by Ava Hardy
“Good choice,” She smiled at Blake. Her eyes lingered on him a little longer than they should have and I had the overwhelming urge to say something. I had no idea what but anything to break up whatever was going on.
“ Are flour tortillas okay?”
Blake glanced at me and I nodded.
“Yes please.”
The waitress jotted down a few things into her little white notebook before asking, “What about guacamole?”
“He’ll take it all,” I cut in.
Her piercing blue eyes were on me and I didn’t care what the woman thought. Blake was going to get lost with all the options. There was a reason why he put me in charge of his dinner. Was that the truth though? In the back of my mind, I knew it wasn’t. I didn’t like how she was flirting with him.
After a few more scribbles in her notebook, she thanked us and went to put in our order.
One of the busboys brought us another basket of chips and I reached for one before he even let go. I needed to remember to stop skipping lunch. It left me feeling like I could eat someone out of house and home. It didn’t do anything for my waistline either.
“So...” I said as I looked between the two across the table. I swirled the straw around in my drink before I took a sip, not daring to look away from them. “What’s this all-important information that you insist on sharing with me? I don’t think it’s real but we’ll see.”
Chris frowned a little and a pinch of guilt hit me. The man was too damn sweet and too damn good looking. I swear, charm probably oozed out of his pores. Waving my hand as if to dismiss what I said, I sat there quietly and looked between both of them. “Well…are either of you going to say anything?” I finally asked. If they kept this up, we’d be here till breakfast.
“You have to promise one thing,” Blake finally said. My eyebrow rose in question. “You can’t freak out and then run out of here screaming. Don’t believe us all you want but we don’t want to draw attention to ourselves. Okay?”
“Oh, you mean if you try to put a roofie in my drink and then drag me out the back door to your waiting vehicle, I’m not supposed to scream for my life? No deal.”
The look on both of their faces caused me to laugh. “I was joking. Well kind of. I swear to God if this is some sort of setup that puts me in a missing person’s report, I will find some way to kick both of your asses.”
Sure my threats were pretty much empty, but I wanted them to know I wasn’t messing around. I wasn’t some naïve little schoolgirl they could lure away with a lollipop. I took a couple of kickboxing classes. I’m sure I could hit one of them in the balls before they were able to tie me up.
“What is wrong with you?” Blake asked, his face twisted a little in disgust.
“Me? What’s wrong with me?” I nearly shouted as I started to sit up in my seat. “I’m not a stranger who showed up randomly at someone’s workplace and said all this cryptic shit. I’ve watched enough Forensic Files to know how this ends—my body in a steel barrel on some property in the middle of nowhere. By the time they find me, there is no way to identify the body except for the one tooth they find.”
Blake seriously looked like he might throw up so I made myself stop. I slouched back in my seat and looked over at Chris. His expression was soft, almost as if he understood where I was coming from.
“I’m sorry,” he told me softly. His voice seemed to come straight from his heart and I refused to let myself melt. “I know that this is all a bit scary and incredibly alarming, but it is really important. We just need you to keep an open mind. Can you promise that? And no, before you go there, it isn’t some kinky sex game or anything like that. It’s important, a matter of life or death.”
I opened my mouth to say something sarcastic, but the way Chris spoke had me shutting my mouth. There was seriousness laced in his words and I felt like he was close to pleading with me to give them a chance. I started to feel a little uncomfortable. Serious things had always made me nervous. Never knowing how to react, I typically ended up making a fool of myself. However, the way the two sat there with similar looks on their faces, I wanted to try. It was then that our food was brought to our table, I finally nodded my head.
We were temporarily distracted by the wonderful smells that filled our little area. Blake’s eyes were as wide as saucers, overwhelmed by the aroma and visual appeal of the food put in front of him. His fajitas were still sizzling and I’d bet money that his mouth was watering. I glanced at Chris, who was already taking his first bite. It seemed like I wasn’t the only one who was hungry.
Reaching for one of my tacos, I took a bite and let out a soft groan. It was so good. Maybe I should order about ten more of these things. If I didn’t eat them now, I could eat them later when I was at home with my boyfriend, Netflix.
Several minutes passed before I wiped my mouth with a napkin and asked when one of them was going to start talking. I guessed that it was going to be Chris simply because he seemed to be the calmer one, and at that moment, Blake was too busy building his fajitas. He scarfed them down just as quickly as he built them. I took notice of how happy he looked and it was cute.
Chris finished his bite, washed it down with some water, and then finally looked at me. “Humans aren’t the only species on the planet.”
I blinked a few times. This couldn’t be what either of them came to tell me. Everyone knew that there were more than humans living in this world. Since I was trying to be serious, I picked up my taco and took another bite to keep myself from saying something that might set us back.
“I’m not talking about animals. I’m talking about those that look like humans but aren’t.” Chris’s voice got extremely quiet as he spoke, his body leaning over his plate so he could get closer to me.
“What do you mean?” I asked immediately, unable to stop myself.
“Didn’t you ever wonder why you could...” His voice got even quieter, barely a whisper, but I could still hear him. “...have light in the palm of your hand or how you can hear me right now?”
My eyes shot open wide. How did he know about the light? And the hearing thing? I had always thought that everyone could hear really well ’til I went to my first hearing check. I was a teenager at the time and in high school. The doctor insisted that it was a fluke and sent a note home with me to give to my parents. I needed to be checked out by my family physician and return with a signed form. My parents had been furious. They called the school and I never saw another doctor appointed by the district. I was only to see the same man that I saw since I was a baby. Even to this day, he remains my physician. Some find it odd that my pediatrician also practices family medicine but I have no answers for them.
“I don’t know what you’re...” I started to say but Blake dropped his fork. Frustration was returning to his face and I took a deep breath. “Okay, but how did you know?”
“Like we mentioned at your place of employment, we’re like you, but not exactly. Blake and I are different from you, but the three of us are different from other humans,” Chris continued to whisper as I finished off my taco and then took a bite of the rice on my plate.
“Do these things have a name?” I asked curiously. I didn’t mean for it to be as rough as it sounded. I didn’t bother to apologize. Instead, I took another bite to combat the nerves that were building.
“Blake and I are...” Chris paused, trying to gauge how I was going to react with his answer. “Werewolves.”
My eyes went wide once again and my jaw stopped mid-chew. I looked between them and forced myself to swallow the mouthful. “You’re joking.”
It was probably one of the most ridiculous things I had ever heard but these two had dead serious expressions written across both of their faces. I wanted to laugh but I was in such a state of shock that I couldn’t even formulate the proper sound. Wiping my hands on my napkin, I leaned back in my seat and crossed my arms over my chest. This was really what I had waited all day to hear? I was tempted to grab my purse and jacket and w
alk out the door.
“I know that you’re probably really skeptical and we can prove it. Just not here,” Chris promised. He ate some more of his food before it got cold. It gave me a minute to let it sink in.
Blake had tried to savor every bite of his food but wolfed it down so fast I wondered if he was going to order more. He smiled as one of the employees walked by and picked up his near spotless dish and asked if he needed anything else. Shaking his head, he thanked them and then looked back at me.
“Haven’t you ever been curious as to what you are?” Blake’s question hit me somewhere deep inside. It was a gnawing sensation that I’d had since I was a little girl but I had learned to ignore it. I began to doubt that I would ever get any answer. Plus, as far as anyone else was concerned, I was a standard, typical American girl. It’s the story I went with.
“What am I?” I finally asked. Curiosity was killing me and I had to know what they were going to say. “Don’t say a fairy. If you’re going to make something up, at least have it be something badass.”
Blake chuckled, even though I was obviously not buying what they were selling. “No. If you were fae, you would know by now. We have our hunches that you’re an angel but we’d have to see your powers in action first.”
“Is that some sort of pickup line?” It came out of my mouth before I could stop it. “Sorry,” I apologized just as quickly. “I am really trying to take you seriously but this...this sounds crazy.”
Now that he was done with his dinner, Chris leaned back against the table so he could be a little bit closer to me. “I’m sure it does, and I understand that you probably think we’re both a couple of delusional nuts, but I swear on my life that it’s all true.”
I bit down on my lower lip and let out a breath of air. Before I allowed myself to say anything, I grabbed a chip and scooped up some of my refried beans before eating it. Today was going down in the record books as one of the strangest days of my entire life.
“So let’s say that I believe you. I’m not saying I do or I don’t...I’m saying hypothetically. Why are you here? Why are you telling me all of this?” As I fired off my questions, my eyes bounced between the two sardines still squished in the booth across from me.
“You need to help save the world,” Chris answered simply and I was unable to stop the peal of laughter that escaped me.
Chapter 4
I rolled onto my side, putting my back towards the window and the sun that was beating down on me. It was not a pleasant way to wake up in the morning. I must have forgotten to close the curtains when I went to bed. Groaning softly, I stretched out my limbs and then reached for my alarm clock that rested on the bedside table. It was a little after nine in the morning. Appropriate time for anyone to be up on a Saturday; however, I wanted to stay in bed and sleep for as long as possible.
I wasn’t just tired from the tedious job I had or the office politics. My brain wouldn’t shut off last night after I came home from the restaurant. I didn’t fall asleep ’til the sun started to peek out over the horizon. That was a short two hours ago. I was getting to that age where pulling all-nighters wasn’t as easy as they were when I was in college.
Realizing that I actually didn’t feel that bad I rolled onto my back and stared up at the beige popcorn textured ceiling of my bedroom. For a moment, I wondered how many other people had slept in this same bedroom and stared at the same ceiling. My building was older; had that look to it that said time hadn’t exactly being kind to it but it had strong bones. Things had to be fixed here and there but she wasn’t a bad place to live. The rent was affordable, especially being downtown.
My mind started to drift back to everything that was said the night before and I felt a tinge of nervous butterflies float in my stomach. Chris and Blake had been the perfect gentlemen to dine with. They ended the meal by arguing over who was going to pay for everything. Chris eventually won out. I think he’s older and has more power or control over Blake. I’m not exactly sure what that means. I didn’t even know if I believed the whole werewolf shifter thing. In fact, I was kind of surprised that I didn’t laugh my way out the front door. I mean who really announces that they are a supernatural being to a stranger and thinks that they will be taken seriously? Apparently these two.
The strange thing was that a part of me did believe them. I didn’t know why or how, but I honestly thought they were telling me some level of truth. Maybe they were talented con men that truly believed what they were saying and then convinces others to believe their lies. That was definitely a possibility I considered. It didn’t mean that I thought they were wolves though ’cause...well that would flip things end over end a little too much. I wasn’t sure I was ready for such a big bomb to drop. I decided I was going to live in my protected little bubble of ignorance a little longer.
I had promised to keep an open mind and I felt that I kept that promise. I sat there and took in everything they said. I only laughed a few times. It really couldn’t be helped. Chris was patient with me, but Blake sometimes got this look on his face that I could read clearly. He thought I was wasting their time. I wanted to remind him that they came to me. And you can’t really waltz into someone’s life and say “hey girl, you need to save the world.”
Saving the world… I still couldn’t get over that one. They explained that it wouldn’t just be me, but others like me. These other girls were all over the world and had teams that assisted them. Guess who would be on my team? You got it; Chris and Blake. I still don’t know if I buy it. This could still be part of some freaky underground sex game and they were really trying to lure me in. I didn’t feel like being sold on the black market to the highest bidder either. With another groan, I ran my hand over my face and told my imagination to take a back seat. Now wasn’t the time to picture myself in some weird version of Taken or the headline story of the nightly news’ missing people report. If they wanted to kidnap me, I didn’t think they would be wasting so much time explaining this story to me. And what was with my mind assuming everything was a freaky sex game?
Confusion had fallen over me like a thick wool blanket. It was scratchier than it was warm. I was trying to get comfortable with it, but all I wanted to do was throw it away. The problem was that I had no one to talk to about any of this. Stacy wouldn’t understand. In fact, she would insist that I file a police report so other women were aware of Blake and Chris. None of my other friends would get it either. Even if I thought my family could, they wouldn’t. They’d say “that’s nice, Kie” and then go on to remind me that I shouldn’t talk to strange men. My gram came to mind. She always seemed to understand the bits of the world that others thought were completely false. Chewing on my lower lip, I thought about her for a moment before I finally decided that I didn’t want to cause her any concern. She didn’t need to know about whatever it was I agreed to get involved with.
I sat up in the middle of my bed and glanced around as my arms stretched out over my head one more time. If I was going to do this, I had to start packing. Neither of them knew for sure how long we’d be gone so I took a wild guess that it would be a week or so. My pink hard-shell suitcase should hold everything. Slipping out from under the covers, I walked over to my small walk-in closet and pulled it out of the back. I tossed it onto my messy bed and headed for my bedroom. Breakfast was the first thing I was going to tackle.
With a bowl of cereal, I sat down at my small table and took a bite before glancing around the small kitchen. There were times like this when I wished I had a pet to sit with. I could absentmindedly scratch behind their ears or run my hands along their back. I needed to do something while I thought over everything and cleared my mind. The unfortunate thing was my hours sucked and my apartment was too small. A cat would probably be fine. The idea of taking care of litter boxes, and hair balls made me say “no thanks” to that idea. Dogs shed everywhere and needed to be walked. I doubted I would always have the energy to take a pet to the park, especially in the dead of winter. I wasn’t cut out
to be a pet owner it seems.
It didn’t take me long to finish up my breakfast. After I rinsed out the bowl, I put it in the sink and headed back to my bedroom. For a moment, I was tempted to climb back under the covers and sleep ’til whenever the sandman allowed. Nothing would get done at that rate and I knew I would have to deal with Blake and Chris scowling at me. Blake more so, but I bet Chris had a close enough look to give me for being a disappointment or taking too long.
Standing in the doorway to my closet, I looked at my small collection of clothes. It was winter time they reminded me and added that I needed to pack accordingly. I was really hoping that we would be traveling south, hitting that sandy beach so I could order a tropical drink and search for my hot cabana boy. Blake looked amused when I had admitted that fantasy out loud last night but Chris simply apologized. I decided that man was way too serious sometimes.
We were going to be traveling around, searching for something they referred to as an element. The more they explained, the more I questioned them. Apparently, it became obvious by the look on my face that I was struggling to believe their words so Chris pulled out his cell phone. He opened up a folder of pictures and I scrolled through all two hundred thirty-eight of them. It was pictures of him and some other guys. Sometimes I would see wolves, other pictures had wolves with men together. I glanced up over the top of the phone and didn’t say a word before I went back to looking through everything else. A few pictures were of a beautiful woman in a green and brown dress. I swore she had to be one of those CGI special effects things that some guy created in a computer because she looked too perfect. Blake laughed and reassured me that she was indeed real. The last fifty or so pictures were of elements that had been found around the world. People had started to collect them as early as last summer. Once a team started to form, it was their responsibility to collect all of them. When we collected ours, we were to meet the others before the New Year.