The entire drive, I’m constantly jamming on the brake, not used to the speed this car has compared to my little beast. Theo is definitely going to need new brake pads; on the plus side, I’m only going to be twenty minutes late. Once I arrive, I walk into the lobby. Tom is talking to Tobias and to say he’s surprised to see me is an understatement. Tobias and Tom look like they are having a heated conversation when I step in. The conversation abruptly stops when Tobias lays eyes on me. He walks towards me and Tom scurries off, toward a corridor by the stairs. I definitely have to try and see him today, to find out what the hell is going on.
Tobias walks over to me, the way he walks makes me feel like he’s about to slap me. But he just stops in front of me and grabs my arm. “What the fuck are you doing here?”
“Thought it was pretty obvious, considering I showed up to work.” His grip on my arm tightens and he starts pulling me toward the elevator.
“How did you get here?” I hold up Theo’s car keys and he raises an eyebrow before snatching them out of my hand.
“I don’t see what the problem is, Tobias. I only want to work.” The elevator doors open, and he pushes me in before pushing the button and the doors close. Once upstairs, Tobias walks me to my desk. Theo, hearing us come in, walks out, shock on his face at seeing me.
“What are you doing here?”
“She found your keys, next time put them up,” Tobias says, chucking them at him. He catches them and folds his arms, annoyed.
“You better not have wrecked my car, Imogen.”
“Or what, you buy another one? Not like you can’t afford it. You will probably need new brake pads though, I wore those out pretty well on the way here.” I say, my face lighting up as he glares at me before walking off.
“You don’t leave the office, not today. You stay here till one of us can take you home.”
“Yes sir.” I salute him and he storms off, slamming his office door.
I have no intention of being confined to the office. I plan on seeing Tom today, whether they like it or not. I spend most of the day sending emails and printing off various documents and filing them. Theo and Tobias both keep coming out at different intervals, checking I’m still on this floor but don’t say much. I can tell they are going to give me hell when we get home.
I walk back to my desk from making a coffee and sit down. From the corner of my eye, I see my phone buzz and light up. I check it and it’s a message from Tom, telling me to meet him in the parking garage, where I used to park. I quickly reply and tell him I’ll be out soon. Honestly, I think it’s a little strange that he wants to meet me where there are no cameras. I know Theo and Tobias are hiding something and I’m determined to find out what exactly that is.
Looking up toward both their offices, the doors are still shut. Surely, I can zip out really quickly without getting noticed, though I still have doubts. Their hearing is extremely good, and I know if I use the elevator, the dinging noise it makes will alert them to me leaving.
Getting up, I slip my heels off so they won’t hear them on the marble floors. Clutching them in my hand, I all but run on my tippy toes to the fire escape, closing the door as gently as possible behind me. I wait to check if I can hear any movement or their office doors opening.
When I’m sure I’m in the clear, I run down the flights of stairs to the lobby. Before opening the door, I sit on the bottom step and put my shoes on, walking into the lobby and toward the doors that lead to the parking garage. I open them and start running up the ramps, towards my usual parking space.
When I get to the top of the parking garage, Tom is standing against the barrier that stops people from driving off the roof. He waves when he sees me and glances around. It’s odd that he’s so paranoid.
“Where are they?” He asks, looking down the ramp.
“Still in their offices. What’s going on, Tom? Why the sneaking around?”
He looks nervous and loosens the collar of his shirt. I have never seen Tom so worried and awkward before.
“How well do you know Tobias and Theo?” He asks.
That’s a strange question to ask. I’m fairly sure I know their darkest secret, not that I can voice that to Tom. But the way he’s looking at me, I have a feeling he knows.
“I know them well enough Tom, what is this about? You told me to let them help me and now you’re freaking out.”
“That was before I knew you were their mate.” That word again, and Tom obviously knows what they are. I take a step back, this conversation… I know I’m not going to like it.
“What are you getting at, Tom?” I nervously glance down the ramp, now paranoid myself they are going to jump out at us.
“Tobias is a werewolf, Imogen, and Theo.”
I cut him off. “I know what they are, Tom,” I say simply. Tom’s eyebrows raise, a look of confusion on his face.
“They told you and you aren’t running for the hills?” He looks at me like I’m mad.
“Well, it doesn’t change who they are, Tom. They are still good people.” I answer.
“Good people, Imogen? They aren’t even human,” he all but yells.
“Shh keep it down, stop freaking out.” I try to silence him.
“Do you have any idea the danger you are in when they try to mark you? Do you have any idea of the sacrifice you will have to make?”
Now, I’m confused. Sacrifice? What sacrifice?