Wolf's Creek (Book 1 of the Wolf's Creek Trilogy)

Chapter 10: An Awkward Lunch

Chapter 10:

An Awkward Lunch

            The garage was empty except for A.J who sat at the register near the front, her fingers tapping in the rhythm to whatever song was playing on the radio. Once again she was stuck watching the garage for her grandfather who was still in bed with a horrible cold while her brothers were across the street taking drink orders for the cheerleading squad. She’d take an early shift at the garage till noon over being stuck at the diner in that god awful uniform any day but today was a slow day. There were no cars that needed taken care of and there had been no customers all day. The only thing she had to do was sweep, organize the tools, and organize the back office where Pappy did all of his paper work.

            “Five minutes,” she muttered as she looked down at the time on her phone. “Five minutes and I can leave.”

            “I hope you haven’t forgotten about your promise,” A.J groaned internally as she turned to see Darren walking into the garage. Like always, he was dressed as if he jumped right out of a fancy magazine with his dirty blonde hair messily disheveled atop his tanned head. He smirked, his green eyes filled with humor, when he saw the grimace on her face. “You don’t look very happy to see me.”

            “Yeah well ya know my feelin’s ‘bout cha and bein’ involved with ya and your kind,” A.J stated in irritation as she hopped off the stool behind the register and picked up the broom to do one final sweep of the garage before closing up. “But considerin’ ya kept ta your end of the deal I should keep ta mine. Though it doesn’t really seem fair, all ya had ta do was stay in one place and I gotta be put through hell.”

            “You don’t know how hard it was for me to stay there knowing there were hunters close to you,” Darren repled in irritation. “Let’s just say I had a few beers to dull the urge.”

            “So, ya got ta have an evenin’ gettin’ silly with your buddies while I have to sit through lunch with ya and get all dolled up for some dance?” A.J asked as she weighed each side of their agreement with her hands. “Still ain’t seein’ how it evens out.”

            “Can we just drop it,” Darren asked his irritation showing as he snapped at his mate who didn’t seem perturbed by the animalistic sound.

            She shrugged as she returned to sweeping. “Well I could but then ya wouldn’t be as miserable as me now wouldja?” she asked with a smirk which only earned a glare from the Alpha’s son. “Alright I’ll drop it.”

            “Thank you,” Darren thanked as he watched her swept up a pile of bolts and scooped them into a can. “I expected to find you under a car again.”

            “It’s been real slow this week,” she informed with a sigh as she looked to the clock and placed the broom back where it belongs. “Wait right there I’m gonna change my shirt.”

            Darren did as he was told and leaned against the counter, looking over the interior of the old garage. The place seemed to fit A.J perfectly and he could smell her scent all over the place along with three others he assumed belonged to her two brothers and her grandfather who owned the place. He was disturbed from his observations by the sound of the door to the garage opening and someone walking in. Darren turned and immediately put his defenses up when he saw the man who’d entered. His clothes were dirty from being out in the forest as well as his hair and hands. What really caught the young werewolf’s attention was the brad on the back of his hand. He’d learned about the mark in school; it was the crest of a well known clan of hunters who were known for killing werewolves and all who associated with them. The man caught Darren starring at the bran and narrowed his eyes at the young man, knowing right away from the look in his eyes what he was.