by Jayne Hawke
I tidied myself up, trying to make my hair look presentable rather than a wild mane. I even dug out my little make-up bag and sat down to apply some make-up. Nothing too complicated, as much as I’d watched a lot of make-up tutorials on YouTube, I hadn’t had the money to splash on the layers they used. I settled for some eyeliner that brought out my eyes and a little lipstick, a faded rose colour that didn’t look gaudy or flashy, just a touch of colour. Finally, I slipped on a pair of ballet flats and returned to the hallway where Jake was waiting for me. Jake pointed at my thigh.
“I don’t think they’re going to take kindly to you carrying a knife into their halls or whatever they call them.”
I rolled my jaw. I felt naked without my knives on me. Being in the dress already made me feel weird and not myself. I was confident I could fight in it if I needed to, but it was very different to my jeans or yoga pants. Maybe that feeling would change as I came to terms with my garou-ness, but in that moment the last thing I wanted was to give up my knife. Reluctantly, I removed the sheath and knife, leaving them on the hallway table before we returned once more to Jake’s car. This day was just getting worse.
7
IT WAS AN HOUR’S DRIVE to the council’s halls. An hour full of classic rock, the wind running through my hair, and unrelenting anger. I was fighting against it, trying to figure out where it was coming from and put an end to it. The anger must have been coming from my new wolf side, but I had no idea why or how to resolve it. Thinking straight was nigh on impossible. Every little thing irritated me. I had to bite back curses and the desire to bite the jackass that tried to cut Jake off.
Jake pulled the car over about ten minutes away from the council halls and turned to face me. He took my hands in his and gave me a small sad smile.
“You need to find your inner calm, your Zen, whatever it takes to not look like you’re rabid,” he said softly.
Worry lines surrounded his pretty chocolate brown eyes and tugged at the corners of his soft pale pink lips. I closed my eyes and tried to push the anger away. Slowing my breathing, I focused on the feel of his calloused hands wrapped around mine. He had always been my anchor, and then was no different.
The anger dissipated, and I felt as though I could face the council. I opened my eyes and smiled at Jake. He returned the smile and re-started the engine. Butterflies and anxiety replaced the anger. The council wasn’t something you messed around with. As a lowly errand girl, I hadn’t really had the pleasure of dealing with them. Higher level mercs and bounty hunters would sometimes take jobs directly from the council. I’d never tried to take any of those jobs. My passion was baking. The small errand jobs helped pay the bills.
The council was fierce when they felt the need. I knew that they put down anyone who crossed them or broke their laws. The supernatural community was to be kept hidden. Anyone who broke that died a slow painful death as a reminder to everyone else.
I wasn’t sure how they felt about the turned. Normally, there was supposed to be paperwork, permits, and consent forms. Surely, they couldn’t blame me for what happened? It wasn’t as though I knew there was a rogue out there, and I did stab the shit out of it.
I took a deep breath and steeled myself as Jake pulled into the innocuous carpark behind the simple white building. Some part of me was as surprised to see the bland box as I had been the first time we were there. The windows were slightly sunken back into the white stone, each of them a long rectangle that somehow didn’t show anything of the interior. It blended in with the background, and I found my eye wandering over it without seeing any detail. That had to be a witch spell of some form. I shook my head at myself. It wasn’t as though they could use some gothic mansion and put up a big sign saying ‘Supernatural Council’. A brand-new blood-red Camaro caught my eye as I got out of the car. The sleek lines and powerful engine made it my dream car. Of course, I’d have to win the lottery to be able to afford one, but a girl could dream.
Jake guided me around the white path that wrapped around the building, his hand remaining gently in the middle of my back while my feet became heavier and heavier. I told myself I was being stupid; they weren’t going to execute me. Yet I couldn’t shake off the feeling of dread. It only increased as we walked up the shallow steps between the large plain columns and approached the double-width golden wood door.
A doorman looked down his nose at us. His thin lips pinched a little, and I bristled as I felt that he was a bear shifter. That explained the broad shoulders and heavy muscle that threatened to burst out of his pale blue shirt. He opened the door for us without a word. We’d passed the first little test. A normal human would have been turned away with threats of prosecution for trespassing.
The interior of the halls was spacious with a double-height ceiling towering up overhead. Plain crisp white walls stretched out around us with a silvery coloured floor. There were no windows to break up the walls that felt as though they were beginning to close in around me. It felt like a pristine, bland cage. There wasn’t so much as a smudge of colour or dirt anywhere in sight. Everything was entirely smooth and almost shone. I noted there was only the main front door and the hallway leading down to what I assumed were the main council rooms. No weapons. It wasn’t the type of place I felt comfortable in.
A small delicate woman with platinum-blonde hair tied up in a complicated updo looked up from her computer at us. Her razor-sharp bone structure and striking aquamarine eyes showed her to be a full-blooded fae. I wondered what she had done to land a secretary position for the council. The fae were usually too up their own ass to take such jobs.
“Walk to the end of the hallway. The door will open when they’re ready for you,” she said in a melodic voice.
I wrinkled my nose and looked away. Some fae could hynotise and bespell you with their voices, and she struck me as one of those.
Walking with my head held high and a confidence I didn’t feel, I strode down the wide hallway with white walls and pale pink tiles. It seemed to stretch on forever. The air gently chilled the further we walked along it. I kept my eyes front and centre, not daring to look at anything but the door before us. If I looked anywhere else, there was a chance I’d lose my nerve.
We stood before a rich redwood door and waited. I pricked my ears and didn’t hear a sound outside of Jake’s and my breathing and heartbeats. A sigh bubbled up and I bit it back. I hadn’t been able to hear heartbeats before. I was itching to fidget and pace, but I remained still and quiet while we continued to wait.
It felt as though we were there for an eternity. Time passed at an agonising crawl, and I became increasingly sure that this was just a test. They wanted to see how I handled being made to wait.
Poorly.
Finally, the door opened, and we walked inside.
8
THE INTERIOR OF THE room had a wall of windows at the far end that showed a verdant meadow complete with wild flowers and gently rolling hills. The landscape surrounding the council building was urban with simple white and cream buildings. That meant that the room we were standing in was actually in Fae.
I knew that some people were capable of forming rooms and even entire buildings in Fae. As far as I was aware, that was the first time I’d stepped foot in one. Fae was dangerous. I didn’t know much, as the fae themselves were very secretive. I did know that they had a lot of magic, were all predators, and thoroughly enjoyed screwing with what they deemed to be lesser beings. That would be everyone else. Fae itself was supposed to be overflowing with magic and full of predators far worse than we had on the Earth plane. I didn’t have any plans to visit there, not that I’d be able to as a non-fae. Thankfully Jake wasn’t at all like the other fae; his mom hadn’t been, either. Maybe the part-humans were better all around. I hadn’t met any others to really compare.
I walked up to the large mahogany table with four high-backed chairs around it. Each chair was also made of mahogany and had a thick plush green velvet seat. Everything screamed old money. They had the appe
arance of antiques with the heavy woods and little details down the legs. You just didn’t get that sort of thing from Ikea.
We were alone, because apparently the council liked to make an entrance. The thick pale gold carpet felt weird beneath my feet after I’d been standing on tile for so long. I looked around and saw that gold was a theme around the room. The pale cream walls had a faint golden pattern running over them, and thin seams of gold surrounded the windows. I suspected that the pattern on the walls was actually a spell that helped keep the room safe in Fae. Of course, that was just a theory, I knew nothing about magic or spells. Only fae and humans from witch bloodlines could wield magic and spells. I’d heard whispers that there were some artifacts that shifters and garou could use, but they could just have been little dreams to balance the playing field some.
Four council members entered through what had been a plain piece of wall a moment prior. It changed into a door right before it opened. The first three people were older shifters: two garou and a cougar. They each walked with their heads high and the confidence that came with all strong alphas. Shifters had long lives. The fact each of them had touches of grey and the hint of lines on their faces said they’d already lived long lives. They didn’t pay us any attention, instead choosing to take up their respective seats at the table. Then the fourth member entered. The head of thick dark hair set my teeth on edge.
“You have got to be kidding,” I said before I could catch myself.
Cole turned and gave me a positively sinful smirk before he took up the fourth seat at the table.
“Miss Mercier, it has been reported that you were turned by a rogue loup garou.” The cougar woman looked at me with piercing amber eyes.
I nodded, fighting to keep my deep desire to be snarky in check.
“As the territory owner and councilman, Mr. Loxwood will be your mentor through this process. You will check in with him no less than once a week until you are deemed to be safe.”
I bristled at the idea that I wasn’t safe.
“Understood,” I said sharply.
The corner of Cole’s mouth twitched upwards.
“Mr. O’Connor, as Miss Mercier’s mercenary partner you will be equally responsible for ensuring she remains within the supernatural laws.”
Jake nodded in understanding.
It irritated that they were treating me like some wild animal, or a bomb that had to be carefully handled and controlled. I exhaled slowly and searched for that elusive inner calm. This was just a normal way to deal with the turned.
“Sign this paperwork.” The oldest garou guy with a touch of silver at his temples pushed some papers across the table towards me.
I looked it over. It was pretty standard stuff. I acknowledged who I was and that I was now a garou, my current residence and territory, that I’d stick to the laws and I understood the consequences if I broke them. I signed everything and felt my stomach twist. That meant that I was a fully registered member of the supernatural community. It was all beginning to sink in.
“I look forward to working with you,” Cole said with victory dancing across his face.
I ignored him and turned to leave the room. Petty? Absolutely. It was all I had, though.
“Do you have any idea who the rogue was?” the cougar asked.
“None,” I said.
The councilmen all looked at each other with tight jaws. They weren’t sure they believed me.
“As you’re a mercenary, we’re placing the responsibility of finding and stopping the rogue with you and Mr. Loxwood,” the garou with fading blond hair said.
That was complete bull, and they knew it. Of course, I wanted to catch the jerk and beat the living daylights out of him, but acting as though this was my fault was not ok. Judging from the increasingly dark expressions on the council member’s faces, I’m assuming my face gave away my feelings on the matter.
“You are an unauthorised turned. Be grateful that you’re allowed to continue living,” the blond garou snarled.
I gritted my teeth and looked away. It pained me. Every fibre of my being wanted to stare him down and challenge him.
“We’re done here,” the cougar said.
Jake and I turned and left before I could say or do something I’d regret. We walked back along the hallway, and I looked for some sign where the physical building changed into the one that sat in Fae. There was no sign that I could discern, and I wasn’t sure how I felt about that. We said nothing as we walked back to Jake’s car.
“That could have gone worse,” Jake said with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes.
“Maybe I’ll get some badass merc points,” I said with a shrug.
There was a small chance people would treat me with a little more respect, at least.
Jake turned the car on just as Cole strolled over to the blood-red Camaro. Of course it was his. At least the council meeting was over and done with. I could head home, eat a gallon of ice cream, and try to come to terms with everything.
9
MY ALARM RANG OUT, and I slowly opened my eyes while trying to swat at my phone to make the noise go away. The worst part of being a trainee baker was the start time. I had to get there at 5.30AM. In the winter, I didn’t see sunlight until I emerged from the kitchen at noon. With great reluctance, I hauled myself out of bed and pulled on my bakery uniform. Jake was still fast asleep and would be for three more hours. It was in those moments that I thought I should have gone to college and trained to be a teacher like he was.
Breakfast consisted of Pop-Tarts and as much coffee as I could knock back before I had to run out of the apartment. My old Mustang didn’t want to start. I patted the steering wheel and offered soothing words while I tried to get her going. She really needed a lot of work done, but I couldn’t afford any of it. So, we battled on.
I was ten minutes late when I finally pulled into the employee carpark of Taste of Heaven. It was a sleek and modern bakery with lots of glass and clean shiny surfaces inside. They were a nightmare to keep that clean and shiny. I had spent far too many hours cleaning and polishing them when I first started. The pale-pink and golden-yellow colour scheme had never been to my taste, but it was Blair in a nutshell. She would have everything in pink and gold if she could. That included our powder-pink uniforms complete with gold trim.
Blair and Keira had gotten into work an hour earlier. They were working on the breads and pastries, which required more prep and rising time. I only worked on cakes and cookies, which meant more time in bed. My dream was to focus on cakes and get into cake decorating. I’d watched every cake decorating and baking show I could find. If everything went to plan, I’d be entering the big baking competition in Montpelier in the fall.
The back door was propped slightly open to allow a little fresh air into the stifling bakery. I crept inside and dropped my purse in my locker hoping that I hadn’t been caught. The back space was small and cramped. It’d been built that way to give as much kitchen space as possible. There were always a minimum of four ovens running at once, which made it almost unbearable in the summer heat. I dreaded to think what Blair’s electric bills looked like.
“She’s finally here,” Keira said snidely.
I sighed and tied my apron around my waist. Keira hadn’t liked me from day one. I didn’t know what her problem was, but she made my life difficult at every opportunity. Blair bustled into the back room. Her long dark-blonde hair was pinned up in a series of pink pins that matched her neon-pink lipstick.
“Rosalyn. This is the second time you’ve been late this month. That’s two strikes.”
“Sorry, Blair.” I kept my eyes down and fought back the anger that came with the act. “My car wouldn’t start.”
“I’m sure that heap of junk isn’t road legal,” Keira said.
I glared at her. She was probably right, but I wasn’t going to admit that.
“Keira is right. You need to get a new mode of transportation. Walk if you have to,” Blair snapped.
I bit my tongue hard enough it bled. It was proving difficult to keep myself in check. The wolf side of me wanted to snarl at them, but I needed this job. I wasn’t going to let being a garou steal away my dream of being a star baker.
“I’ll see what I can do,” I said as I walked around her into the kitchen.
Keira had heaped some dirty bowls and such in my workspace. I loudly dropped them back into her workspace and smirked at her before I looked down my list of things to bake. It wasn’t too bad, just the usual muffins, cupcakes, and cookies. I noted that lemon meringue cupcakes had been added to the list. My meringue needed a little work, but it was time to step up and show that I could do it. That was the closest I’d gotten to something new in over six weeks. Blair wasn’t teaching me anything new, and that was irritating me. It wasn’t as though I’d been putting out bad bakes.
I glanced over and saw Keira working on some complicated pastry and growled to myself. Keira raised an eyebrow at me. I ignored her. The anger that was becoming uncomfortably familiar was rising as I saw Blair walking Keira through a new and interesting recipe. I had no interest in pastries, but the fact she was being taught new things was just salt in the wound.
The chirpy pop music poured through the speakers and ran over the hum of ovens and loud sound of the mixers. It was familiar, and that soothed some of the aggravation. I was going to have to figure out how to deal with that. Surely garou didn’t feel that anger all the time?
After an hour and my first batch of cookies, I was beginning to lose the war on the anger. The sound of the mixers was deafening and almost gave me a headache. I started feeling nauseous when I had to add in the flavourings. The mix of scents was overwhelming. Keira only made it worse. She accidentally knocked one of my batches of muffins onto the floor.
“Oh, I’m so sorry!” she said, her hands flying to her mouth.
I saw the malice in her eyes. It took everything I had to keep quiet and quickly tidy them up without causing a scene. Blair was watching very closely and said nothing. That meant that I was now behind on my bakes. Everything had to be ready for the breakfast rush, and you can bet that Keira screwed up the most popular muffin flavour. I ground my teeth and restarted the next batch while trying to keep on top of the damn meringue.