by Alice Frost
Dejah walked up and sat down. “What did I miss?”
“Arius and Jasmine hitting it off spectacularly,” Charise grinned.
“How could you tell they hit it off?” Alexis asked.
“Jasmine didn’t hit Arius this time,” Charise replied. “Arius also said that Xander and Xerxes talk about me at work and that Xavier might admit his claim with a little bit of prodding.”
“I guess that means you accept them as being your mates?” Dejah asked.
“I never denied it. I just didn’t realize it yet,” Charise laughed.
“I think this calls for intense planning on what you’re going to do when you go to work tomorrow,” Dejah said, signalling Jasmine for a drink.
“Are you going to tell them what’s going on with Ares?’ Alexis asked.
“I don’t know yet. I’m going to have to sooner or later but tonight I’m not worrying about it,” she said.
Chapter 9
Ares sat in a dark corner of the bar, his back against the wall as he watched the woman who would be his mate. She had eluded him for years but now that he had found her again he wasn’t going to let her out of his sight. A woman walked up and sat down across from him. She had helped him before when he had found his last mate. “Nightshade.”
“Ares, so nice to see you. I see you have found yourself a new mate,” she purred.
“She’s my true mate, the one that I have been searching for,” he said.
“Then you wouldn’t mind if I asked you to take her as soon as possible. The men that tried to take Rachel from you, are going to take her now,” she said.
“No!” He pounded his fist on the table. “She is mine!”
“And she will be, if you take her sooner than planned,” she said soothingly.
“Fine, I will move up my schedule. But I’m going to need a new den for all of my mates,” he growled.
“I will make sure your new den has enough room for all of your mates and more,” she said, grinning at him. If she wasn’t so skinny she would make a perfect mate for him.
Chapter 10
Charise smiled to herself as she got out of her car. Dejah and her had carefully picked out her outfit after they had gotten home. She always had a thing for short skirts but never really wanted to wear them to work until today. Dejah had picked out a black pleated skirt that Charise had pushed to the back of her closet and paired it with a dark emerald green blouse, black stockings and her favorite black high heels. Underneath all of this she had worn her skimpiest bra and panty set in dark plum. She had decided to continue wearing her veiling charm, just in case. She walked into the office and passed Xavier on her way. “Good morning.”
“Morning,” Xavier mumbled before looking up at her. He stopped in his tracks and stared at her, his eyes tracking her every move as she started her morning routine.
“Is something wrong?” she asked, looking down at her blouse, did she had get something on her?
Xavier cleared his throat and shook his head. “No, nothing’s wrong. You look really nice.”
“Don’t you mean hot?” Xander said as he walked into the office.
Xerxes was not far behind him. “You look ravishing. What’s the occasion?”
“I’m calling my clients and telling them of my move to Leo Construction. Plus, a few of the men from the den are coming in for an interview,” she said, smiling at them. She had decided to finally tell them about herself instead of waiting for them to figure it out. Obviously, they still didn’t know the most basic things about her but then she didn’t know those things about them either.
“Why are men from the werebear clan coming in and why would they need an interview with you?” Xavier asked, curiosity and suspicion clouding his features.
“I’m interviewing them because it’s one of the rules my brothers gave me when I decided that I wasn’t going to work with them at the mine,” she replied. She watched as they processed this information and wondered what was going through their heads.
“You’re a bear shifter?” Xavier questioned, still not believing her.
“Yes, Jason and Jaxon Miller are my older brothers and I am the princess of the Northern Ursus Den. Did you think I would have been able to make Nadia submit if I had been a human?” She asked curiously.
“I can honestly say that I was thinking about how hot it would be to be dominated by you and then dominating you,” Xander purred. She blushed as her mind conjured up the images he described. She definitely wouldn’t mind being dominated by all of them.
Xerxes chuckled. “I had my suspicions but I didn’t think that you were a bear shifter or royalty for that matter. Why didn’t you tell us before now?”
“I honestly thought all of you knew. I have worked with you before and figured that Jack or Mr. Kale had said something before now,” she said. She hadn’t thought that Jack and his father would have kept her secret guarded from everyone but themselves.
“We’ve only known you as Charise. We’ve never been told your last name or officially introduced,” Xavier said. “When did you meet Jack?”
“We went to high school together. He was a major player even back then,” she said. “It was a huge pain because he would seduce all of my friends and then when he dumped them that’s all I would hear about. When we became friends everyone thought we were a couple. Boy, did that friendship flush out my real friends. Turns out that if you hang out with a guy you have to be screwing him. Such crap.”
“So how did you two become friends?” Xander asked.
“I was his Chemistry tutor. When he started failing his dad gave him an ultimatum: get the grade up or lose your car, get cut from the football team, and be on restrictions until the grade is at least a B. He found me in the library and begged me to tutor him, even offered to pay me. Thus started our long friendship and working relationship”
“How did you end up working at Cougar Construction?” Xerxes asked.
“I was their secretary during the summer while I was in college. After college Mr. Kale offered me a job and I took it. It wasn’t long after that that Mr. Kale started raising my pay to compensate me for dealing with Jack’s ex-lovers.”
“So why do you wear the veiling pendant?” Xavier asked.
“I can tell you that,” Mrs. King said as she walked into the office. She eyed the scene in front of her and smiled knowingly. “I can come back if I am interrupting.”
“It’s ok Mrs. King, you’re not interrupting anything,” Charise said.
Mrs. King looked between them. “If you say so. If my husband looked at me like that all the time then we would never be leaving the house.”
Xavier smiled at Mrs. King. “Good morning Mrs. King. How do you know Charise?”
“I’ve known her since she was a little girl. I was good friends with her Mama before she died,” Mrs. King said.
“So you can tell us everything about her. I believe you said something about why she wore her veiling pendant?” Xerxes asked.
“Why yes I did. But I’ll only tell you if you discount the price of the addition onto my house,” Mrs. King said.
“You drive a hard bargain,” Xerxes said.
“That isn’t your project.” Xavier growled.
“I don’t really care,” Xerxes replied.
“Enough! All of you get to work! This is ridiculous. If you want to know about my pendant then just ask me instead of interrogating everyone else,” Charise said, exasperated.
“Well, I think it’s time that we went over the additions I would like you to do. Which one of you will I be talking to?” Mrs. King asked.
“Xerxes, since you gave her the discount you can take over the project. Xander, you’re in charge of the Lover’s Lane site. If anyone needs me I’ll be in my office,” Xavier said. He looked at Charise thoughtfully before closing his office door behind him. Xander gave Charise a quick kiss on the cheek before leaving. Xerxes lifted Charise’s hand to his lips, giving her a tender kiss before leaving with Mrs. King.<
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Charise huffed and sat down at her desk to start working.
Chapter 11
Charise looked up from her computer as Dejah walked into the office. “Ready for lunch?”
“Yeah, let me grab my purse,” Charise said, getting up from her desk. She groaned softly as feeling rushed into her legs.
“Ash and Jazz said they’d meet us over at The Blue Moon,” Dejah said.
Charise walked around the office. She sighed as feeling came back into her legs. “Ok, now I’m ready to go.”
They drove to The Blue Moon and found Ashleigh and Jasmine sitting at the large corner booth. “Hey,” Charise said sitting down next to Ashleigh.
“How’s your plan going?” Dejah asked.
“I’m not sure. Xander and Xerxes were straightforward as always but Xavier seemed very subdued and distracted. He did say that I looked really nice though,” Charise said.
“He could be holding back,” Ashleigh said. “He seems to be the kind of man that has to be in complete and utter control. You probably test his control and he doesn’t quite know what to do about it.”
“I’m surprised you didn’t end up bent over your desk and fucked this morning when you went into work dressed like that,” Dejah chuckled.
“I probably would have if Mrs. King hadn’t come in,” Charise said.
“I bet if you went back smelling like another male they’ll snap,” Jasmine laughed.
“But I don’t want to touch another male,” Charise groaned.
“It’s not like you have to get down and dirty with them,” Ashleigh said.
“So who’ll be the lucky victim?” Dejah asked, smiling.
Ashleigh looked around the room and smiled as she found her victim. “What about him?” She pointed at Loki Lansky, second son of the Cheetah King.
Dejah looked over at Loki and grinned. “Hey, Loki! Come here for a moment.”
Loki got up and walked over to their table. “How can I help you beautiful ladies?”
“We’re needing help for a friend of ours,” Dejah said.
Loki arched a brow. “What kind of help?”
“We’re hoping that you could scent mark Char,” Ashleigh said.
“No can do. I want to live a long and healthy life,” he replied.
“What do you mean?” Charise asked.
“Everyone knows that you belong to the Leo brothers,” he said.
“What?” Charise asked.
“They were in here a few nights ago one of the guys on their crew said that you were a hot babe and they went ballistic. We were lucky that the bar was still intact when they were done. You don’t need my scent to drive your men crazy,” Loki said.
“Hmm. I’m going to go back to work. I’ll see you later!” Charise said heading back to her office. Thank God that they were only a few blocks away.
~ * ~
Charise peaked her head into Xavier’s office. “I’m back from lunch.”
He looked up from his computer. “That was a quick lunch. I have a few questions if that’s alright.”
“Yeah. I wasn’t really hungry,” she said.
She walked into the office and sat down across from him. “What are you wanting to know?”
“I know that there are some things that you don’t talk about. Why are you wearing a veiling charm? Now as your employer I need to know these things to better ensure your safety and the safety of my crew,” he said.
“Is that all you are? My boss?” she asked.
“I honestly don’t know if I am anything more than your boss,” he said.
Charise watched him warily. If she kept on her pendant then she’d be hidden from Ares but also from her mates but if she took it off she’d be at risk. She reached up, undid the clasp of her necklace and placed it on the desk.
Xavier sat still for a long moment inhaling deeply. He growled and came around the desk. “Tell me why you’re wearing that damn charm.” He picked her up, swept the contents off his desk, and sat her down on it.
“I don’t know where to begin,” she said.
“At the beginning,” he growled, spreading her thighs and stepping between them.
Charise bit her lip, pleasure swirling through her.
“If you don’t tell me I’m going to spank that luscious ass of yours until you do,” he growled, flipping her onto her belly. He yanked her skirt up and groaned as he saw her plum colored thong. “God, you look sexy like this,” he said caressing her ass. “Your skin feels like silk.”
Charise moaned as his fingers tickled along the edges of her thong, before stroking lightly over her pussy. She arched her hips up wanting more than just a tease. She yelped as he smacked her on the ass. She glared at him over her shoulder.
“Now tell me why you were wearing that pendant,” Xavier said, smacking her other cheek. He stroked her through her thong. “You’re so wet, it makes me think that you like having your ass smacked.” He tore her thong off, moaning in pleasure as he plunged his fingers into her hot wet depths.
“Why are you doing this?” she asked, squirming in pleasure under his ministrations.
“You’re my mate and I want to know what had you so scared that you had to hide from everyone including your mates,” he snarled and smacked her on the ass again. “Now tell me why you were hiding, I’m not going to ask you again.” He pressed his cock against her and chuckled as she pressed back against him.
“I’ve been hiding from the man my brothers wanted me to mate with,” Charise said. “I was betrothed to the prince of the Southern Den.”
“You’re mine!”
Chapter 12
Xavier snarled at the thought of Charise being with anyone but him and his brothers. “You are mine and I will kill any who try to take you from me.”
“My brothers…” she began to say.
“No longer have any say,” he growled.
He opened his pants and rubbed his cock against her. He groaned as her juices coated him, making him slide against her effortlessly. He pressed the head of his cock into her waiting pussy, stopping from plunging into her. “If we continue I will be making you mine. If you don’t want this you had better tell me now,” he growled.
Charise groaned and pushed back against him, sheathing him in her hot depths. “Shut up and fuck me already.”
He smiled. “Anything my hot little bear wants.” He thrust into her, driving his cock deep.
Charise moaned as her body stretched to accommodate him, then groaned as he pulled back and thrust into her again. She clawed at the desk, moaning and panting as her body clenched, spasming around him. She had never felt pleasure like this with anyone before, except at her own hands.
Xavier reached down and fingered her clit as he continued to thrust into her.
“Fuck!” she shrieked and arched back against him as her entire body seized and spasmed in climax.
Xavier moved his hips faster as he reached for his own climax. He stiffened, his cock jerked, flooding her with warmth he bent down and bit her on the apex of her shoulder.
Charise screamed as another climax took her by surprise. She heard the sound of splintering wood as she clawed his desk. She wondered if he would replace it or keep it since she doubted this would be the last time he would fuck her like this.
Xavier licked his mark and purred. She was his and he couldn’t wait to share her with his brothers. Or have her hot little mouth wrapped around his cock. He groaned as his cock hardened again at the thought of all the things he could do to her. He pulled out of her and went into his private restroom to grab a washcloth. He gently cleaned her up as she laid across his desk. He like how she looked bent over his desk.
“I want you to pack up you things so you can move in with us. And you will be explaining why you were wearing that pendant.”
“You never really gave me a chance to,” she said, smirking at him over her shoulder.
“I suggest you get up or I’ll be keeping you bent over my desk for the rest of the day.”
He caressed her bare ass, grazing his fingertips over her skin.
Charise groaned as she stood up, pulling her skirt down. She picked up the tattered remains of her thong. “I guess that you want me to go commando from now on?”
Xavier grinned. “Absolutely.” He pulled her into his arms. “Please tell me why you were hiding from us.”
His office door opened and his brothers walked in. They both stopped and looked at the disaster that was once his office. “I think we missed the party,” Xander said.
“I don’t really mind.we’ll have plenty of them in the future,” Xerxes said, smiling at Charise.
Xander pulled her out of Xavier’s embrace and into his. “I hope this means that you accept us as your mates?”
She smiled and snuggled into him. “Yeah, and now that I’m free of my betrothal I can be with you.”
“Betrothal?” Xerxes asked.
“Yes, before this morning I was betrothed to Ares, the prince of the Southern Ursus Den. We’ve been betrothed since my birth. When we little we talked about growing up and finding out we were true mates but everything changed when Ares went to college. He became distant and hateful. When my parents died he seemed to be everywhere. I saw him at school, the mall, even while I was at home. He even showed up out in the middle of the forest when I went on a camping trip with a few of my friends. I told my brothers but the didn’t believe me. I ended up filing a restraining order and getting a veiling charm from my friend Alexis. When I graduated college I moved out of my family home and into Wolf Haven with Dejah. I knew I would be safe there, and ever since then I have only seen him briefly at den gatherings,” she explained.
“I’m sorry that you went through all of that,” Xerxes said, gathering her into his arms.
“I’ll be talking to your brothers about how they treated you. You’re our mate and should”ve been treated with the utmost respect,” Xavier growled.
Xander pulled her back into his arms. “I can’t wait to make you mine. Will you taste as delicious as you smell?”
