Note to the reader: Werewolves can communicate with each other via their minds. Due to limitations of uploading this book, these mental conversations are not designated by italics as they typically would be. However, this should not negatively impact your reading experience, so long as you're aware of how they can communicate. Thank you for your understanding!
"Seriously, Emmitt, when're you coming home?"
I sighed and leaned against the wall of the gas station. The buzz emitting from the pay phone receiver was getting under my skin.
"I don't know. I need to ride for a while. Nothing's feeling right lately."
"PMS?" Jim asked in a completely serious tone.
"Jim, if you keep that up, he'll never come home," Winifred said in the background.
"How's everything going there?" I asked, almost smiling.
"Good. Your apartment's done and waiting for you."
"How's the job?"
"It's a job. I get to spend all day outside and be lazy. Nothing better."
Working construction with a human crew couldn't be very challenging. Jim probably thought he was being lazy; but based on his pay increases and promotions, I knew otherwise.
"Talked to my boss about hiring you when you get your butt back here," Jim said. "He's interested. Apparently a military background counts for something."
I laughed and shook my head.
"Yeah, so I've heard."
One of the reasons my parents had wanted me to join the military was that it would be the ultimate test to blend in with humans, a skill I would need as the next leader. My reason for joining was to run away from what they had planned for me.
"Hear from Mom and Dad?" I asked.
"Yeah, Dad called from town, checking to see how things are coming here. They want to send a few families our way by winter."
I suppressed a groan as I looked off at the trees and considered what waited for me.
"Riding around won't make it go away," Jim said softly. "Just tell them no."
"Yeah, right. Have you ever tried telling Mom no?"
"Yep. I do it every time there's an Introduction. 'Jim, honey,'" Jim said with a motherly falsetto, "'you should come see Natalie. This is her first Introduction... you never know.' They've been pushing even harder now that the human girl, Gabby, is off the market. It's your turn, brother."
"Explain to me again why I'm the one who needs to pick up the slack."
"Because you take life seriously. If you would have tried harder at being a screw-up, this wouldn't be happening."
"Jim." Winifred's scolding tone had me grinning.
"You never change," I said to Jim.
"Nope."
"My time's almost up. I'll talk to you soon."
"You better. A week. Tops."
"We'll see."
After I hung up, I ran a hand over the back of my shaved head in frustration. I wasn't avoiding going home. I was avoiding what came with being home.
Sighing, I turned and walked toward my bike, the only thing I owned. It wasn't anything extravagant. I'd bought it used and cleaned it up as best I could. It ran well, was cheap on gas, and got me where I needed to go. If only the rest of my life would fall neatly into place like that.
Since I'd been a cub, my parents had raised me with the expectation that I would someday run my own pack. Now, according to them, someday was here. The whole point of joining the military, from their point of view, was to gain the discipline I needed to be a good leader and to gain knowledge of the humans so I could lead our people into a safer future.
Our people...
The thought had me running a hand over the stubble of my hair again. I needed to help my people. I wanted to. I just didn't think I was the right guy for the job. With a werewolf father and a human mother, who would follow me?
Though my parents didn't want to see it, there was still a divide among our people: those who thought my parents were leading us in the right direction and those who still looked down on humans. I'd run into a few of the latter, all Forlorn, loners in our society. They hadn't looked at me with acceptance. In fact, if I'd been alone at the time, I was pretty sure I wouldn't be walking around now.
And my parents thought I should lead our people? Not a chance. If I were honest with myself, it wasn't just acceptance. It was the desire to lead. I was tired of shouldering the responsibility of doing what I was told.
I put on a helmet for appearance's sake, then my sunglasses. Absurd precautions for my kind; yet, if we wanted to fit in with humans, we needed to follow their rules. After all, they didn't know we could heal cuts within minutes or mend broken bones within hours. They couldn't know. That was the whole point of trying to blend in, while still maintaining our distance, to keep the existence of our race secret.
With a kick, I started the bike and eased from the parking lot. Riding was almost as freeing as shifting and going for a run. Almost. I opened the throttle and let go for a while.
*****
My stomach let me know when I needed a break. I pulled over at a little diner and parked the bike in a nearly empty lot. The exhaust the kitchen was kicking out held the lingering scents of breakfast sausage. I grinned and idly scratched my stomach in anticipation. Breakfast food was one thing the mess hall just never got right, and I hoped the diner would still serve it, even if it was past lunch.
The waitress greeted me with a smile as I walked in.
"Sit anywhere you'd like, hun."
I headed toward a booth at the front by the wall of windows. After tossing my jacket on the bench seat and setting the helmet on the table, I slid in and watched the traffic pass the place by until the waitress came over.
"Coffee?" she asked as she handed over the menu. She had a pot of regular in the other hand.
"Still serving breakfast?"
"For you, sure," she said in a friendly, flirtatious way universal to most waitresses.
"Then coffee sounds great."
She turned over the cup already on the table and filled it. Then, before she could walk away, I ordered the hearty man's breakfast. If Jim would have seen what was all included, he would have been in heaven. With that thought, I realized how much I missed my brother.
As much as I wanted to avoid the pressure of returning home, I knew I wouldn't keep riding aimlessly. I sighed. Getting home would only take a day if I pushed through the night.
The waitress came with my food after a few minutes. Two plates. Oh, yeah.
I dug in, eating the sausage first. I didn't pay any attention to the car that pulled in; I was already planning what I'd do when I got home. First, the job Jim had mentioned. The more time I spent away from the house the better, once the families arrived. Knowing my mom, she'd be sending families with daughters. I wasn't opposed to meeting women. I was opposed to false hope or shallow interludes. We were meant to Mate for life, not date aimlessly.
It wasn't until a young woman and two boys were halfway across the parking lot that I looked up from my food. When she caught my attention, I froze. Everything inside me died and was reborn in the aftermath of the swift intangible pull I felt.
She was looking straight at me with her light baby blues. Her long, brown hair was pulled back into a simple ponytail. Her sun-kissed skin and full lips made swallowing difficult. She was beautiful. She was perfect. She was... starting to look a little embarrassed.
I realized I was staring while holding my fork halfway to my mouth. Nice one, I thought as I finished the bite and reached for my coffee. But, I didn't look away. I couldn't.