Chapter 4 The Interview

Brian's POV

That flavor again!

I could feel that flavor again, coursing through my veins as if it had a life of its own. My head began to swim, and the world around me shifted hues as the color of my eyes changed. I could tell Nathan sensed my unease; it was unlike me to be so flustered. He shot me a bewildered look, shaking his head in disbelief.

Desperately, I tried to regain my composure. Nathan, with a silent query in his eyes, mouthed, "Are you okay to complete this interview?" I nodded, determined to see this through.

"Enter!" Nathan beckoned as she approached, her scent growing stronger with every step. But something was wrong with Damian today; he was pushing to the surface with an intensity I hadn't felt before. Damn! What was going on with my wolf?

I wrestled to calm Damian down, muttering under my breath, "Not now, buddy." The tingling sensation intensified, and I struggled to control my wolf's insistent murmurs of "Mate, mate!"

I hastily shut down our mental connection, not wanting the whole pack to know I'd found my mate. But it was too late; Nathan raised an eyebrow and snickered, leaving me to glare at him in frustration.

I had considered postponing the interview, but it was impossible. Instead, I excused myself and made a quick dash to the restroom. In a hushed tone, I warned Damian to behave, resorting to threats, "If you don't obey, I'll marry Elise!" The sulking wolf reluctantly retreated to the recesses of my mind.

Returning to my seat, I felt slightly more composed, but Bonnie's presence was electrifying. Her golden skin beckoned my touch, and an overwhelming urge to pull her close and kiss her senseless gnawed at me. No other female wolf had ever affected me like this, not even Elise. I had to exercise extreme restraint.

"So, this is Bonnie McTavern," I mused inwardly, captivated by her name and everything about her.

Nathan cleared his throat, snapping me back to reality. He noticed something was off, my strange behavior, and my sickly appearance. Bonnie's presence seemed to engulf me, affecting me in a way I couldn't fathom. Nathan had seen similar reactions when our Beta found his mate, but those werewolves of the same age found each other after their eighteenth birthday run.

I could feel my canines itching, eager to elongate and mark my mate. My ears turned almost magenta, my cheeks flushed, my eyes darkened, and my breathing became rapid as I struggled to keep Damian in check. His constant muttering of "Mate" echoed in my mind, audible to both siblings and pack members.

I shot Nathan a glare, but he knew too much already. I desperately wanted to postpone the interview, but it was impossible, so I made a decision.

Before Nathan could say anything, I excused myself again and headed for the washroom. Inside, I had a stern talk with Damian, who was being particularly stubborn. Threatening to marry Elise seemed to work, making him sulk like a petulant child. I returned to my seat, feeling a bit more in control.

As Bonnie approached, our eyes locked, and for a moment, I felt like I had known her forever. My heart raced, my breath caught, and I began counting to ease the tension. Never in my thirty-one years had I experienced such intensity, not even during my Alpha indoctrination ceremony.

During the interview, I listened intently to Bonnie's answers, proud of my mate's intelligence and charisma. Her Scottish accent was like music to my ears.

But she seemed unfazed by my presence, assuming Nathan was the CEO. The interview went exceptionally well, and I couldn't help but admire her more with each passing moment.

Then Nathan dropped the bombshell. "Bonnie, when you get this job, you'll be working with my brother, CEO Alpha Brian Walters." She froze, shock etching across her face. As I extended my hand for a handshake, she stepped back in apparent fear, refusing to touch me.

I couldn't fathom why she reacted this way. We had never officially met or spoken except for that brief eye contact. Perplexed, I wondered, "How could I have offended or hurt her feelings?"

Desperate to understand, she asked to speak privately with Nathan, leaving me hurt and confused. As I stepped out of the boardroom, Damian continued to sulk and pace in my mind.

In their private conversation, Bonnie revealed she couldn't accept the job due to "personal reasons." It was a disappointing turn of events, as she was the perfect candidate for the job, and I had envisioned her as the ideal addition to our company.

Nathan rushed to my office, seeking answers. I explained our brief encounter on the plane from Edinburgh and Damian's thoughts confirming she was our mate. I hadn't offended her in any way, and we hadn't even spoken.

Nathan's questions annoyed me, but I had to admit there was something strange about Bonnie's reaction. She had refused the job offer multiple times, even when it was generously increased. Was she hiding something? I couldn't let her work for another company; she belonged with us.

"Blacklist her with our company," I declared firmly, "No one else should hire her. She'll come back once she realizes her options are limited." Nathan agreed, unaware that we would cross paths with Bonnie again sooner than expected.

Nathan's POV

As Bonnie approached, my brother's eyes shifted colors, and he seemed more than a little flustered, which was highly unusual for him.

Clearing my throat, I managed to pull Brian back to reality, silently observing his strange behavior and apparent illness. There was something uncanny about the way Bonnie's presence seemed to engulf him, much like when our Beta found his mate.

Brian hastily cut off our mental communication; he didn't want the whole pack to know he'd found his mate. However, it was too late; I raised an eyebrow and couldn't help but snicker as I sensed Damian's thoughts. Brian glared at me, clearly irritated, and I watched him battle with the decision to postpone the interview.

Before I could utter"Be seated," Brian excused himself and dashed to the restroom.

Upon Brian's return, I initiated the interview. I fired questions about Bonnie's experience as a CEO assistant in Scotland. She described her journey from starting as a high school receptionist to progressing through various roles during her university years, culminating in becoming the CEO's assistant. Her high school graduation at the top of her class, her volunteering efforts, and her IT expertise impressed us.

Brian, still captivated by his mate, beaming with pride.

But Bonnie appeared unfazed by Brian's presence, mistakenly assuming I was the CEO. The interview proceeded smoothly, and her qualifications exceeded our expectations.

Then I dropped the bombshell, "Bonnie, when you get this job, you'll be working with my brother, CEO Alpha Brian Walters." She froze, grinning, but as Brian extended his hand for a handshake, she stepped back in shock, refusing to touch him.

Brian was taken aback, puzzled by her odd reaction. "How odd! She didn't officially meet me."

Bonnie immediately requested a private conversation with me, surprising me with her reaction. I obliged, asking Brian to leave the room, leaving him hurt and confused as he stepped outside, sensing something was amiss with his wolf.

In our private meeting, Bonnie explained, "This is a great opportunity, but I can't accept this job," citing personal reasons. I felt disappointed as she was the ideal candidate for the job and could have easily replaced me during my absence at the Milan office. What were we supposed to do now that she refused the job?

Bonnie left quickly, and I rushed to Brian's office, needing answers. "Brian, do you know this woman? How have you offended her?" I inquired. Brian recounted their brief encounter on the plane from Edinburgh and Damian's thoughts confirming she was their mate. He hadn't offended her, and they hadn't even spoken.

I probed further, "She refused the job offer multiple times, even with increased offers. Do you think she received a better offer from another company?"

Brian's resolve was clear. "No way in hell will my mate work for another man in any other company in New York City. Blacklist her with our company; no one else should hire her. Once she's blacklisted by the Walters, she'll come right back and accept the offer."

I agreed, unaware that our paths would soon cross with Bonnie again, sooner than we expected.