Children of the Moon

Jessie

Alain's POV:

I was shaking on the inside. I had just found her. My mate. I had wanted to grab her and hold her. She was stunning. But she was on duty and I had not wanted to embarrass her. It had taken everything I had to control myself. I took a shaky breath. I would call her as soon as I could. But first things first. I turned to my lawyer looking at her in thought.

"What happened to the workers?" I asked and her face turned beet red.

"Superstitious pieces of crap," she answered. "I got a call from the foreman last night cancelling the job. They were all too scared to work here." I laughed at that. I had spread those rumors so that anyone coming here would be terrified.

"That's ok," I said to her. "I prefer if we all did it ourselves anyway."

"Will your things arrive today?" she asked and I nodded.

"Should be here anytime now," I said. I liked her and looked at her closely. I couldn't put my finger on it but she put me at ease. She had done everything I had asked for and tried even more. I had been working with her over the phone for the last six months to get my finances, paperwork and property all in order. She had followed my instructions to a T. Looking at her now, I feel a tug towards her. She was one of the ones that I needed to gather to me, to us, and came to a decision.

"Jessie, I would like to talk to you about something important," I said, turning towards her. She looked at me and her face turned professional.

"I want you to work for me and my organization permanently," I said and her jaw dropped.

"I will have to make some arrangements with my boss but I know he will refuse," she said nervously. I shook my head at her.

"You misunderstood, Jessie," I said. "I want you to leave your firm and come here."

"But how?" she asked me. "I have no money to open my own office and I have only been out of college for eight months. Wouldn't you rather have a lawyer with more experience?" I shook my head again and looked at her seriously.

"No," I said. "I want you. You went above and beyond to get us settled here. No one wanted the job except for you. I will finance your offices myself." She blushed, nodded then looked a little bit nervous.

"What is wrong?" I asked as she started to fidget.

"Might I then ask for an advance on the salary?," she asked me. "I am being evicted and I have no where else to go." "Then you will live here." I said. She looked at me, stunned. "The first of your offices will be here and your main office will be at my building. You will have your own private suite here. Are we agreed?" I asked and she nodded before breaking into a bright smile.

"When should I move in?" she asked.

"Get your things from your office first," I said. "Just quit your job at the firm and pack up. I will send someone to pick you up and help you when you are done." I then noticed the line of trucks coming up the driveway and smiled. My companions were finally home.

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Jessie's POV:

I was barely able to contain my excitement and joy. Finally I could get out of the poisonous atmosphere at my firm and out of the dinky, small studio I had rented.

I jumped into my car and took off immediately to head to my firm's offices. I still could not believe my luck. I had been dreading finishing up this job. In the six months that I had been talking to him, getting everything ready, I had started to look forward to his calls. I liked him. He had always been friendly and professional towards her and now he would outfit two offices for me so I could work permanently with him and his businesses? And he was going to give me a suite at his gorgeous manor? I still could not believe it. This was a dream come true for me. I have been trying to find a better job for a while now, ever since that fat creep of a boss had started to hit on me. He had been short changing me on my salary and had insinuated that I would get more if I were to sleep with him. What a nasty creep he is, I thought. It would be a pleasure to tell him off just as I would be leaving and slamming the door in his face.

I pulled into the parking lot of the office building my firm had offices in. I got out of my car and headed inside, spotting Mac looking up at me. He smiled.

"Miss Lacoux," he said. "It be Friday. Yer not supposed to be here but out having fun." I laughed at that. He would be the only one who I would miss from here. He was the one person here that made me laugh and had done so since I had started working here.

"Nah. I am only here to pack up and quit my job," I told him and his face fell.

"I hope you have another one lined up," he said seriously and I smiled at him.

"But I do have one," I said and winked at him. "One way better than this one."

"That be alright then," he said. "But if they don't treat you right, girl, you come see me. I'll straighten them out." I laughed out loud at that.

"I will miss you, Mac," I said and patted his arm. I waved at him and headed for the elevator. I pushed the button and it dinged at me before the door opened. Just as I was ready to enter I noticed my boss standing there. I frowned and entered the elevator. Then my boss leered at me and smirked.

"What are you doing back, Jessie?" he asked and tried to touch my arm. I avoided his touch and looked at him in disgust.

"Not for you, that's for sure," I snapped at him.

"Watch the tone, little missy," he said sternly to me. "I can always get another young lawyer for the firm." The door opened at our offices and I get out quickly.

"Good. Then do so. I quit," I said, leaving him standing in the elevator. As the door begins to close he quickly steps out and follows me.

"And do what?" he asks angrily, grabbing my arm.

"I have a new job as the main lawyer to Deveraux Enterprises," I answered and pulled my arm away from him. It hurt but I didn't care. He laughed at me.

"No way," he said, laughing at me. "That is our account. They wouldn't want a newbie like you." He stepped closer to me and touched me on my arm, grabbing harder than before and tried to kiss me.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," a deep voice said threateningly. He pushed me back and turned around angrily. Standing there was the biggest man I had ever seen. He was dressed in black leather pants, a white shirt and a leather jacket. He was wearing wrap around black glasses, had a short mohawk and a goatee and mustache. There were two dragons tattooed on each side of his head. My ex-boss turned all business like.

"Can I help you?" he asked him and he nodded.

"I am looking for miss Lacoux," he said and looked at me with a friendly smile.

"She no longer works here," he told the giant. "Can I help you with something?" The guy shook his head and walked over to me.

"I am Attila Ashman. I believe you were expecting me?" he asks me with a beautiful smile. I nodded at him and led him to my small office.

"Is all this yours?" he asks, pointing at the books and other items there.

"Yes," I said. "Everything except the desk, bookshelf and the small grey filing cabinet." He smiled at me.

"I am sorry to say that we will have to work fast," he said and grabbed a bunch of my books and put them in a box that I was sure hadn't been there before. Just as he was getting the next stack, he straightened up and turned towards the door. He jumped in front of me as I was trying to go out to put box with my files in it outside. He pushed me behind him and put his finger on his mouth. I nodded, stepping away from the door. He quietly opened the it a crack. I heard my ex-boss talking to someone and then I heard a woman's voice say sleep. There was a crash outside and Attila turned to me.

"They are here sooner than expected," he whispered to me. "Stay behind me, please." I looked at him with fear in my eyes and nodded. He gave me a reassuring squeeze, turned and walked out.

"What are you creatures doing here," he asked.

"What is this?" a male voice asked. "I thought there would be no one else here?"

"Sleep," the woman said again and Attila laughed. He reached up and took his shades off. Jessie heard the man and woman gasp.

"I ask again. Why are you here?" he asked and his voice became more threatening.

"We are here for the girl," the man said and e gasped. Why were they after me?

"Never going to happen," he said. "Leave. This is your first and only warning." The woman gave an unpleasant shreeking laugh and even the man chuckled. They suddenly stopped and I peeked around him to see what was happening. They were staring at him entranced and with empty eyes.

"You two will leave together holding hands," he said in a low voice. "You are in love with each other and just want to be together. You will go out and have fun, never talking to whoever sent you. You will avoid them at all costs. Your love is all that matters. Go." They snap out of the trance, look at each other and walked away, holding hands.

"OMG... What was that?" I asked and he shook his head.

"Not now," he answered and waved his hand. All of my things were gone. He took my hand and headed for the elevator. I noticed that his eyes were emerald green and slitted like that of a cat. He seemed to be looking somewhere else. They focused back as the door opens and we step in. When we reach the ground floor I see Mac laying on the floor beside his security desk. I let out a small distressed noise and Attila looked at me. He walks me over and checks him out. He frowned and picked him up. As we step out of the building I noticed that my car was gone.

"Get into the black Tahoe, please," he said and I got into the front seat, buckeling the seatbelt. Attila opens the back door and carefully lays Mac down on the seat. He buckles the man in and closed the door. He then gets into the drivers seat and starts the vehicle, taking off fast.

I look over at him and noticed that he was a lot calmer now. I cleared my throat.

"What did you do to them?" I asked him. He glanced at me and smiled.

"All in good time," he said. "There is something else that we need to talk about. Alain asked this of me." I nodded and told him to go ahead.

"First of all... Are you human?" he asked and I nodded.

"Okay, that is out of the way. Let me tell you something about the job you have taken on," he said and I turned to him.

"Number one... you will be dealing with kin, otherkin, fair folk, were-creatures of all kinds and more," he said and he was surprised to see that I reacted like that wasn't news at all. He blinked at me.

"You seem very calm. Might I ask you why?" I looked down and he felt the sadness coming from me. I looked back up at him.

"My boyfriend is a were," I said quietly.

"And you are still human? Why? What is holding him back?" he asked looking confused.

"I don't know," I said quietly. "I have begged him to turn me. But he will not do so."

"What kind of were is he?" he asked me.

"Lion," I said and looked out the window.

"Does he have a Pride?" he asked me and I shook my head no.

"He told me that his Pride was killed by hunters," I told him and he heard a small sob coming from me. I couldn't help my tears falling.

"Do you want to become a Sheba to his Pasha?" he asked quietly and I nodded.

"Very much so," I said. "But every time I asked him, there is fear in his eyes and he says no."

"Do you have any other experiences with any of the other creatures I have mentioned?"

"Not that I know of," I said and turned back toward him. He shook his head and laughed. I frowned at him. Attila pointed his thumb at Mac.

"What about him?" he asked and I looked at him in confusion.

"Mac? If he is I don't know what he is," I said and looked back at Mac, who was awake and smiling at me.

"I am a Brownie," he said, grinning at me.