The Whispers and The Wolf

Twenty-One

“WHAT THE f**k, AUTUMN?” Robyn was furious, shouting and swearing. “How can he just sack you for telling him the TRUTH? What kind of DELUDED spoiled man child are we dealing with here?!”

“I don’t know.” Was all I could muster. I was in shock, just staring at the screen of my laptop with Robyn on FaceTime. The pompous arse couldn’t even do it himself, he had his personal assistant send me an email. I hadn’t told anyone at Hornet or my own company yet.

“It’s not like you to talk to anyone like that but I’m so glad you did, bub. He had it coming. Fucker…”

“Robs I don’t know where it came from. I just couldn’t control it. It felt like a dream. Or more of a nightmare now.” My eyes started to tear up.

“Listen bub, just get packed up. I’m coming to get you on Friday, I’ll put in for a day off work. We’ll sort this all out next week after we get you home.” Robyn soothed. She was always so logical, that is after she had her rant.

“Oh my god…” my face dropped. I would have to go home. Conlan…

“Your work will be fine, they have big fancy lawyers, they can break the lease on the house. The renovations… well they can work that out too.”

“Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god…” I was on repeat, pacing back and forward.

“Oh Autumn. Don’t go robot, this will all work itself out”. He caught my eye at the patio doors and my heartbeat started to steady. He usually had the opposite effect on me. Standing with a bunch of sunflowers in one hand and a shopping bag in the other. I didn’t hear his car… maybe Robyn’s screaming blocked it out. His smile dropped when he saw the state I was in.

“Robyn I need to go. I… I need to phone my boss and find out what the f**k I’m going to do.”

“OK bub, phone me later and let me know what time to be there for on Friday. Love you b***h, byeeee.” Her signature sign off came as her face disappeared from my screen.

I unlocked the patio door and slid it open for Conlan to enter.

“What’s wrong, what’s happened?” He asked, emptying his hands onto the coffee table and holding me by the arms, studying my face.

“I lost my job.” I whispered, staring into his chest unable to meet his eye. What a Mate I was, couldn’t even keep a job for 3 full days, couldn’t even look at him.

“Hagan…” he snarled.

“How did you know?” I asked, mouth agape.

“He’s caught wind of us…” he let go of my arms, it was his turn to pace back and forth through the room.

“Come again?” I couldn’t comprehend what was going on and he was adding to the mix.

“He’s… like me.” Conlan kept his back to me, couldn’t look at me. “He’s… a rival.”

“Fan-f*****g-tastic!” I raised my arms in the air, exasperated. “So he knows I’m your Mate and he’s going to get one up on you by sacking me?! Just wonderful.” I threw myself on the couch, dissociating and losing myself in the view outside my window. Who knows how much longer I’d get to gaze upon it.

“This isn’t my fault!” He barked. It made me jump. “I have no idea how he found out it was you.”

“Why does he need to know you have a Mate at all?” I was hunched over now, my head in my folded arms on my knees.

“An Alpha finding his Mate is a big deal, Autumn. Especially one as old as me, and one of such a large Clan. Clans come from all over to celebrate. Well the allied Clans do.” I felt the couch depress next to me as he sat, his hand rubbing those circles that I had become to accustomed to. I didn’t respond.

“It’ll work itself out…” he tried.

“No it won’t!” I darted up. “Conlan, I’ll have to go back to Glasgow! My boss wont let me stay here and I’ll probably be forced to pay back all the money for the renovations and the legal fees to get out of the lease.” I was hyperventilating again.

“Aren’t ye forgetting something? Autumn, I’m the landlord of this house.” He stifled a laugh. I instantly calmed and gawped at him. “I’ll pay them back everything they spent. And ye can stay here… with me.”

“Without a job?” I scoffed. “I’m not being a burden, Conlan. No way. I’ve always paid my way.” He stiffened next to me.

“You aren’t a burden, Autumn.” His tone was the most serious I’ve heard from him. “You are my Luna and nothing will stop me looking after ye.”

He took my face in his hands, forcing me to look at him. “That and the fact that I’m really fuckin’ rich…” Another scoff from me. Another bad choice. There was no trace of a jest on his face. “Autumn, I own a landscaping business in the arse-end of no where, surrounded by landscape. I make a lot of fuckin’ money. They don’t call me the King for nothing.” He winked a cheeky wink and my insides knotted. How could he turn me on by doing barely anything when I’m in this kind of state. His eyes lit up as if a lightbulb went off in his head. “Come work for me.” It was a statement, not a question.

“Oh give me peace, Conlan.” I got to my feet and walked to the windows my arms crossed over my chest. “I don’t need pity.”

“It’s not pity!” He barked again, his tempter slipping but he quickly corrected it. “Mo Leannan, you seem to think you have a choice about leaving. We’ll be apart for a day and you’ll go mad.” He was behind me, his hands on my waist, his head in the crook of my neck.

“Do NOT think about kissing me, Conlan Maxwell!” But it was no use, he kissed my neck, my collarbone and massaged my breasts.

“You are mine Autumn, it look me 31 years to find ye and I’ll be damned if I let ye go anywhere.”

I peeled myself from Conlan and found the courage to call my boss. I was petrified. She was always so lovely to me and I had no reason to fear her. But I felt like I had just wasted everyone’s time, let everyone down. I went to my laptop, inhaled a deep breath and clicked Call.

“Autumn!!! Hello sweetheart, how are you?” She was typing away, clearly distracted. Good, distracted was good. It meant she wouldn’t have a lot of time to focus on my problem.

“Hey Monika. Listen, I won’t keep you long-“

“How is everything over at Hornet House? Mae was singing your praises on Monday.” Still typing.

“Yeah not great if I’m honest. That CEO isn’t the most palatable and well… I kind of snapped at him… and he kind of… sacked me.”

Monika froze. “He what?! That piece of s**t… I’ll give Mae a call, try and straighten this whole thing out…”

“It’s OK Monika. I’ve found another brand that I think would be perfect. I’m not working for a company run by a monster like him.” Conlan let out a single laugh in the living room that I ignored.

“This is all a bit sudden, Autumn. There’s bound to be some red tape we’ll need to avoid in this situation… I’m sure a few words with Mae and the board will sort this whole thing out.”

“The landlord for here is the owner of the company. I met him when the landscaping was completed. It’s his company, CMA Landscaping. There’s no marketing in place and they are sat on a goldmine, in the arse-end of nowhere surrounded by landscapes. It’s genius!” Conlan glared at me for using his words in my pitch. I just smiled smugly and carried on. “He’s really pleased with my design of the house as he’s considering moving into interiors as well. I can get you a full proposal by next week?”

“Oh alright. It does sound intriguing. I’ll get the team together for the pitch. But if it’s a no, Autumn, we’ll need you back home so we can figure out the Hornet mess. Understood?”

“Yes Monika, of course. I’ll get cracking and speak to you on Monday!” I faked the positivity I portrayed. We hung up and I breathed out.

“Interiors eh?” Was all Conlan had to say as he approached me.

“Maybe? I was thinking on my feet but I don’t think it’s a bad idea.” I snaked my arms around his waist. He kissed the top of my head.

“Good for business as well as my pack. What else could you be good for, wee birdie?” Not letting me answer, he lifted me into his arms and sat me on the island, positioning himself between my legs. “I told you it would all work out.”

“It’s not done yet, I might still have to go home…”

“You are home, Mo Leannan.”