BK 5 - Chapter 25 - Intern
**Sacramento, California**
Roger was really happy for Emma and her new mate, but he was bummed for himself. He had been sure he would meet his mate before she did. He had been hoping the woman meant for him would show up when he least expected it.
He had finished school for the semester and was starting an intern job for winter break at a psychiatric facility in Sacramento. Roger was going to school to be a psychologist to help out at the group homes. While in school, he wanted to explore what psychologists did in other places. He was sure he would learn a lot from them.
Today was his first day, and he was a little unsure of where to go. He knew the psychologist he was supposed to meet was named Mariam, but that was it. He assumed she was an older woman with lots of experience.
"Can I help you, sir?" A young woman asked as Roger approached the front desk.
"Yes. My name is Roger, and I'm a student at UC Davis. I'm supposed to be working with Mariam today." He explained. The woman batted her eyelashes at him, but he ignored her. His heart was already taken by his mate, who he hadn't met yet. Roger was tall, close to seven feet, with dark brown hair, dark brown eyes, and a tan complexion. He was so muscular that many thought that he was a bodybuilder. He had his own secret weapon: he was a grizzly. He teased Emma a lot because he was so big, like their dad, and she was tiny, like their mom. The woman behind the desk huffed with annoyance when she realized Roger wasn't even looking at her.
"I'll let her know you're here." She said while picking up a phone. Roger walked around the lobby and looked out the window. It was cold and raining, typical for that part of California in the winter.
When he heard someone walking, he turned and froze. A beautiful woman was standing at the front desk talking to the receptionist. She was petite with long black hair. He wanted to see her face, but she was turned away.
*"That's her. That's our mate, I'm sure of it."* His bear Duke said while dancing in Roger's head. When the woman turned, she looked at him and smiled. His knees almost gave out; she was so beautiful. Her eyes were a gorgeous teal blue that made him think of the Caribbean. When she walked toward him, he couldn't move; all he could do was stare at her.
"Hello, I'm Mariam. Are you Roger?" She asked, holding out her hand. Roger was tongue-tied. The woman he was supposed to work with was his mate. What were the chances? He finally composed himself and held his hand out to her.
"Yes, I'm Roger. It's nice to meet you." When their hands touched, it caused an immediate reaction. Mariam gasped and looked at the large man staring at her with widened eyes. She didn't know what caused those sparks, but whatever they were, they made her feel like she wanted to jump into Roger's very muscular arms.
"What was that?" She asked while still holding onto his hand. He smiled, and her heart felt like it was going to melt. Mariam had never met anyone like him. He was enormous but gentle, like a giant teddy bear.
"I know we don't have any time right now, but maybe when we have a break, we can talk," Roger said hopefully. Mariam wanted to know now, but he was right. They had patients they needed to see. She glanced over and saw Carly glaring at her from the desk. She ignored her as she led Roger to the back.
"You're right. I'll show you around, and then we'll meet with a few patients individually. In the afternoon, we have our group sessions." She explained. Roger watched her and was confused. She looked younger than him but acted like she'd been at this for years.
"How long have you worked here? You don't look old enough to have so much experience." He asked. Mariam smiled slightly as she used her badge to open a door.
"I've only been a paid employee here for a few months. I've volunteered here for years, so I know the day-to-day operations. I don't tell many people this, but my mom was a patient here more times than I can remember. She had schizophrenia. I took care of her after my dad left us when I was four. So I've basically been doing this work my whole life. I just turned twenty-one last month." Mariam stopped talking suddenly. She hadn't planned to tell him her whole life story, but that was how comfortable he made her feel.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to say so much." She said, looking away as they walked through another locked door.
"Don't apologize. I've been doing this work my whole life, too, but for a different reason. My family owns group homes all over California and a few other states that care for abused and abandoned children. I grew up helping them." Mariam stopped and turned toward him.
"Wait a minute. Are you related to Cat and Trey Galloway?" She asked excitedly.
"Yes, they're my great-grandparents." He said proudly. Mariam almost screamed with excitement.
"Oh, my goodness, I can't believe it. They're my idols. We always heard about them in school, and I researched their group homes extensively. I even volunteered at one of them a few times. I believe I worked with Melanie and Saxon when I was there." Roger started laughing.
"They're my grandparents. What a small world. I'm always there, too. I went to school close by so I could continue helping them." He said as they came to a stop. Mariam bit her lip and looked up at him.
"I know it's completely inappropriate, but could you introduce me to your great-grandparents? Every time I was there, they seemed to be away. I'll understand if you're uncomfortable with it; it's a lot to ask." Roger touched her hand slightly to make her stop talking. She shivered from the shocks that ran through her.
"I'm going to their house for dinner tonight. Would you like to join me? I'll warn you there are so many of us it can get loud, but they would love to have you there." He hoped she would say yes. It would give him time to figure out how to tell her he was a bear and she was his mate. Mariam smiled up at him, and his heart skipped a beat.
"I would love to, but only if you think it won't be too much trouble." She said excitedly. Roger touched her hand again, letting it linger a little longer.
"It's no trouble, I promise." She couldn't explain it, but Mariam had a sudden urge to kiss him. She wondered if he had a girlfriend. She was single because all she had done was work since being out of school, but she knew not everyone was like her. She had always been scared that she would inherit her mother's mental illness, so she had stayed alone. As she looked into Roger's kind eyes, she started to feel like maybe it was time to do something more than just work.
"I can't wait. Can we ride together when we leave, or I can get my car from home and follow you?" She asked. Roger took her hand in his. He had to touch her.
"You can ride with me." He said with a smile. Mariam squeezed his hand, and for the first time since she started working, she felt like calling off and spending the day with Roger instead. However, the patients needed her, so she took a deep breath and lead him to the first room
Roger was in awe of Mariam. The compassion she showed the patients when they talked to her was inspiring. She had such a calming disposition that it reminded him of his family members who were part caladrius. They had that natural calming effect.
They barely had time for breaks or lunch, so there was no chance to talk. Several women tried to get Roger to give them his number, and he didn't miss how Mariam glared at them. He refused them all. He led her outside to his truck when they were finally done for the day.
"Do you think we can run by my place really quick? I would like to change my clothes. If we don't have time, it's fine." Mariam asked as Roger helped her into his truck. She should have known with how big he was he would have a big vehicle. She couldn't help wondering what else he had that was big. She'd never been with a man, but all day, she had tried to find reasons to touch Roger. When the other women looked at him or spoke to him, she wanted to tell them to back off. Mariam felt she had a claim on him even though she knew it was ridiculous.
"We have plenty of time," Roger said. Mariam sighed with relief. She wanted to be presentable, meeting the iconic Cat and Trey. To her, they were bigger than superstars. She hesitated when Roger parked outside her place, which was only a couple of blocks away. She knew, based on horror movies, that the last thing she should do was invite a man she had just met into her apartment, but Roger wouldn't hurt her.
"Would you like to come up?" She asked.
"Sure," They both got out of the truck, trying to hide their smiles. Mariam led Roger to her second-floor apartment. When they got inside, Roger looked around and grinned.
"I like it. It looks warm and welcoming." He said. Mariam needed to change, but she wanted to get something out of the way first.
"Can I ask you something?" She stammered. She'd never done anything like that before, and she was scared to screw it up.
"Anything," Roger replied, noticing how nervous she was.
"I'm just going to come out and say it because beating around the bush isn't my thing. I know it's fast because we just met, but I like you. If you're not interested or have a girlfriend, let me know, and I'll back off, but I thought you should know." Mariam looked away, afraid of seeing something in his eyes that would make her feel like a fool. When she felt his hand touch hers, she looked up at him.
"I like you too, and I have no girlfriend." He said, putting his arms around her. They stared into each other's eyes as Roger lowered his mouth to hers. The sparks were even more intense when their lips touched. Roger knew by the end of the night he would have to tell her the truth, but first, he would enjoy kissing her.
