Your Treat or Mine

Excerpt from: Your Treat or Mine

Getting hazed on Halloween had to be a clear indication that Amelia was in trouble. Especially when one considered the fact that she was damn near thirty. She grimaced and pulled her coat closer to her cold body before stepping out of her vehicle. The north-eastern autumn weather was unnaturally cool. She took that as an omen.

A bad one.

She gritted her teeth and reminded herself she’d decided to start fighting for what she wanted. Straightening her shoulders, she marched on. Getting hazed was the first step in her fight for the corner office in her company’s marketing division. The click of her low heels seemed to thud through her mind as she took each step towards the front door. The walk up the cobblestone path reminded Amelia of her freshman year in college. Of her first experience with hazing.

Despite her familiarity, she was no less nervous about the coming experience.

She’d joined a sorority then for the camaraderie and connections the organisation had promised. She’d never once regretted her actions. Now she was about to embark on a journey that was going to allow her to join an more elite organisation. The Council of Promise.

That was the whispered name of the three-person organisation that reportedly determined who climbed up her company’s corporate ladder.

JAK, Inc. Using the initials from their first names to title the company, Janus Christensen, Agostino Bonacelli, and Konstantin Jovovich had come together to create JAK, Inc. The company specialised in consumer technology. Amelia was a lower level executive in the marketing division.

She stopped several feet away from the cascading steps that led to the main door and simply stared at the building before her. According to the invite that sat in her front left pocket, the massive log home in front of her was one of the many houses provided for the executives of JAK, Inc., one of the nation’s fastest growing companies.

But JAK, Inc. was unique in the corporate world because it was owned and managed by paranormals. The Christensens were werewolves, the Bonacellis were-tigers and the Jovoviches were vampires. As a human, Amelia had one strike against her. She’d been shocked when she discovered the true nature of her colleagues, but more than that she’d been disappointed to find her career was going to be hindered by her humanity.

Then one night, Rickard, one of her co-workers and a trusted friend, had whispered that the Council of Promise could help her overcome her issue and rise higher in the company. Rikard also mentioned it wouldn’t be easy to get the Council’s attention. But more importantly she had to capture the interest of at least two Fates.

The Three Fates were the ruling body of the Council.

They were the true leaders of the corporation and it was no small feat to snag their attention.

Actually, the word the man had used was impossible. Few humans were worthy of the Fates’ notice. But Amelia was used to accomplishing the undoable. When she’d seen the blood-red invitation card sitting on her desk when she returned from her lunch break, she’d nearly passed out in relief. She’d been even more surprised when she saw the address on the note. Amelia glanced back at the building before her.

Rumour had it, the home was currently being occupied by none other than Mr. and Mrs. Christensen, one of the three couples who’d founded the corporation more than five hundred years ago.

The anxious feeling about the upcoming hazing doubled—no, tripled.

At least this time it’s for work, she thought as she gripped the doorknocker.

She breathed into her cold palms as she waited for someone to answer the door. After the third blow the door swung open to reveal a dour looking butler. “Yes?” he sneered.

Amelia stared at him blankly for a moment, torn between the desire to call him “Alfred,” or sneer right back. She could do neither since she had to be on her best behaviour.

“I’m Amelia Brockman. Ms. Christensen and Mr. Bonacelli invited me,” she said in one long breath as she searched for the invite card that had arrived on her desk less than five hours ago. Rikard had warned her about addressing the butler. Before being allowed in, she had to identify which of the two Fates had invited her. If he was not satisfied, she would be escorted off the property.

One snowy white eyebrow lifted and the sneer became more pronounced. “So you are the straggler?”

“Everyone has arrived?” Amelia heard herself asking, though she already knew the answer.

“Yes. We wait on you. Alone.” He turned around, giving her his hunched back and walked into the building. Feeling she’d been chastised and insulted, Amelia followed the butler into the building. She glanced around as she walked, taking notice of the simple elegance of the home’s foyer, the quiet glamour that marked the halls, and the sophistication of the small room the butler pointed out to her. “You will wait here,” he fairly growled before toddling away.

A quick glance around the room confirmed Amelia was alone. Though it was too late to do anything about it, she couldn’t let the butler’s comment about her timing go. She looked at her watch, needing to know if she was late and just how tardy she was.

If she had to grovel, she was going to be prepared to beg for forgiveness.

She blinked at her watch and shook her arm for emphasis. According to the overpriced piece of steel, she was more than thirty minutes late.

“Shit,” she cursed softly.

“And here I thought you were as pure as newly fallen snow, Ms. Brockman.”

She whipped around at the softly whispered words to find bright green eyes watching her. They seemed to glow in the barely lit room. Feeling as though the green gaze was hunting her Amelia took an instinctive step back.

Green Eyes took a step forward, moving into the dim lighting that cloaked the room. Amelia sucked in a deep breath at the sight that greeted her. Green Eyes was cloaked from head to toe in a costume complete with a mask that covered the top half of his face. A five o’ clock shadow hid the other portion.

But there was no denying the fact that the man before her was handsome. Breathtaking really, as all of the Jovovich vampires were.

“Come, Ms. Brockman, let us journey together to start the rest of your life.” He held out one broad, tanned palm, beckoning her to him.