in theb. My desk is a close second. There wasn¡¯t anything on my desk. Not even a pen would need to be tossed aside to put her on it. With my destination in mind, I withdrew my fingers, making her pout that I stopped. Before she asked me what I was doing, I grabbed her thighs and lifted her. ¡°And where are you taking me?¡± She asked as her legs wrapped around me, skirt riding up to her hips. ¡°When I saw you in this skirt, I wanted to bend you over my workstation in the bunker. So I¡¯ll take the next best option.¡± I smirked as I set her ass on the edge of the desk. ¡°Oh.¡± Her eyes widened, but I don¡¯t think it was from surprise but more from intrigue. ¡°You¡¯re a rather naughty CEO, Mister Silvercloud. Fucking an intern on your desk.¡± She taunted with a yful click of her tongue. ¡°I don¡¯t exactly fantasize about fucking just anyone, but I have to admit that you calling me Mister N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Silvercloud is hot.¡± I groaned as she rocked her hips against me. ¡°It¡¯s a fun fantasy, and I¡¯m game if you are, Mister Silvercloud.¡± She moaned, arching her body as my fingers thrust back inside her. ¡°I am disappointed that there isn¡¯t anything to push off the desk in the heat of the moment.¡± I chuckled or tried to chuckle hard tough when her hands were on my jeans. I sucked in a breath as she reached into my pants and started stroking my cock in time with my fingers fucking her pussy. I moaned, unable to even find words right now. I love how good her hands feel on my dick. They aren¡¯t perfect, there are calluses and little cuts from working with her hands, but the areas that didn¡¯t have the calluses or cuts were soft and made for one hell of a hand job experience. ¡°I hope that is the only area I disappoint.¡± I teased as I reluctantly took her hand off my dick and pushed her back on the desk. She smiled at me with her blonde hair syed across the desk. Her face was flushed with arousal, and her eyes were dark with desire. Holy shit, a man could get used to having a woman look at him the way she¡¯s looking at me. Her breasts rose and fell as she panted, and her legs opened wider, putting the simple white cotton panties on full disy. They were skewed from when I¡¯d been fingering her, so her wet pink pussy was peeking out behind the damp fabric. ¡°Fuck me¡­¡± I groaned, licking my lips at the sight of my sexy mate. ¡°Isn¡¯t that my line, Mister Silvercloud?¡± Persephone teased, crooking a finger as she lured me closer. ¡°Oh, I intend to do just that, Miss Fayte,¡± I smirked as I gripped her hips and flipped her over so that pert ass of hers was on disy. ¡°Mister Silvercloud¡­¡± Persephone¡¯s giggle turned into a throaty moan as I yanked her panties down and smacked her ass. ¡°Jonathan!¡± She cried out before mping a hand over her mouth. ¡°What are you doing, Miss Fayte? Are you worried someone will hear you?¡± I asked as I leaned over her, pressing my hand on the desk near her face. ¡°Of course. This isn¡¯t the bunker where we are miles from people. Rohan and Shikoba are just outside the door.¡± Persephone exined with her eyes looking to the door, worried it could open at any second. I chuckled and intentionally ran my fingers over the invisible keys on the desk. Persephone gasped as the desk lit up, and a holographic monitor showed multiple windows of security feed. The top three were from out in the reception area. Rohan was sitting on the sofa while Shikoba paced. I didn¡¯t have the audio turned up, so we couldn¡¯t hear their conversation, but I¡¯m sure it¡¯s intense as he has to exin to a human what we are and about the bond. But it wasn¡¯t those top security feeds Persephone was looking at. Her eyes were wide, and a fresh blue stained her cheeks as she looked at the other six windows that showed my office from various angles. Did that turn her on or off? I had to know, so my hand followed the curve of her ass and dipped two fingers, finding her dripping even more than before. ¡°Does that turn you on, Miss Fayte?¡± I taunted, enting each syble by thrusting my fingers deeper and curling them at just the right angle to hit what I¡¯ve learned is her sweet spot. ¡°Ooo¡­ FUCK!¡± Persephone screamed, her eyes still watching the monitor. Rohan and Shikoba didn¡¯t react to her scream because they couldn¡¯t hear us. ¡°Answer the question. Does watching what I¡¯m doing to you from multiple angles turn you on?¡± I questioned again, this time smacking her ass to punctuate the question. ¡°YyeeesSSS¡­¡± She moaned, her voice rising when my hand connected with her bare ass again. Here I thought Logan and Aurelia were off with some of the shit I prefer not to remember seeing them doing. I didn¡¯t know I¡¯d be the type to be into this, but holy shit, am I turned on. And she¡¯s turned on too. Yeah, we are going to be the deviant couple of Bloodmoon. ¡°Does¡­can anyone else ess the security in this office?¡± Persephone asked, turning her head to look back at me over her shoulder. ¡°No. It¡¯s on a closed secured circuit only I can ess.¡± I assured her as I started to push my jeans and boxers out of the way. ¡°Can Dove ess it?¡± Her question stopped me in my tracks. Crap! Dove probably could. It can ess anything I can. ¡°Turn it off. As hot as it is to see you fucking me from so many angles, I don¡¯t trust that bird.¡± Persephone shook her head. I regret building that damn bird. But I agree with Persephone. With a few keystrokes on the desk, the video of my office went dark. ¡°There. All security footage within my office is shut down. After we can ensure Dove can¡¯t ess certain things, we¡¯ll revisit this.¡± ¡°Does that mean we¡¯re stopping?¡± Persephone arched her brow as she looked back at me. ¡°Oh no. I¡¯m still fucking you unless you tell me you want me to stop.¡± I assured her. ¡°Do you want to stop?¡± ¡°Goddess, no!¡± Persephone eximed. ¡°I don¡¯t need to see us from every angle to get off. I only need and want you.¡± That was all the permission I needed to hear. With one hand holding Persephone¡¯s hip and the other guiding my cock into her. I moaned, closing my eyes as I relished being in her. I always knew sex would feel good. I may have been a virgin a day ago, but that doesn¡¯t mean I was naive. I survived the birds and bees talk with Logan after all. Maybe because he hadn¡¯t been with his mate, he couldn¡¯t fully describe how intense and amazing the experience of sex with your mate is. I know this is now my favorite way to spend a lunch break. Chapter 29 - Persephone Chapter 29 - Persephone Goddess, help me. Is this a gic thing, or just osmosis? I was so fucking turned on when he took control like that. I LIKED it when he spanked me. I liked it even more when I could watch us from multiple angles. I¡¯ve be a sexual deviant. How the hell did this happen? I¡¯ve mocked Crista, Tie, and even Darren for YEARS about how they get off being dominated by their D¡¯Amore mate. Yet here I am, getting my rocks off on Jonathan, dominating me, bent over his ss desk, and it¡¯s not just any ss desk. It¡¯s a fucking see-throughputer! His desk is a fuckingputer! That is so Silvercloud. It¡¯s crazy. This is the kind of insane, next-level, mind-blowing tech I expected when I started working here. ¡®Forget the damn desk! How about the insane, next-level, mind-blowing SEX!¡¯ Sara reminded me. Sara didn¡¯t need to remind me of that part. We may have climaxed a few moments ago, but I still felt the aftershocks. My ragged breath fogged up the desk as I desperately tried to catch my breath from the workout Jonathan had just given me. My thighs were aching. My feet had long since slipped out of my kitten heels. I¡¯d been on my tip toes while he pounded into me, and now my toes even hurt. And my pussy, well, she¡¯s still on cloud nine with him balls deep inside. ¡°Fuck¡­ Persephone¡­¡± Jonathan groaned as he leaned over me and kissed my neck. ¡°Jonathan¡­¡± I sighed his name. I moaned because this movement changed the angle of his softening cock inside me and had my pussy at attention. ¡°I love you¡­ and I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the post-orgasm talking.¡± Jonathan whispered as he kissed my neck before leaning back up. I was so shocked at his words that I barely reacted as he pulled out with a moan. He loves me? We¡¯ve known each other for two days, and he¡¯s already saying that. Is that moving too fast? Is he saying it because of the mate bond? I know he said it¡¯s not because of the orgasm but is he being objective when he says that? ¡®Will you STOP overthinking shit!?¡¯ Sara scolded me. ¡°I know it¡¯s probably too soon to say it.¡± Jonathan sighed. I frowned as I stood up and turned to face him. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m not sure. I mean, we¡¯ve known of each other for years, but we only met yesterday.¡± ¡°I know.¡± He nodded as he zipped his jeans. ¡°I¡¯m just not the kind of guy who keeps his feelings bottled up. I was raised to voice that stuff right as I feel it. If I don¡¯t, I overthink it, and it all gets muddled.¡± He exined while he knelt and picked up my panties. ¡°I guess that makes some sense. I know I overthink many things. It¡¯s just how I¡¯m wired.¡± I shrugged, watching him curiously. ¡°Peas in a pod.¡± He smiled, and I swear my heart burst. He has such a crazy effect on me. My body ignites with just a look from him. My heart skips beats when he says sweet or goofy things. When I encounter new tech he¡¯s created, my mind goes into override, wanting to understand it. I¡¯ve never met anyone like him in my life. No one could ever hold a candle to this man. He¡¯s my mate, so obviously, no one should. We¡¯re made for each other. I chuckled as he kissed up my legs to put my underwear back on me. His beard always tickles, and I like that. In less than forty-eight hours, this man has turned my world upside down in all the best ways. When I¡¯m with him, I feel treasured, safe, epted, challenged, supported, like an equal, and¡­ and¡­ ¡®Loved! You feel loved! Because he LOVES you!¡¯ Sara huffed, rolling her eyes. I blinked as it all settled into my brain. We may have just met, but I know what I feel between the mate bond and how alike we are. I shouldn¡¯t overthink this. This is the one time I don¡¯t need to analyze. His head cocked, watching me curiously with those flecks of amber swirling in his eyes. I reached down to hold his chin as I hopped off the desk so he could get my underwear over my ass. ¡°I love you too,¡± I confessed. ¡°And I¡¯m not saying it because I felt obl..¡± I started to reassure him. Reassurance wasn¡¯t necessary as his hands gripped my ass, and he went from kneeling to standing with his lips on mine. I moaned as I returned the kiss, yelping as he squeezed both cheeks, his tongue slipped past my parted lips, and the kiss deepened. I¡¯m pretty sure we¡¯d have worked our way into round two if the growling of our stomachs didn¡¯t make us pull apart inughter. This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org . ¡°Right¡­ we only have like ten minutes left of our lunch.¡± Jonathan chuckled. ¡°Sounds like a vending machine lunch.¡± I sighed as he set me down. ¡°Let¡¯s raid the kitchte in Shikoba¡¯s office. There might be something worthwhile to eat. Anything should be better than what we could get from a vending machine.¡± He suggested. ¡°Do you think Rohan and Shikoba will mind if we intrude? I¡¯m sure they had a lot to talk about. I can¡¯t begin to imagine how mind-blowing learning all this must be for her.¡± I frowned as I nced at the door. ¡°It¡¯ll be alright. I wanted to check on them anyway.¡± Jonathan shrugged as he took my hand and led the way confidently out the door. I blinked as I looked around and only saw Shikoba. She was back at her desk, her lunch had been cleared away, and she diligently typed with her eyes focused on herputer screen. I wanted to ask what happened and where Rohan had gone, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s my ce. I¡¯m not even Rohan¡¯s Delta yet, and I don¡¯t know Shikoba to try and pry into her personal life. ¡°What happened? Where¡¯s Rohan?¡± Jonathan bulldozed right into the questions. Shikoba shrugged, not looking away from herputer or missing a keystroke. I furrowed my brow and looked at Jonathan. I don¡¯t know her, but even I can tell this reaction doesn¡¯t bode well for her and Rohan¡¯s mate bond. ¡°Shikoba.¡± Jonathan sighed, reaching over and turning her monitor off. ¡°What happened? I¡¯m not asking as your boss but as your friend. Did Rohan say or do something to upset you? Is all this news too much to handle? Do you think we¡¯re freaks? Do you not like me anymore? Are we not friends?¡± He bombarded her with questions. ¡°Jonathan, do us all a favor and shut up.¡± I rolled my eyes and pulled him back by the shoulder. Shikoba arched an eyebrow as she turned and looked at me. Her eyes were a bit red and puffy. She has been crying, which I don¡¯t think is good. ¡°What did¡­¡± Jonathan started to question, and I put my hand over his mouth. ¡°Shikoba, feel free to speak at your own pace without interruption and prodding from the peanut gallery,¡± I assured her before narrowing my eyes at Jonathan in a silent warning. Shikoba sighed and picked up her phone, and started typing. She¡¯s pretty fast at texting. I don¡¯t think I could even type as fast as she did. Once she had whatever she wanted to say written, she let the text- to-speech voice take over. ¡°After you, two left to fuck, which I¡¯ll make sure to have the cleaning crew go in there and sanitize the whole room. Rohan asked me to sit down. I didn¡¯t want to sit, so he sat. He looked more freaked out than I was, but I¡¯m the one being told there are werewolves.¡± Shikoba¡¯s AI voice started to exin. ¡°He started to exin the whole being a werewolf thing and that there is a thing called a mate bond. That your Moon Goddess binds souls to each other through the bond. A werewolf having a human mate is exceedingly rare and dangerous if the bond isn¡¯tpleted under the proper conditions.¡± She continued. ¡°Because I need all this shit. But I digress. Rohan offered to prove that what he was saying about being a werewolf was true. I didn¡¯t know how he nned to do that, so I said fine and told him to prove it. He stood up and STRIPPED!¡± Shikoba¡¯s face pinked a little at this part. ¡°He said it was necessary, or he¡¯d rip his uniform, and he didn¡¯t want to deal with recing it. And before you go teasing me about seeing him naked, Silvercloud, remember I am older than you, and I¡¯ve had my share of sexual partners. So he¡¯s not the first man I¡¯ve seen naked.¡± Shikoba pointedly looked at Jonathan as her AI called him out. I chuckled while Jonathan shrugged, looking a little sheepish. She knows him well. ¡°So he shifted into this big ck wolf, and I fell over the coffee table andnded between it and the sofa. And in a dress like this, it was embarrassing and difficult to get up on my own. Rohan or his wolf, whatever, came over and nudged me, using his body to lift me out of the gap. It was surreal, and I don¡¯t know how I feel about it.¡± Shikoba frowned. Jonathan snickered, probably picturing the whole embarrassing scene in his head. I rolled my eyes and elbowed him as the AI continued. ¡°After I got back up, I told him he should go into the bathroom and change back into his uniform. I told him I needed time to think about all of this. He did what I asked and came back out and looked at me with those damn sad eyes of his. And before he gets in the elevator, he makes one final plea. He asks that I give him a chance and not reject him as he couldn¡¯t survive that again.¡± Shikoba sighed. ¡°What does that mean? I¡¯ve been trying to research werewolves and the mate bond, but for obvious reasons, I¡¯ve learned jack shit. And you two were busy knocking boots so that I couldn¡¯t ask you.¡± She sighed and looked at us expectantly. ¡°Oh, Shikoba.¡± Jonathan frowned. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m not sure I should be the one that tells you his personal stuff.¡± Shikoba folded her arms, frowning, obviously not liking his reluctance to tell her what she needed. He may not want to break Rohan¡¯s confidence as his Delta, but I¡¯m not held to such things. I¡¯m free to say any damn thing I want. ¡°Fuck him. I don¡¯t know Rohan from the hole in the ground. I¡¯ll give you all the dirt.¡± I offered. ¡°Persephone¡­¡± Jonathan growled, holding my arms. ¡°I may like you dominating me when we fuck. That doesn¡¯t apply when your dick isn¡¯t inside or about to be inside me.¡± I warned him as I yanked my arm away. ¡°So don¡¯t go thinking you get to control me.¡± I rolled my eyes. ¡°I would think that as her friend and a Delta, you¡¯d be obligated to disclose things that would help her.¡± ¡°So, will you tell me?¡± Shikoba¡¯s AI voice asked as she focused on me. ¡°You bet.¡± I smiled. ¡°So here¡¯s the deal. You¡¯re Rohan¡¯s second chance mate. That means before knowing you, he had another mate. A total dickweed from a pack in Paris. The jerk rejected Rohan because he didn¡¯t want people to know he liked men.¡± I rolled my eyes. Shikoba frowned and quickly typed her reply. ¡°What happens when someone is rejected by their mate?¡± ¡°You know how people say they were heartbroken and yadda after a breakup?¡± Jonathan interjected. Shikoba nodded. ¡°A human, they can get over it. A rejection could kill a werewolf. The mate bond is a powerful and magical thing. So when Rohan¡¯s first mate rejected him, it broke him in a way that can¡¯t even be quantified.¡± Jonathan frowned. ¡°It¡¯s why in our pack, we take the bond seriously. The only reason to reject a mate is if they are abusive.¡± ¡°So he could have died?¡± Shikoba questioned after a moment of thought. ¡°Yes. My guess is Rohan survived because you exist. He and his wolf wouldn¡¯t have known you were out there. But because the Goddess had a second chance waiting for him, he survived the rejection. And now he¡¯s found you. His second andst chance to be whole.¡± Jonathan exined. Shikoba sighed and frowned. She waited for a beat before typing. ¡°I¡¯ll think about it. He seems nice, and he¡¯s hot. But I need time to process all of this.¡± ¡°Of course, take your time,¡± I assured her. ¡°And here¡­¡± Jonathan dug into his wallet and handed her a card. ¡°That¡¯s the number for our Gamma Charles Westbrook. He¡¯s a licensed psychiatrist. Call him, and he will make you an appointment to help work through things solo and with Rohan.¡± Shikoba nodded and took the card. ¡°Thanks. You may want to eat the lunch I got you from the cafeteria in yourb. You¡¯ve got five minutes left of break.¡± She chuckled as she nodded to two stic containers on her desk. ¡°You are, as always, a lifesaver. Think about things and call Charles but more importantly, call Rohan.¡± Jonathan smiled as he grabbed our lunches before we hurried into the elevator. Chapter 30 - Silvercloud Chapter 30 - Silvercloud I hope that Shikoba calls Rohan, and they can talk through things. Their situation has obstacles, but they can be ovee easily withmunication and understanding. It¡¯s an easier hurdle to get past than Cillian and that Demonw girl. Yes, I will keep calling her that till her name is cleared, and even then, I¡¯m not sure. Maybe I¡¯ll change my mind if things with her and Cillian work out, but I won¡¯t be holding my breath. I decided to put the concerns about these budding mate pairings to the back of my mind. I have my mate to deal with. I get she felt she needed to tell Shikoba about Rohan¡¯s past, but even as Shikoba¡¯s friend, I didn¡¯t think it was my ce to reveal my packmate¡¯s shattered love life. I¡¯ve already nned to punish her for it when we get home. And given how things yed out in my office, I think she will like how I punish her. Now I need to survive the rest of the workday, which feels like an impossible task. I¡¯m barely able to concentrate on my coding. As if being engulfed in her scent was terrible enough, the smell of sex is still hanging around us. Every time I nce in her direction, I remember how she looked bent over my desk, skirt up, and ass out while I fucked her. The only good thing about this torture of being so close yet far from her is that I¡¯m not suffering alone. I¡¯ve caught her more than once looking at me. Even if I weren¡¯t looking at her when she snuck nces Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. at me, I¡¯d know because the scent of her arousal gets stronger. I take satisfaction in knowing she¡¯s turned on by looking at me. If I turned enough, she¡¯d probably see just how turned I am by her too. Let¡¯s leave it as I need to wear loser jeans around her. I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d have such a hard, ha puns, time focusing after finding my mate. ¡®Once we¡¯ve marked her, it won¡¯t be as bad. I¡¯ll be able to settle down, and the bond will beplete, so you¡¯ll feel grounded and connected to her.¡¯ Jaci assured me. ¡®Thirteen days and fucking counting.¡¯ I sighed as I looked at her again. I smiled as our eyes locked, and she blushed and wiggled on her stool. Is she squeezing her thighs? I took a deep breath, and there it was, Persephone¡¯s arousal. I red at the evil clock that told me we still had two hours before it was quitting time. I wonder if I could talk her into clocking out early. ¡°What would you think of leaving early?¡± I asked. ¡°Tempting¡­.¡± Persephone sighed as she eye fucked me. ¡°So fucking tempting. But we can wait two more hours.¡± ¡°Can I borrow like a cup of your willpower? Cause I don¡¯t know if I can wait two hours.¡± Imented as I dramaticallyid my head on my workstation. I turned my head at the sound of her angelic giggle to see her hiding her mouth behind her hand. She may giggle like an angel, but the gleam in her green eyes is all devil. Fuck I need to get her somewhere without cameras, or rather cameras that someone else can ess the video from and make her scream my name. ¡°Come on, drama queen. You can survive two hours. We both can. I¡¯m sure of it. It can¡¯t be that hard.¡± She rolled her eyes with that devilish gleam in her eyes, knowing she had just said a pun. ¡°Why don¡¯t youe closer, Miss Fayte, and I¡¯ll show you how hard it is?¡± I offered with a smirk as I turned just enough for her to see how confining my jeans were. Her eyes darkened as they locked in on the outline of my cock. ¡°That¡­looks ufortable.¡± She managed to reply in a soft voice as she licked her lips. ¡°You have no idea. And I won¡¯t get any relief for two hours.¡± I sighed. I arched my brow as I watched her nce around the room before slipping off her stool. ¡°Come with me. I think it¡¯s time for a break. Maybe some cold water from the vending machine will help you.¡± I don¡¯t know what she¡¯s nning, but I¡¯m fucking in. I let her tug me off the stool and lead me out of the ¡°Oh, hell yes!¡± I pped a hand over my mouth, realizing I had said that aloud. ¡°I mean, of course, Miss Fayte. Silvercloud would never be so intrusive as to put security cameras in our gender-neutral bathrooms.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s go in that direction. Ssh some cold water on your face to help you cool down.¡± She suggested in a sultry whisper as she tugged me toward the bathroom. I wasn¡¯t sure what the n was, but I wasn¡¯t going to question it. Persephone poked her head into the bathroom and checked the stalls to be sure we were alone. Once she felt secure, she locked the bathroom door and pushed me against the wall between the door and the hand dryer. ¡°Now, let¡¯s see what we can do to help you out of this predicament you¡¯ve gotten yourself into,¡± Persephone smirked, reaching for my jeans. ¡°What do you have in mind, Miss Fayte?¡± I cocked my head, not a hundred percent, on where this was going, but I was hopeful. ¡°I¡¯m not a doctor, but I¡¯m fairly certain I¡¯ve heard a warmpress is good for stiffness.¡± Persephone taunted me with a devious grin ying at the corners of her lips as she tugged my pants down enough to free my dick. ¡°And this certainly looks stiff.¡± She giggled as she ran her index finger along my length. ¡°Don¡¯t toy with me, Persephone. I¡¯m not sure I have the patience for it.¡± I hissed as my head fell back against the tile wall. ¡°So sensitive. But fine, we are under a time constraint anyways. I¡¯ll have to take my time teasing you when we¡¯re home.¡± Her sad sigh was just a ploy, as the way she smiled and licked her lips made it clear she wasn¡¯tining. I sucked in a breath as she got on her knees. I clenched my jaw not to moan loudly as she licked my cock from root to tip. Not the local I¡¯d have chosen for my first blow job, but I¡¯m not picky about that. Location doesn¡¯t matter more than the person doing it. And there is no one on this, past, present, or future, that I¡¯d want touching me like this more than Persephone Fayte. I cursed quietly as her tongue swirled around the tip, and she made that ¡®mmm¡¯ sound as she wrapped her lips around it and took her sweet fucking time. She was taunting me as she only took a couple of inches of my dick, sucking and licking before popping it out, and then she¡¯d take a little more the next time. It was fucking torture. I thought I was about to lose it and was a second from grabbing her hair and being more forceful when she finally took it all. ¡°Fuck¡­. Persephone¡­¡± I moaned through gritted teeth. ¡°You should¡­.stop¡­before¡± I lost it. That¡¯s all it took after her teasing me. I tried to warn her but either she didn¡¯t hear me or didn¡¯t care because I came and she swallowed. ¡°Holy shit¡­¡± I gasped as I looked down to see her licking the corners of her mouth. ¡°Wow¡­¡± Persephone gasped as she caught her breath. ¡°Let¡¯s get you off the floor. I know the sanitation staff does a good job but still.¡± I smiled, helping her to her feet. ¡°Never thought I¡¯d do something like that in a bathroom. Yet here we are.¡± Persephone shook her head. ¡°Don¡¯t ever tell my family about this. They would never let me live it down if they saw how easily I gave up work to have sex in any fashion with you.¡± She sighed as she leaned her head against my chest. ¡°Your secret is safe with me,¡± I assured her as I rubbed her back. ¡°Just wish I could return the favor, but I can hear someoneing down the hall.¡± ¡°You can make it up to me when we get home,¡± Persephone smirked. ¡°Now put your dick away, and maybe we can focus and get some work done now.¡± I chuckled as she stepped into one of the stalls giving me room to fix my jeans. I flipped the lock on the door just in time as someone was walking in. I nodded with a smile to my fellow engineers. ¡°How¡¯s it hanging, Robbie and Dirk?¡± The pair rolled their eyes. ¡°We heard you were back in the office. Didn¡¯t believe it since there haven¡¯t been any explosions.¡± Robbie snickered. ¡°Also heard younded a hot intern,¡± Dirk smirked. I narrowed my eyes, having to put a lot of effort into keeping Jaci in check and myself. I was about to say something when the stall door opened, and Persephone stepped out. She looked at Robbie and Dirk and scoffed. ¡°Disgustosi maiali americanii.¡± She wrinkled her nose as she went to the sink to wash her hands. Robbie and Dirk may not know Italian but her choice of words beyond the maiali was pretty easy to trante. And they didn¡¯t look thrilled with her calling them disgusting Americans, and I¡¯m sure if they knew she called them pigs, it would only be worse. ¡°I don¡¯t know exactly what you said. But you should watch your mouth, intern.¡± Dirk red. ¡°We¡¯re the heads of our department. You keep being disrespectful, and you can bet your sweet ass you won¡¯t be offered a job after the summer.¡± Robbie threatened. ¡°Whoa¡­ I think you two need to chill out.¡± I tried to intervene, holding my hands up. ¡°You were disrespectful, crossing into HR trouble with yourment. Remember, Silvercloud has a zero-tolerance policy. All it would take is her to tell HR you harassed her, and you¡¯d be out the door.¡± I pointed out. ¡°It would be our word against hers.¡± Dirk snorted. ¡°Are all Americans as stupid as you?¡± Persephone arched her brow as she dried her hands. ¡°Jonny was standing there so it wouldn¡¯t just be my word against yours.¡± ¡°Cause anyone is going to listen to Jonny.¡± Robbieughed. ¡°The dude is lucky he still has a job after the fire he caused.¡± ¡°What can I say? I was born under a lucky star.¡± I shrugged. ¡°But she has a point. It would be our words against yours. So have no doubt I¡¯d dly report you disgusting American pigs.¡± Robbie went to grab my shirt when the door was flung open again. Everyone froze as all eyes turned to John Kinsley Jr in all his intimidating glory. His azure/cobalt blue eyes surveyed the room with an arched brow. ¡®Is there a problem?¡¯ He asked through the link. ¡®Just some dumbasses being dumb.¡¯ I assured. ¡°Mister Weaver, I was looking for you. Follow me and bring your intern. I want to see this med-bot you¡¯ve been building.¡± John finally spoke, ignoring Robbie and Dirk. ¡°M¡­Me? But¡­I usually present it to them¡­.¡± I gestured to Robbie and Dirk, ying my role as a simple employee. ¡°And I don¡¯t think they even present it to you.¡± ¡°Are you questioning me, Mister Weaver?¡± John gave me that stern Kinsley look that scared the shit out of me as a boy. Not that it doesn¡¯t work as an adult. It¡¯s just less. ¡°If you checked your office email, you¡¯d have received notice that I would being for an early preview of the product. Kinsley Industrial is keen on pushing this project, as is Silvercloud.¡± He exined. ¡°Nowe along. I do not conduct business in restrooms.¡± He sighed as he opened the door, gesturing us out. Persephone smirked smugly at Robbie and Dirk as she hurried out into the hallway. I shrugged at them and followed her. The walk back to myb was in silence. Once we were inside theb, Persephone burst intoughter. ¡°Oh, my goddess! I haven¡¯t seen someone look like they¡¯d shit themselves since the first time someone was disrespectful to Crista, and Alec aggressively told them she was with him.¡± Persephone leaned against her workstation, stillughing, and I couldn¡¯t help but join in. John sighed and rolled his eyes. ¡°Goddess, give me strength to deal with the pair of you for the rest of my life.¡± Chapter 31 - Persephone Chapter 31 - Persephone I can¡¯t believe I just did that! Who am I? Because I¡¯m certainly not myself, or at least not the person I was before I met Jonathan. Before him, I¡¯d have wrinkled my nose and dismissed the idea of putting work aside for a guy. I¡¯d probably have made a face and gagged at the notion of giving a blow job, least of all in a bathroom. That¡¯s more something Andr¨¦ would do. He probably has either with Darren or someone he knew before Darren. Yeah, I will stop thinking about that before I get sick. No offense to Andr¨¦. He¡¯s a good-looking guy, but beyond that, he¡¯s family. I don¡¯t want the visual of him sucking some guy¡¯s dick in a bathroom. I cringed, wrinkling my nose as I shook my head vehemently in the bathroom stall. ¡®How about focusing on Jonathan and the dick you just sucked.¡¯ Sara suggested. ¡®You enjoyed it, and you know it. And if you want to lie and say you didn¡¯t, your wet panties say otherwise.¡¯ She taunted. I didn¡¯t have time for her foolishness. I had to get myself under control when I heard two male voices in the bathroom. I couldn¡¯t walk out there blushing over what we¡¯d just done. We are in a professional environment. Or at least that¡¯s what this is supposed to be. The more I meet staff in thispany, the less I believe that¡¯s true. The way they treat Jonathan is appalling. The disrespectful assholes are lucky my mate is such an easygoing and forgiving man. I get why Jonathan keeps his identity a secret, but I don¡¯t think I can understand how he allows people to disrespect him, even when he¡¯s Jonny. He doesn¡¯t have to pull the boss card, but he should stand up for himself. The number of jaws that would drop, people that would shit or piss themselves, and groveling apologies that would happen if these people knew Jonny Weaver was their boss Jonathan Silvercloud. ¡®He may not be willing to stand up for himself as Jonny Weaver, but at least he¡¯s willing to do so for you.¡¯ Sara pointed out as Jonathan stood up against Robbie and Dick¡­ I mean Dirk, in my defense. I was ready to get involved and put these two assholes on their asses when things escted. I didn¡¯t end up needing to, as John Kinsley walked in. I¡¯m not sure if the med-bot was an excuse, but it was still weird for him to look for Jonathan in the bathroom. I¡¯d ask how he knew where to find him, but that would be pointless. Even if they weren¡¯t of the same pack, werewolves have a keen sense of smell he¡¯d be able to track Jonathan anywhere in the building. Besides, John showing up in the bathroom, of all ces, made it even more entertaining. It¡¯s a good thing they were in a bathroom because I¡¯m pretty sure Robbie and Dick need to change their underwear after that. Imend myself for notughing until we returned to theb. After we were inside, all bets were off, and Iughed openly. Jonathan at least joined in myughter, while John didn¡¯t look amused. ¡°Aw, don¡¯t be like that, John. You know you love me like your own flesh and blood.¡± Jonathan chuckled as he put an arm around John¡¯s shoulders. They were opposites. John was clean-cut in a business suit and tie. Meanwhile, Jonathan had his thick beard, rocked casual jeans and a science joke tee. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve seen such an eclectic group of ranked wolves as Bloodmoon. In Incubi, the ranked wolves always dress at least in business casual unless in their private time. The same for Nebrodi and even Madonie though Andr¨¦¡¯s idea of business casual is a bit brighter than most. You¡¯d never expect them to be friends, well maybe John and Charles, but that¡¯s about it. Yet in Bloodmoon, their Alpha is a scruffy mountain man casual in jeans and nnel. Their Beta John is formal in a business suit. Their Gamma Charles favors a less formal look wearing business casual. And then there is their Delta, my mate Jonathan in geek casual. I¡¯m still surprised with how well these four very different personalities manage to work together to run thergest pack in North America. ¡°Yes¡­ well, I¡¯m stuck with you.¡± John sighed as he removed Jonathan¡¯s arm from around his shoulders. ¡°My brother did make a promise to your mother to look out for you. That didn¡¯t go away when you became an adult.¡± John frowned as he looked at what Jonathan was wearing. ¡°Some days, I question the adult part. What on earth are you wearing? This is a ce of business. Even Persephone has dressed appropriately.¡± He gestured to me. ¡°What? I love this shirt. Isis and Kurt got it for me, so if you have a problem, take it up with your niece.¡± Jonathan grinned as he stepped back to my side. ¡°And you act like I can¡¯t dress up. I wore a suit at least six times.¡± ¡°Six times? That¡¯s your p back to him saying you dress childishly?¡± I arched my eyebrow. ¡°Weddings and funerals do not count, Jon.¡± John sighed in exasperation as he ran a hand over his face. ¡°So, did you want to discuss the med-bot? Or was there another reason you tracked us to the restroom?¡± I asked, deciding John might prefer a change in subject. ¡°While, yes, I would like an update on the project. It wasn¡¯t the main reason I was looking for Jon.¡± John nodded. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Jonathan asked as he hopped onto the workstation, casually kicking his legs. I couldn¡¯t stop the giggle from escaping my lips. Jonathan is too damn adorable for words. ¡°Beg your pardon. Please, continue, Mister Kinsley.¡± I blushed, embarrassed at giggling so suddenly, as John arched his brow at me. ¡°We should discuss this elsewhere, somewhere more secure,¡± John suggested ncing at where the camera was. ¡°Ah¡­ yes, hold on. I had a rather ingenious revtionst night. I probably would¡¯ve gotten out of bed Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. to build it, but someone¡­.¡± Jonathan smirked as he winked at me. ¡°Was dead set on keeping me in bed.¡± I rolled my eyes, hating that I was blushing. ¡°Enough with taunting Miss Fayte. Please get to your point.¡± John gestured with his hand for him to move things along. ¡°Alright, alright.¡± Jonathanughed as he jumped down and went to hisputer. ¡°I¡¯ll taunt her in private at home.¡± He muttered though we both heard him. ¡®Oh, how you look forward to him teasing you at home.¡¯ Sara chuckled. I ignored her and focused on the zing-fast movements of Jonathan¡¯s fingers on his keyboard. Damn, he¡¯s got some talented fingers. ¡®This isn¡¯t news. Jonathan finger-banged you, so you already know he¡¯s good with his hands.¡¯ Sara didn¡¯t miss a beat. I swear the Goddess must have decided that if I lived outside of Sicily and far from Andr¨¦ D¡¯Amore, I needed a horndog for a wolf to make up for it. ¡°And¡­..done.¡± Jonathan turned to us with a grin. ¡°Like how the elevator ys a loop when I go to my office, it can loop for myb.¡± ¡°Wait¡­ but what security footage are you looping? If someone were watching us, they¡¯d have seen John with us, so you couldn¡¯t just loop footage of you in yourb.¡± I questioned, furrowing my brow. ¡°She makes a valid point.¡± John nodded. ¡°The program snags five minutes of footage from before I trigger it. So if someone in security is watching, they will see the three of us talking and John getting annoyed.¡± Jonathan smiled proudly. ¡°And you only thought of that after John showed up instead of before our trip to the bathroom?¡± I asked incredulously. What the hell? I could have avoided kneeling on a bathroom floor to give him a blow job and then dealing with those two assholes? ¡°I considered it, but the loop breaks if the door is opened. And we can¡¯t simply lock myb like we did the bathroom.¡± He shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t want to know what you deviants were doing in that bathroom.¡± John sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. ¡°It¡¯s good I have more important things to deal with.¡± ¡°We will circle back to thister.¡± I pointed at Jonathan before I turned to John. ¡°So what did you need with us? Or I guess with Jonathan since I¡¯m not part of the pack or your Delta yet.¡± ¡°You will be soon enough, and my reason is two parts that involve you both.¡± John sighed. ¡°First, Cillian is outside. He¡¯s been sitting in his car for hours.¡± John certainly doesn¡¯t ease into subjects. ¡°Probably arguing with his wolf about wanting to barge into the building to find M.¡± ¡°That figures.¡± Jonathan shrugged. ¡°You, of all people, should know how hard it is to ignore the pull of the bond. Irving had you sitting stalker-like in rose bushes, watching Sarael at her house.¡± Jonathan teased. ¡°I¡¯m not saying I don¡¯t understand.¡± John rolled his eyes. ¡°I stopped at his car before entering the building. Hopefully, I¡¯ve talked him out ofing inside. I¡¯ve exined that doing so will only cause more harm than good.¡± ¡°Is the second part about Shikoba knowing of werewolves now that she¡¯s Rohan¡¯s second chance mate?¡± I asked. ¡°She¡¯s what? Why wasn¡¯t I informed of this?¡± John¡¯s surprise was short-lived as he narrowed his eyes at Jonathan. ¡°It happened fast. And I handled it. I gave Shikoba Charles¡¯ number, said she could call him if needed and told her she should give Rohan a chance. Persephone exined a bit more about his past. So I think she¡¯ll give him a chance.¡± Jonathan shrugged. ¡°This is not what I need right now.¡±John groaned and rubbed his temples. ¡°No point stressing over it. Rohan and Shikoba have to work things out from here. All we can do is provide support as they ask for it.¡± I rationalized. ¡°So, if Shikoba and Rohan weren¡¯t the second reason for youing here, what was?¡± ¡°You¡¯re family.¡± John sighed. ¡°One in particr.¡± ¡°What did Andr¨¦ do now?¡± I sighed, quickly guessing who could be causing John stress. ¡°He¡¯s decided he doesn¡¯t have to or want to wait. He¡¯s going to be here tomorrow with Darren and Lando in tow. The others are still waiting till next week as they have young children to ount for when traveling.¡± John exined. ¡°Goddess, help us.¡± I groaned. ¡°He couldn¡¯t give me a week. Oh crap, he¡¯s probably decided to hand deliver those ¡®care packages¡¯ to Isis and me.¡± I pped my hand to my forehead. ¡°Care packages?¡± Jonathan arched his brow. ¡°Why is my niece involved in this?¡± John asked. ¡°After it got out that I¡¯m Jonathan¡¯s mate, a group chat was started. In his excitement, Andr¨¦ decided he would send a care package of his favorite toys and vored lubes for experimenting sexually with. And because of how Isis responded to his suggestion, he determined she needed a care package too and ¡°Is that what you didn¡¯t want me or Delh to see?¡± Jonathan snickered. ¡°Your Alpha nephew offering you a care package of sex toys and lube? Sounds like a nice gesture to me.¡± ¡°Jonathan, stop talking. Beyond that, I want to know nothing about your sex life. I want to know even less about my niece¡¯s sex life.¡± John sighed, shaking his head. ¡°John, you need to rx. Maybe Andr¨¦ should bring you a care package too. You can drop the kids off with an overnight sitter. I¡¯m sure Colby and Allie will take them for you. And have a fun night in with Sarael.¡± Jonathan suggested. ¡°Your suggestion of whatever Alpha Andr¨¦ is bringing for Persephone and. Goddess help me, Isis aside, that¡¯s not a bad idea. I¡¯m sure Sarael and I could both use a good night¡¯s rest.¡± John nodded, heading to the door. ¡°When you leave the building, just be mindful that Cillian is out there. Try to keep him from getting too close to M.¡± John instructed before walking out. Great. Andr¨¦ ising early because he¡¯s annoying, and Cillian is outside hoping to reach his mate. I don¡¯t know why we don¡¯t just let him get to M. She¡¯ll scent him and maybe give up her idiotic n to have Jonathan. Chapter 32 - Silvercloud Chapter 32 - Silvercloud I can deal with Cillian being outside as long as he doesn¡¯t storm into the building. What¡¯s got me worried is that Andr¨¦ will be here tomorrow. I¡¯ve not dealt with him a lot. I¡¯ve only seen him at Logan and then Kurt¡¯s weddings. And even in those brief situations, I know he¡¯s a variable. He¡¯s unpredictable, and his reactions to situations range from joking to murder. I should be able to handle that. But with the Demonw issueing back to haunt me and still not having marked Persephone, now isn¡¯t a good time to have an unpredictable and very dangerous Alpha hanging around. Darren can only mitigate his mate so much. I¡¯d have felt better if he had waited and arrived with the others. Then there would be his father and sister to try and temper his unpredictable emotions. After John left, I looked at Persephone and could tell she was worried. Though I don¡¯t know which she¡¯s more concerned about, Andr¨¦¡¯s pending arrival or that Cillian is a ticking time bomb of mate bond urges. I should probably say something to ease her concerns. ¡°It¡¯s going to be okay,¡± I assured her with a nket statement. ¡°Let¡¯s finish work, and we can head Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. home and deal with everything else,¡± I suggested as I gestured back to our workstations. ¡°Yeah¡­¡± She agreed with a heavy sigh. ¡°No sense worrying about things right now. We¡¯ve got work to finish.¡± She agreed, turning on her heel as she returned to her work. We worked in silence. Only the sounds of clicking keyboards acted as our ylist till quitting time. We didn¡¯t end up in the same elevator as the Demonw girl on our way down to the lobby. Not sure I want to be in a confined space with her again. Our luck didn¡¯tst as we headed for the doors, she elbowed between Persephone and me. ¡°Jonny, so d I caught you before you left. I was hoping maybe we could go grab dinner.¡± She smiled at me while past her shoulder, I could see Persephone was struggling to keep Sara in check. ¡°I¡¯ve told you I¡¯m not interested. I¡¯ve told you I¡¯m with Persephone. Leave me alone.¡± I held my hands up as I went to step around her. I didn¡¯t want that Demonw bitch to touch me. Also, I needed to get to Persephone before she blew her top and unleashed her infamous temper here in the lobby. I didn¡¯t get away fast enough as she grabbed my hand. There was something about the look in her eyes. There was something desperate in her eyes, and it got me all sorts of confused. Of course, I couldn¡¯t react fast enough. I watched it all in slow motion as she stumbled back, forced to let my hand go as Persephone¡¯s right fist connected with her face. I cringed as she hit the ground and looked up with tears pricking at her eyes and blood dripping from her nose. Security officers were pushing past employees who had circled up like we were in grade school, and they wanted to watch the fight. Yeah, this is NOT good. Humans think they are above animals but have a sick desire to hurt or at least watch others get hurt. ¡°Tomorrow, I¡¯m filing aint with HR about your behavior and won¡¯t shed a tear when you get let go from the program and sent home.¡± Demonw girl shouted as she got to her feet with the help of security. ¡°Worth it for putting you in your fucking ce, cagna. Learn to keep your damn hands to yourself.¡± Persephone snorted, shrugging off the security guard, trying to hold her back. ¡°Jonny has told you multiple times to stay away, but you don¡¯t take no for an answer. You¡¯re a walking HR vition, and if I¡¯m getting fired, you can bet your ass you¡¯ll be leaving with me. The difference is job or no job, I¡¯m still with Jonny.¡± Persephone added as she folded her arms. She may not currently be a ranked wolf, but her Beta blood is strong, and the aura of power and authority radiating off my angry mate has the humans around us taking two steps back. Demonw girl, however, seemed unfazed. I made a mental note to investigate that further. Even if she¡¯s not from the same pack, a werewolf of lesser rank recognizes higher bloodlines. She¡¯s my mate, and I even want to step back. ¡°What the hell?¡± Cillian¡¯s voice drew my attention from the sight of our cat, or I guess wolf fighting mates. His fists were clenched at his sides, and I could see his wolf trying to push forward as he looked at his mate and the blood she still hadn¡¯t wiped off her face. Shit! I hurried over to Cillian, trying to block him from getting further. ¡®Cillian, you cannot and will not lose your shit in my lobby and in front of all these HUMAN witnesses.¡¯ I ¡®She¡¯s BLEEDING! Why is MY MATE bleeding, Delta Jonathan?¡¯ Cillian demanded in a menacing growl in our link as he continued to look past me at his mate. I nced over my shoulder and saw her eyes were locked on Cillian. She must have picked up his scent and knew he was who she truly belonged with. It¡¯s just a matter of what she will do about it. I watched as she shook off a guard and wiped the blood away with her hand. Whatever moment of eye contact they shared was gone as she shook her head. ¡°You will not get away with this, Persephone Fayte. And Jonny isn¡¯t truly yours till, as the Americans say, you put a ring on it.¡± Cillian¡¯s mate dered as she pushed past us for the doors. ¡°I still n to report you to HR first thing tomorrow.¡± She added, ncing back over her shoulders. She red at Persephone and me, and her eyes softened briefly when she looked at Cillian. Then she was out the doors. I had to grab Cillian¡¯s arm and hold tight to stop him from following her. ¡®Don¡¯t. I know you want to, but it¡¯s dangerous. Azriel will be following her. We can¡¯t risk her hurting or using you. Once we know her objective, no one will stop you.¡¯ I attempted to reason with him. ¡®Unless her objective is to destroy our pack.¡¯ Cillian answered. His mournful tone broke my heart. ¡°Weaver, you need to keep your intern in check. Being your girlfriend doesn¡¯t mean he gets to go around assaulting people.¡± Reed scoffed as he paused on his way to the door. ¡°How about you keep your intern in check? Sexual harassment is not something that should be tolerated. I¡¯d ask how you¡¯d feel if someone touched your significant other, but I get the feeling you¡¯re a bachelor, with good reason.¡± Persephone rolled her eyes. The look of contempt Reed gave Persephone was new. I¡¯ve seen him look annoyed but never outright hateful. I guess she touched a nerve. I sighed, letting Cillian go to take Persephone¡¯s hand. Hopefully, the mate bond will keep her temper in check. ¡°We will let HR deal with it. That¡¯s why thepany has one.¡± I suggested. ¡°Have a good night Reed.¡± I nodded to him. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Persephone, before you get in more trouble.¡± I tugged her toward the doors. ¡°Fine. But what about Cillian?¡± Persephone questioned. I nced back to see he was still standing in the same spot. His eyes were focused outside, where his mate was getting into an uber with some other interns. I gestured with a wave of my hand for him to follow us. When he didn¡¯t move, Persephone let my hand go to hold his arm. ¡°Come on, Cillian. You can¡¯t stay here.¡± Persephone sighed as she forced him to move. I¡¯d be jealous that she¡¯s touching him, but I won¡¯t let myself be that territorial. He has a mate, and she¡¯s going to be a Delta. It¡¯s her job to support and take care of our pack. I¡¯m d she¡¯s unconsciously taking on her role. I smiled and put an arm around Cillian¡¯s shoulders. ¡°It¡¯s all going to work out, man,¡± I assured him as we walked him across the street to his car. ¡°How can you be so sure? She¡¯s from the pack that destroyed yours. I wouldn¡¯t trust someone from Cholm¨¢in, and I was even younger than you when they murdered my people.¡± Cillian frowned as he leaned against his car. ¡°I know it¡¯s hard. And I¡¯m not saying I trust your mate as far as CJ or AJ could throw her.¡± I shrugged. ¡°But I do trust the Goddess. She paired you with that girl for a reason. And I can¡¯t and won¡¯t believe it was to break your heart.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry I punched your mate.¡± Persephone apologized. ¡°My only defense is she kept touching Jonathan and was dismissive of our mate bond even though I¡¯ve told her we are mates.¡± ¡°I know Delta Persephone.¡± Cillian nodded as he ran a hand over his face. ¡°I¡¯m not upset with you. My wolf is, but he will get over it. I¡¯d have done the same thing if a guy was harassing M.¡± He frowned. ¡°How am I going to fight this pull? I don¡¯t think I have that kind of willpower.¡± ¡°No one has that kind of willpower,¡± I said. ¡°Go home, visit your parents. Maybe somewhere in the wealth of Firewolf knowledge that they keep will have something to help you. And if that fails, talk to Sarael. Maybe as a hunter, she¡¯d know something. If she doesn¡¯t, she can prod Khalid to see if the guild has anything new.¡± ¡°I hope there¡¯s something out there. Not something that would break my bond. I am still hopeful she¡¯s good. Just maybe she¡¯s being forced to do bad by her Alpha.¡± Cillian nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll check with Shea and M¨¢ire and go from there. Thank you, both of you. For keeping me from losing it in such a public setting.¡± ¡°Anytime, Cillian. If you need anything, don¡¯t hesitate to contact me.¡± I smiled, patting his shoulder. ¡°Drive safe and trust that the Goddess has a n.¡± Persephone smiled as we stepped back from his car so he could leave. We stood there for a little bit as we watched Cillian drive away. ¡°Do you think he will be okay? That there is a way to control the bond¡¯s pull?¡± Persephone questioned as we made our way to my car. ¡°I hope he will be. As for a way to temper the pull of the bond, I¡¯m not going to hold my breath. We need to resolve this issue quickly and determine if he needs to reject his mate or can ept her.¡± I shrugged. The drive home was primarily silent as we contemted recent events and what was still on the horizon. Chapter 33 - Persephone Chapter 33 - Persephone I knew the second my fist connected with that bitch¡¯s nose, and I would end up in hot water. This isn¡¯t like being in Incubi, where I¡¯d get in trouble for fighting outside training sessions. Fights were allowed even when not sparring partners as long as it happened during training sessions. I¡¯m sure even if this hadn¡¯t happened in the lobby of Silvercloud with multiple human witnesses, Logan would be pissed at me. He¡¯d warned me before we left to keep my temper in check. And I failed epically. Yet I don¡¯t feel an ounce of remorse. Okay, that¡¯s a lie. I felt some guilt when I saw Cillian¡¯s face. I did punch and make his mate bleed. Even if she deserved it, he didn¡¯t. Thankfully he doesn¡¯t hold it against me. That was what worried me the most. I don¡¯t care if Logan yells at me. He can¡¯t outright punish me because I¡¯m not Bloodmoon. If he wants to hand out a punishment, he¡¯d need to get approval from Alec first. When they get here, Alec could decide I need to be punished. Even if he is my Alpha, I¡¯m not afraid of him or his stupid wolf. I know what Darkness is capable of, and he¡¯s an ancient wolf spirit. So I¡¯m a little afraid of Darkness, alright, I¡¯m afraid of Darkness. Yes, I know, the Bloodmoon wolf is an ancient and presumably powerful spirit, but not in the same way Darkness and Light are. They¡¯ve hurt people in far worse ways than a mere punch for even speaking wrong to Crista. I¡¯m hoping Alec and his wolves will see where I wasing from. ¡°How much trouble do you think I am in with HR?¡± I asked as we pulled up to the pack house. ¡°A lot.¡± Jonathan sighed. ¡°Fights are taken seriously. And considering how many witnesses there were¡­.¡± He shrugged as we climbed out of the car. I grimaced as it finally settled into my mind that I was probably being let go from the program after two days. I frowned as I looked to the doors of the packhouse and saw Logan and Aurelia standing there like they were waiting for us. Shit, they already know. Did Jonathan tell them? Cillian maybe? Or did someone from Silvercloud report it up the chain, and Logan heard because he co-owns Kinsley? ¡°Persephone¡­¡± Logan growled. As his eyes narrowed, I saw them fluctuating from his natural blue to the red of his wolf. Jonathan winced, lowering his head even if it wasn¡¯t him his Alpha was angry with. I sighed and walked up the stairs till I was at eye level with the short Alpha. So I¡¯m two steps down from him and his mate. Sure, some might consider this as me acting humble and conceding that Alpha and Luna are higher in the food chain. And I guess that¡¯s partially true, but my true reason is that I want to look him in the eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t need a lecture, Logan,¡± I said, not beating around the bush. ¡°I had a father, and I know exactly what he would have said. And I have an Alpha and can guess what he will say too.¡± ¡°Oh, I know exactly what your Alpha had to say. I called him to let him know you got into a public fight with a potential spy with a few hundred human witnesses and will likely be kicked out of the summer program.¡± Logan snorted. ¡°He¡¯s not pleased with you, and neither is your sister. They have moved up their flight and will be here tomorrow with his son.¡± That¡¯s just great. My impulsive violent outburst has brought all the D¡¯Amoresing early. Well, fuck my life. Though on the bright side, the sooner they get here, the sooner they can leave, and the sooner Jonathan and I canplete our bond and truly put M¡¯s ns to an end. ¡°Sounds about right. Alec will show up, lecture me about my temper, and try to think of a punishment for me.¡± I shrugged. I hope I¡¯m conveying a more casual front than I felt. While I¡¯m pretty sure how things will go down when Alec gets here with his two wolves, especially Darkness, things could take a sudden turn. ¡°Then I¡¯ll remind him he imprisoned and nearly killed someone for making threatening sexual advances on my sister, and that asshole didn¡¯t even know yet she was his future Luna.¡± I outlined how I hoped things would go. ¡°And I¡¯ll get a lesser punishment because breaking that bitch¡¯s nose pales to what he did to Santi.¡± Logan rolled his eyes, folding his arms across his chest unamused. ¡°You should take this more seriously. Beyond your internship, this could have a ripple effect we can¡¯t foresee. She¡¯s part of Demonw. We aren¡¯t officially enemies with them, but we aren¡¯t allies either. I am not looking to have a war started, at least not till I know what that bitch is up to.¡± Aurelia sighed and ced her hand on Logan¡¯s arm, and his posture changed. They have a strong bond. It only took her light touch to dial back his aggression from a 12, on a scale of 10, to a 1. ¡°Persephone, you¡¯re a smart girl. I¡¯m told your IQ rivals your mate¡¯s. So us telling you the ramifications of your actions today is pointless. You¡¯ve probably had the car ride home to think through all the scenarios.¡± Aurelia stated. While it did sound like she was buttering me up, I also didn¡¯t detect any bullshit. ¡°I won¡¯t apologize for what I did. I own it. M was warned to keep her hands off Jonathan. She was told we were mates. She chose to ignore those warnings we gave her this morning.¡± I shrugged. ¡°Bitch got what wasing. She¡¯s damn lucky I held back my wolf and only punched her. Sara wants to rip her to shreds.¡± ¡°She¡¯s right,¡± Jonathan spoke up. ¡°The Demonw girl was warned that if she kept it up, I¡¯d take her to HR, and Persephone did verbally, in a low enough voice the humans didn¡¯t hear, im me as her mate.¡± ¡°You call her Demonw girl?¡± Aurelia raised an eyebrow. ¡°Would you want to call anyone from Cholm¨¢in by their name? Would you want to give them that amount of respect? Knowing that their pack was responsible for the destruction of yours? Knowing that This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org . their pack killed your parents?¡± Jonathan questioned. ¡°You may not have memories of Connor and Fianna, but I have some left of my parents. Like many of your people, I still remember the night of the attack.¡± Aurelia¡¯s shoulders sank as she nodded her head softly. ¡°I understand, Silvercloud. And I can¡¯t say how I¡¯d treat someone from Cholm¨¢in if I crossed paths with them. I know what they took from me, but I have my parents who have loved me unconditionally. I have Logan and our children. I might not have had all this if Firewolf wasn¡¯t attacked.¡± ¡°You can see it that way, but I¡¯m sure the rest of the survivors would rip a Cholm¨¢in wolf to pieces before giving them an ounce of kindness or respect.¡± Jonathan frowned. I know how he feels. I still have trouble stepping foot in Madonie. Ignazio is dead, but facing the Madonie people is still hard. I don¡¯t hold it against Lando. He lost his parents because of Ignazio, but I can¡¯t forgive people like Ivan as quickly. Delh made her piece with his hand in the attack on Nebrodi, but I haven¡¯t and don¡¯t know if I ever will. I know Tie, Gage, Khloe, and rio all are on edge when they deal with Madonie beyond the ranked members. How do you let go of the hate for someone that killed or scared physically and mentally the people you love most? Instinctively I took Jonathan¡¯s hand, hoping to offer him support. ¡°You don¡¯t owe Demonw any kindness or respect,¡± I assured him. ¡°I will deal with whatever falloutes from punching her,¡± I assured Logan and Aurelia, and I turned my attention back to them. ¡°If I get taken out of the internship, so be it. She¡¯ll be kicked out too, so she¡¯ll have no reason to be in Bloodmoon territory.¡± ¡°Which means we can revoke her permission to be here.¡± Logan¡¯s lips curled into a smile as a red ring formed around his blue iris. ¡°And she¡¯ll have twenty-four hours to get off my territory or face the consequences of trespassing.¡± I smiled back and nodded. ¡°Exactly. Either way, whatever her ns for Jonathan will be squashed.¡± ¡°It may force her hand. She could act out and do something foolish and dangerous. Like attempting to kidnap Silvercloud and possibly force mark him.¡± Aurelia pointed out. ¡°That won¡¯t be happening,¡± Jonathan said firmly. ¡°Beyond that, she¡¯d have to get to me to do it. I¡¯d rip her fucking head off first.¡± ¡°She¡¯d be dead before she could touch him.¡± I agreed. ¡°I¡¯ve been holding Sara back hard, but if that bitch does one more thing, I¡¯ll owe Cillian a bigger apology because his mate will be dead.¡± ¡°Speaking of Cillian, how is he?¡± Aurelia asked, obviously concerned like a true Luna should be. ¡°He¡¯s conflicted. He¡¯s not upset with Persephone. He understands why she did it because if it were reversed, he¡¯d hit someone for touching his mate.¡± Jonathan answered. ¡°I rmended he go talk to his parents. Maybe something in all the books they have has a way for him to stay strong against the pull of the bond without severing it. I also said if that fails, he should check with Sarael to see what the guild might know.¡± ¡°I hope there is something that can help him. I know how hard it is to stay away from your mate. And it must hurt more knowing she seems set on having someone else.¡± Aurelia frowned. ¡°Speaking of mate bonds and the strain of being apart. What the fuck is this I hear about Shikoba and Rohan?¡± Logan raised his brow, looking at Jonathan. It looks like it¡¯s time to address the next subject on the docket. At least the focus is no longer on me and my fight with M. I¡¯d rather talk about Shikoba and Rohan anyways. I¡¯m hoping she wille around and ept him. His story is sad, and he seems like a guy who should have a happy life with a mate. Chapter 34 - Silvercloud Chapter 34 - Silvercloud I expected to be ambushed by Logan upon returning to the pack house. Granted, I wasn¡¯t expecting him and Aurelia to wait at the door. I hadn¡¯t told him about what happened, but I knew he¡¯d know. Even if Cillian didn¡¯t say something, I know it would have gotten back to both Kinsley brothers that there was a fight at my office. My best guess is that Shikoba reported it after she heard from security. I didn¡¯t predict that this fight would result in Persephone¡¯s sister and brother-inw decided to arrive early. Just what I didn¡¯t want to deal with. It was one thing for them to being to probably taunt us about being mates and prod at me to be sure I was what they deemed worthy of Persephone. Now they areing because of that Demonw bitch. So they¡¯ll be on edge, aggressive, and protective of Persephone. I need to get this shit with Demonw resolved fast. And by fast, I mean like I needed it handled yesterday. I do not want Sicilian leaders arriving in Bloodmoon while she is still in our territory; her intentions are unknown. Which shit, her intentions. I don¡¯t know what they are, but that look she gave me and how she looked at Cillian, something is going on. There is more to this than just her having a fixation on me. I have the feeling she¡¯s not pursuing me because she wants to. Maybe Dove can help me figure out what is going on with her. I want to know who is forcing her to do this. I want to know why they want her with me so fucking badly. Is it to try and bridge ties to Bloodmoon? That can¡¯t be it. Forcing a chosen mate bond isn¡¯t the way to form allies. Especially with a pack like Bloodmoon, who take the mate bond very seriously. Is this about my family? Do they want me because of my dad? Because, like him, I¡¯m a genius? ¡°Silvercloud? Are you even listening to me?¡± Logan grumbled, snapping his fingers in my face. I blinked and smiled sheepishly as I realized my mind had wandered, and I stopped paying attention. ¡°Sorry, my brain wandered to other thoughts. I was trying to think about how to deal with Demonw. What were you saying? And can we go inside now? I feel weird standing on the steps talking.¡± ¡°Why am I not surprised?¡± Logan sighed. ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s go inside. Mrs. Carmichael has dinner ready.¡± He waved for us to follow him inside. We could smell the BBQ spread from the hallway. Mrs. Carmichael is the best cook ever. I¡¯ll be sad when I move out with Persephone, not that I can¡¯te back for meals. Shit, we need to discuss living arrangements. I have a plot ofnd I can build on here in Mount Hood. I would need to finalize a design with Persephone to start construction. And I don¡¯t want to sound sexist, but I hope she can cook. I burn everything I try to cook. So unless she knows how to cook, we will either eat out, eat at the pack house, or hire a cook¡ªanother thing we should discuss. There are many things we need to discuss and learn about each other. ¡°Is every meal a massive spread like this?¡± Persephone asked as we walked into the dining room. The long table was filled with tters of brisket, pulled pork, pulled chicken, ribs, and half chickens. Then the sides, oh, the number of sides! The creamy, cheesy goodness of homemade mac n cheese, mashed potatoes, potato sd, grilled corn on the cob, green beans, baked beans, w, fries, and cornbread. My mouth was already watering. David and his family were here. I¡¯m not surprised, given that his mate often helps watch the heirs. He nodded to us as he tried to get Rose to let go of his ear, her tiny fingers clutching the plug. ¡°Pretty much. No one goes hungry with Mrs. Carmichael around.¡± I shrugged. ¡°Need some help with our future Alpha, David?¡± I taunted as I let Persephone¡¯s hand go to try and assist my friend. ¡°What¡¯s it look like?¡± David rolled his eyes. ¡°That you have a new essory?¡± Persephone chuckled. ¡°Hrious, just what I needed.Two of you.¡± David grumbled. ¡°Come on, Rosie, let me go. It¡¯s time to eat. Royce is already in his high chair.¡± He pleaded with the toddler. ¡°Rose, sit with me.¡± Royce waved his hand as he tapped the high chair next to him. Like magic, she released her grip on David¡¯s ear and tried to wiggle in Royce¡¯s direction. I''ll eat my shoe if those two don¡¯t end up mates. Shit, I probably shouldn¡¯t say things like that, even in my head. I don¡¯t want to have to eat my shoe if I¡¯m wrong. Plus, Royce has the same effect on Farah, so unless he¡¯s getting both Kinsley girls as mates, which their dads may castrate him for Goddess given or not, I shouldn¡¯t make assumptions. ¡°See, all you had to do was get her boyfriend to call her.¡± I chuckled as David put Rose in the highchair next to his son. ¡°Don¡¯t call him that,¡± Logan grumbled as he took CJ from Aislinn. ¡°No dating. My kids don¡¯t get to date till they have spent at least four years looking for a mate.¡± ¡°Right, because that will happen.¡± Aurelia rolled her eyes as she put a te of cut-up food on Rose¡¯s tray and another with slightly more food andrger bites on Royce¡¯s. ¡°If it makes you feel better, he¡¯s also Farah¡¯s boyfriend.¡± I snickered as Logan grumped, and he carefully took his seat with CJ in his arms to feed him a bottle. ¡°Silvercloud, do my boy a favor. Stop trying to put him on the Kinsley shit list.¡± David chuckled as he fixed a te for his mate and then himself. ¡°Language around the wee ones.¡± Aislinn scolded. ¡°You really shouldn¡¯t make assumptions. Just because the Kinsley cousins respond to Royce doesn¡¯t mean anything. Gwen and Christina adore Lando, but that doesn¡¯t mean he will be either of their mates when they grow up.¡± Persephonemented as she sat down. ¡°Please stop making assumptions about my boy¡¯s future. Unlike some people, Royce is a goodd and will wait till he finds his mate.¡± Aislinn chimed in, her words a bit hard to understand as she still has a thick Scottish ent. ¡°Fine.¡± I held my hands up in surrender, smiling as I sat down, and realized that while I was taunting David and Logan, my mate had fixed me a te with a little of everything. ¡°I wasn¡¯t sure what you liked the most,¡± Persephone admitted quietly. ¡°Thanks. And no worries, I like it all.¡± I assured her as we all started digging into our dinner. ¡°So about Shikoba and Rohan.¡± Logan arched his brow as he adjusted CJ in his arms to burp him. ¡°Here, I thought you¡¯d forgotten.¡± I sighed around a mouthful of cornbread. ¡°What about Rohan? Who¡¯s Shikoba?¡± David asked. ¡°Shikoba is my executive assistant at Silvercloud. She knew who I was but didn¡¯t know the werewolf stuff. She¡¯s a mute transgender human.¡± I exined. ¡°And we found out today she is Rohan¡¯s second chance mate.¡± ¡°S¡­second chance?¡± David furrowed his brow. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize he had a first.¡± ¡°Long story short, his first was a dirtbag.¡± I shrugged, keeping it clean for young ears. I didn¡¯t want Aislinn scolding me. ¡°Huh. I never knew. That sucks, but at least Rohan found a second chance. So did this woman not take the news of werewolves well? She didn¡¯t reject him, did she?¡± David asked. ¡°She¡¯s wrapping her mind around it all. It¡¯s going to take her time. She¡¯s not Sarael, who at least knew about the supernatural world.¡± I exined. ¡°And from what she told us, they didn¡¯t talk much after Rohan shifted to prove he¡¯s a werewolf. She asked him to let her think.¡± ¡°Did you or Rohan give her Chuck¡¯s number?¡± Logan asked. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. ¡°I take that to mean she called. And I gave it to her.¡± I nodded. ¡°That¡¯s a good sign, right?¡± Persephone chimed in. ¡°If she¡¯s looking to have counseling from Charles, she¡¯s at least willing toe to terms with and ept this new reality.¡± ¡°She has an appointment tomorrow. So she¡¯s taking the day off work. Meaning you¡¯ll have to deal with things yourself at the office.¡± Logan exined. ¡°I can handle things at the office. It will suck that I can¡¯t be in myb all day.¡± I frowned. ¡°Does that mean we will spend tomorrow in your office?¡± Persephone asked, a subtle blush staining her cheeks. ¡°I don¡¯t want to know why she¡¯s blushing.¡± Logan shook his head. ¡°Right, CJ? We don¡¯t need to know what Uncle Silvercloud was doing in his office today.¡± His voice took on that soft and sweet tone he reserved for his children. CJ replied with baby gurgles and a blech to rival a grown man in Logan¡¯s face. Persephone and I both startedughing. The epic timing of this heir is priceless. I¡¯d say it¡¯s a CJ thing, but Rose did simr things as a baby. The Kinsley heirs, all four of them, are adorable. So is Xavier though he, like Farah, was a quiet, well- behaved baby. He only started getting loud and rambunctious as he began hanging around Royce. The influence of a Bryant. ¡°Well, there¡¯s that burp, at least.¡± Logan chuckled. ¡°As for Shikoba, I hope her meeting with Chuck is a good sign. We¡¯ll offer whatever support we can to help her transition to pack life so she can and will ept Rohan as her mate.¡± ¡°PERSEPHONE!¡± The shout from the hallway made everyone raise their heads. Shortly after the scream Delh Fayte appears in the doorway, looking flustered and out of breath. ¡°Delh? What¡¯s wrong? Are you okay? I thought you were hanging out with Suzie. Did one of her friends do something? I¡¯ll kick their asses.¡± Persephone was instantly on her feet, questioning her sister as she rushed over to her. I can¡¯t imagine any of the kids Suzie Walterson hangs out with being disrespectful to a visiting ally. Last of all, one with a direct connection to the Incubi Alpha. But that doesn¡¯t exin why Delh rushed in like this and shouted for Persephone. ¡°What? No. I¡¯m fine.¡± Delh shook her head. ¡°No one was rude. I think they were too scared to be rude. Suzie made sure they all knew who I was rted to. The rudest thing said was someone asking if Alec is as scary as the stories say.¡± ¡°Then what¡¯s wrong? Why are you shouting for me and looking frazzled?¡± Persephone asked, brushing some of her sister¡¯s hair from her face. ¡°I got a text from Crista. She said they areing tomorrow because you fought work. I was worried about you.¡± Delh exined. ¡°I made Scott rush me straight here.¡± She gestured to Scott, who had managed to catch up to her. Logan arched his eyebrow. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me a fifteen-year-old girl is making you winded. Do I need to tell Duncan you need more cardio training?¡± Scott huffed and rolled his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m fine. She jumped out of the car before I even got it into park. I had to park ande after her.¡± ¡°Sure¡­.¡± David snickered. ¡°Ugh, you¡¯re all worked up over nothing.¡± Persephone rolled her eyes. ¡°I punched that dumb M. She¡¯d been warned to stay away from Jonathan, yet she asked him to dinner and touched him. She¡¯s lucky a broken nose was all she got. Plus, it¡¯s not like the break is permanent.¡± ¡°But it sounded like you could lose your internship. If you lose your internship, what happens? You¡¯re in America on a work visa. If you don¡¯t have a job, you can¡¯t stay, and if you can¡¯t stay¡­.¡± Delh frowned, gesturing to me. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about my Visa,¡± Persephone said. ¡°I¡¯m not fired yet, and it¡¯s not like I¡¯m going to get kicked out of Bloodmoon. I¡¯m Jonathan¡¯s mate, which means after we¡¯ve marked each other and I take my oath, I¡¯m part of the pack.¡± ¡°I know, but¡­.¡± Delh pouted. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about your sister¡¯s status,¡± I assured Delh as I walked around the table to stand next to Persephone. ¡°While I own thepany, I can¡¯t exactly go against my policies if HR removes her from the program. But I can handle the Visa status by hacking it or marrying her.¡± ¡°M¡­Marry¡­¡± Persephone practically choked on the word. ¡°What? You¡¯d let me mark you but not marry you?¡± I asked, arching a brow as I pretended to be offended by her reaction. Okay, so part of me was. I know marriage isn''t typically a werewolf thing, but if she was going to spend her life with me anyways, what¡¯s a piece of paper to shut up the government? Cult of Love Cult of Love The following chapters will be for the bonus story Cult of Love. Some events will ovep with events that took ce in The Genius Delta. Cult Of Love Rohan Rock - I¡¯m the Humpty Dumpty of Bloodmoon. My heart was shattered three years ago, and I firmly believed there was no going back. I¡¯ve kept my heartbreak and shame private. I never expected my work would bring me a second chance. I should be on cloud nine, but my second chance is a human that knows nothing about our world and is mute. I know a werewolf and a human can be mates, but will she ept me? Can she ept what I am? Shikoba Thorn - Dating has never been easy for me. The men I''ve been attracted to can''t see past my transition. As much as I would like to find love, I''d rather be alone than pretend to be someone else. It makes me envy Silvercloud and his cult, who firmly believe in soulmates and love at first sight. I don''t N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. believe in either of those things. But after one handshake with Rohan, I''m starting to. Did I drink the kool-aid? Would a guy like him ept me for exactly as I am? Business Trip Business Trip Readers, Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. I hope that you enjoyed the bonus story Cult of Love. I will be away on a business trip from April 16- 22nd, which means no updates from me for the week. I have another bonus story nned for this book and will start after I return. Spy Games will be about Cillian and M. It will show us how their side of the events of The Genius Delta unfolded and, I''m sure, give us insight into things we didn''t know or see happen. So please stay tuned for their story. I know many are dying to know about Byron and Shannon as well. I haven''t decided how or if I will write their story as I have so many others to write. So be patient. Bryant Spy Games Spy Games The following chapters will be for the bonus story Spy Games. Some events will ovep with events that took ce in The Genius Delta and Cult of Love. Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. Cillian MacCarthy- I¡¯ve been through hell and survived. I don¡¯t know how I will survive this. I¡¯m between a rock and a hard ce. My loyalty to my pack is tested against the mate bond. I was supposed to spy on her, and it¡¯s obvious she¡¯s here with ulterior motives. Can I protect my pack and still get the girl? Or will I have to choose between my pack and my mate? M Bn (Tom ?uri?) - I was entrusted with this mission by my Alpha, and I have never failed him. I will not and cannot fail. There is more at stake than my pride inpleting a mission. I can¡¯t let anyone get in my way, even my mate. Can I salvage this mission? Or will I fail my pack and surrender to the mate bond? The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!