Chapter 4 #2
“I can understand that,” Garin said. “And I’d say that Maxwell brought you here because Castiel and I met the same way. I was the council’s new psychologist, and what do you know…my coworker was my mate.”
“Really?”
Garin nodded. “The council doesn’t care.
They’re all about mates and taking care of them and their bond.
” He sighed. “We did have some issues with getting our time off because we were really busy right around the same time because of the assignments that the enforcers were on at that time, but we worked things out.”
I glanced up at Maxwell. “I’m not sure about time off.” I shook my head. “I don’t know what he’s talking about.”
It was Castiel who answered. “The council does their best to give all newly mated couples a month or so off when they first claim their mate. It allows time for them to cement their bond and will also most likely cover any impending heats or fertile periods.”
“Oh.” I looked up at Maxwell and did my best to not think about him claiming me. Or the heat that would follow because I absolutely wasn’t on any sort of suppressors. “Umm…yeah, I guess I hadn’t thought about that,” I said instead.
“Why would you? Neither of us expected that we were going to be fated to one another. I was expecting a new coworker.”
I nodded in agreement. That was really the extent of my thoughts as well.
It would have been nice if one of the enforcers ended up being my mate because then I would be able to keep my position, and he could go about doing enforcer things.
But instead, I’d been fated to Maxwell. There were absolutely zero complaints from me about that.
“So now what?” I asked. I mean, I knew how things worked. I wasn’t a shy virgin. I knew how claiming worked.
“Since we have the day with zero patients and Owen is off doing a run in his panda form, I thought that perhaps the two of us could spend some time together and get to know one another.”
“Seriously? No patients?” Garin asked.
“Not today. We are going to have a busy few months, though, because there are three pregnant omegas that I know of. That’s right now. Who knows in the next month or so.”
Garin gasped beside me. “You know about Chase, right?” Maxwell nodded. “Poor Chase. I mean, he did okay with the first set of twins, but I can’t believe he’s having two more.”
I didn’t know Chase, but apparently, everyone else did, which made sense. They’d been here a lot longer than I had.
“Castiel,” Hawthorne said as he poked his head into the office. “Your patient is here.”
“Thanks, Hawthorne.” Castiel crossed over to us, and after leaning down and kissing Garin quickly, he stood. “It was nice to meet you, Camden. Best of luck with everything, and be sure to take time for the two of you and not let the council get in the way.”
“It was nice to meet you as well,” I said. Castiel walked out of the office, and I was left sitting next to Garin, while Maxwell smiled down at me.
“Do you think that sounds like something you’d like?”
I held my arms up. “Absolutely.” I could probably stand on my own—actually, I knew I could—but it was an excuse to touch Maxwell again.
I didn’t know how touchy-feely he was going to be, but the hope was that he wasn’t one of those alphas or sires that kept the affection to private moments.
Sure, I didn’t expect him to stick his tongue down my throat in the middle of the clinic, but a hug or his arm around me was incredibly nice.
Maxwell pulled me to my feet, and I smiled when he wrapped his arms around me again and pulled me close. “Thanks for your help, Garin.”
“You’re most welcome, but I don’t know what all I helped with.” I looked over my shoulder toward Garin, who was now standing. “Enjoy getting to know one another. And if you need to, send one of us a message, and we’ll contact whoever. Also,” Garin said quickly, “be sure to give Camden my number.”
“I’ll do that,” Maxwell said. He grinned down at me. “Are you ready?”
I nodded, and that was all it took for my stomach to do that flip thing, and then we were back on Treasure Ridge. We were actually back in the clinic on Treasure Ridge.
“We’re back here,” I said, stating the obvious.
“Yes. I need to clean up a bit and put up the sign. I also didn’t know if you wanted to go for a walk or if you wanted to do something else. I do need to let Master Edison know that you are my One.”
“I’m assuming that Master Edison is the created warlock?” Maxwell nodded. “I should probably mention that to Alpha Osmund, then, huh?”
“I can do that if you aren’t yet comfortable doing so.”
I nodded, and Maxwell pulled me down the hallway toward the back of the clinic.
“These are the exam rooms,” he said. “Since you didn’t get a tour earlier.
There are only two because I’ve never needed more.
I usually use this one here on our right, but if you’d like the one on the right, we can swap. ”
I peeked in. “I don’t have a preference. Do you have a lot of patients? I was told I’d be here to help you and to assist.”
“I’ve read your credentials. You’re just as qualified as I am to run this clinic.”
I shrugged. “Yes, that may be true, but I don’t have the experience you do, nor do I have the magical abilities that you have.”
Maxwell turned and placed his hands on my shoulders. “That doesn’t mean you can’t do all of the things I do.”
I tilted my head. “Ah, but you’re wrong. I can’t deliver a warlock baby. And a vampire baby, although I can deliver with a standard epidural, I know a lot of omegas choose not to go that route. But vampire carriers aren’t given a choice.”
Maxwell nodded slowly. “Then in those instances, I’ll be more than happy to assist you.”
I shook my head and snorted. Then I covered my mouth with my hands and looked up at my mate with wide eyes. He chuckled. “It’s adorable, just like you are.”
I could live with that. Adorable worked for omegas.
Especially fox shifters. But would he ever see me as sexy?
Or just adorable? I wasn’t going to dwell on it too much.
I had known my mate all of an hour. We were going to spend the day together, getting to know one another.
And if I was really lucky, later on, I’d get to spend the night with my mate, either at his place or mine. I didn’t care one way or another.
I suddenly thought about something that Cameron had said to me and wondered just how much my brother would scream at the news that I’d found my mate the moment I’d started my new position. I’d not even been here a week yet.
“What are you thinking?” Maxwell asked. He pulled me into a room, and when he gently pushed me against the wall again, I grinned up at my mate.
“My brother Cameron kept insisting that I come. It’s a long story, and I’ll share later.
But just so you know now, our ma doesn’t really understand boundaries.
She’s the reason I was late. Well, really, I am because I let her hold me up.
But anyway, Cameron kept telling me I needed to come out here because there was a chance I’d meet my mate.
And although I kept saying I doubt it, here you are. ”
Maxwell grinned. “Here I am.” He placed his hand on my cheek and leaned down. “Stop me if you don’t want me to kiss you. But I’ve been dying to do so since you first walked into the clinic. You have no idea what it is that you’re doing to my body, and I’m hoping a kiss will help calm it some.”
I slid my hands up his chest and leaned into his embrace.
“I’m definitely not going to stop you,” I whispered just before Maxwell leaned down and his lips touched mine for the first time.
Like earlier, when our hands first touched, there was a bit of an electric current, but this one wasn’t nearly as strong and certainly not painful.
When Maxwell applied just a bit more pressure, I opened my lips without any hesitation.
When his tongue softly pressed against mine, I moaned at the first taste of my mate.