The Heir of Crescent Moon

Chapter 5 - Interviews and Delphi Brew

Cory POV

It's been a week, and we have the head of department interviews tomorrow. I don't know why I'm nervous, but I couldn't sleep, so I headed out to find something to snack on somewhere around two in the morning. I didn’t expect to see anyone on my trip, so I hadn’t bothered to wear a shirt. The kitchen was empty, as I expected, so I went into the pantry to look for snacks. Mom always kept a container of chocolate-covered caramels for baking. She loved putting them as sweet little surprises in her cupcakes. I grabbed two handfuls, dumped them into a little ziplock bag, and walked back out of the pantry. I bumped right into a body backing away from the fridge.

“s**t. Sorry.” I said, dropping my little bag of contraband to catch whatever she was holding. I caught the green apple and picked up my candy. I looked up to the person who had dropped it to apologize again, and I couldn’t help but follow the tanned smooth legs up to the wide hips and full breasts. I felt myself blush when I realized I was staring at Everly.

“You scared me,” Evie answered, her heart beating fast while she clutched a can of whip cream to her chest. I could feel Tenoch paying attention to how her bright green eyes dilated when she looked up at me.

“I didn’t think anyone was up this late.” I stammered.

“Here,” I said, thrusting the apple in my hand toward her in a panic. Tenoch snorted at me, and I blushed more. Evie looked down at my stretched hand and took the apple from me, but I felt a jolt of excitement rush through me when I felt her staring at my bare chest and down at my boxers. She cleared her throat and turned around.

“I…I was working on a project and missed dinner. I thought I could sneak in and find some leftovers, so I didn’t wake Mom and Dad up with my tinkering at home.” She said.

I walked around the kitchen island and sat down.

“That hardly seems like a good dinner.” I pointed out when I saw her cut a piece of apple pie into a plate.

“I have an apple too.” She defended, pointing at the green apple I’d returned to her and taking a bite.

“Fair. Cut me a piece, and I’ll share my candy with you?” I bartered.

She smiled and cut another piece. She put it in the microwave before she pulled another plate from the cupboards.

“What are you doing up this late?” She asked.

“Couldn’t sleep,” I answered truthfully and offered her some of my candy. “What were you working on?”

“Ah, some freelance work for the pack that housed me while I studied. My little way of paying them back for all their kindness.” She answered. I nodded. That was an excellent way to pay them back.

“Where are you living these days?” I asked, pretending to make small talk when I was really hoping she was home for good. I’d missed her.

“Here for the moment. I finished my last long-term contract a couple of weeks before your ceremony. I’ve got freelance work to keep me busy for a few more weeks, and I'm waiting to hear about a few jobs, so I’ll see where life takes me.” She shrugged. She pulled the apple pie out of the microwave, and I saw her take a good sniff of it and smile a little before she walked back over to the kitchen island.

She put one of the slices on the second plate and added some whipped cream. She passed one over to me, and I looked down at it. Something was missing. I stood up and went back into the pantry. I grabbed the cinnamon and sprinkled it on top, then slid it over to her.

“The apple filling not cinnamony enough for you?” She asked while she sprinkled a little bit on top of hers.

“No such thing,” I said, taking a bit of my slice.

“Goddess, I missed your mom’s baking.” She said and closed her eyes to savor the bite.

Tenoch’s tail wagged, watching her enjoy the apple pie, and the little noises coming out of her mouth sent a shiver down my body.

“Your degree is in software engineering, isn’t it?” I asked her.

“Yep.” She said, continuing to dig into her slice of pie.

“You should apply to work for the pack business. We’ve got an entire department to hire, and it will be within pack grounds.” And it would mean you’d stay home, I thought but didn’t mention.

“Hmm. I’ll think about it.” She said. We finished our pie in comfortable silence. I grabbed both of our plates and washed them in the sink.

She cleared her throat again when I dried them and put them back in the cupboards.

“Good Night, Cory.”

“Night, Evie.” I smiled and watched her pick another two candies from my bag and exit the kitchen. I walked up to my room and lay down on my bed.

The scent of cinnamon and caramel was lingering on my nose. I sighed and looked over at the empty space on my bed sadly.

You should have told her we made the pie, not Mom. - Tenoch said.

Why? At least this way, we know that she likes our baking - I countered.

We could have gotten some brownie points. - He said.

Brownie points for apple pie? - I teased.

You know what I mean. Maybe she can be our friend again.

You mean if she stays.

Well…yeah. - His ears flopped down.

I don’t know Tenoch. She kind of broke my heart when she stopped hanging out with us. I don’t know that I want to go through that again.

You are wiser now, and you have me. What’s not to like? - He puffed out his chest.

I don’t even know what we did that she didn’t like to begin with. - I reminded him.

You’ve had a crush on her forever. Don’t you want to see if she’s our mate? - He asked.

We already know she isn’t. She’s a pack member. She’s been here for a lot of full moons. She is not our mate. - I said, feeling a pain in my heart as I said the words.

I have had a crush on Evie since I was a boy. She’s been the only woman I’ve ever thought about seriously, but the truth was, she attended plenty of full moon events since I turned nineteen. There was no way I would have missed it if she was our mate. I did think she might be my mate for a while. Her scent of caramel and cinnamon had always called to me, but we had irrefutable proof that she wasn’t our mate. Eventually, I had to admit that maybe I just liked the scents, which were still two of my favorite scents.

Tenoch finally stopped pushing things. He may say I have a crush on her, but we both knew that despite not being around her as much as I did, he shared my memories and liked her just as much.

I was finally able to fall asleep sometime around three thirty and woke up to the angry ringing of my alarm. I groggily got up and went to get ready. Today I was going to pick the next head of my new department.

The first two meetings were in the morning. I ate a quick breakfast, and we gathered in the conference room to dial out.

“Hello.” The modulated voice came through on the third ring.

“Good Morning. This is Cory Salonen speaking.” I answered.

“Good Morning Alpha Cory.” The voice answered, and I was relieved. Not that I didn’t trust Evergreen, but it would make things easier if we didn’t have to tip-toe around to see if the application was sorted correctly or not.

“Thank you for agreeing to a phone interview. We have you on a voice modulator. We can’t tell if you’re male, female, old, or young. We want this process to be completely based on merit and personality. I have with me my Beta Josue, Gamma James, and the new head of the division, Evergreen Roswell.”

“I commend you for going to such measures. It bodes well to what kind of treatment potential employees can expect from Salonen Security Industries.”

‘Suck up’ James said into our minds.

“We’ll get started with a more thorough listing of what would be expected of you and continue with our questions. If you need any clarifications or questions, please feel free to ask. This is as much your interview as it is ours.” I said.

We grabbed lunch and went back to the conference room to discuss the first two interviews.

“I liked the second one. He sounded less of an ass kisser and more of a doer.” James said. “The last thing we want is a yes man in the position where we need them to think for themselves.”

“I don't think kissing up when you're interviewing is bad. You're expected to.” Jo answered back.

“Yes, but he did mostly regurgitate everything we said back to him,” I answered.

“Did he?”

“Yes actually.” Evergreen finally piped up. “I had the app annotate responses through the interviews. He pretty much gave us back non-answers.”

“Well, then, I guess it's down to the second one and our afternoon interview.” James smiled.

“Did your person tell you if they applied?” Jo asked Evergreen.

“No. They said if they told me, I'd be looking for specifics in the applications, which wouldn't be fair.” Evergreen grumbled.

“Hey, didn't Evie also study the same thing you did Evergreen? I haven't seen her around since the ceremony.” James asked.

“She said she was working on some freelance projects,” I answered for Evergreen. “I told her she should apply, but she said she's waiting to hear back from some other projects.” Evergreen nodded and looked disgruntled.

“I want her home, but I fear she's gotten a taste for hopping around the country.” He added.

“When did you talk to Evie?” Jo asked.

“Last night. We both went to the kitchen for some snacks.” I answered.

We finished eating and got ready for the following interview. At precisely one, I dialed the number on the application. It wasn't even the real phone number. It was a code they were assigned, and the machine dialed out. Evergreen really did think of everything when he put this in place.

“Hello.”

“Good Afternoon. Thank you for agreeing to a phone interview. We have you on a voice modulator. We can’t tell if you’re male, female, old, or young. We want this process to be completely based on merit and personality. I have with me my Beta Josue, Gamma James, and the new head of the division, Evergreen Roswell,” I started.

“Understood.” The voice said.

“As you know, the position of the head of this department is highly coveted. We had hundreds of applications within the first twenty-four hours alone. What we're looking for is very simple. We need a leader and someone with a head for technology and progress. Someone that thinks outside the box. Someone to replace Mr. Roswell, who has taken the company from a simple security industry to the worldwide security firm it is today. You are one of the few we thought exhibited all of the qualifications we are looking for, and we'd like to hear about what you plan to do with the position if you're hired, what kind of projects you bring to the table and what sort of management style you have.” There was a slight chuckle on the other side of the line.

“Forgive me Alpha Cory, but have any of the other candidates given you actual answers?”

“I beg your pardon?”

“I can't imagine anyone would tell you real ideas of what kind of projects they would like to do if hired. I imagine they all gave you generic answers on how they'd like to bring Salonen Industries into the next century in this lifetime and how their hands-off management style will allow their employees to thrive and create the next generation of software technology.” I sat back, stunned at the brashness of the caller and how accurate their guess was.

“Perhaps they did. So tell me then, what and how exactly would you answer my questions that are so different from what they have?”

“For starters, I'll tell you what I won't say. I am not giving you any project ideas because those are my livelihood. Your company is a multi-billion dollar established powerhouse. Whatever innovation I bring will only be yours when I'm hired. I need the time and energy to be able to bring my projects to life while you have a team of software engineers to work on things all at once. Secondly, I manage how I would like to be managed. I will give creative liberties within parameters. I want to see results, but I also want to see the train of thought. I don't believe in stumbling into genius. You have to think and plan it through. Deadlines are less important to me as long as the thought process is solid and the progress steady.” Their answer left me speechless, and James jumped on the balls of his feet.

“And what about what you would do with the position should you get it?” Jo asked.

“Work?” They laughed. “I intend to come to work and function as efficiently as I always do and to the best of my ability. The name on the letterhead or the salary on the paycheck will never change the amount of effort and energy I put into a job. The man who pays me $50 for a project is to be as respected as the one who pays me $5000.”

'Is it too early to say you're hired?' James asked.

'Yes.' I answered.

“This position would require you to move and become a pack member. Would you be willing to do so?” I asked.

“Depends. Am I allowed to ask questions?” They asked.

“Of course.”

“What kind of daycare program do you have?” They asked.

“Are you in need of one?” Jo asked.

“Perhaps. What can a single parent expect from a pack like Crescent Moon.”

“As I mentioned, the job offer comes with a requirement to join Crescent Moon. That allows you access to our daycare, healthcare, meals at the pack house, and boarding. We have apartments and small houses available for those that join us, and if you or any of our members have a family, we can accommodate you in a house of appropriate size. You would be full pack members. We will treat you as such and expect you to treat the pack with loyalty and respect.”

“Will I have a say in who gets hired under me?”

“Of course, that's why we're hiring the head of the department first. We want to ensure they have a voice and opinion on hiring other employees.”

“And if I have employees I wish to bring with me?”

“We can....discuss them. We might already have them scheduled for an interview if they applied for a job. If they didn't, we could discuss them.”

“And if I make my employment conditional upon theirs?”

“I only hope it isn't the case. As much as we value any one employee, we don't deal well with ultimatums.” I said more seriously.

“Last question, if I may, Alpha Cory.”

“Of course.”

“Mr. Roswell, what could I expect from you as my direct superior?”

“I'm hands-off, for the most part. I will check in once or twice a week to make sure deliverables are met and to check if you need support. I want to know the major projects being worked on, and if I feel there's something important that needs to be prioritized, I expect to be able to discuss your resource allocation. I have no need for your day-to-day. As long as we're seeing results, we don't need to meet more than that.”

“What kind of technology are you wishing this department to focus on?”

“Can you clarify the question?” Jo asked.

“Are you wanting to develop security safeguards, defensive technology, or offensive weapons?”

“Defensive and security software is our main objective. There's enough violence in the world without adding more ways to make it.” I answered. There was a strange hum coming from them at my answer, and I didn't know if they agreed or not.

“What happens to any technology I create?”

“Anything created with Salonen Industries resources becomes exclusive technology for Salonen Industries for the first five years. Its patent, however, will remain yours. If after five years, you wish to make the patent public domain or license it to other companies, you should give us the first rights of purchase. Anything made on your off time with personal resources, we request first rights of licensing or purchase, but as merely a courtesy.” I answered.

“NDAs in place?”

“Of course.”

“Very well. Do you have any other questions for me sirs?”

“Were we to choose you, what's your availability to come on board?” Jo asked.

“I would imagine hiring the rest of the employees will take time. I need at least two weeks to finish my current engagements. However, it doesn't take my entire day. I'm happy to clear my schedule for interviews and meetings.”

“Could you not just finish it early, then?” James asked. Evergreen and the mysterious caller both snorted.

“You can't rush testing, Gamma James. Not if you want to do it safely and thoroughly.” Evergreen answered instead.

“Thank you, Mr. Roswell. Mr. James, if I rushed the finishing of a project, I doubt I would be able to have as many claims of professional achievements as I do now. While I can try to rush genius, I cannot rush testing, and as I mentioned before, whether the project is paying me fifty dollars or five thousand, I do not rush quality.” James looked sheepish at the answer, but I think it revealed much about the person on the other side of the phone call.

“Thank you, if you make it to the next set of interviews, I will set up a meeting in person for the final interview.”

“Very well. Thank you for your time. Please call after ten in the morning, as I often work well into the night.”

“I will keep that in mind. Thank you.” After the phone disconnected, there was silence in the room.

“Well...how long do we have to wait so we don't appear too needy?” James asked, making the rest of us laugh.

“It does seem like the superior choice.” Evergreen frowned.

“You sound like you don't like it,” I mentioned.

“I don't think that's my choice at all. Actually, I can't tell if any of them were, but that last one definitely doesn't sound like the person I was interested in, though I have to say, this one definitely sounds like the right person for the job.”

“So we're all decided then?” I looked at all of them. They nodded, and I sighed, “Well, that's one thing done. I'll send an email tomorrow.”

“Do we want to open their resumes and take a full look beforehand?” Jo asked.

“No. Maybe a few minutes before their interview. Otherwise, it will tarnish the process and tempt us to look into their background. We've gone this far. We can wait a little longer.” Evergreen said, making me nod in agreement.

Friday night, I sent the interview meeting out for the following Tuesday, asking to be let known if transportation was needed and that a room in the pack house, along with meals and a tour was being arranged. I felt good that evening and allowed James and Jo to convince me to go to a bar in town. I could use a beer.

James tried inviting Evie, but she said she already had plans. They took it well, and outwardly, so did I, though I could feel Tenoch's sadness mirror my own. We hadn't seen her since that night, and I wondered how long she would stay with us.

We walked into the bar and looked for a booth. It was busy, as there weren't a lot of bars around here. I didn't frequent it too often, and although I've thought about adding one to the pack, this was never really my scene to begin with. However, it was worth considering if the pack kept growing as it was.

Two hours into our night and over the smell of alcohol, cheap food, and sweat, I caught the faint smell of cinnamon and caramel. Tenoch instantly stood and looked around. Her eyes found mine at the same time, and I smiled.

She must have changed her mind! - Tenoch said excitedly.

“Oh look, there's Evie. She must have decided to come out.” James said, waving her over. Evie smiled back and gave us a little wave, but she didn't move. A man came up behind her and pushed her forward with a hand to her lower back, signaling her to an empty table. I frowned, a frisson of jealousy shooting through my body at the intimate touch he seemed comfortable having with her.

“Who's the guy?” Jo asked. I wanted to know as well.

“He looks familiar,” James said out loud, making us both look at him. “He does! I think he's from Guardian Moon. Isn't he the guy we thought Evie was dating when she skipped to Senior year? What was his name? Pablo? Paco?”

“Paolo,” I said, unable to keep the growl out of my voice. I couldn't forget that name even if I tried, and now that James had brought him up, I could see the resemblance to Evie's first boyfriend. I had watched how he walked around the school like he'd won the grand prize by having Evie by his side, and in my mind, I agreed and hated him for it. He was definitely bigger now, and I think I remember him from some of the missions on which I'd accompanied Uncle Helios.

“Yes! That's it!” He said, not noticing the anger in my voice but from Jo's look, I knew he hadn't missed it, but thankfully said nothing.

“You think she's dating him again?” Jo asked.

“That would mean she's staying. Wouldn't it?” I said. “She told me she would be around for a few weeks and then decide.”

“Maybe they are just catching up?” Jo suggested.

“Yeah, must be,” I answered, trying to avoid looking over at them. We continued drinking, and I may have had more than usual for me. Sometime around eleven, Evie popped by.

“Hey guys, sorry to ditch you tonight. I had already made plans to catch up with Paolo when you asked. I didn't know he was bringing me here, or I would have suggested we combine the groups.” She said.

“It's alright. You've been ditching us for that guy since high school. What's one more night.” I said. James spit out his beer, and Jo looked at me with wide eyes while Evie frowned at me.

“What are you talking about?” she asked.

“Never mind. I gotta take a piss.” I mumbled and stood up too fast, feeling the shitty burger trying to come back up.

“Oh Goddess,” I grumbled, pushing past everyone and toward the bathroom.

I managed to get my stomach under control by the time I got there but bumped into Paolo coming out of it.

“Alpha Cory.” He smirked and pushed past me. I was confused about why he would have that look, but I shrugged it off and went to piss. I could feel Tenoch's anger at the disrespect, but I was too drunk to care. All I wanted was to piss and go home.

“Dude, what the f**k was that?” James asked after I came back out.

“I'm heading home. You coming?” I asked, ignoring his question.

“Dude, no f*****g way are you driving home,” Jo said, taking my keys.

“I wasn't planning on it. I already called a f*****g taxi. What kind of f*****g Alpha do you think I am?” I growled. My aura slipped, and I felt the whole bar stop. I pulled it back, stumbling, as I watched my friends submit to me.

“I'm sorry. I gotta go. Take the taxi when it gets here.” I mumbled and ran out of the bar. I ran until I reached the edge of the forest, and then I shifted and ran through the forest toward home.

I let Tenoch take over while I dissected the mess I'd just created for myself. I hated drinking. I didn't care for it. I don't know why I drank so much tonight, and it clearly showed I shouldn’t again.

You know why - Tenoch answered while he ran us home, showing me a flash of Paolo leading Evie toward their table. Jealousy. I f****d up because I got jealous, and now any chance of trying to be friends with Evie went out the window before I even had a chance.

You don't want to be friends with Evie. That's the whole problem, Casanova. Neither one of us does.

That is all we can be. - I argued - She is not our mate.

Then maybe she's destined to be our chosen mate. She hasn't found her mate either, and I feel no need to look when she's around.

What do you mean? - I asked.

Every time she comes home during vacation, every time we smell her. All I think about is her. I stop wanting to look for anyone else. - He admitted.

Why didn't you say anything before? - I asked angrily.

Because it's a shitty thing to think about. - He growled. - We are destined for a person, and it's not her, but all I want is her. I don't understand why.

We arrived home and ran past the gate, mind linking a thank you to the guards. We ran past houses towards the main pack house. Tenoch growled when we saw Paolo leaving Evie's parents' steps. He startled, then smirked again before he waved and continued walking.

Don't.- I warned Tenoch when I saw his intention to go toward him.

He growled again but continued on to the pack house. I shifted at the entrance, snagged a pair of shorts and a T-shirt from the basket that we kept by the entrance, tossed them on and walked up to my room. I took a shower and allowed myself to pass out on top of the bedsheets.