169- The Wolves at the Corner Table
POV Elowen Grimwald:
Before I could slip away to the kitchen, I saw him coming back, and my boss waving at me.
What the hell?!
I forced myself to swallow the lump that formed in my throat and made my way over. I passed Isaac, who shot me a pleading look for forgiveness. I gave him a forced half-smile to reassure him—after all, it wasn’t his fault Ralph was an asshole.
I should’ve suspected my plan wouldn’t work, because I was always assigned to serve tables of men who looked important.
Ralph was wearing a worn, light-blue button-up shirt, and he squeezed my shoulder, turning me around the moment I stopped in front of him.
Three pairs of eyes drank me in like a glass of water in the desert, and their scents left me no doubt.
They were at a corner table—two on a cushioned three-seat bench, and the other on the wooden chair opposite them.
“To take care of you gentlemen, my dears—my best waitress.”
The blond man, sitting alone in the chair, stared at my necklace for a few seconds, then flared his nostrils and smiled at the corner of his mouth. Shit... “She’s beautiful, isn’t she?” he went on, making them nod in agreement.
“What... would you like?” My voice faltered, and I mentally tortured myself for it.
The worst criminal is the one who looks like one. Letting myself seem anxious would only sentence me as guilty.
“Make yourselves at home,” Ralph wished them as he left, patting my shoulder.
Inexplicably, the vibrations of suspicion and curiosity from those three men seemed to seep under my skin, creating a subtle hum that sharpened my senses and chilled my blood.
I summoned what strength I had left and tensed the muscles in my legs, so a tremor wouldn’t give away the panic I needed to hide.
“What’s your name, girl?” the blond asked, giving my thin body another once-over.
“Elow... nir,” I lied, regretting it immediately. At any moment, one of the employees could call me by my real name and I’d be humiliated.
“Why do I have the feeling she’s lying, Kehin?” said the one with black hair cut low, almost shaved, a playful expression on his face.
His friend, Kehin, locked eyes with me and grinned broadly.
“This young lady really does look like an Elowen. Can I call you that, love?” The kindness sounded horrifying and predatory.
“Yes, sir.” I straightened my posture, and Kehin’s brow furrowed. “Would you like to look at the menu?” I continued.
“Don’t call me sir, kitty. I’m only two hundred and fifty-one years old.” The words had barely left his mouth when his two friends burst into loud, theatrical laughter. The third one even threw his head back from laughing so hard, his eyes almost completely closed.
“Kehin, you’re really very funny,” said the one in the middle, before wiping fake tears from his eyes.
“It’s an honor to make you laugh, Lucius,” he replied, proud of himself, as he brushed a golden, curly lock away from his face. “Which beer do you recommend, fe-ma-le?” he syllabified, not making a sound on the last syllable.
I must have misunderstood. That wasn’t possible.
“What did you call me?” I went on the defensive, and he crossed his arms, unconcerned.
“I know what you are. We know.” He turned to his friends, and I followed his gaze only to see the other two smiling too, unconcerned. “So why don’t we cut straight to the part where we become friends? Which beer do you recommend?”
For a few seconds, I got lost in confusion.
Could he be one of the ones who chased me through the forest? I still wasn’t sure, because his reaction was far too friendly for someone dealing with an outsider.
I cleared my throat and filled my lungs with air, accepting that keeping up the lie would be a waste of time. There was no way to fool a wolf by pretending to be human when I was a shapeshifter.
“The Lager, if you want something light and refreshing, or the—”
“Do we look like the kind who likes light things, Sel?” he asked, dripping with irony.
Hellish, insolent blond!
I wanted to curse him out, but I had to stay in character, the one everyone there knew.
“No, you don’t, forgive me. To be more precise, I recommend our new craft IPA to you gentlemen. It’s quite strong in flavor and has a higher alcohol content.”
“Now we’re speaking the same language, as it should be! Bring us three mugs.”
“Of course. Excuse me.” I gave a short bow and hurried away between the tables, feeling my back burn.
Nearly bumping into chairs, I reached the drinks counter positioned on a wooden island in the center of the bar. I relayed the order in a rush to Nigel, the master of drinks.
“Did something bite you?” he asked, looking me up and down with his dark eyes, bright as his skin, while he worked the barrel taps beneath the counter.
I couldn’t answer him, because my head was drowning in complete confusion. The words felt like directionless birds circling in my throat.
There was a chance those wolves didn’t know me, but there was also the possibility they were there just to seduce me and drag me to their alpha’s punishment.
None of the three was the pack leader—the fury they exuded wasn’t enough for them to be. Besides, what alpha would leave the pack at night to go drink in town?
“Elowen?” Nigel spoke louder, almost shouting.
I snapped out of the trance, noticing three transparent mugs filled to the brim in front of me.
“Sorry, I kind of spaced out...” I shook my head and grabbed one of them, setting it in the center of the tray.
“I noticed.” He turned away laughing, to take Isaac’s order from another table.
Balancing myself, I headed out to serve the damn wolves.
During the short walk, I thought about what excuse I could give my boss to leave early and never come back to those surroundings again. The thought of running made my caged she-wolf warm inside me, as if she agreed with the idea.
Give me back my strength, you cow! I need it now! I thought, as if somehow she could hear me.
Even poor and alone, I’d rather die at a human’s hands than a shapeshifter’s.
Creatures like me, with the ability to transform, knew how to be crueler than any species. I also knew well the kind of treatment they gave spies and traitors.
Your fault, Lunara! It’s all your fault!
May my guardian angel save me from this, and I would never again go looking for my ungrateful sister, risking my neck for someone who abandoned me without a shred of mercy.
“Anything to eat, gentlemen?” I asked as I served them their drinks.