by Karen Lynch
Pete was next. His head dropped after five seconds, which wasn’t bad when you considered he was staring down a Beta wolf more than twice his age. I’d be glad to last that long.
After Pete was Francis, who managed to keep eye contact for at least twenty seconds. Damn, even I had to admit that was impressive. I watched him shudder and take a step back when he finally lowered his head. If Maxwell and Brendan were looking for aggression in a Beta, then Francis was definitely their man.
And then it was my turn. I steeled myself, but there was no way to prepare for a contest of wills with a wolf as strong as Brendan. Lifting my eyes to his, I was shocked to see we were at the same height, and unlike the others, my gaze was even with Brendan’s. I quickly discovered my height gave me no advantage. As soon as my gaze locked with his, I felt the weight of his power pressing down on me, making my legs shake and filling me with the urge to lie down.
My knees bent, and I knew I wasn’t going to last long. I told myself there was no shame in submitting to a wolf who could have been Alpha if he’d wanted it bad enough. But my wolf stubbornly fought for dominance until I was a quivering mass of fur and my eyes felt like they were burning from the heat in Brendan’s yellow stare.
I dropped my head, struggling to stay on my feet. I might not have lasted as long as the others, but I’d be damned if I would lie down like a whipped dog. I did have my pride.
I opened my eyes and saw Brendan’s legs moving away from me to the next wolf. My breath came in heavy pants, and I couldn’t raise my head for a long moment. Man, how the hell had Francis managed to hold out so long? I felt like I’d just gone through one of Maxwell’s training sessions.
When I finally looked up, I found Pete and the others staring at me. My body stiffened in annoyance, and I felt my hackles rise a little. Okay, so I’d folded like a bad poker hand. Did they have to make it worse by reminding me of it? It wasn’t like some of them had lasted much longer.
Brendan’s voice filled my head. That will be all for today. You can go.
I turned away from the others’ stares to look at him. That was it? We’d come here just to be shown we couldn’t stand up to him in a staring contest. I could have told him that and saved myself the embarrassment.
I shifted and dressed, wanting to be anywhere else but here. Without looking at the others, I started around the house to the driveway. Why the hell had Maxwell made me sign up for this? I didn’t want it, and I obviously wasn’t good enough for it. Brendan’s little demonstration had proven that quickly enough. Maybe it was their way of narrowing down the candidates, and they’d tell me tomorrow I was out of the selection.
“How did you do that?”
I spun to see Pete following me to my car. “Do what?” I growled, still angry at myself.
He held up his hands. “Whoa. Chill.”
I shook off the anger. None of this was Pete’s fault. “Sorry.”
He stared at me for a moment as if he was making sure it was safe to talk to me. I sighed and ran a hand through my hair. “You want to go for pizza with me? I missed dinner.”
“Yeah, sure, but first I want to know how you did that…without you snapping my head off.”
“How I did what?”
His eyes widened. “How the hell did you last that long?”
I scowled at him. I expected taunts from Francis but not my best friend. “Go ahead and have your laugh with the other guys. And then you can pay for my pizza.”
“What are you talking about?” He frowned, looking confused. “No one is laughing at what you did; trust me.”
“Jesus, was I that bad?” I must have looked pretty pathetic if even Francis was taking pity on me.
“Bad? Roland, you almost stared down Brendan.”
“What?” I could not have heard him right. “I didn’t even last as long as you.”
Pete snorted. “Funny guy. You lasted longer than anyone, almost forty seconds.”
My mouth dropped. “No way! You’re messing with me.”
He shook his head. “I wouldn’t joke about something like that. Brendan looked like he was going to drop right before you did.”
I stared at him, but he didn’t blink. Pete was the worst liar I’d ever met, and I could tell he was being completely honest now.
Movement behind him drew my eyes to the group of men standing at the top of the driveway, watching us with expressions ranging from curiosity to anger. I wasn’t surprised to see Francis’s lips curled in resentment. Some of the others didn’t look happy either, but it wasn’t as if I’d done that deliberately. I didn’t even want to be a damn Beta.
“You in for pizza or what?” I asked more harshly than I’d meant to.
“Yeah. I’ll drop my car at home and you can drive,” Pete said, his voice still holding a little note of wonder.
I opened my car door, wanting to get the hell away from here and all the stares. “I’ll see you there.”
Emma
“How are you doing? Hanging in there?” Brenda asked when she came to the counter to ring up a table.
I removed the plates from the last two customers. “So far, so good.”
“She’s doing great,” said Mrs. Foley, the owner and manager of Gail’s Diner.
I smiled, even though I felt she was a little overgenerous with her praise. I’d worked the counter with her for lunch, and it wasn’t hard to pour coffee and soda or transfer plates from the window to the counter. When she’d asked me after my interview on Monday if I could start on Wednesday, I’d been so surprised I almost said no. But she and Brenda had been so nice I couldn’t refuse. So, I had my first part-time job as a waitress.
“Thanks, Mrs. Foley.” I looked at the dining room, which was nearly empty of the lunch crowd. “What should I do now?”
“It’s Gail,” she admonished kindly. “Steve could probably use some help getting things ready for the dinner rush. Can you cut up vegetables?”
“I think I can manage that.” As long as it didn’t involve actual cooking, I should be okay.
I went to the kitchen where Steve, the cook, handed me an apron and a hairnet, and put me to work chopping an assortment of vegetables. He didn’t talk much, but I didn’t mind. It was kind of nice to be off by myself working after the busy lunch hour.
I was almost done with the vegetables when someone opened the back door and entered the kitchen. I looked over my shoulder at the dark-haired boy who’d been here when I came for lunch on Saturday.
He walked over to me. “Hi, I heard you were starting today.”
“Hi. I’m Emma.” I waved at the work laid out before me on the metal table. “Sorry, I can’t shake your hand.”
He smiled. “No problem. I’m Scott, by the way.”
“You’re also late,” rumbled Steve from over by the stove where he was stirring something in a pot.
“Sorry,” Scott called to him. “Dad’s car broke down, and he took mine. You know how he is when he’s late for a meeting.”
“Tell that to your mother,” Steve replied.
I must have looked confused because Scott made a face. “My mother owns this place. I’m working here for the summer until I go to college in the fall.”
“Oh. Are you going to school in Portland?”
“Columbia, actually, to study law. That’s where my dad went to law school, too.” He grabbed a large apron and a pair of rubber gloves, and went to the two large sinks that were piled with pots and pans. He grimaced before he started filling one of the sinks with hot, soapy water.
“So what brings you to New Hastings?” he called over the running water. “Your family move here, or are you just here for the summer?”
I chewed my lip, not sure what to tell him. I still wasn’t comfortable talking about myself to strangers, but it would seem weird if I didn’t answer. I gave him the condensed version.
“I just moved here. I’m enrolling in school in August.”
“St. Patrick’s?”
I nodded.
“I just graduated from there. You a senior?”
“Yes.”
“Ah, too bad. We just missed each other.” He started scrubbing a pot. “It’s a nice school. You’ll like it there.”
I finished cutting the vegetables and carried them over to Steve’s worktable. Then I went to help Scott with the dishwashing since there seemed to be nothing else for me to do that didn’t involve cooking.
“You’re a lifesaver,” he whispered as he handed me a baking sheet to dry.
“No problem,” I whispered back.
We worked side by side for an hour until all the dishes were done. Scott spent the time telling me about New Hastings and trying to find out more about me. I evaded most of his questions, and he didn’t push.
He was excited about Columbia, so we talked about that for a while. His best friend Ryan was going to NYU, and the two of them were sharing a little apartment with Scott’s cousin. Ryan was already there, working an internship in his uncle’s ad agency for the summer. Scott couldn’t wait to join him.
I’d spent a few years in New York, but they weren’t happy ones. It wasn’t long after Eli changed me, so he’d kept me pretty close. We’d lived in a nice place in Manhattan, but I didn’t exactly get to go out and explore. The only people I saw were other vampires and the humans Eli brought back.
I closed my eyes to block out the memories of the things I’d seen and done in that apartment, things that nightmares were made of.
“Hey, you okay?”
Scott’s worried voice pulled me from the ugly place my mind had gone to. I gave him a reassuring smile and went back to drying.
“Just a slight headache. I’m fine.”
“You sure? Mom will let you go home if you’re not feeling well. She’s cool like that.”
“No, I’m good, really.” The last thing I wanted was to go home sick on my first day of work. “Tell me more about St. Patrick’s.”
We talked until Gail came to tell me the dinner hour would be starting in ten minutes. She looked around the kitchen and nodded approvingly. “Impressive, Emma. You even got my son to finish the dishes on time.”
Scott smiled at his mother. “I think she’s a keeper.”
Flustered by their warm praise, I turned away to remove the apron and hairnet. When I moved to follow Gail to the front of the restaurant, Scott called me back.
“Hey, Emma, since you’re new in town, why don’t I show you around when we both have a day off?”
“I…” I floundered, not knowing how to respond. He was a great guy, but I was so not ready to date.
“As friends,” he added when I didn’t answer right away.
“Okay.” I could handle just hanging out. “That would be nice. Thanks.”
The rest of the day flew by. Gail and Brenda told me dinner was their busiest time, and they weren’t kidding. I only worked the counter, but I didn’t seem to stop moving for the next two hours.
At seven o’clock, Gail handed me twenty-five dollars from the tip box. “You did well for your first day, and the customers like you.”
“Thanks.” I took the money and stuck it in my messenger bag, which I’d tucked under the counter. I lifted the strap of the bag over my head. “When do you want me to come in again?”
“You can come back tomorrow at the same time. I’ll get you on the schedule in a few days.”
“Okay.” I picked up a takeout bag containing my dinner. I was already tired of eating sandwiches and pizza, and my cooking skills left a lot to be desired.
“Looks like rain,” called Scott, who was taking garbage out the back door. “You have a ride?”
“No, but I don’t have a long walk.” I turned to the main door. “See you tomorrow.”
The air outside was cool and fresh after standing next to the kitchen surrounded by the smells of food all day. Not that working in the restaurant was unpleasant. The people I worked with were patient, and the customers were friendly. My body felt a little tired from being on my feet all day, but it was a good kind of tired.
A blue car passed me and slowed to a stop a few yards ahead of me. Alarm made my fingers clench the handle of the plastic bag, and it took me a moment to recognize the Mustang Sara’s friends had been driving the night they came to the apartment. I let out a breath and kept walking.
“Emma,” called a voice from inside the car.
I slowed and looked over to see Roland sitting behind the wheel of the Mustang with a pretty blonde girl in the passenger seat. Her window was down, and Roland was waving me over.
I stayed where I was. “Hi.”
“Hey, you need a lift home?”
I gave him a polite smile. “No, thanks. I like to walk.”
His brows drew together. “You sure? It’s going to rain any minute.”
I glanced up at the heavy clouds that looked ready to burst open. The idea of getting drenched didn’t appeal to me, but neither did being in an enclosed space with a werewolf, no matter how nice he seemed.
“I’m good. Thanks for stopping.”
He didn’t leave, and his girlfriend was starting to look annoyed. I waved at them and continued on my way. The car passed me a moment later and turned right at the next intersection.
I let out the breath I was holding. Sara believed her friends wouldn’t care that I used to be a vampire. But her heart was so big she sometimes forgot not everyone was as kind and forgiving as she was. I didn’t want to take the chance of proving her wrong.
I almost made it to the waterfront before the first raindrops hit me. A few seconds later, the sky opened up and dumped its contents on my head. I ran for home, but within a minute, my waitress uniform was drenched and my shoes were sloshing through large puddles. I knew I must have looked like a drowned rat when I scurried past the people sitting in the coffee shop.
Even though I couldn’t possibly get any wetter, I raced up the stairs to the apartment and let myself in. Standing in the hallway with water running off me to pool on the floor, I felt a sudden urge to laugh. There was a long mirror near the door, and I stepped in front of it to survey the damage. Half my hair had come loose from my ponytail and was stuck to my cheeks. My light blue uniform was so wet I could see my bra through it, and the hem was splattered with dirt. I shook my head at the image in the mirror. Definitely not my best look.
The laughter that had threatened a minute ago spilled from my lips. I felt strangely buoyant as I stripped off my wet clothes and carried them to the laundry room. I toweled my hair dry, changed into clean clothes, and went to reheat my food in the microwave.
Sitting at the small table, eating my dinner and watching rain run down the kitchen window, I had a glimpse of the normalcy I’d come here looking for. This was what regular people did. They came home from work, did laundry, and ate their dinner. Some people might call that boring, but after the things I’d seen and done, it was bliss.
Chapter 4
Roland
“Roland,” someone yelled over the noisy forklift working nearby.
I put down the two-by-four I was stacking and looked over my shoulder at Pete, who pointed at his wrist to let me know it was time for lunch.
I stretched my back muscles, which ached from a morning of sorting and stacking lumber. Working at the yard might pay good money, but it was monotonous physical labor. I didn’t mind hard work. I just wanted something to occupy my mind more.
Pulling off my work gloves, I walked to the employee building next to the main office. After stuffing my gloves and my hard hat in the little cubby I used for my things, I grabbed my car keys and phone.
Pete put his stuff away and turned to me with a questioning look.
“What?” I asked gruffly.
“That’s what I’d like to know. You’ve been grumpy all morning. I expected you to be all smiles after your date with Angela last night. Didn’t go well?”
I went to the restroom and splashed water on my face to remove the sawdust and grime of the lumberyard. “It went fine
.”
Pete chuckled. “That well, huh?”
“Yeah.” I was not in the mood to talk about Angela, or how I’d totally messed up a date with the hot college freshman because I couldn’t stop thinking about Emma and the wariness in her eyes when I’d stopped to offer her a ride. She must have gotten drenched in that downpour on the way home. Why would she prefer to walk and get wet instead of accepting a ride? She knew I was Sara’s friend and I wouldn’t harm her, especially with another girl in the car. But she wouldn’t even come close to the car. None of it made sense.
I had to admit, it was a different experience for me, meeting a girl who wanted nothing to do with me. It wasn’t that I wanted Emma that way. She was pretty, but… Okay, maybe I was a little attracted to her, and she was human, which was a big plus. But I didn’t do relationships, and Sara would likely kick my ass if I messed around with her cousin.
My phone rang, and I looked at the screen. Well, what do you know? Just the person I’d been waiting to hear from all week.
“You’ve got some explaining to do, missy,” I said.
“Hello to you, too,” Sara retorted.
“Hi, Sara,” Pete called over my shoulder. “How’s Miroslav? Still standing?”
“Ha-ha. How is life back home?”
I pressed the speaker button so we could both talk to her as we left the building and walked to my car. “Same old thing. Did you get the pictures I sent you of the Mustang?”
“Yes. It’s beautiful. I love that color blue. I can’t believe that’s the same old car you bought in January. I guess that means Peter is driving Jordan’s old car now.”
Pete jiggled his keys. “Yep! Not as pretty as the Mustang, but she gets me where I want to go.”
Sara was quiet for a moment. “So, I hear you’ve met Emma.”
“If you mean your cousin Emma who we didn’t know existed and is living in your place, then yes,” I said wryly. “Why didn’t you ever tell us you had a cousin?”