Bouquet of Regret (Angel's Shifters Book 1)

by Lenai McGoveran

  “We’ll be there,” Char announced with a pleased smile. He held out a rectangular box, and I frowned before meeting his gaze. “It has everyone’s number in it, including Marcus, so you can text or call anyone you like. Plus, if you run without us, then you can stay in touch. If asshole doesn’t know about it because it’s not in your name, well, he can’t track you with it then, can he?” I stared at him with a dropped jaw, and he chuckled although his eyes were full of icy fury. “Claire explained it to spare you from having to relive it again so soon, sweetheart. I hope you don’t mind and aren’t angry with her. I promise she meant well.” Shaking my head, I hugged him, and after a moment, he hugged me back.

  “So, Marcus agrees that one of us always gets to be on shift with you,” Dakota announced with a smile. “And, we’ll give you half our wages because you’ll flip out if we give them all to you like we desire. We want to help you and Matty, especially since the two of you have been without aid for so long.”

  My lip trembled, and although I desired to argue, I swallowed the words to nod my acceptance. It would be cruel of me to stomp on their hopes to provide aid since I felt their sincerity in my soul. And to be in contact whenever I desired would be wonderful. “Thank you,” I whispered in a voice trembling because of my overwhelming emotions. Words couldn’t describe how much I wanted this place to become my home. I felt like I belonged, and like I was wanted. Loved. Screw Kyler, he couldn’t run me out. Besides, I didn’t care what he thought. Hmph.

  Soon, the sizeable group in the store left only to for an even larger one to replace them, and I heard Marcus growling in irritation from outside. Oh boy. What the heck was happening? After this set of people left, Riff deemed it safe to head inside, and we did while Dakota and Char waved bye. Donning a vest, Riff called me boss and asked what we needed to do. Rolling my eyes, I showed him the list of closing duties, and we split them up while Marcus pouted at the register. He smiled whenever I met his gaze, and I sighed. At least he wasn’t angry over whatever happened. A few minutes before closing, Kyler waltzed in alone, and Riff bristled.

  Staring him down, Kyler’s eyes widened when Riff grinned and met his gaze with a quirked brow. “What have you done!?” Kyler snarled, and Riff laughed with eyes as cold as ice.

  “The same as everyone who found out what you’ve done, asshole. Did you think you could break two sacred laws, and nothing would come of it? Are you that stupid? What will your father think when he returns home to find out what you’ve done? Be glad Marcus agreed, or else we would have gone to the council with it,” Riff replied in a frigid voice. Kyler paled, first in fear, then he shook while his eyes darkened with fury.

  “You!” He snarled at me, “you did this! You ruined everything!” I backed away into a shelf, shocked at the strength of the hatred in his eyes. What did I do?

  “No, Kyler,” Marcus growled, “you did. You were a narcissistic boy instead of the man your father believed you to be. Do not blame Angel for you revealing yourself to be a fraud. Get out of my store, boy, or I will make you regret ever stepping foot in it.”

  With a loud snarl, Kyler stormed out of the door, and my heart ached while my soul radiated agony. What the hell? Once we closed the store, Marcus herded Riff and I to his house for dinner, and I sighed while eating the wonderful stew Ava made. Afterward, Riff walked me home, glancing around my apartment curiously.

  After he left, mournful howls filled the air, and I stared into the forest with a sudden longing to be in its depths. Before I thought better of it, I grabbed a sketchbook and headed into the dark forest. Using the phone Char gave me as a flashlight, I followed a deer trail which led me to a small clearing bathed in moonlight. Smiling, I sat on a boulder with a flat ledge and opened my sketchbook, my soul full of peace.

  After a few minutes of sketching the clearing, I became aware of eyes on me and glanced up only to stiffen. Not even five yards from me sat a giant wolf. His fur was as black as the night surrounding us, but his eyes were a gorgeous, soulful amber gold. “Hello,” I murmured after a moment, tilting my head when he thumped his tail. I knew I should be afraid, but if he intended to hurt me, I’m pretty sure he would have pounced already. Wolves weren’t like humans. They didn’t salivate over your humiliation and pain. “May I sketch you?” I asked, and he nodded after a moment. Oh boy. Nope. Not going to think about it.

  With a bright smile, I sketched the wolf who sat patiently while I chattered about my day. I didn’t understand why I did, but he didn’t lay his ears back or stalk off, so it must not have irritated him or bored him too much. Eventually, I tried to sketch his paw and growled when it wouldn’t come out right. Hmph. I explained my problem, and his ears perked while he tilted his head curiously. He appeared amused that I growled, but I guess the people of this town were rubbing off on me. It was kind of satisfying.

  Before I could stop myself, I sat in front of him and asked if I could see his paw. Chuffing, he raised it for me, and I touched the paw bigger than my entire hand. Wow. He’s uh bigger than I thought. Now that I paid attention, I realized his head was above mine when I stood. Ah well. If I die, at least I went out as a meal for a hungry creature. It’s the circle of life. Humming, I ran my fingers over his pads and claws, surprised at how soft his fur was. I expected it to be coarse like a German Sheppard’s, but it’s soft and warm.

  “Thanks, Ky,” I told him and blinked when he appeared smug. The hell? Why did I call him that? Whatever, apparently, it’s his name. Maybe someone mentioned him, and I just don’t remember it. Nope, at this moment, I do not have a photographic memory, and I forgot something. Yeah, I’m going with that. I ruffled the fur on his head, and he gave me a throaty growl that sounded similar to a purr. “So, wolves purr and chuff. Huh. I never knew that. Well, goodnight, Ky, I better get to bed since I have school in the morning. See you tomorrow night?” He barked, wagging his tail before running along the trail that led me here. Sighing, I followed and pet his head at the edge of the forest where he sat. When I stood at my door, I glanced back to see a pair of glowing eyes and smiled.

  An hour later, I woke to an even worse pain than last night. I bit my fist to keep from screaming, with tears burning my eyes until they rolled down my cheeks. The next morning, my skin still looked normal other than where Kyler punched me. That area was so badly bruised my skin was a sickly looking black and purple. Marcus dropped me off at school with a smile, because I wolfed several granola bars when he picked me up.

  I was the first to history and sighed with relief, working on my sketch of the wolf in the woods. Instead of adding detail to him, I focused on the background. This was what I intended to turn in for class. I groaned when the pain from last night returned, my arms wrapped around my waist while a soft whine left my lips. What was happening to me? It couldn’t be something I ate or drank because I’ve eaten different things each time I experienced this pain. It wasn’t as awful this time, and I sighed when it lessened to a dull throbbing.

  Kyler sneered when he sat beside me, although his lips curled into a lazy smirk when a girl in our class approached the table. My mouth went dry at how handsome he looked, and my heart ached because he refused to do anything but blast me with hate. Moments later, my soul ached when he began making out with the girl once she leaned towards him. Ah crap, I saw down her shirt. Ew. Dude, nobody wants to see you play tonsil hockey, especially not this early in the morning.

  My soul and heart ached, but what was the most surprising is that my abdomen went from a dull throbbing to a sharp, uncomfortable twang. Looking away from the happy couple, I stared at my fingers since I put my sketchbook away when Kyler entered the room. The last thing I wanted to deal with was him mocking what I worked on. Thankfully, the teacher walked in and snapped at the pair to break apart. Thank god, I was worried they would rut like dogs in heat. Last I checked, I wasn’t taking any sex education classes, nor did I have any ones so clearly, I wasn’t looking for a show. Freaks.

  The rest of the day passed without too much d
rama, although Kyler got a few hits in when no one was looking. At least he wasn’t dumb enough to attack anybody in front of me this time. It’s a miracle, I have proven that a rock can learn something. No, comparing Kyler to a rock intelligence wise isn’t fair to the rock. My apologies to rocks everywhere, you don’t deserve such a horrible insult. Biology was even tenser, and I gulped when Riff and Kyler growled under their breath throughout the entire class. I burst from my seat when the bell rang, racing to the front door to escape with Marcus.

  My week seemed to decide this should be my routine. So every night, the pain got worse, while Ky got closer, and each morning more of my abdomen was black from Kyler’s punches the previous day. I didn’t work every night, so when free, Riff brought his game systems to my apartment, and we played a bunch of two-player games much to my delight. Thankfully I didn’t suck, so we had fun. Wednesday morning was the worst pain-wise when I sat in honors history. I cried, and Kyler chuckled upon seeing proof of my tears on my cheeks. I scowled and refused to look at him for the rest of the class, although he tried to get a rise out of me several times. At one point, his lips brushed my ear while he whispered a nasty comment, and I growled at the warm tingles erupting across my skin.

  “Jesus fucking Christ,” I snarled under my breath, “get your lips away from me. I don’t know who you’ve been licking nor how clean the girl keeps her bits, so keep your diseased mouth to yourself.” Interestingly enough, that shocked him into silence, and he left me alone for the rest of class. I guess the truth hurts. I was so angry from the pain in my groin that anytime Kyler tried to hit me, I snarled for him to keep his goddamned diseased fingers to himself. He managed a retort, once. Said they weren’t because he’s careful. I snorted and asked if he used his dominant hand to jack off. Confused, he told me no, and I shot back, “so you admit you’re afraid to touch your dick with that hand? Nice. I don’t want whatever disease you know is on those, so keep your fingers to yourself. Fuck, even if you were the key to the survival of humankind, I wouldn’t have sex with you out of fear of what I’d catch. This is the problem with whores, Kyler, one never knows what they might catch from you.”

  Furious, he grabbed my upper arms in a painfully tight grip, and I squirmed while he snapped, “what did you call me?”

  “I called you a fucking whore,” I growled. “If you don’t like it, then I guess you shouldn’t have fucked everything that moves.”

  “Look, you little bitch,” he began furiously, his face inches from mine.

  “Molester,” I accused in a nonchalant tone, and he flew back from me with shocked eyes. Every student in the hall stopped and stared at us. Shrugging, I explained, “you admit you use your mouth and fingers on your companions. By touching me, well, how do I know what you’ll do? And with how everyone talks about how you can barely go a few hours without sex, well forgive me for worrying.”

  Everyone chuckled at Kyler, shaking their heads and commenting how nice it was to see someone not fall at his feet. Whatever. I’m not sorry for embarrassing him. Maybe he should keep his dick in his pants. Scowling, I stopped and took several breaths while wondering what happened to me. The more time I spent around Kyler, the worse I seemed to get. So, on Thursday and Friday, I walked faster and put as much distance as possible between Kyler and me. I didn’t like what I was becoming where he’s concerned, and I refused to be anyone other than me.

  He didn’t show up at the gas station anymore, which was a relief, the less I saw him, the better. But Friday night was the worst. I felt like I was boiling at one point. Thankfully, today was Saturday, so yay, no Kyler! I headed to work happily, looking forward to a day of no sullen assholes.

  Claire worked with me, chuckling when she discovered my pleasant mood. We were slammed, as we had been whenever I worked since Monday. I hadn’t asked Ava why we are so busy, but I didn’t mind. It’s good for her and Marcus, I’m happy their income is increasing. Especially since they feed me and whoever works with me when I close. Ava smiled when she came in the door in the afternoon, sending me to the locker room to clock out after giving me a gentle hug.

  Gasping, I took in the spot that my group of friends liked to hang out in. Spot. Pfft. It’s a haven! In the middle of the forest, they had a treehouse, well tree mansion. It was big enough to fit thirty people and even had plumbing. Like, who puts pipes in a treehouse that’s not meant to be your house? Whatever, I don’t care, so long as we come out here whenever we can. On the ground were several large logs surrounding a rock fire pit, and a small shed full of skewers and fishing rods. I stumbled upon heaven. I didn’t know how or why, but I didn’t care. I was in paradise.

  The spoiled brats I called friends even had a stocked fridge and electricity in their treehouse! So, while Riff and Char gamed, Claire drank tea while Marissa made coffee, and half the other kids watched a movie. A few were on the ground starting a fire, including Dakota, while Rebel and Dare played card games at the table. With a smile, I sketched a few of them, wanting to capture the essence of their poses since I could add details later. I enjoyed seeing them this way, at ease and having fun. It was like the pleasant atmosphere pulled whatever Kyler did to me out, leaving only me behind. Without that black smoke in my soul, I was at peace and relaxed. Hopefully, I could prevent him from doing whatever he did again. Even if it only surfaced around him, how long would it be before I lashed out at someone else?

  That night, Ky wasn’t waiting for me in the forest. Instead, the pain I feared assailed me, and I groaned. It rose to new heights, and a scream tore from my throat before I could stop it. My vision went black while I curled in a ball on the ground, having fallen off the rock. When it faded, I coughed harshly, pulling my hand from my mouth only to find blood on my palm. Swallowing, I grimaced at the taste of copper in my mouth and tried to wipe away the tears and mud on my cheeks. Stupid dirt mingling with the damn wetness on my face. Stupid eyes for leaking. Woman the fuck up! And, hey, it’s proven that giving birth is the second most painful thing you can experience in life. The first is being burned alive, so woman up.

  Visit from an Old Friend

  After a while, I gave up on Ky and returned home to sleep. Instead, I was up most of the night, whimpering, crying, and trying not to scream as the pain became worse and worse. Eventually I passed out and slept for a few hours. Still, my eyes or rather my eye that wasn’t black now looked it because of my lack of sleep.

  However, my horrible night became a distant thought as soon as I read my email. Gasping, I replied and raced to the door. As soon as I opened it, he barreled into my arms, and I broke down crying while hugging the most important person in my life. “Hi, Angel,” Matty giggled, holding his new bear in a tight hug. While other eight-year-olds might feel embarrassed to be seen with a teddy bear, Matty didn’t care what other people thought. My face almost split because of how wide I smiled, but it would have been worth it.

  “How have you been, Matty?” I asked, ushering him and Tammy to my table. I went to find the makings of breakfast, but she ordered me to sit and spend time with Matty instead. Chuckling, I obeyed with a bright smile, while Tammy scrambled some eggs that Marcus snuck into my fridge. Ah, well, I’ll scold him for it. Eventually. For the moment I was too happy because Matty was here.

  A few moments later, there was a soft knock on my door, and I frowned when I opened it to reveal a certain devil. “You put eggs in my fridge?” I hissed, and his worried expression turned into a broad grin.

  “Now, how did you discover that?” He asked with amusement glittering in his eyes. Raising his nose, he quirked his brow. “Have company, do we?” Squealing with excitement, I pulled a shocked Marcus into my house to stand him before Matty.

  “Whoa… you’re like a giant,” Matty breathed, his eyes wide with awe. “Can I be as big as you when I grow up?”

  “Well, do you eat your vegetables?” Marcus asked, resting on his heels, so he was closer to Matty’s level. Matty nodded with a solemn expression.

  “Yeah. Angel has
enough to worry about. I make sure I eat right, so she knows I’m healthy. Angel doesn’t have a balanced or even steady diet, though, so I think about her often and hope she’s okay,” Matty admitted in a shy voice. I’ve never seen him bashful, so his words and actions blew me away.

  “I’m okay, Matty, I promise,” I chuckled. “But I love that you care so much.” I missed him, but I didn’t like that he worried about me instead of enjoying his youth. Poor kid suffered enough as it was. He didn’t need to worry his childhood away.

  “Did you buy the bear?” Matty asked of Marcus, meeting his gaze and holding it with a frown.

  “Yes, Angel wanted to, but she intended to return for it later. So, I bought it before she could worry about budgeting or anything,” Marcus replied solemnly.

  “Good. I like you. Keep taking care of Angel for me, okay? At least until I’m old enough to do it myself. I always worry about her. She’s a fighter, but she won’t protect herself. Dad beat her, did she tell you?” Matty asked, his posture and tone making him seem so much older than a mere boy.

  “Matty,” I gasped, and he glanced at me. However, his eyes went from warm to stone cold when he returned his gaze to Marcus.

  “I sense that you are what she needs to keep her safe. If you fail, I won’t forgive you,” Matty declared coldly, and Marcus grinned blindingly bright.

  “We have a deal, little man,” Marcus chuckled while holding out his hand. “I’ll watch over Angel until you can, then we’ll both keep her safe.” Matty nodded and shook his hand. Then he threw his arms around my neck for a hug with a broad smile.

  “Angel, what’s your apartment like? You’ve never been in one this nice before,” he beamed, and I sighed. Lord knows I love this boy, but he was so damn stubborn you could move a mountain with a paperclip before he did anything he didn’t want to. I couldn’t be too mad, though, because he learned it from me.