I glanced from Considine to Orrin, waiting to see if the fae would respond, and maybe feed us a new crumb of information.
Orrin reached for his cup of tea and inhaled the steam rising from it. “Geas are not given by free-thinking employers.”
“A very apt observation,” Considine said. “Well done, trainee.”
I capped my black marker and reached for my blue one, when I heard footsteps from the hallway moving in our direction—which were easy to pinpoint as Grove had left the door open.
Grove burst into the meeting room, followed by Brody, Tetiana, and Binx.
“Blood!” Brody nodded to me before he plopped down in the chair.
I watched as Tetiana and Binx also found seats. “Um?”
“We’re here to hear the update on Gisila,” Tetiana said. “Seems like it would be useful!”
I looked from the whiteboard to my teammates. “Except we all know the update?”
“Yes, but this is an update given by you.” Brody tried to brush a muddy paw print—a common thing on his work uniform as it seemed his Pack playfully tried to either muddy him up or rub hair all over his clothes on a daily basis—off his pants.
I uncertainly rubbed my thumb on my marker.
Is there something about this I’m not getting? Unless…are they being friendly?
I couldn’t tell for certain—or more like I was afraid to hope. So I turned to my partner for help.
Considine sauntered up to me, his shoulder brushing mine before he draped an arm around my waist. “It seems I need to warn that you are all intruding on my precious partner time.”
“Question!” Grove thrust his arm up into the air.
Tetiana pushed his arm down. “Don’t ask him, Considine. You’ll regret it.”
Considine hadn’t yet learned so he nodded. “You may speak.”
“Does that make Orrin your adopted love child?” Grove asked.
Considine started to laugh, but before he could get more than a chuckle out, Grove continued, “Also, April said to tell you, Blood, that you could complain to Captain Reese that Considine’s constant invasion of your personal space is sexual harassment. I don’t know what that means, but she said it’s a human HR thing.”
Considine’s chuckle died in his throat.
Tetiana shrugged at him. “You asked.”
I watched the exchange, and it dawned on me.They are being friendly with Considine.
“All it takes is one human and then the good times are over,” Brody reflected. “They probably wouldn’t like that we stop criminals with a good, ol’ bite in the throat.”
Binx scoffed. “You don’t know what April meant by HR.”
“I don’t have to,” Brody said. “I know HR is something you’re supposed to fear!”
They’re joking with him. Has anyone besides Grove ever joked with me?
Pondering the question wasn’t going to give me a happy outcome, so I forced myself to focus on what I should be doing: work. I uncapped my marker and tapped on the smart-whiteboard.
“Since we are near the end of our work day, Orrin, it is now our turn to add in any updates that happened during our shift,” I explained.
Immediately my teammates hushed, which made me suspect they were indeed being friendly with Considine, and somehow my focus on work reasserted their idea that I was different.
To my shame, this realization made jealousy stir in the pit of my stomach, but I would be professional.
