Suzzanah's POV The minute the word 'Mate' left the CEO's lips, a rush of warmth coursed through my body, and I felt as though something that had been sealed inside of me for a very long time had been awakened. But that warmth was almost instantly replaced by a cold sweat when every bowed head jerked upwards and I was met with a multitude of shocked and confused stares. My neck moved stiffly from side to side, like a door hinge in desperate need of oiling, taking in the sight of all those people gaping at me. What just happened? In front of me, Master Cole and Mr. Penson were giving me the same shocked stares. Master Cole's gaze shifted from me to the CEO, then back to me again in a short second before he quickly cleared his throat and placed a hand on the CEO's back. That action caused the CEO to visibly snap out of a daze and he looked away, blinking several times before his shocked expression was replaced by an emotionless one and his gaze returned to mine. I gulped under his intense stare. Mate? Like friend? I'm pretty sure I didn't know him. Maybe I was supposed to repeat it. "Ma-", as soon as I started to repeat the word mate, the CEO's eyes went wide in what looked like panic before he yelled out,"Mat-REE!!" I frowned. Mate-Ree? "MATREE!!" he yelled again and everyone in the room flinched away in fear and bowed their heads again as a young blonde dressed elegantly in a crisp suit and skirt came tripping down the stairs to stand raggedly in the middle of the parted crowd panting wildly. "Sir?!" she squeaked shakily. Matree? I could have sworn the CEO had said Mate. Every bowed head in the room was throwing confused glances at me and Miss Matree. Mr. Penson and Master Cole were exchanging suspicious glances and a very uncomfortable looking CEO was glaring uncertainly at a breathless and scared looking Matree. And I was standing in the middle of the sea of confused yet bowed people with my body bowed but head raised, unsure of which action to completely follow through. I must have been looking like a duck, a constipated duck. "What took you so long?" the CEO barked out, "do I have to install loud speakers in your room now for you to hear me?" "S-s-sorry S-s-sir", she stammered out looking just as confused as she looked scared. "I have work for you", he replied stiffly before giving her some business related orders, and all the while he kept throwing side glances my way. And somehow, judging by his expression he looked like he really desperately wanted to avoid looking at me. Well he was doing a banged up job of it so far, I thought frowning at his rude behavior towards Miss Matree. But before I could glare at him some more a hand landed on my head pushing it down into the sea of bowed heads. I struggled to get free but a familiar nasal whisper made me stop my thrashing. "Miss Winters!" Mr. Talon whisper-yelled," what in the name of all things well mannered and obedient do you think you are you doing?! Do you want to die?" I scrunched up my eyebrows, "Mr. Talon, now you're exaggerating. He won't kill me for not bowing to him, that's crazy" "You're right! Killing you will be one of the better punishments he could ever give you! He will probably do much worse", he whispered shaking his head vigorously in panic, "Always bow in front of your superiors I said, you stuck your head out like a lawn mole! Don't even make eye contact I said, you glared at him as though you had lasers coming out of your eyes! Do you even realise what your actions can get us both into?" I was about to shake my head saying no when suddenly the murmurs died down and one authoritative deep, velvety voice called out loudly," Talon Gregor!" "That!" Mr. Talon whisper-squealed as we both stiffened together at the CEO's voice which was doing strange things to my heart. Mr.Talon inhaled deeply before slowly raising his head above the crowd which was still awkwardly bowed. Didn't their backs hurt? Mine did. "S-sir! Alp-s-sir, yes sir. I'm h-here sir, as always h-here s-sir!" he blabbered and I winced at his word vomit. "And the young lady with you?" I heard the same deep handsome voice voice of the CEO say. Lady? Did he mean... I got my answer immediately as Mr. Talon hit the top of my head before tugging me upwards to stand straight. I staggered on my feet as my gaze focused on the drop dead gorgeous CEO standing before me with a hard look on his face. I gulped. "Bow, booooow!" I looked wearily at Mr. Talon, suddenly he was a dog now? "Boooow! Boooow!" he continued whispering jerking his head downwards. I narrowed my eyes at him and was about to look back at the CEO when Mr. Talon placed his hand on top of my head again and quickly pushed it downwards. Oh! This bow! But as soon as my head was bowed I heard a low angry growl fill the hallway and everyone around me shuddered. Immediately Mr.Talon's hand disappeared from on top of my head and I slowly stood straight again to see the CEO glaring daggers at Mr. Talon who looked about ready to faint. What was that sound? Did someone bring in their dog? As soon as my face was in view again, the CEO's eyes snapped to mine. "What's the commotion there?" he asked, rapidly shifting his gaze from me to Mr. Talon. "N-n-nothing Sir, I was j-just explaining a few r-r-rules to the new employee" "New employee?" he asked and I nodded and did a quick bow. He said nothing but continued to stare at me with unwavering eyes. I squirmed uncomfortably under his intense gaze. He was looking at me like he couldn't believe I was standing before him, almost as if he was having a conversation with himself about me in his head. He stared for so long that I started to wonder if he was alright, but I knew better than to ask. His eyes widened and I mirrored his expression unconsciously. Immediately he narrowed his eyes at me and I narrowed mine at him but was rewarded by a sharp leg nudge by Mr. Talon. How much longer was he going to stare? Its not like I would suddenly grow facial hair and horns and turn into a cow or something. But suddenly he looked away, exasperation clear on his face as though he was having a mental battle, and losing. He clenched his jaw and surveyed the crowd. "Rise", he said strongly and in complete unison all the bowed people rose and stood in attention and the two bear sized men in front of me hid me from the CEO's unwavering gaze for which I was overjoyed. "You are all dismissed. Please return to your duties immediately", his voice echoed in the hallway followed by the sound of him walking away. Immediately the crowd began to scatter back to their places while I was juggled around by the moving people untill I managed to get back to my own room. I saw Mr. Penson follow the CEO to some other room and figured he wouldn't be needing me immediately. Not long after I was joined by a dishevelled looking Mr. Talon. "I can't understand what just happened", he said as he collapsed into a nearby chair," please enlighten me as to why you just had that heart to heart, eye to eye with the CEO?" "I'm not really sure myself", I told him as I scrunched up my face in recollection. " Maybe I reminded him of someone he knows but even if I did, it didn't seem like it was someone he liked" "Its the CEO we are talking about. I doubt he likes anyone", Mr. Talon replied uncaringly before abruptly shooting out of his chair and gasping mutliple times,"oh dear! Oh NO! If he finds out I said that he will have my head!" He paced the small room in panic mumbling things to himself and banging his fists on his head . I tried to get him to calm down but he was in a world of his own so I thought I'd go and get him a glass of water from the cooler down the corridor. I quickly told him to wait and jogged to the cooler. When I was going back with the glass of water I almost collided with Mr. Penson.