Most true mates sealed their bond quickly once they found each other, like in the first few days, because the pull was so strong that it was like a drug that you couldn’t resist. Kelsey had resisted it for two years! I had been fighting against it for several months already, but it wasn’t until I had actually come face–to–face with Patrick that the need began to overwhelm me at times.
After our talk that morning, I had begun to already resign myself to my fate. No, to our fate. It was
like suddenly coming to peace with it had settled me. I was ready to take the next step, but I also
loved the idea of getting to know him better first. I was excited and a little nervous about our date.
Fortunately, the interview I had to sit in on with Christine and Liam helped occupy much of the
afternoon. It was awkward at first. We had known Christine forever. She and Kyle had been
inseparable for years. At one point everyone had thought they’d end up together, but when they
came of age and discovered they were not true mates, she had turned into a complete bitch. Almost
losing her life in her challenge against Kelsey had changed her. Kelsey didn’t have to save her. No
one would have thought less of her for it, but she hadn’t been able to go through with it. She told us
that Christine was pack and pack needed to be protected, not killed. I think that was probably the
moment everyone realized what an awesome Pack Mother she’d someday be.
No one thought that someday would come so quickly. My dad had been seriously injured in the first
battle of the war with the Bulgarians, and pack power had transferred to Kyle in the process. Kelsey
had saved Dad’s life, but it was too late; in order to restore his Alpha rights, he’d have to fight Kyle to
the death for the position, and that was never going to happen. I think Mom and Dad were both
settling into retirement better than any of us suspected, and looked forward to having a grandchild
soon to, no doubt, spoil rotten.
With the new pack responsibilities, Kyle was turning the Westin Foundation over to Liam. I’ll admit, even I had my doubts on that decision, but he seemed confident in our younger brother’s abilities. At
only twenty–three years old, Liam still had a lot of growing up to do. Dad was going to be stepping in and helping out some, too. In that regard, I felt a little sorry for my brother. Neither Dad nor Kyle
were fully ready to let go of the reigns, all the while putting the expectation on Liam that they were doing just that.
“So? What did you think of Chris?” I asked Liam after walking Christine out at the end of the interview. I thought it had gone well, personally.
“Better than I expected. You were right, E, she’s not the same person she was before the challenges.”
“We still have Merriweather to interview, and you can either make a decision then or I’ll go back to the drawing board.”
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Chapter 179
“No offense, but Merriweather is an old gossipy crow. That’s the last thing I want up in my office.”
“Liam, be nice.” I laughed, even knowing he was telling the truth.
“Chris really surprised me. She took the interview seriously. She was polite and professional. She answered all my questions well. I can’t believe I’m going to say this, but I think she’s going to work out okay. Or at least, I’m willing to give her a chance.”
He opened the door to his office as I went to leave, but I threw my arm around my brother and
squeezed. “I’m glad! I think she’ll be an excellent assistant for you, and the sooner we get Kelsey out of here the better. She’s only going to get bigger and doesn’t need the added stress of this place.”
“Hey,” Kelsey frowned, overhearing us from the doorway between their offices. “I love working here. Don’t be too quick to throw me out. I take it the interview with Christine went well?”
We both nodded.
“Are you sure you’d be okay with training her for your replacement?” Liam asked, sounding sincerely concerned about it, given her and Christine’s history.
She smiled. “Chris and I have no issues that I’m aware of. It will be fine, I promise.”
He nodded. “Well, okay then.”
“You still need to get through the Merriweather interview.” He grimaced and I linked my arm through his, escorting him back to his office. “It’s the right thing to do.”
We said goodbye to Liam after that, as I explained I was kidnapping Kelsey for the rest of the afternoon. We first hit the Dress Code in town. It was a small, chic boutique that I loved, but they didn’t quite have what I was looking for. Of course I really didn’t know what I was looking for, but knew I’d know it when I found it. Kelsey suggested we head down the mountain to the city. Okay, so we called it a city, even though it was really just a big town. They had a mall, a Walmart, and several fast food joints. Compared to San Marco, it was a big city.
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