Charise looked up from her computer and sat up straighter as Lachlan Kale, founder of Cougar Construction walked through the door. “Hello Mr. Kale. Is there anything I can get you?”
“Yes, you can tell me where my son is.” Mr. Kale sat down in the chair across from her.
“He is currently out with a client sir.”
“Meaning his out boinking some airheaded female. Do you remember why I hired you, Ms. Ursus?” He watched for me nod. “I believe I told you that if you couldn’t keep my son inline then I would have no place for you at Cougar Construction.”
“There is just one little problem that you seem to be forgetting.” Charise leaned back in her chair. “When I came to this company I brought all of the Ursus Clan with me. They bring all of their business to you. When I leave and they find out why I left then you will lose all of that business.”
“You honestly think I care about losing the business of some smelly bears.” Mr. Kale sniffed in disdain.
“Probably not but you do care about losing all that money. I know for a fact that at least four of our clan are planning on expanding and my brothers are planning on having an expansion put on their den. Your choice? But I would make it pretty fast because frankly the shit your son puts me through is enough to send any sane woman running.”
“I want you out of this office in an hour. Make sure your things are packed and out of here because you won’t be allowed to return.” Mr. Kale stood up and walked out of the office.
Charise leaned forward and sighed. She knew this day was coming but she figured it would be when Jack found his mate, not when his dear old daddy got his tail in a kink. She looked up as Jack walked through the door.
“What was Father doing here?” Jack looked at me questioningly.
“Firing me for not making you keep it in your pants.” I sighed and went to the closet for a box.
“I’m sorry Char. I didn’t know that he would do this.” Jack sat in the same chair his father had sat in. “I am going to do everything I can to fix this.”
“You can’t fix this Jack. If you tried to go against your father’s orders then you are facing severe punishment yourself.” She finished packing away her desk and reached for the last remaining items, the most important being her rolodex.
“I have lived under my father’s thumb for so long that I don’t ever remember being able to do whatever I want without him punishing me or someone else for my actions. I’m sorry. I knew that you had been hired to bring me to heel and I still did whatever I wanted. I knew that you relied on me for this job and I still screwed around like some adolescent teenager.”
“We both know I didn’t need this job. At least not for money. But we both know neither of us can run from our fate. This just means that I will be facing mine sooner than I had thought.” Charise picked up the pendant that she had worn for the last ten years. “I guess I won’t need to wear this anymore.” She yanked the pendant from around her neck and dropped it in the box.
“But you need that Char.”
“I said we need to face our fate. I now need to face mine.”
The office door slammed open and they both looked up. Xavier and Xander Leo stood in the doorway.
“Can I help you gentlemen?” Jack stood up, blocking their view of Char.
“Just the man we are looking for.” Xander grinned maliciously as he stepped into the office.
“So you decided to come get your hate on and beat me for taking your clients?”
“Something like that.” Xavier snorted and took a deep breath. “And it smells like you’ve been around my mate recently too. I guess I get to beat you for that too.”
Xander took a deep breath and growled. “Not just your mate, brother, but mine as well. Are you sure it isn’t his little secretary?”
“I was in here earlier. The pudgy little human isn’t our mate.”
“Are you sure? I smell bear and I don’t think Ms. Calley was of the Ursus Clan.” Xander stepped closer to Jack and inhaled.
Jack growled at him, baring his teeth. “If I was with your mate then it was consensual. So back off!”
Charise had been watching them and when they called her a pudgy little human she had had enough. “Jack, I’m outta here. When you are done dealing with these mangy cats, call me and I will tell you where I will be at so you can send me whatever I left behind.” She picked up her box of things and shoved her way out of the office. She came upon brother number three, the youngest brother, Xerxes.
“Why hello, sweetheart. Can I help you take that box to your car?” Xerxes came away from the wall he was holding up and walked towards her.
“I‘m a big girl and can take care of myself. But thanks anyway.” Ch
Xerxes stalked into the office of Cougar Construction. “What the hell did you two say to that female?”
Xander and Xavier turned and looked at him. “What are you talking about?”
“The hot as hell bear that stormed out of here. She seemed to be madder than hell when she left, so I want to know what you said?”
“The only female that was in here was a human.” Xander looked perplexed and then swung his gaze to Jack.
“That human was actually Charise Ursus, princess of the Northern Ursus Clan, and you two called her a pudgy human. I have a feeling that that was the last straw after the day she has dealt with.” Jack sat down in Char’s chair.
“What do you mean?”
“Well if she is your mate then you are going to have one hell of a fight on your hands. First, one of you came in and gave her shit about me stealing Ms. Calley away from you.”
Xavier cleared his throat. “That would have been me.”
“And then my father comes in here and fires her for my philandering ways. And then you two come in and proceed to call her a pudgy human.”
“You have got to be kidding me! How could you two mistake that gorgeous woman as nothing more than a pudgy human!” Xerxes growled and hit the wall.
“Hey! Don’t abuse my walls! I have to work here you know.” Jack growled.
“Why couldn’t I tell she was a bear earlier? But we could smell her now?” Xavier looked at Jack curiously.
“She’s had to wear a veiling pendant for the last couple of years due to an overzealous admirer.” Jack leaned back. “But now that all of this has happened, she will be going home to her two older brothers, those rule abiding pain-in-the-asses, that rule the Northern Ursus clan.”
“And that means?” Xander sat down in the chair across from Jack.
“That her brothers will be making her mate to the only son of the Southern Ursus Clan. But if her mate showed up and claimed her before she was forced into this mating then they couldn’t break that.”
Xerxes leaned on the desk. “Her brothers are going to force her into a mating with some bear from the Southern Clan?”
Jack sighed. “Yeah. I thought I had it bad with my parents, but her brothers are ten times worse than them. They are sticklers for tradition. She is the last pure blooded bear of the entire Ursus species and they expect her to mate with Ares, and seal a truce between the two clans.”
“We aren’t going to let that happen, ever.” Xavier growled and his eyes flashed to their golden hue.
“Then I suggest you go after her instead of sitting here talking to me.” Jack laughed as all three of the growled and stormed out of his office.
