Connor shot him a look. “I have contacts. And before you ask, yes, it’s legal. Mostly.”
Leyden huffed a laugh. “Mostly legal. Great.”
“You want thorough background checks or not?”
“I want exactly what you’re doing.” Leyden marked Kellerman’s application with a red X. “I don’t understand why Riverside’s Alpha couldn’t be bothered to pass along that little nugget of information, but maybe he felt it would show a weakness in his leadership. Regardless, that was a good catch. I would’ve brought him in for an interview based on the CV alone.”
“That’s why you need me.” Connor’s tone was dry, but through the bond, Leyden felt quiet satisfaction. His mate liked being useful, liked having his skills recognized.
They worked in comfortable silence for another twenty minutes. Leyden had worried that sharing office space might be awkward - Connor wasn’t exactly chatty, and Leyden was used to working alone. But it felt natural, having his mate across the desk, both of them focused on pack business.
More than natural. It felt right.
Leyden reviewed another application, frowning at the listed qualifications. “This guy claims advanced combat training, but his previous alpha describes him as ‘adequate in physical confrontations.”
“Adequate means weak,” Connor said without looking up.
“That’s what I was thinking.”
“No point interviewing someone who can barely hold their own. If the pack is going to trust the people who are supposed to protect them we need fighters, not bodies to fill positions.”
Leyden marked that application rejected and grabbed the next one. Connor was right. Leyden would rather have three goodwolves who were loyal and knew what they had to do, rather than a dozen who were just taking up resources without offering anything. The pack was still recovering from the challenge, still adjusting to having Connor as alpha mate. Bringing in weak enforcers would undermine the authority they’d just established.
“What about this one?” Leyden slid a folder across the desk. “Janet Moseley. Ten years’ experience, strong recommendations, currently working for the Northwood pack but looking to relocate because her mate took a job down this way.”
Connor scanned the application, then pulled up his laptop. His fingers flew across the keyboard, eyes tracking information Leyden couldn’t see from this angle.
God, watching Connor work was something else. The man’s intelligence had been obvious from the start - Davis had made sure Leyden knew his mate was sharp - but seeing it in action was different. Connor thought three steps ahead, anticipated problems before they surfaced, and connected dots most wolves wouldn’t notice.
Leyden had always been attracted to intelligence. Strength and looks were great, but a sharp mind? That did things to him.
Of course, he couldn’t act on that attraction. Not yet. Maybe not ever, depending on whether Connor developed actual desire beyond the bond’s influence.
But sitting and watching his mate work, Leyden was hit again with how lucky he was. Having a partner, someone who was protective and really good at what he did – Connor strengthened the pack just through his existence. And Leyden, too.
Even if they never had sex, having an equal partner mattered. Someone who challenged him intellectually, who filled in his blind spots, who he could trust completely...
“Moseley’s clean,” Connor announced, interrupting Leyden’s thoughts. “References check out, no red flags in her background, and I verified her mate did take a contractor position in town. Construction work.”
“So she’s legitimate.”
“Looks like it. I’d recommend an in-person interview.”
Leyden made a note in his calendar. “I’ll set something up for next week.”
They continued reviewing applications, falling into an easy rhythm. Leyden would read through qualifications, Connor would run background checks, and they’d discuss each candidate’s merits. Sometimes Connor would start a sentence and Leyden would finish it. Other times, Leyden would have a concern, and Connor would voice it before he could.
Working together felt seamless. Natural. Like they’d been doing it for years instead of days.
“We make a good team,” Leyden said, surprising himself by speaking the thought aloud.
Connor glanced up, expression carefully neutral. But through the bond, Leyden felt warmth. Agreement. Maybe even pleasure at the compliment.
“Yeah,” Connor said quietly. “We do.”
The moment stretched between them, comfortable and intimate despite the lack of physical contact. Leyden held his mate’s gaze, seeing the sharp intelligence in those eyes, the quiet strength, the growing trust.
Connor broke eye contact first, returning his attention to the laptop. “Got three more applications to review before lunch.”
