The End Has No End

4

It took nearly half an hour for Vera to finally relax and release the grip she'd had on the safety harness. By then, Zeke was lowering into a parking spot in a swiftly filling lot. The building the lot belonged to was dimly lit outside, topped by a neon sign reading "Full Moon Bar & Grill". The neon outline of a prowling wolf completed the sign.

Zeke shut the car down, then helped her release her harness. Stepping out, she tried to look around the parking lot. It was dark, but she realized she could smell the small groups of people all around. Taking another sniff, she felt the first twinge of hunger.

"Zeke, are these people...?" "We're in mixed company. Are you... are you hungry?" Zeke came around the back of the car and took her hand, looking considerably more awake. For the first time, Vera realized he smelled somewhat like them. Different, but still delicious. "Yes..." She said weakly. He seemed to recognize something in her voice, because he leaned over, looking into her eyes and blocking out the other people. "Just focus on me. Whatever you noticed, try to focus on me only." "But..." "You can't hurt me. You'll be okay." Pulling her hand gently, he led her towards the restaurant. 

Trying to heed his instructions, she focused on his scent, trying to ignore the growing hunger she felt as they got closer to people. Once inside, Zeke went to the bar, finding two seats near the far end of the long counter. Suddenly, an entirely new scent entered the picture. She quickly looked away from Zeke to the source. A large, shaggy man came bearing down on them from the other side of the counter. "Look who's here!" He whacked Zeke on the back a few times. "And with a date?!" His attention swung to Vera, and she automatically braced herself, her hunger temporarily taking a backseat. The back slaps never came however, as the man sniffed slightly. "Err... Maybe not?" He gave her a suspicious look, before turning to Zeke with a questioning one. 

"Davey, this is Vera Ashford. Vera, David Nash. He owns this fine establishment." The man turned back to Vera, a grin slowly taking over his face. "So you're Ms. Ashford." He grabbed her hand and gave it a hearty shake. "Pleasure to finally meet you! I've heard so mu-" "Vera hasn't eaten yet, and neither have I," Zeke cut in, a meaningful tone in his voice. "Can we get the steak dinner? Medium well and as rare as you can make it." "Sure thing, bud." Davey's grin only seemed to get wider, as if there was a joke only he was aware of. "I assume you'll take the usual to drink. And for you, miss?" "Water is fine." Vera wasn't sure if she had any restrictions on food and drink, but water seemed like a safe choice. And she was too overwhelmed to think of anything else anyway.

Davey brought her a glass of water before disappearing briefly, returning with a wine glass for Zeke. It was filled with a red liquid. Vera didn't have to ask what it was. The smell was more than enough. Davey assured them their food would be right out, then went back to marching up and down the length of the bar, taking care of customers and shouting orders to the handful of servers.

Vera took a chance to look around the space. The bar dominated the room, taking up almost the entire length of the back wall. A door at the other end from them led to the kitchen, and was constantly swinging back and forth due to the servers. A smattering of nearly full tables and booths were also at that end of the room. Behind her, Vera noticed a small stage in the corner, complete with a dance floor. There wasn't a band tonight, but a group of people were dancing to music from a jukebox beside the stage. The entire place was dimly lit, and everyone- except for Zeke and Davey-smelled exactly the same. "I thought there were others like us here?" Vera asked, twisting back around on her stool to look at Zeke.

He had been looking into his glass thoughtfully, but looked up when Vera spoke. "There'll be more, as the night goes on. Tell me, did you notice anything about Davey?" Vera nodded. "He... smelled different. From you, from everyone." "That's because he's a shifter. A werewolf, specifically. Which is how he could tell you were different, too." "Shifter..." Vera glanced back at the bartender. Somehow, she imagined a person having anything to do with a wolf would have a sleeker appearance. She didn't get to dwell on it too long, as her hunger made itself known full force. Focusing on Zeke's scent, she looked up at him. He was shocked by what he saw. The green in her eyes had spread with a dull glow, slowly taking over the brown.

As if by magic, Davey appeared with two plates and silverware, setting one down in front of each of them. Vera immediately dug into her steak, barely taking the time to grab a fork. "And I thought I could eat," Davey remarked under his breath to Zeke, sounding impressed. "I think it'd be safe to bring a couple more steaks for her." Zeke told him, quickly draining his glass. "And I think I'll switch to whiskey."