Chapter 4
Camden
What were the chances? Seriously. It took a lot to not react outside of the clinic.
I could have been scenting anyone. It could have been someone who had walked past not long ago.
It could have been someone visiting the council.
Seriously though. What were the chances that I would find my fated mate only after I’d accepted a position with the paranormal council?
Furthermore, that that mate would turn out to be my new coworker and fellow doctor.
And an incredibly sexy one with an accent I could listen to for days on end.
When I walked into the clinic, the scent increased, and I knew my mate was inside somewhere.
As we approached the pair at the counter, I quickly realized my mate was the gorgeous man who was standing against the wall and talking to the omega behind the counter.
It didn’t take long to realize he wasn’t the alpha I had been dreaming about for I couldn’t remember how many years.
But the tall, slender warlock was absolutely sinful, and I had no doubts that he could fulfill all of my fantasies.
My first instinct was to be completely unprofessional and bring up the fact that I could absolutely scent Dr. King, but when he showed little reaction to me, my excitement waned, and I had to wonder if he was disappointed with me in some way.
Granted, he knew next to nothing about me, but that didn’t change the fact that we were mates. All mates started somewhere.
I was grateful to Alpha Osmund and all he’d done for me today, but what I really wanted was for him to leave so I could hopefully talk to my new coworker who happened to be so much more than just a coworker.
Alone. Without anyone else around, because I needed to know if us working together was going to be an issue or not.
If it was, I’d technically not started yet, and I could find a position elsewhere. Or something else. I’d figure it out.
I’d sent Maxwell several glances, hoping to catch his attention, but seemed to be failing miserably.
I’d begun to wonder if he even recognized the connection between us because he was showing no reaction at all.
When our hands touched for the first time, I felt a zap, and he’d held on tightly, but that was it.
Then I saw it. I caught the look, and it wasn’t one of a simple hello.
I relaxed and did all I could to not jump for joy and followed Maxwell’s lead.
Owen, who seemed as if he was the sweetest ever, finally left with a quiet click of the back door, and I leaned against the hallway wall where we’d ended up standing.
“Hello,” I said quietly.
Maxwell finally smiled to where I could see, and it was beautiful. “Hello back. I’d been anticipating your arrival to hopefully be able to take a day or two off here and there and get away in hopes of looking for my One.”
My mouth opened slightly, and I nodded slowly. “Have you now? Well, I wish you luck in your search.”
Maxwell moved closer and placed one arm on the wall just above my head. “You are a shifter. Unless you cannot smell anything, there is absolutely no way you cannot scent who I am to you.”
I looked up into brown eyes that were the color of my favorite treat.
“I scented you before I even entered the clinic. It was confirmed the moment I entered. But I’m not sure how this is going to play out because we are supposed to be working together.
” I sighed. “Do I need to find another position somewhere else?” I would try.
If I couldn’t find anywhere, I did have some savings, and I’d be able to support myself for some time without working.
“Do you not like the idea of working with your mate? Do you feel as if we would be spending too much time together?”
I shook my head. Maxwell was leaning closer, and I felt my breath becoming shallow. “No,” I whispered. “But I’ve not even started yet.”
Maxwell smiled. “Do you trust me?”
“I don’t know you,” I said instinctively. “But you are my mate, and even though we aren’t mated to one another, I know that if you hurt me, it would hurt you in turn.”
“True. I would never hurt you, Camden. Even if you weren’t my One, I still wouldn’t hurt you. It’s simply not in me unless there is a serious threat.”
I nodded. “I trust you, Maxwell. Why do you ask?”
He grinned just before he slid his other arm around my waist and pulled me close enough that we were touching from thigh to chest. My breath hitched, and Maxwell leaned in and kissed my nose just seconds before my stomach did that flip thing it had when Rainier brought me here to Montana.
One moment, we were standing in the hallway of the clinic on the mountain, and the next, we were somewhere completely different.
I looked around and found an incredibly tall someone standing to my right, staring at us.
“Something you care to share with us, Maxwell?”
“Ah, Castiel. Yes. I need to see you and Garin. Is he available as well?”
Castiel, as it were, tilted his head to the side. “He’s in the office, drinking tea.”
“Great. We need a few…tea?”
Castiel shook his head. “Just breakfast tea. He is not pregnant. Otto is about to turn two though, and we are going to try. Just to give you a heads-up.” Castiel stepped to the side and gestured to the back of the hallway.
“I assume you’re not going to bother to introduce me to the person you seem possessive over.
Which leads me to believe you’ve met your One. Congratulations.”
I looked up at Maxwell. “How’d he know that?”
“Camden, meet Dr. Castiel Bennett. He also works for the council. He’s a psychologist. In fact, all four here are.”
As we walked closer, it didn’t go unnoticed that Maxwell had wrapped his arm around my back and was holding me close to his side.
When we were standing directly in front of Castiel, I realized just how tall he was.
I looked way up and became confused. He scented of dragon—the whole place did. But also, of…dirt? No, that wasn’t it.
Another person came out of a room in the back, this one also incredibly tall. “Is that Garin?”
“No, that’s Hawthorne,” Castiel said. “Garin is still drinking his tea and eating breakfast.”
“Maxwell, it’s good to see you again.” Hawthorne scented similar to Castiel, but not quite the same.
“Is one of them a dragon?” I asked Maxwell quietly. “I’ve only scented dragons on the mountain, and one of these two scent somewhat like one.”
Maxwell chuckled. “Neither. But Castiel is mated to a dragon, which is why you scent one.”
I looked back at Castiel. “Oh. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be rude.”
“You weren’t. It can be a common question when one hasn’t been around dragons or gargoyles much.”
“Gargoyles. That’s what the two of you are?”
That earned me chuckles from both.
“Yes,” Castiel said.
“Camden, this is Dr. Hawthorne Brauer. He’s the council’s child psychologist,” Maxwell said. “Gentlemen, this is the council’s newest doctor, Dr. Camden Kennedy. He’s also my One, as Castiel already ascertained.”
“I have to wonder what it is that Thomas is up to,” Castiel said. “First Constantine, then me, and now you.” Castiel looked over at Hawthorne. “Do you think that you will be next?”
Hawthorne shook his head. “No. That is quite all right. He can choose someone else. I’m perfectly happy as I am.” Hawthorne nodded toward us. “Congratulations to the both of you though. And it is nice to meet you, Camden.”
“Likewise,” I said as he walked past us. I glanced back at Maxwell. “Did we say something wrong?”
Maxwell shook his head, and Castiel chuckled. “No. He’s just…set in his ways,” Maxwell said.
“What your mate is saying is that we gargoyles can tend to be a bit boring until we actually find our fated mates. Unfortunately, a lot of us don’t put in enough effort to actually seek them out.
” Castiel gestured down the hallway, where another man was poking his head out of a doorway.
“Garin would very much like to meet you.”
I gazed back down the hallway because I didn’t know what to say or do. I’d not implied that gargoyles were boring. Until this moment, I’d never even met one! I looked up at Maxwell, hoping he would rescue me. “Umm…”
Maxwell chuckled. “Come on. I want you to meet Garin. Hopefully, you will understand shortly why it is that I brought you here.”
Maxwell and I walked down the hallway, where we were met by a smiling man. He seemed as if he couldn’t contain his excitement, and when he stepped back into the office, he opened his arms but then pulled them back. “He’s your One, right? That’s why you’re here?”
“Yes.”
Garin made a noise I honestly never would have expected from a man of his size.
He quickly pulled me into a hug and then did a little wiggle before letting me go.
“Congratulations. We’ve all been waiting for it to be Maxwell’s turn.
I’m so happy he’s found his One. You probably figured out I’m Garin. ”
I nodded. “Yes. And thank you.”
Garin focused on Maxwell. “Does he know he looks a whole lot like Luc?” Garin glanced back down at me.
“I do. I actually met Luc already this morning. Alpha Osmund introduced us. It was somewhat surreal, actually.”
“I would imagine so. Come in. Sit. Do you want some tea?” Garin didn’t give me much of a choice; he simply pulled me down into an oversized beanbag and sat beside me with his arm around my back.
“Was it just chance that you and Maxwell met?” Garin looked up at our mates, who were standing beside one another.
“Actually, how did you two meet? I need to know these things because of course my uncle is going to need to know. He’s a busybody. ”
“The same way you and I met,” Castiel said.
Garin’s brow furrowed before his eyebrows rose. “You’re the council’s new doctor?”
I nodded. “I am. Or I was supposed to be,” I said. “I had asked Maxwell if it would be an issue for the council for us to be working together. Next thing I know, we’re here.”