My Shifter Boss

“Tell him I said hey,” Lucy replied.

“So, what’s going on with you?” Maryann asked. “Your voice tells me there’s something on your mind. Is it school?”

“School’s great, actually. Only two more semesters and I’m done,” Lucy proudly proclaimed. “I’m actually thinking if I take some classes this summer, I can graduate in December rather than May.”

“That’s great, sweetheart,” her mother replied, then moved her mouth away from the phone to repeat the information to her father. She came back and said, “Your father sends you two thumbs up.”

Lucy laughed. “Tell him thanks.”

“But that’s not it, is it?”

“Not really.” Lucy took a deep breath and plunged in. “So I’ve started seeing someone.”

“Really?” Her mother’s voice was both surprised and excited. Since Lucy had entered her twenties, her mother hadn’t hidden the fact that she was ready for grandchildren. Lucy reminded her continuously that her mother hadn’t gotten pregnant until her late twenties, but her mother ignored that. “Tell me every detail.”

“His name is Nathan. He’s a werecat.” Lucy waited a moment to see if Maryann would comment, but she didn’t. “He’s fantastic, Mom. Bought me roses and takes me to dinner. He visits me at work just to say hi.”

“Wow. Sounds like a great guy,” her mother mused. “What does he do for a living?”

Lucy hesitated. This was her way of seguing from Nathan’s position with the Guard into her potential position. “Well, he works for the Guard.” Silence loomed across the country through the phone lines. Lucy could almost hear her mother’s thoughts racing through her brain. “Mom? Are you there?”

“I’m here. I’m walking to another room so we can discuss this without your father’s ears listening,” Maryann replied.

Lucy’s heart sank. Leaving the room meant her mother wasn’t going to say nice things. Before she had an opportunity to give her opinion about Nathan’s profession, Lucy jumped the gun and said, “The Head wants to talk to me about working for them as well.”

A clatter told Lucy her mother had dropped the phone in astonishment. When she had picked the phone up again, Maryann’s breathing was loud in her ear.

“Are you out of your mind? Dating a man who works for that group of Nazis is one thing, depending on what he does for them. But actually working for them? Lucy, I don’t think that’s a good idea at all.”

“I knew you’d react this way, but I want you to listen before you make any rash judgments, especially about Nathan.”

“All right, I’ll listen first.”

“Thank you,” Lucy murmured. She gathered her thoughts and tackled the lesser of the two issues. “Nathan is a member of security, a high ranking security person. He helped me a lot when I had some issues with a human claiming I’d shifted in front of him.”

“Why do I know nothing about this?” Maryann hissed in her ear.

Lucy cursed herself silently. “Um, yeah, sorry. It’s been handled, so there’s nothing really to talk about anymore.” Lucy prayed that was true. “Anyway, that’s how Nathan and I met. I really like him, trust him more than any man other than Dad, and he makes me happy.”

Maryann remained silent for a brief moment. “All right. I understand. I’d like to know more about him later, but first, tell me about this job they want to hire you to do.”

Lucy cleared her throat and reminded herself to keep her temper under control. It wouldn’t help matters to get in an argument with her mother, and she truly did want her opinion about the job.

“Well, I haven’t actually gone in to talk to the Head. I’m going later today,” Lucy began. “But it’s a media liaison position, which is exactly the type of job I want after I graduate.”

Again her mother was silent a moment longer than was necessary. She breathed in and said in the exhalation, “Well, Lucy, I have to be honest with you. I don’t like the idea of you working for those people. They make hasty, uninformed decisions.”

“Mom, the Guard has changed. The new Head is very open-minded. I don’t think he makes uniformed decisions.”

“How do you know that?”

“Mom, you haven’t had any dealing with the Guard in over twenty years. How do you know what you’re saying is true anymore?”

Maryann let out a huff. “Damn, that’s a good point.”

“Thank you.”

“However, you know nothing about this group except what your boyfriend has told you, am I right?”

Lucy thought about Marissa and the problems she’d caused, the kidnapping she’d ordered for Lucy, the fact that Austin had only gone to the press because of her. If Lucy was being honest, she’d seen more negative than positive things about the Guard. But she wouldn’t admit that to her mother at this time. She wanted to at least speak to the Head about the job.

“Ok, you’re mostly right. Here’s what I’m thinking,” Lucy offered. “I’ll go to the meeting this afternoon and see what’s what. I’ll call you tonight and discuss again.”

Maryann nodded on the other end. She had already decided she would be contacting her friends in the city and ask a few questions of her own. But that was information her daughter did not need right now.

“All right, sweetie. I guess that’s a good idea,” Maryann conceded. “But I want to hear from you as soon as you get home.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Lucy answered, feeling as if she’d won this particular battle. “I’ll call you before Nathan and I go to dinner.”

“So tell me a little more about this Nathan.” Lucy could hear the smile in her mother’s voice and it made her smile. While they chatted, she chose her interview outfit.