Chapter 27
Ansley
Wyatt and I are hand-in-hand when we walk back into the house.
I immediately notice that it’s quiet. Too quiet, considering the party that was about to kick back off when we left. The lights are still on in the living room, so that draws our attention, but Wyatt pulls me into a tight embrace and kisses me.
His lips reignite the fire that hasn’t completely gone out. I moan into his mouth, clench his shirt in my fists, and melt into him until our lips finally part.
“Do you think Hayden and Remy went out to look for vampires?” I whisper. “Maybe they took her with them?”
“No, they’re here. I can sense them,” he says softly, gesturing to the living room.
We walk to the door and my head snaps back with concern. Hayden and Remy are seated, both still drinking whiskey. Daisy is flat on her back on the couch, head turned to the side, eyes closed, mouth open, an empty glass still clutched close to her chest.
“What did you do to her?” I gasp, rushing to the couch.
“Shh, let her sleep,” Hayden murmurs. “She’s finally quiet.”
“We didn’t do anything to her,” Remy chuckles. “She thought she could go drink-for-drink with us. We told her she was being ridiculous, but she kept fucking with us about it until we had to prove her wrong.”
“She can hold her liquor, I’ll give her that,” Hayden growls. “Hopefully it stays down.”
“I guess she needed it after everything that happened,” I reply. “Can one of you carry her to her bedroom, at least? I don’t want to leave her down here.”
“I’ll handle it,” Remy huffs, standing up.
Despite Remy’s normal roughness, he’s fairly gentle when he picks Daisy up.
She doesn’t move at all and looks like a rag doll in his arms. She’s definitely drunk.
It’s not the first time she’s gone overboard, but she usually doesn’t drink enough to pass out.
Then again, if I know Daisy as well as I do, she probably thought she was going to drink them under the table.
Wouldn’t be the first time she did that to a grown man.
“How did your date go?” Hayden asks once Remy leaves the room.
“It went well,” I answer him, feeling my face blush as I glance at Wyatt. “Right?”
“Very well,” he says, grinning at me.
“I can tell he already claimed you,” Hayden seems to sniff the air. “Was there a knot?”
“No,” Wyatt answers. “I started to, but then I could feel it, like you described. Something is still missing.”
“We’ll introduce Storm to our mate tomorrow,” Hayden says. “Then Jaxton, if Storm isn’t the final piece.”
“I want to meet Storm whether he’s my mate or not,” I say. “He used to work for York Financial. He might be able to tell me how to stay in Ms. Frost’s good graces.”
“I don’t think you want his advice about that,” Hayden chuckles. “Unless you plan on fucking her.”
“Wait, he… and Ms. Frost!?” My eyes nearly bulge out of my head. “Seriously?”
“It was no relationship, if that’s your concern,” Hayden clarifies. “Just a wolf with an empty bed and a need he couldn’t satisfy. That’s how we all were after the last she-wolf died. Except Wyatt. He handled it better than us.”
“Until I found my mate,” his happiness is apparent in the tone of his voice. “Now, she’s the only one who could ever satisfy me.”
“Same here,” Remy says as he walks back into the room. “And now that Daisy’s in bed, I think it’s time for us to retire for the evening as well. With you, of course.” He smiles.
“Unless Wyatt wore you out,” Hayden says, standing up.
“I might have one more in me,” I say, grinning and glancing at Wyatt. “Will you be joining us tonight?”
“Only if you want me to,” he says.
“I have at least three mates,” I say, reaching for his hand. “It wouldn’t be right to leave one of them out.”
Wyatt pulls me close for a kiss. Remy and Hayden approach from behind, both kissing my neck. Goosebumps spread across my skin. I moan into Wyatt’s kiss, and as soon as his lips leave mine, Remy turns me towards him.
“Been dying to do this all day,” he rasps, kissing me deeply.
We make our way upstairs, where I get claimed by three hungry wolves multiple times before we fall asleep together, exhausted, tangled in the loose embrace of my mates
.
The next day, Daisy is a little hungover, but in a tremendous mood again. I shower, eat breakfast, then get escorted to my apartment by Hayden. Once I change clothes and get ready, he drives me to work.
“One of us will be nearby throughout the day,” Hayden reassures me.
“I’ll text you if anything happens,” I say, leaning over to kiss him.
York Financial has become my refuge since this began. Not that I need to escape my mates, but the world feels so much different now. Wolves, vampires, Scions. It’s nice to have a temporary diversion from it all. Something that still feels normal in the midst of the chaos.
I start my day by preparing the report about Blithe Holdings for Ms. Frost. Once that’s done, I work on the reports for the other companies.
One looks like an easy investment. The stock prices have gone up and down for years, but they always trended upwards after big announcements, and several are planned for this year.
The second company doesn’t look like a great investment. It could be a sleeper, but the trends aren’t promising, their last few financial reports have been lower than expected, and there’s nothing to indicate the trends will change.
By the afternoon, I’m happy with my reports for the first two companies and dive into the information about the third company.
It’s intriguing. It’s a company called Nebula that is making advancements with AI, and while they’re not an industry leader, they’ve had some promising results that haven’t been reflected in movements in their stock prices.
I’m finishing my report when I feel a strange sensation sweep over me. Like someone is watching me, similar to what I felt at Fletcher’s Bar, but it’s different. It feels heavier and more intense, like the air itself has changed, charged with something I can’t really identify.
I stand up and look around, noticing a man standing outside my boss’s office. I don’t recognize him, but I can’t look away.
He’s taller than me, just over six feet.
His attire suggests he’s wealthy. His hair is blonde, but it looks too golden to be natural.
It’s swept back from his face in waves that seem to remain in place, without even a hint of product.
His eyes are blue, but they’re pale, almost crystalline, like a blue flame.
When they meet mine, I feel them, like a physical touch against my chest.
“Weird,” I mutter, but then he starts walking towards me and I tense up.
He’s got a smile on his face. A warm, friendly smile that eases some of my tension as he gets closer. He’s practically oozing charisma without saying a word. It just seems to radiate off him, and everyone he passes seems to notice. They look. They stare. They grin when he passes.
“You must be Ansley Ellery,” he says. He’s more soft-spoken than I anticipate, and his fiery-blue eyes study me for a moment. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”
“You… you have?” I manage, trying to keep my voice steady. “I’m sorry, I don’t think I know you.”
“No, we haven’t met yet,” he says, extending a hand. “I’m Daniel Lumen. I’m one of York Financials’ biggest investors, and I’d like to invest a little more, but that depends on you.”
“I’m sorry, what? Depends on me?” I ask, my stomach tightening. “I just started working here.”
There’s something familiar about him, but I can’t place it.
Maybe I’ve read a feature about him on one of the investment blogs I follow.
It’s hard to remember all the wealthy people who invest heavily in the stock market, even the ones who get their advice from York Financial.
I haven’t been here long enough to know everyone.
“Ms. Frost said you’re the one responsible for my investment in Blithe Holdings paying off considerably well,” he continues.
“She said it was your recommendation that convinced her not to sell, and after she talked with you, she called me to offer the same advice. I was unsure, but… turns out you have a knack for this, hmm?”
“I, um, I hope so. I thought it was a good investment,” I admit. “Could be beginner’s luck, but I also do thorough research.”
“No, I don’t think it’s beginner’s luck. It takes someone with considerable insight to recognize the potential in a company like Blithe Holdings,” he drawls, his voice almost as smooth as honey. “Now, I believe you’ve been researching a few more companies for me?”
My eyes widen and my throat dries out. “Oh, the reports… they’re for you? I thought they were for Ms. Frost.”
“I requested them,” he says, gesturing to Mr. Fleming’s office. “And he said you should be almost done.”
“I… yes, I’m almost finished with the last one,” I admit. “But they haven’t been reviewed by Mr. Fleming. He wanted to look them over before I send them to Ms. Frost.”
“No need. I want to hear your recommendations, not theirs,” he says, pulling a chair close to my cubicle and sitting down. “Tell me what you think.”
I try to steady my nerves as I sink into my chair and load the reports. Wealthy investors stop by York Financial all the time. This is unusual, because I’m new, but meeting with clients will be one of my responsibilities one day if I ever get an office upstairs.
“Okay, so… Let’s start with Nebula,” I begin, ready to dive in.
Mr. Lumen listens attentively while I explain why Nebula would be a good investment. From my perspective, at least. Good product, good strategy, and a decent market share, despite their price not reflecting it.
“That’s exactly what I was thinking,” he says, smiling once I’m finished. “What about the other two companies?”
The more I talk to him, the more relaxed I get. This is my job; He’s a customer. Yeah, he’s got some natural charisma, and I had a weird feeling when I felt him watching me, but he’s just another rich guy who wants to get richer. That’s what I’m here for.
“That’s my recommendation,” I conclude. “Nebula if you want the best return, but you may have to hold your position for a while. Droid Tech is an easy investment, but the returns won’t be very impressive.
Strategic Spark Consultations shows decent trends, but they’re overvalued, so you’ll likely lose money if you invest in the company right now. ”
“Well done,” he praises, and his voice feels like a warm blanket, easing every bit of my remaining tension. “That’s exactly what I needed to know. I’d offer to let Ms. Frost know how impressed I am with your work, but she’ll know that by how much money I invest in Nebula.”
He stands up without another word, and smiles before turning and walking away.
Once again, everyone seems to notice him.
They stare. They grin. For a moment, it seems like the sunlight coming through the windows bends around him, but I blink and it’s gone.
Probably just a trick of the glass, or my overwhelmed mind.
I wait until he’s close to the exit before rushing to my boss’s office.
“Ah, how did your meeting with Mr. Lumen go? He was eager to meet you,” Mr. Fleming says.
“I think it went okay,” I say, the tension returning with a vengeance. “But Mr. Fleming, I… I’ve never met with investors before. Don’t we usually prepare presentations? Have some people from the c-suite involved?”
“Usually, yes, but Mr. Lumen didn’t want to wait,” Mr. Fleming says. “Ms. Frost was confident you could handle a meeting with him.”
“I wish I would have at least known about it ahead of time,” I mutter. “He caught me off guard.”
“There wasn’t time to send you a calendar invite, Ansley,” Mr. Fleming chuckles. “We handle investments for some very wealthy people. We work around their schedule, not ours. Now, here’s the real question. How much money is he going to invest?”
“He didn’t say, exactly. Um, he seemed like he would-” I start, then Mr. Fleming holds up his hand, interrupting me.
“Never mind, I have the answer right here. I just got an email from Ms. Frost.” Mr. Fleming leans forward, reading it and my heart skips a few beats. “Wow, Ansley. Very impressive. The portfolio you’re managing just tripled. Mr. Lumen specifically asked that you manage his investment in Nebula.”
“Oh god,” I say. “That’s an enormous responsibility. I mean, I haven’t been here that long.”
“You keep making good first impressions, Ansley. That’s the ticket to success here,” Mr. Fleming chuckles. “I wish I had your intuition when I first started. I might have Ms. Frost’s job by now… don’t tell anyone I said that or I’ll deny it until I’m blue in the face.”
“I won’t,” I say, still processing everything.
I return to my desk and finish my report on Nebula. After that, I send all three of them to Mr. Fleming. Considering how quickly I get the notification that he forwarded them to Ms. Frost, he must have been happy with them.
I glance at the clock. Still a few hours left in the workday.
Hopefully, there will be no more surprises.