Page 46 of Mated To My Boss

“Nate,” he greets me, “I just got some info. There's a rumor of another hunter attack from some of the packs north of the city. They say it will probably be minor, but we should be on the lookout for it.”

“Alright, thanks for letting me know.”

“Are those cars? Where are you?”

“I'm on a walk.”

Graham laughs for half a minute. “No you aren't.”

“I'm literally on the street. You just said you could hear the cars.”

“I believe you're on the street, but this has nothing to do with fitness. What are you really doing there?”

I sigh, missing when I didn't have people who knew me this well. “I'm looking for hunters.”

“What? Did you get a lead? That's not cool, you're supposed to share your—”

“No, I'm just out here looking. There's no lead.”

A pause follows. “Let me get this straight,” Graham says. “You're just out there on the street, randomly looking for hunters?”

“Pretty much, yeah.”

Another pause. “Nate, how are you supposed to know when you find a hunter? We don't even know what they look like.”

I roll my eyes. “Look, I know that, Graham. I'm not crazy, but I'd rather walk around than sit at home and feel like I'm not doing anything.”

“This feels like a distraction from Madeline.”

“What if it is?”

It's Graham's turn to sigh. “I can't say I fully approve, but I'm not going to stop you. What's the plan?”

“Well, we know the hunters smell like gunpowder, yes?”

I feel Graham nodding on his end. “Yes, but that's not much to go on.”

“Definitely, but apparently the hunters that attacked Madeline's former pack smelled like gasoline as well. It's not a common combination, but if I can pick up on a scent like that, then it will be something to work with.”

“That's true,” Graham agrees. “Good luck then.”

The call ends, and I resume walking. The closest I get to anything that smells like the hunters is when I pass a gas station. This helps ground me a bit, making me focus on what truly matters.

“I should check on Madeline,” I say out loud for extra motivation. I call her, waiting patiently for her to answer whileI stand by the side of the road. It takes a bit, but eventually, she picks up.

“Nate?” Madeline asks, concerned.

“Yeah, it's me.”

“Is something wrong? Is there work to do?”

I let out a small sigh. “No, nothing like that. I just … I just wanted to check in on you.” Silence on the other end, so I follow with, “Hello? Are you there?”

“Yes, yes. Sorry, I'm just a little surprised.”

“What are you doing right now?” I ask, trying to make out the noise in the background.

“I'm about to head home. I was out with a friend, but she just got a cab.”

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