“Are you going to head home for a few hours or stay straight though until the end of the next shift?” Darrell, a manger, asked me as the staff got ready for the dinner crowds.
“I’ll stay.” The next shift would be from 6PM until 1AM.
Darrell looked at me like I was nuts but he shrugged and kept any thoughts to himself. A little hard work never killed anyone and since I was immortal it was safe to say I’d survive a double shift.
I was filling in new reservations in the book when a shadow blocked my light. “Can I helped you?” I asked, looking up from my work to find the person was male and a werewolf. He didn’t bother to tame the powerful energy coming from him.
“I’m looking for Michael, he’s expecting me.” His dark eyes scanned my face as he tried to figure out my situation. It was obvious I wasn’t human, after that I wasn’t sure what he’d pick up on.
“And you are?” I didn’t like the fact a were was here to meet with Michael.
“Nathan.” He extended his hand.
Warning bells were going off in my head with his guy. I didn’t touch him. “I’ll let him know you’re here. You can wait by the bar if you’d like.” I grabbed the phone and left a message upstairs with Michael’s assistant about his guest. I asked someone to cover me while I went outside for a moment to catch my bearings. That encounter shook me. I was scared he’d find out too much. Since shifting and revealing that part of my secret months ago the only wolves I had been around belong to Caleb’s pack. I felt safe with them knowing my secret.
As I walked around the back to avoid the large crowds out front, I didn’t feel safe.
I stood alone along the side of the building and took a deep breath. My eyes drifted up toward the moon, I felt her presence thick along the exposed skin of my arms.
“Michael told me a vampire ran the front desk.”
I sharply turned to my right where the werewolf stood. “What do you want?”
“I can’t see Michael with his prejudice hiring a shifter onto his staff.” He took a step closer. “What are you?”
I remembered Caleb’s warnings about that exact thing, how I needed to be careful as a lone animal. I wasn’t sure how Nathan could tell. It had been days since my last shift. “None of your business.” Unlike other lone wolves I had a heap of magic on my side. I didn’t want to use it considering how many people were on the other side of the building but I would if I had to.
Thankfully we were interrupted before the power play between us could escalade.
“The girl inside told me I could find you here.” Kevin said, unsure what came next.
“Yeah.” I walked away from Nathan. “Let’s go somewhere private.” I was glad he showed up because I wanted to apologize for walking away yesterday instead of talking it out like adults. I told him as much as we walked down the street away from the busy restaurant.
“It’s ok.” Kevin said. “Deep down I knew everything you said in my heart already. You never fit in at home. I was stupid to think that might’ve changed.” His voice sounded like he was ok except everything else about him was very tense and guarded.
“I’m sorry.” I said again.
We stopped walking and faced each other. “It’s ok. I spoke with the Elders and they have agreed to break the bond between us and allow me another companion.”
While the rules of the Coven didn’t work for me that didn’t mean I couldn’t be happy for Kevin. He deserved someone to love. “That’s great. What made them change their mind?”
“I agreed to give them something they want.”
It was too late by the time I realized what the Elders wanted was me. I couldn’t move and soon everything went black.