Page 9 of Midnight & Mergers
“But I left you half an hour ago.”
“Yeah—I’m now painfully aware of that.” Teagan’s voice trailed, and she bit her lip. She wasn’t about to tell Anne the truth. Not when the truth could get Anne hurt—or worse—give Teagan a one-way trip to looney-bin central. “I, uh, guess I got lost in thought while staring out the window. It’s a gorgeous view.” Teagan gave her a half-smile, hoping the lame excuse she just gave Anne would suffice.
Anne raised a brow.
“Yeah. I guess you aren’t used to a cushy office, then?”
“Oh, yeah. My last job only had an office on the ground floor. Wasn’t all that spectacular.”
“That’s unfortunate,” Anne said with a half-smile. “Listen, the reservations are taken care of, so why don’t you head home and get ready for dinner? Brooks has me bring the car to your place to pick you up.”
“Uh, sure. That sounds great. Oh, please tell Brooks I’m sorry for screwing up on my not-quite first day.”
She had just finished her apology to Anne when Brooks stormed out of his office.
“No need to apologize. I told you it’s my fault—not yours.”
His jaw seemed to tighten with each word until his steely gaze locked onto her. She bit her lip, and his eyes instantly softened as they flicked toward her lips.
“Still, I probably should have asked you for the numbers. And for that, I apologize.” She gave him a half-smile and noticed his fists were balled up.
“Teagan, why don’t you head out? I’ve taken the liberty of sending your dress to the hotel you are staying at, and you can pick it up at the desk. You’re staying at Club Quarters—correct?”
“Yes, that’s right, Anne.”
Brooks sucked in a breath and pinched the bridge of his nose before responding.
“That sounds like a great idea. I’ll see you at 4, Ms. Thompson.”
* * *
Teagan smiledat Brooks and then got into the elevator. Once the doors shut, Brooks turned to Anne.
“Do you see what I mean about her scent? It’s driving me insane! She has to be a shifter!”
“Yes, Brooks, I understand. The thing is, though, her aura doesn’t exude the qualities of a shifter. I think she’s more than less likely a human. A bit of a strange one because of the scent, though. I can’t put my finger on why this is happening, but as far as I can tell, she’s just human. I think. Truth is—I really don’t know. My research this afternoon hasn’t panned out. I’ll dig deeper into her parents and see if I can find the link between her and shifters.”
“But you get it—right? That essence is unmistakable! She’s got to a shifter. There’s no other explanation for this!” Brooks balled his fists again.
“Listen to me,” Anne said as she palmed Brooks’s shoulder before continuing, “you’ve got to get yourself under control! The last thing we need you to do is to vamp out in public. No one can know you are a vampire. I made that promise to your mother, and I intend to keep it!”
“Yes, Anne, I remember. We can’t risk exposure. The humans don’t know of our existence, and since I’m newer at this—I get why my mother entrusted you to help me once she was gone. But you admit that the damned Twilight glitter made it impossible for any actual human to believe in our existence.” He grunted under his breath before continuing. “Listen, I’ve gotten Jameson on board, and I’ll get Stevenson, Taylor, and Barnes on board as well. This girl, Teagan, is under the protection of my coven until we can figure out why she exudes the essence of a shifter. This isn’t normal, Anne. She’s in danger if the werewolves find her. And let’s face it—she’s in danger from any other vampiric clan, too. I want to get to the bottom of what is different about her before they do. Because I’d hate to think what they’d do to her to gain her powers.”
“I understand. Tyler has been ruthless in the magical community since Keme approved of him watching over the New York territory. If a witch so much as talks with a shifter, there is hell to pay. That damned Common Trifecta Law will be the death of us all. But again, keep your cool! We don’t want to scare Teagan off or make Tyler suspicious. He’ll not only come after Teagan but me as well.”
“Don’t you think I know that, Anne? It’s just—I haven’t felt this way about a woman since, well, since?” He bit his lip before saying the one name he vowed never to speak of again. “Since Sarah.” He let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding in.
Anne furrowed her brows.
“Are you trying to tell me that this girl, Teagan, might be your mate?”
“That’s exactly what I’m saying.”
ChapterSix
Teagan got to the bottom floor and hailed a cab. As she shut the door, all her pent-up emotions rushed through her again.
“Where to?”
