Witchwolf

iii

Burney took a deep breath before stepping off the front porch of the cottage. After Andy had left the day before, the girl had managed to at least put her boxes in their correct rooms and to have unpacked her art supplies before having a dinner of mac and cheese that Andy had left for her.

She definitely needed to go to the general store after she finished her first day at Andy's to get cleaning supplies and to stock up on food before coming back home.

Taking in the surroundings, she saw kids running around, playing in their front yards in the late summer morning while parents talked in front yards. They didn't outright gawk and stare as she passed by but she could feel their stares on her back and hear the whispers about any possible detail they knew of the old Beta's newly-arrived daughter.

Some, though, were surprisingly quite pleasant and stopped to call out a hello and ask her name, bringing a slight smile to her lips.

She was still wary of the shifters, though. One could never be too careful.

*

The witch tugged at her messy bun, making sure her hair was smoothed out of her face before putting on the crisp, cream-colored apron that hung on the hook before her. Walking out of the faculty room after washing her hands, Burney wiped them on the apron, traveling behind the counter to start a couple of pots of coffee to brew.

The day had been dull, only a few people coming for a late breakfast, but just enough for Andy to show Burney the ropes around the diner.

Andy's Cafe was relatively small compared to restaurants back in New York but was perfect for the small population of the town. There were about twenty tables and could probably fit in over 75 to 80 people, not counting the counter seats.

After tucking the pen and pad that were on the counter into the pockets of her apron, the tall brunette placed her elbows unceremoniously on the window ledge between the bar space and kitchen, "Hey Andy - it's two o'clock already, where is everyone?" Burney asked, laying her chin on her forearms.

"Well," Andy started, stirring the pot of potato soup and moving to put meatballs in the oven for the sub sandwiches, "most people only come here while they're in town or they're too lazy to cook themselves a dinner."

Burney nodded, fidgeting with her uniform, a short-sleeved button-down with khaki shorts and the apron. Her elbow knocked the small bell on the counter into the side of the counter window as she moved to get up, causing a soft ding to disturb the almost complete silence of the empty cafe.

"There was actually a pack meeting today to discuss-" Andy stopped herself and looked at me, smiling almost apologetically before continuing, giving away no secrets whatsoever, clearing her throat. "It should be over in less than half an hour, so expect a big rush then. Maybe you'll even meet Aidan or Cody, our Alpha and Beta."

Perhaps digging around here wasn't going to be as easy as I had planned... Burney thought to herself with a grimace, turning away.

Burney checked her dad's old leather watch on her freckled wrist and wiped down the slick countertop for the umpteenth time that day.

"That was grandpa's, you know," Andy said, nodding to Burney's wrist where it was tucked into the pocket of the apron. The witch couldn't see her cousin's expression through the wall separating the counter from the kitchen but the sound of her voice was enough.

Burney's hand froze over imaginary crumbs and her brown gaze came to rest on the gold weathered watch face as she lifted it, seeming almost too large on what she considered thick wrists. "The new leather strap was a graduation present from Grandma to Uncle Todd."