Page 8 of Midnight & Mergers
“Fine, Teagan. I will tell you. The TV Shows you love to binge-watch so much are based more on fact than fiction. You are a Strega Witch on your mother’s side and a kelpie shifter from my side. That makes you a hybrid witch and a mighty powerful one because you are the first of your kind. Should anyone discover your secret, you will be forever on the run. Because both pureblooded werewolves and vampires believe hybrids are an abomination. Your mother and I wanted to protect you.”
“Is that why we always moved when I was a kid?”
“Yes, Teagan. That is why.”
* * *
Teagan shookher head while muttering to herself.
“You never got the chance to tell me why possessing a kelpie witch’s power was so dangerous, father.” She let out a sigh before continuing. “And you never told me how to figure out who I should be running from.”
A knock came on her door, breaking her train of thought.
“I see you are becoming acquainted with your new office. Anne told me you are double-checking our dinner reservations and moving my schedule around. How is that going? Did you get a hold of Stevenson, Taylor, and Barnes?”
Teagan sucked in a breath. She hadn’t called for the dinner reservation yet, and her boss was already assuming she was done with all of her tasks. He couldn’t be done with his meeting so fast because she’d only been thinking of her father for a few short minutes.
Right?
“I’ll get right on that, sir! I, uh, am looking for their numbers now.”
Brooks frowned slightly.
“What have you been doing for the past half-hour, then? Please tell me you’ve at least checked on the reservation for dinner.” He said, as his nostrils began to flare.
Fuck! It hasn’t even been a full day, and I’m already pissing him off!
Teagan bit her bottom lip.
“I, uh. Well, you see—”
Brooks’s glare seemed to shift towards her lips as she bit down on them.
“It’s okay.” He said as he took in a breath and closed the distance between the two of them. “I shouldn’t expect you to know where all the phone numbers are or anything. In all honestly, it isn’t even your first day yet. I see the calendar out in front of you and just now realized I didn’t have their phone numbers marked in it.” He continued as he patted the blotter calendar on the desk. His fingertips grazed hers, and she felt heat surge through her entire body.
Damned kelpie senses! Stop tingling! He’s not even my official boss yet!
“Don’t worry about calling them. I’m already done with my first meeting, anyway. I have a few minutes to get everything set for L’Arppart. How about you head home and get ready for dinner? I will see you at 4.” He turned on his heel and headed back to his office as if he were running a marathon and winning was all that mattered to him.
ChapterFive
Before he shut his door, she saw him pick up the phone and dial a few numbers. The muscles in his shoulders seemed to tense more and more the longer he was talking on the phone. He then slammed the door. Shouting blasted through it, but the tone was muffled enough that Teagan couldn’t make out what he was saying. Teagan sucked in a breath and balled her fists.
What the fuck did I get myself into with this new boss? I can’t have a weird crush on my boss—especially since he’s a vampire! And with my luck, he’s the enemy my father warned me about.
Teagan let out a shaky breath as some of the curse words her boss was yelling were finally audible.
Shit, he’s pissed. And I get why—I fucked up, and it isn’t even my first day. And why the fuck am I losing time again? Fuck! I hope no one saw me shift! This only happens when it’s a full moon or my fated mate has appeared to me. Wait… Could he? No! Teagan. Stop it. That’s not possible!
She raked her fingers through her pin-straight blonde hair and let out a shaky breath. Another knock at the door interrupted her thoughts, and her eyes darted to the door as she felt her face draining of color and feared that it was Brooks again.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to disturb you. Are you okay?” Anne asked as she rushed into the office and closed the door behind her. “What did he say to you?”
Teagan locked her eyes on Anne. She drew in a breath to calm herself before answering any of Anne’s questions. There was no way in hell she would let Brooks get to her. She’d had enough of controlling and manipulative men—not that Brooks was like her nightmare ex. But? The man was throwing a colossal vampire tantrum.
She would not let her boss get the best of her—magically speaking or mundanely speaking. And none of that mattered compared to the time lapses. She couldn’t have this happen to her again, especially since her father was the only one that could stop them from happening before. Now that he was gone, she hadn’t the slightest clue what she would do. Her only option was to ask Uncle Jon, but since her father swore her to secrecy after the first bout of time lapses, she doubted her Uncle Jon would know anything. She surely didn’t want to come across to Uncle Jon as being crazy because a trip to a rubber room wouldn’t help her condition. That nickname was for the room Teagan had sometimes seen her father in during childhood. Uncle Jon used to say they padded it so her father could play racquetball. Still, as she grew older, she understood that room represented a safe place to give in to your animalistic side. The problem was that the room didn’t work for Teagan. She was part witch, which meant she could astral project herself outside the room, making things worse for the people around her.
“It’s nothing, Anne. He just got a little angry with me because I hadn’t made any of the calls yet.”
