HAYLEY

My phone rings loud as I carry on working through the pile of forms that are left on my desk.

I growl out loud.

I grab my phone and stare at the screen at the name that is ringing me: Mum.

Why the hell is she ringing me?

I sigh out and answer the call to her, placing a fake smile on my face. “Hey mum, I can’t talk. I’m up to my eyeballs in forms. Is it important?” I ask her as I stare out of my office door to see my assistant working with my boyfriend.

I can’t help keeping my eyes on them.

“Hey Hayley, I’m glad I caught you, I was wondering if you will be coming home for Christmas,” she asks. “I decided to have our famous family Christmas parties like we used to back in the day, all the pack is invited but I want my daughter there,” she says.

“Mum, I can't have...” but she cuts me off with a heavy sigh. “Don’t tell me you have to work all through Christmas, the party is five months away, you can book the time off and stay for a few days,” she says. “Besides, both of your brothers will be here and since Harvey works with you and he took time off to spend it with us, you can as well. It will be fun.” she says.

“Okay, I will get back to you. I need to get back to work as I have loads to do,” I say and hang up the form.

I sigh again, loudly.

I stare at the pair in front me; since I’m a werewolf, I can hear a few feet away. I listened in on what they were talking about.

“So I have to add the appointment in the calendar for you and I make sure everything is sent to Hayley once it is done,” says Maxine to Shane, who has now turned his back on me.

I can’t listen to it anymore; if there is any more work sent to me, I will be pulling another all nighter again.

I look around my office; there are six piles of forms to get through already. I sigh again and place my head down, carrying on with the work I had in front of me.

After an hour going through the forms, I grab the pile I completed. Even though there were more there; I thought Mr. Harris could sign them off before I went through the rest. I walk out of the office, no sign of Maxine or Shane, but I shrug and head to Mr. Norris’s office.

Once I head in, I knock on the door and walk in. I can’t help but look at the man.

He was a big man, but he had a heart of gold but he couldn’t handle his money properly, hence why I am here. I am the one who signs off on every deal and investment made here, whether it is big or small.

I placed the forms on his desk and was about to walk out the door. “Hayley, can I have a word for a moment?” he says from behind his desk.

I turn around and smile at him. “Yes sir”

He smiles at me. “Close the door and take a seat, please.”

I close the door and take the chair in front of him. He looks at me. “You know you have been an asset to this firm but I have wondered if you want to take some vacation days,” he says. “You have most of the ones from last year and most of this year to use up.”

I don’t say anything.

He looks at me. “Hayley, you’re good at your job and I will manage, I will put Shane in charge of your desk while you take time off,” he says. “I don't like where this is going. “Harvey mentioned that there is a big family party coming up about two weeks before Christmas, why don’t you take the time off and spend three weeks with your family?”

I stare back at him.

I don’t want to go home.

“Sir, I really don’t...” but he cuts me off by holding up his hand and shaking his head at me “Hayley, you are taking the time off. You deserve it and besides, who doesn’t want to be around family at Christmas?” He says with a hint of sadness in his voice.

I nod. “If you are sure, I could take some of the work with me and you have my email,” I say but he shakes his head again. “That won’t be necessary Hayley, you will go and spend the holidays with your family. When you come back, we will go through everything,” he says.

“Okay, thank you, sir,” I say and get up out of the chair.

I walk out of the door and head straight to my desk where Shane is waiting.

“Hey gorgeous, what did the boss man want?” He asks.

“Apparently I need to take time off work and spend it with my family,” I say, sounding sarcastically.

Shane looks at me for a moment. “Baby, that’s a brilliant idea; you can go back home to your mother and make sure she is alright. I will make sure everything is alright here. You can also tell her about us,” he says with a smile.

My wolf Raina growls. “Like hell we won’t,” she says. She has had her back up about Shane for the last five months since we moved in together.

I smile at him. “You sure you can handle the boss’s finance, most of them will need my signature but I know my mother has a printer and scanner in the house, you can email them to me and I can send them back to you,” I say.

Shane smiles at me. “Well, that settles it then, so when do you leave? I want to take you out for dinner,” he says.

“In three weeks’ time,” I say.

Shane stays for a little while, but leaves as soon as Maxine comes in with another batch of forms for me to sort through.

Once they both leave, I get back to work.

I guess I’m going back to my home, to the pack for three weeks.

“We may find our mate,” says Raina in my head.

I don’t say anything.

Mates are something that I like the idea of, but I have been hurt in my past by one wolf from the pack. I just hope that I can manage being back home with my mother, brothers and I also hope he’s not there.