Breaking Traditions- the Shifter and the Mage

by Madilynn Dale

  "Good morning, you must be our new help. Alex, right? I'm Stan." He reaches to shake my hand, and I respond somewhat sleepily.

  "Yes, good morning, it's nice to meet you."

  He ushers me in and heads toward the kitchen. I follow without question, and he shows me where I can store items and grab an apron. As I am tying it around my waist in the small back room, the back-door flings open, and a beautiful woman steps in that takes my breath away.

  It is an older version of Nat, but with red hair, and I realize it is her mother. She smiles at me, grabbing an apron herself, and James steps in behind her.

  "Good morning Alex! I am glad you made it!" He is chipper and walks over, slapping me on the shoulder.

  "Terri, honey, this is Alex, our new employee. I hired him yesterday. He seems like he will be an excellent asset to our team." He says and then moves to get an apron for himself.

  I watch as she lifts her eyebrow in the same manner that I have seen Nat do so many times. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Alex. I will let James show you around. Feel free to ask me any questions you have. I will be showing you how to work the front later."

  She walks off before I have a chance to respond. I realize in that instant either they don't recognize the scent I am carrying or ignore it. It sends chills down my spine because I didn't even think of that yesterday after I left. Maybe Nat's scent is so intermingled with mine that it doesn't smell like her?

  I try not to let these thoughts worry me as I follow James around learning the kitchen duties and processes. He teaches me what needs to be done before opening, and we get to work. In no time the place is open, and people are picking up orders and getting coffee. Time seems to fly by, and before I know it, it is time for me to begin training in the front.

  I step to the front, realizing I only have a few hours left before my shift is over. With it being a Saturday, I don't have to be at any classes so I can rest and get caught up on laundry. Nat was supposed to work the lunch shift today, so we will get some much-needed couples time tonight.

  I look around the room and spot Terri filling customers' mugs with coffee across the room. She shoots me a smile as she finishes her rounds and returns the coffee pot to its place behind the counter.

  "So, are you ready to start your upfront training? I hope you aren't too tired. Have you worked with a register before?" She asks, pinning me with a questioning gaze. It is uncanny how much her look resembles something Nat gives me frequently.

  "Actually, yes, my previous job had a register just like this." I smile smugly and notice that her gaze changes to one of curiosity.

  "Oh, good. What else do you have experience with? I didn't get a chance to look over your application."

  We talk about my experience, and she shows me where things are kept in the front. She shows me the cheat sheet kept beneath the register for odd prices and then shows me where the cleaning supplies are. We then go through all the different pastries and coffee blends. Taking in everything she is telling me makes my head spin, but I make it through the last part of my shift. My head may feel like it's going to explode, but I survived unscathed.

  As I hang up my apron, James steals me away to the office in back to work out a schedule and give me a few forms to fill out for tax purposes. I sigh as I finish it all, and Terri pokes her head in with a brown bag full of pastries and a sandwich.

  "I noticed you didn't stop to eat or drink at all this morning, so I am sending this with you. We typically let employees have a meal with their shift. I hope you don't mind that I gave you the grilled ham and cheese sandwich. That is a customer favorite." She hands me the bag.

  I smile, grabbing it from her hand. "Thanks, I hadn't even given food a thought yet. I am still trying to process everything from this morning. It was a lot of information."

  She smiles and slips back out. James shows me where the back entrance is and provides me with a key. My next shift is Monday, so I head out. Within minutes after getting into my car, I am home, and eager for Nat to arrive.

  There is no need to begin studying straight away, so I go in and eat what Terri sent with me and dispose of the evidence that is left. I do not want Nat to figure out where it is, I am working yet. I know she will be pissed when she does. Moving to the living room, I pick one of the couches and grab the remote. I plan just to chill here until she gets home.

  I scan the channels and relax back into the sofa after picking an action movie. Typically, I am not one to fall asleep during a movie, but I catch myself dozing several minutes in. I finally just give in to the temptation and nap on the couch. Hopefully, Nat will wake me when she gets here.

  In what feels like no time at all, I am being shaken awake by Nat. "Hey, sleepyhead, I am home. How was your day?"

  I yawn and sit up on the couch, making room for her to sit next to me. "It was good. Tiring. How was your day?"

  She huffs and sits next to me. "It was okay. This job is starting to suck, though. My boss is a pain in the ass and is moody as hell. I think I might start looking for something else. So, your training went well?"

  I frown at her comment about work being tough. She liked it quite a bit at first, but I get that if it sucks, it sucks. "It did. I think I am going to like working there. It's a different pace than I am used to."

  "I guess you are done working for Selene, then?" She tilts her head to the side.

  "Yeah, she cut my shifts down to four hours for one day next week. She isn't ordering any more food items to serve, so I doubt she needs me. I am still available if she does, but it doesn't seem likely."

  "Who just up and does that to employees? I mean seriously, she basically put the whole staff out without warning. Not okay. I am glad you found something so quick, though." She sighs, leaning her head back on the couch.

  "So, what is going on with your job? I thought you liked it?" I give her a questioning look as she raises an eyebrow.

  "I think I was delusional. I mean, it was okay and fun at first. Now I just keep to myself. There is one girl that likes to stir the pot, if you know what I mean, and keeps rumors going. She also has something going on with the boss man, and everyone suffers when they are on the outs. I need to get out, though, because it is wearing on my sanity."

  "That is crazy. I mean, I have heard of relationships starting up when working closely with someone, but for it to affect the entire staff like that is very unprofessional."

  "It really is. I have a few places that I passed on the way home that had signs posted that they were hiring. I may check them out tomorrow and see what they are looking for."

  I smile since she just officially called this place home. It warms my heart to know she is starting to accept that she lives here with me. What is that saying? Home is where the heart is?

  "I can ride with you if you would like. Maybe we can have a dinner date. We haven't done that in a while."

  "Oh, I like that idea. You are right." Her face lights up, and she smiles. I absolutely love this woman.

  Smiling back, I decide to change topics. "So, I know you are worried about my family coming up next week. Do you want to talk about it?"

  Her face drops a little, but she continues to maintain a smile. "I guess we can. I am just worried that they won't like me and will be upset because we mated. Do they know that it is a for life thing? Have you talked to them about it? Do I need to get anything in particular for them to eat? What about your sisters? Are they okay with all of this?"

  "Woah there, slow down. Yes, they will love you, and yes, my sisters will too. I have told them about the mating, and they are completely okay with it. Like I told you before, they aren't too concerned with traditions and are very optimistic. I think Lainee and Stevie have the food thing situated. My sisters are vegetarian, so it should be no problem to make sure there is plenty for them to eat."

  "Okay, well, I don't want to be a knot on a log when they are here. I want to help with things as much as I can. Maybe I will whip together some desserts that everyone will love. I loved
doing that at the bakery."

  I watch as a sad smile replace the once bright one. Even so, it is followed by a cloud of sadness that permeates the bond.

  "Hey, it is all going to work out. Maybe one day, your parents will come around." I pull her into my arms. I sigh into her hair as I feel the warmth of her tears hit my shirt.

  "It's just so hard. I miss them, and I hate that they reacted as they did. Why? I just don't understand!" She continues to cry, and I just hold her close as the tears come faster.

  "I don't know love, but maybe one day we will figure it out. Until then, we have each other and our friends. Now, how about we go fill up that bathtub down the hall and soak together. I know it isn't huge, but maybe it will let both of us relax."

  I watch as she pulls back to look at me. "You seriously think we can both fit in that tub?"

  I laugh at her skeptical look, and it seems to lighten the mood. A small smile begins to play at the corner of her mouth. "I bet we can. It may be a tight squeeze, but you have never complained about our skin to skin contact."

  She blushes a scarlet shade of red and playfully hits my shoulder. "Okay sassy pants, let's go."

  I let her lead me down the hall toward our room. I send a silent thank you prayer to the God and Goddess as we gather clothes for the bathroom. This will lead to other things, but what a perfect way to end the day, right?

  16. Natalie

  The next day, Alex and I spend the morning job hunting and enjoying our time together after. Unfortunately, we didn't have much luck finding many options for me while exploring the various locations hiring. I applied for a position to work the desk at one of the local book shops and asked about a job as a barista, but nothing seemed to fit my fancy. The bookstore was near my parents' bakery, and as Alex drove past, I couldn't help the pang of sadness that seemed to take over my heart. It enveloped me, and with difficulty, I was able to keep my tears at bay.

  I have been struggling with the separation. By nature, being a wolf shifter, I am naturally drawn to pack life, and I desire to have my family close. I have the makings of a new family with my roommates, and possibly Alex's family, but it just isn't the same. I can't fill the gap left from my parents' disowning me.

  "Hey, you okay over there?" Alex says while squeezing my hand. He has one hand resting on the steering wheel as we head across town to a small restaurant that serves just about everything called Boomerang. Trees fly by in a green blur as I stare out of the window deep in thought. It takes me a few minutes for his question to register.

  "Yeah, just the usual sadness. We passed my parent's bakery, and it hit me pretty hard." I say, keeping my gaze trained out of the window. It somehow makes it easier for me to hold back the ache I feel knawing at my insides.

  "I could tell you were sad. I am sorry. I wish I could take it all away."

  I turn to look at him while he continues to focus on the road. "Yeah, maybe it will all work out. I can hope."

  He glances at me briefly before focusing on the road again. "I think it will. Just don't give up on them. We will figure something out."

  We continue to drive in silence until we reach the restaurant. The outside is white brick with silver trim. There is a beautiful mural painted on the east side featuring a red Bel-air and a blonde headed woman standing against it, holding an old school glass bottle of coke. It is eye-catching. There is also a wrought iron fence around the building. It seems to stand out against the white and silver.

  Sliding out of the car, I follow Alex as we head to the door. We enter into a small dining room filled with red and white tables. The chairs compliment them and are red with chrome accents. The walls are painted mint green and have retro pictures of cars placed strategically throughout the room.

  Being a seat yourself establishment, we choose a table situated at the back of the room in a corner. It is next to a window that has a decent amount of sunlight streaming through. As I take my seat, I see that it opens up to a small backyard of a neighboring house.

  "That's a bit creepy, don't you think?" Alex says, following my gaze.

  "Yeah, I don't know how I would feel having an entire restaurant capable of looking into my yard. No privacy at all."

  "If they were too worried about privacy, you think they would have a privacy fence put in place, at least on this side, right?" He asks.

  I shrug and grab one of the menus. He does the same, and we both start scanning it. The menu is detailed, with prices listed next to every item. It has a section with starters followed by meals and such.

  "I think I am going to get the chicken fried steak, what about you?" Alex asks, glancing up from his menu.

  "Hmm, that sounds good. I think I am going to go with the hamburger steak. The brown gravy sounds delicious!" I say with a smile. Now that we are seated, I realize I haven't eaten much since yesterday.

  We both place our menus down, and a tall blonde waitress arrives to take our order. We both sit an observe the other patrons seated at separate tables as we wait. We talk lightly about job hunting and the weather as time passes. The conversation is enjoyable, but I can tell we are both a bit tired.

  Several minutes later, I feel a prickly sensation run up my spine. I glance around the room, trying to find where it may be coming from when I spot Theo across the room carrying two plates of food. I make eye contact with him, and he smirks. I continue to watch as he gets closer to our table, and it dawns on me that he is carrying our food.

  "Well, isn't this nice. My ex and her trash." He says, setting the plates down. "You are both lucky I didn't spit in your food."

  "It's nice to see you too, Theo," I say rather snarkily. "I am surprised to see you waiting tables. Mommy dearest get tired of you spending her money?"

  He levels an evil glare at me, and I internally laugh as I see his wolf surface through his eyes. His anger charges the air around us.

  "It is none of your business." He responds through gritted teeth.

  "Whatever it is, you are right; it is your business. Nat leave him alone, and let's enjoy our food." Alex lightly scolds me from across the table. I give him a look that portrays my frustration.

  I can't help but feel like Theo is offering an unspoken challenge as he moves away. My eyes follow him as he walks between the tables. I continue to follow him as he leaves through a door. It must lead to the kitchen or something.

  "Sorry, I didn't mean to go all alpha type on you." I turn to look at Alex.

  "Don't worry, love; I think it is natural for you to be like that. He was somewhat of a threat at one point in time, but I think we are far from that. With you and me together, he wouldn't stand a chance anyway. Plus, we are mated, so there is no way in hell he could ever get you back." Alex laughs lightly and picks up his fork.

  "Yeah," I say, grabbing mine, "you are right."

  We spend the rest of our meal discussing desserts for Thanksgiving and what sweets his family likes. Instead of settling on a pumpkin pie or pecan pie, I plan to make something different. I am going to be making cranberry pastries in the shape of turkeys, miniature chocolate croissants, and a couple of buttermilk pies. I am going to make little candied decorations to place on the pie and place the mini croissants on a festive plate to celebrate the holiday.

  At the end of the meal, we stack our dishes together to make it easier to clean. We also leave a decent-sized tip even though Theo gave us crap at first. The rest of the staff did a fantastic job of serving us, and they don't deserve to suffer from Theo's crudeness.

  We head back to the house after leaving the restaurant. I was hoping that the house would be empty again, but as we pull up in front of the house, I see everyone is home. I guess we will have a full house tonight.

  We enter the house and find everyone hanging out in the living room.

  "Hey guys, how is it going?" Eddie asks from one of the sofas. He is seated next to Lainee, who is playing with her hair. There is a romantic comedy playing on the tv.

  "Good, I didn't realize everyone was home ton
ight," Alex says, pulling me toward an open spot on another couch. We sit and snuggle together.

  "Yeah, we didn't either. It just kind of happened." Derick says, shifting his weight a bit to move Stevie, who is sitting on his lap, over some. I laugh as she turns to glare at him.

  "We picked this rom-com to chill. The guys wanted to watch an action flick, but they lost against us in rock paper scissors, so here we are." Lainee beams at us.

  "Well, this seems like a great movie," I say with a playful smile on my face. It's a rom com with Chris Hemsworth in it, and there is no way we are not staying to watch this. He is such an amazing and attractive actor.

  Alex turns and gives me an eyebrow as I finish that thought, and I smirk. I guess he heard those thoughts.

  We spend the next couple of hours just watching tv and catching up with everyone. We all talk about the plans for Thanksgiving dinner and dole out specific tasks to include everyone in preparing the meal. I know it made me feel better.

  I even shared the desserts I have planned. The guys swear I need to make twice as much because it all may disappear on its way to the table. I roll my eyes at their comments but make a mental note to do just that. They probably will eat a lot of it before it gets there.

  As the night comes to a close, we all contentedly make our way back to our rooms for the night. I snuggle into Alex as we spoon in the bed. You would think we would both immediately crash after the busy day we had, but no.

  I stretch my arms up and feel Alex roll to his side. His erection pushes into my stomach, and I break out into a smile. This man is relentless! He begins to let his hands wander, and I let myself give in to my desires. Another night of sex is never a bad thing.

  17. Natalie

  Rolling to my side and pushing up out of bed, I stretch out my achy muscles and realize that Alex and I still have another full day to ourselves. It's a Sunday, and since we have been cramming for finals, working, and dealing with my turbulent emotions that frequently permeate through the bond, I make the executive decision to take us to the woods. Letting my wolf out to run for a bit should help ground my emotions and make it easier for both of us to visit with his family.