cCV #2
Clarke always gave a hundred percent. Again, he felt a burst of pride that he was considered worthy to be the mate of such a brave, intelligent, and extraordinary female. He vowed silently never to let her down.
Jace explained the primary duties of a monitor, and the extent of their authority over students as they toured the campus.
Having read the pamphlet and job description, Clarke was aware of most of it already.
She did seem to appreciate hearing about the job from someone who’d been doing it for years.
They took advantage of touring the administration building to search the faculty offices thoroughly. Clarke sighed when they didn’t find anything.
“I wasn’t expecting this to be easy, but it’s frustrating, having no idea what we’re looking for,” she said.
“We’ll try to find another opportunity to look through the offices after classes start,” Jace said. “I really don’t think the professors or department heads are shady. If I’m wrong, though, the guilty party wouldn’t leave evidence out for custodians to find.”
“True, and we have to explore every possibility,” Clarke agreed.
“Can I take you out to dinner?” Jace asked as they headed back to the dorms.
He wanted to spend as much time with her as possible before the students and the rest of the staff arrived. That would get more complicated when the campus was full.
“How about I cook, and we can eat in my apartment? That way, we can plan without worrying about who else is around,” Clarke said. “I got some groceries in Clementine on my way here.”
“I didn’t want to invite myself over, but that’s definitely a better plan,” he said.
Jace was glad that Clarke was comfortable having him in her private space. Mates or not, he worked here, where the clue or person responsible for Charlie’s disappearance was.
They were friends on social media, but didn’t really know each other anymore. He and Clarke hadn’t seen each other in eighteen years. Jace wouldn’t blame her if she didn’t completely trust him.
When they were in the unit, Clarke lifted the hem of her polo shirt, showing him the quilted tank that concealed her curves. Jace had to agree that Sofia was brilliant. Even with the masculinity charm and manly voice, some would be apt to notice her trim waist without it.
She also pulled up the hem of her shorts just enough to display his mate mark on her thigh. Jace had really wanted to see it, and was glad he didn’t have to ask.
He had taken the time to admire his own mark when he changed shirts. It was complex, and beautiful. Seeing Clarke’s provoked another surge of overwhelming awe, joy, protectiveness, and gratitude.
Their marks were identical, but for one aspect.
The bottom of his mark was closed, while Clarke’s was open.
That meant that Clarke had more than one mate.
After feeling the connection to all of them, the new mark or marks would manifest on her thigh, and connect to his.
Together, they would form a pattern unique to them.
Jace was aware of that, since he knew several people with two or more mates. His mother had three. While each design was individual, the person with more than one mate wore all of them as one symbol.
Clarke didn’t comment on the differences in their marks. It was possible that she didn’t know what that meant. After pondering it for a solid minute, Jace decided not to say anything.
Her other mate or mates shouldn’t be an immediate concern, and Clarke had more than enough to deal with. They could discuss that at a later time.
The highest priorities right now were keeping Clarke safe, finding the clue on campus, and saving Charlie.
Mentioning that she had at least one more mate could distract Clarke.
She was still acclimating to the shock of finding one mate, changing strategy to factor him into her plans, and thinking of ways to strengthen their connection without drawing unwanted attention from the staff.
For himself, Jace wasn’t concerned. As a female with two powers, one of them highly-ranked, he would have been more surprised if Clarke didn’t have a minimum of two mates. His dads hadn’t known each other before bonding his mother, and they got along great.
Clarke texted Hannah and Harry before she started cooking, and handed him her phone, so he could read the messages. Naturally, they were both relieved that Clarke had someone to watch her back, and help search for Charlie. They were also thrilled that she had found a mate.
What really moved Jace was how happy Harry and Hannah were that it was him, specifically. Apparently, they had heard a lot about him over the years, from both Charlie and Clarke. They heartily approved of him, saying that Charlie would be ecstatic when he found out.
Dinner was surprisingly relaxed and companionable. Jace and Clarke talked about the next steps to take in their search for clues, and how to spend time together without arousing curiosity. Jace helped Clarke unpack the rest of her things, and put the totes in the front closet.
Not wanting to stay late in the event Mitch and Ray might notice, Jace left at nine, and walked back to his own dorm.
Clarke was right on the nose that he didn’t like the other monitors.
Beyond the laziness, Jace couldn’t pinpoint what it was, but something about both of them bothered him, albeit in different ways.
Ray, the caster monitor, seemed fake as shit, as well as not being invested in his students. Mitch was defensive and temperamental. Both had the tendency to gossip, which was why he and Clarke would need to be careful around them.
Dean Stanhope typically had a keen sense for potential employees. But nobody was perfect. Jace had heard that there hadn’t been many candidates to choose from when the two were hired.
Jace had too much on his mind to fall asleep quickly, but they were mostly good, positive thoughts about a future with Clarke. Once he did succumb to slumber, he was out like a light, unmoving until dawn broke over the horizon.
He and Clarke met outside the physical training center, and went on a four-mile run. Clarke usually ran six or seven miles, but Jace didn’t want her getting overheated and dehydrated in all those layers. It would be another scorchingly hot day, and was already in the low eighties.
The main purpose of this was to establish a routine that would be the foundation of a workplace friendship.
Fellow staff members shouldn’t find that odd, and would become accustomed to seeing them together.
They could take short water breaks along the way, giving them an opportunity to speak privately.
Jace took a circuitous route, planning to explore a different quadrant every morning. He wanted Clarke to be familiar with every inch of the campus, rather than just the buildings. That could be important to their search as well as her safety.
Neither of them discovered anything untoward. Running together was nice, even with the search being fruitless. Jace appreciated that they had a love of running in common. It was peaceful, and companionable.
After showering and changing, Jace drove into Clementine to pick up sandwiches. He ate out a lot, and didn’t want to deviate too much from his usual routine.
On his way out, Jace stopped to talk to the guards. Engaging them in conversation about the upcoming football season, he walked into the guardhouse. He paced while they discussed the players, and debated Mar’s chances of getting to the playoffs.
Everything was neat and orderly, with nothing standing out. Having trained these guys, and knowing them for years, Jace didn’t think they were dirty. But he was determined to check every possibility.
Clarke met him for lunch at a table in the shade behind the caster dorm.
Fellow staff members would be able to see them without hearing their conversation.
Jace hoped everyone would assume that he was taking his duties as a mentor to the new monitor seriously.
Nothing unusual here, just coworkers sharing a meal.
“With so many different guards, and changing shifts, I didn’t expect you to find anything at the main entrance,” Clarke said after Jace gave his report. “But I’m glad you checked.”
“We’ll keep looking. Something will turn up,” Jace asserted.
They spent most of the day together, keeping it circumspect in public. Jace wanted to walk arm in arm, or at least hold her hand. But they would make this work.
Clarke met Jace for dinner in the shifter dorm. The two of them spent most of the time cuddling on the couch, talking about everything and anything.
Jace hoped there would be thousands of more evenings just like this. With the exception of having to hide their relationship and the stress of Charlie being missing, it was perfect.