#Chapter 24: Focus

Elijah
Sally had reported to me early this morning about her client: Ava. She was becoming a problem child this was proven by the events that followed after our argument. But I knew I could not let Sally or anyone else know about my suspicions about Ava and her behavior.
“Good morning, Mr. Connery.”
“Miss. Grant, how have things been going?”
“Going that is for sure. I do not know if you are aware but Ava has been acting strangely these last few days.”
Sally was showing growing concern not only for Ava’s health but also for the company. It was one of the reasons why she was assigned to Ava.
“Are we not sure its not due to lack of sleep or stress? The nervous of am actor are not always stable when there is a lot of pressure on them.”
“I would of chalked it up as stress or nerves, if she had not practically scream at me a few days ago.”
“Ava screamed at you?” I straighten myself at tis statement. True Ava was a free spirit or as Grayson put it a spitfire she did not seem like the time to be aggressive with her emotions.
“Be rest assured, Miss. Grant, I will speak with Ava. I will make sure she takes better care of herself.”
As Sally took her leave she paused and spoke. “To be honest Mr. Connery I am surprised by your behavior towards Ava. I thought you would be livid after she went an auditioned behind the company’s back.”
I chuckled.
“Sally, honestly, Ava is not the first actress to audition for a part or role behind the back of the company. I promise you she will not be the last. While I am disappointed in her methods I am happy that Ava got the part.”
“You have a good evening Mr. Connery.”
“Same to you, Sally.” She closed the door and left. I leaned forward and rubbed my forehead with my right head. I have worked with difficult actors before, but Ava took first place with her antics.
I loosen my tie and disposed of it on the desk. Sometimes I hated the damn things. I left my office to get some air and find Ava.
She and I needed to have a discussion. I knew that she had a class and lesson today so she would be in the building. Since it was still early I would be able to find her easily.
Only a few actors signed up for early morning classes. Most wanted to party and drink; sleeping off the bad decisions and head to class later in the day.
What I did not expect was to find Ava passed out on one of the sofas in the lounge. Aggravated as I was with her I could not leave her to sleep her. I cradled her head and slide my arm in the crook of her knees and headed to my office.
I could not understand why I was doing this. But I kept moving forward. I pushed the door open with my shoulder so I would not wake her. Then I used the back of my foot to close the door.
I laid her on the couch in the office. It was the sofa bed that I usually used when I was working late. I had spare clothes tucked away just in case.
I pulled the drawer open and grabbed the blanket that was hidden. As I spread the blanket across Ava’s sleeping form I felt her shift towards me. I slowly backed away from her only to have her grabbed my hand.
“Please stay with me.” Ava whispered to me before falling back to sleep. I leaned forward and kissed her forehead. She was still holding my hand.
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Ava’s POV
When I tried to shift I felt something heavy draped across my waist. I could not move and as I opened my eyes I saw why. In front of me was a sleeping Elijah.
How did this happen, because I remember laying down on the couch in the lounge. I shifted to get out of his grasp and off the sofa bed. But Elijah’s gripe tighten around my waist.
As he muttered under his breath he rested his head in the creak of my neck. I felt heat spread though my body and settle in my core. As I tried to move more I saw his eyes slit open and glare at me.
“Go back to sleep, kitten.” There was a demanding yet concerning tone in his voice. I let out a sigh as I settled back into his arms. However I could not get comfortable with his jacket coat scratching against me.
I sat him up and heard his bellyaching to be disturbed once more.
“Come on, kitten, sleep…” Elijah grunted as I set him up. I felt his lips press against my neck this time.
Focus Ava. Ignore your urges.
“Elijah just let me get your jacket….offf….” My voice got quiet as I saw a tattoo start at his collar bone. I would have never guessed that Mr. Connery had a tattoo. It made him a lot sexier than I thought.
Curiosity got the best of me, but the more I looked at Elijah’s skin I realized something.
I had noticed this tattoo before. It was tribal but not of the mortals. Quickly but gently I rolled up Elijah’s shirt sleeve.
I tried to muffle my gasp with both of my hands. I pushed myself off the couch and away from the man that had been laying next to me just a few hours ago. Terror struck my chest but I needed to make sure.
I stood up and straddled my boss. He leaned forward and laid his head in the crook of my neck.
“Kitten,” I could hear him muttered, but I ignored him. I needed to see the rest of the tattoo.
There was a blooming red Ipomoea alba painted on Elijah’s bicep. The black ink flooded from the flower and stopped at his forearm and collarbone. I recognized this flower all to well.
This flower wa why I was taken from the mortal world. Away from my mother.
It was a moonflower, the only flower that blooms and grows in moonlight. It was like a rose in the werewolf community; it was recognized as a symbol. That tattoo belonged to enforcers of the otherworldly access office.
They were a pack that grants and denies access in-between the two worlds. They were given the nickname; The Harbingers.
But Elijah’s was different. There was a Crescent moon that was among the waves near his collar. On his forearm there was a wolf howling.
I swallowed my cry as I realized whose lap I was straddling. Every Harbinger had a specific tattoo but only one of them had a wolf. The leader of the pack; their Alpha.
Elijah was the Alpha of the Enforcers.