My Shifter Boss

Chapter 2

Nathan had offered to pick her up at 1:15 and take her to the interview so she wouldn’t have to pay for a cab. She was grateful; she’d only been there once, and that had been in the back of a van blindfolded. And when she’d left, her focus had been on Nathan and what she was going to do to him when she got him to her apartment. Her smile perked up as she remembered their first encounter. Needless to say, she had no idea where the Guard headquarters were located.

He rapped on her door at ten after one, and when Lucy opened the door, his eyes widened in appreciation. He whistled through his teeth and said, “Wow. Dressed like that, you’ll be my boss before long. Damn!”

Lucy giggled like a teenager and spun around to give him a view of every angle. “You like?”

He grabbed her and hauled her up against him, his mouth crushing hers. Her arms wrapped around his neck, and she held him close as the kiss progressed to a little groping. She broke away with a sigh of longing and shimmied out of his grasp.

“We’d better go before I rip your clothes off and ruin your interview,” Nathan breathed.

Lucy rolled her eyes at him and playfully nudged him. “I’ve got to reapply my lipstick, but it was worth it. Give me two.”

She hurried into her bedroom. He watched her ass as she walked, nearly drooling. His afternoon schedule was about to change: he wanted her and he wanted her soon. When her interview ended, he planned to bring her back here and enjoy that damn sexy body of hers.

With lipstick freshly reapplied, Lucy grabbed her keys and bag, locked the door, and allowed Nathan to escort her to his car. He opened the door for her, always the perfect gentleman. When he joined her in the car, she said, “I feel like I’m going on a date rather than heading to an interview.”

“Are you nervous?”

“Um, a little. Because I don’t know much about the Guard or what this job would entail, I’m not even sure what questions to ask. And I definitely don’t know how to answer his questions.”

“Helpful hint: the Head is pro-were in every meaning of the word. Also, somehow, he can sense a lie, even a small one that might not matter.”

Lucy thought of Marissa and her actions over the last week. “He didn’t seem to have a clue about Marissa and her behavior.”

Nathan groaned inwardly. He’d heard himself say the words and had thought of Marissa himself. He nodded. “Yeah, ok. I agree he missed that. Nobody’s perfect. And you have to understand that Marissa was his right-hand gal, so to speak. He’d trusted her with everything.”

“Doesn’t that make her incredibly dangerous now that she’s turned?” Lucy asked.

Her inquisitive mind is what will get her this job, Nathan thought. She sees all angles. “It does make her dangerous, yes, but she’s in maximum security right now while the council decides what to do with her.”

“The council? What’s that?”

“We have a council of weres made up of three of each kind: three werecats, three werewolves, and three wearbears. The Head of the Guard is kind of like the President of the Board of Directors at a corporation. So there are ten members total.”

“And what exactly do they do?”

“The council decides on major issues based on what is best for all weres. You know, like laws, criminal cases, how much involvement weres should have in the world of humans.”

Lucy’s brows were furrowed in confusion. “So, this council rules only this city, correct? What about the rest of the country?”

“Each large city has its own council, as far as I know. There is no national were council, although there probably should be. But that’s not for me to decide.”

Lucy hummed as she thought. “Do all cities require weres to remain hidden?”

Nathan looked at her and back to the front. “I don’t know. I’ve never traveled.”

“You do know there are weres in Congress, right?”

“Yes, but that’s Washington, DC. None of our concern, really,” Nathan commented.

Lucy shook her head in amazement. She couldn’t believe his blasé attitude about the were national community. Laws had been created decades ago when the weres and other supernatural beings had come out of hiding and joined the humans. These laws served two purposes: to protect the weres and supernaturals, and to protect the humans. Lucy had studied the laws in place and thought most of them still applied in today’s society, but better representation would only make their lives as supernaturals or weres better.

She remained lost in thought for the duration of the trip. Nathan glanced at her a time or two, wondering if he had angered her. She saw him looking at her, smiled beautifully at him, and took his hand in hers. No, the smile said, I’m not angry. Just thoughtful.

Nathan parked outside the headquarters. Lucy stepped out of the car and looked up at the building with a question in her eyes.

“I bet you’re wondering why the building is so tall if our offices are located underground,” Nathan said. When she nodded, he answered himself. “The upper floors are apartments for those of us who work jobs like mine. My schedule is sometimes so hectic that I grab sleep when I can.” He took her hand and guided her inside. “I’ll take you up after the interview if you’d like. They’re actually pretty nice.”

Lucy smiled at him and leaned into his arms. “I’d like that, Nathan.”

In the elevator, Nathan kissed her chastely, murmuring in her ear that he wanted to kiss her better but the camera above their heads was certainly being monitored. She giggled and put her hand on his chest.

She whispered, “Maybe we can put your apartment to good use.” She wiggled her eyebrows and faced the doors of the elevator as they opened to reveal the main lobby.

Heads turned to look at them, and several called out greetings to Nathan. He briefly introduced Lucy to various people as he guided her through to the Head’s office. When they arrived, his secretary smiled and said she’d let the Head know they were there.