CHAPTER 40

"What?"
Shana jerked out of his arms so fast she almost lost her footing but he caught her just in time. And she just brushed off his hand as fast.
"Come on. You can't keep working for me once we are married," Asher said throwing up his hands.
He already knew she was not going to take the news well but he could not keep her on as his secretary.
"Why not?"
"Because you are not going to like it here once we are married. I bet you don't even like it here anymore. I know about the hostile looks Shana," Asher said gently. "I don't want to see any harm come to you."
She had nothing to say about that. It was all true. She felt unwanted already and she knew it was not going to get easier after the mating rites. The wolves did not like Asher much so they had no reason to like her either. But that did not mean she could not look out for herself. She did not need anyone doing for her what she had been doing her whole life.
"I'm perfectly fine. It's just a few looks. They could hardly do anything to me when I'm almost always here," she said with a shrug and an uneasy smile.
"They could do anything to you Shana. Its not just about the looks. I know the only thing keeping them off is this," he said pointing to the healed scar on his neck. "Besides, I don't think my human staff would be comfortable working with you. I know I won't be."
"Why not? You've been comfortable working with me so far. Nothing's going to change."
"You are wrong on that ground. You've been sort of a....distraction," he said quietly. "A good distraction," he added when he saw the hurt in her eyes.
"Look, it isn't going to work knowing we are married and there is nothing stopping me from having you when you are so close. I could just walk into your office or call you into mine while I've my way with you on the desk, in the chair or on the sofa. Better still, on my office floor or against the floor. Any place works for me and I don't care because I'm going to be loving every process but I can't say the same for you. You are going to be worried about what people are saying or thinking and I know you might think my receptionist is just there minding her business but I'm warning you she's one of the biggest gossips here. I keep her because she's harmless, safe for her chronic gossiping.," he finished and sighed. "You know I'm right."
She sighed deeply and she was beet red by the time he was done talking. His talk had put so many images in her head she was willing to try out. But she couldn't. Knowing people could guess they were sleeping together while at work; especially the wolves that would be able to smell him on her made everything uncomfortable. This was one argument she was not going to win. She realized she did not even want to win. "Alright. But you are not firing me. I'm resigning," she stated.
"Same thing," he said shrugging.
"No, it's not. Firing would not look so good on my résumé once I start job hunting."
"That's something else we need to talk about," he said crossing his arms over his chest.
"What's there to talk about?" Shana knew what he was going to say before he did.
"You won't be job hunting Kitty."
"I knew it," she said turning and pacing. "Why not?" She was beginning to get tired of repeating those two words. He kept telling her things he wanted her to do without giving her reasons.
"Because I want us to start a family immediately and there won't be time for job hunting or working. Who knows? You might be pregnant already," Asher finished with a knowing smile.
"I'm not," she denied furiously. It was like all the blood in her body were finding their way to her face. Asher was coming off too strong for her. They were going to be married in days and he was discussing kids already. Everything was moving so fast, she was more than a little overwhelmed. She should be happy but she was not, save for the part of her that could not believe she was marrying the man she loved. She knew she could walk away from all these now. She could disappear and no one would find her. She already decided she was doing nothing Adam wanted her to do but the part of her that loved this man would not let her.
But kids?? Like actual little humans?
Not humans.
Actual little wolves? And she could be carrying one?
Her hands flew to her flat belly in panic.
"That's what I was saying. You can't be so sure a little Asher or brown eyed Shana isn't dividing and growing in there right now," he said chuckling, enjoying her discomfiture.
Shana tried to do some calculations but she could not get her thoughts straight.
"Shana?"
Her head snapped up to meet his eyes when she heard the urgency in his voice. "What?"
"You would love to have my cubs, won't you?"
Of course, she would love nothing better. But she could not tell him they might not be cubs after all. They might just turn out to be Criers. He had the blood of one flowing through his veins and she was one. But again, what did she know about how dominant the blood of his kind could be?
"I would love to," she answered him sincerely, her heart in her eyes.
"Good. Then we both want the same thing. So there's going to be no job hunting."
"I never agreed to that. What does starting a family have to do with me having a job?"
"A lot. A job is going to eat into the time you are supposed to spend with our kids and me. I don't want that. And you won't be needing the money. I've more than enough to go round." He could not keep the smile off his face. For the first time in a very very long time, he was happy he was a billionaire.
"I don't want your money. I don't need it."
"Sorry but it's not my money anymore. It became our money since this happened," he said touching her mating mark.
His touch made every nerve in her body hum but she was not about to let him distract her.
"I'm still going to work. I don't want to be a kept woman."
"You won't. You are going to be my mate and you are going to be busy raising our cubs. I want a lot of them and that's enough work."
"You are just a caveman," she muttered with a shake of her head.
He took her hands in his and forced her to look at him. "Guilty as charged. I know you are smart and intelligent. Hell, I don't even know why you settled for being just a secretary with your degree but I believe our kids are going to need your intelligence more than any agency."
"But we don't even have them yet."
"We'll be having them soon. One might be on the way as we speak."
"Stop that. I can't be pregnant."
"I could correct that. Just come home with me tonight. I've missed you."
"I can't." But she was tempted. And there was her date with Rose that evening. "I'm having dinner with Rose."
"I could accompany you and I'll take you home right after. Or, I could come get you after your dinner. I don't think she wants me there anyway," he invited.
"No thank you. I'll pass."
"OK. But you could still be pregnant already."
"I told you to stop saying that."
"Just saying," he shrugged.
"Stop saying. And just to make things clear, I'll be getting another job but I'll quit once a baby comes along. That's as far as I'm willing to compromise."
Asher smiled, knowing a baby was going to be there sooner than she was thinking. And her job hunting? She was only going to be getting one if only he wanted her to. He had that much say in a lot of companies she would be applying with.
Call him caveman or controlling but all he wanted was for her to be available whenever and wherever he needed her and that was not going to be possible if she was off working.
"OK," he said raising his hands up, palms outs to show surrender.
"Great," she smiled.
"I can't believe we just had our first argument."
"That was a conversation, not an argument."
"Same thing Kitty."
★★★★★★★★★★
When she got to Rose's house, the woman was waiting for her with table set with sumptuous dishes. Shana dug in hungrily, realizing how hungry she had been. She had been skipping meals, thanks to her anxiety about everything going on around her.
She was barely done and the table cleared when Rose started talking. Shana soon realized she was as impatient as her grandson.
"I know you've realized I didn't just call you here to dine with me. I've got questions I want answered," she said in a no nonsense voice as she pinned Shana with her sharp eyes.
Shana had questions herself but she guessed hers were going to have to wait. Rose was the school principal here and she was the bad student.
"I'll be happy to answer your questions Rose," she said quietly.
"I don't want you to just answer them. I want the truth. Can you give me that much after what I've done for you?"
Shana nodded, unable to say anything because of the bulge blocking her throat. She swallowed nervously, trying to dislodge it but failing.
There was no lying now. Rose was going to see through her lies.
"I know you love Asher but I've a feeling there's more to it. So I'm going to ask you, why are you really here?"