Royally Rogue

Rogue Nation

The light 60s light fixture that looked like it was about to fall on our heads flickered awkwardly, sputtering as if it was trying really hard to satisfy its customers. The fake wooden table was sticky with used syrup, the booths hard and their fake green leather torn apart. Grout between the tiles was pure black, the actual flooring looking beige and dull.

There was a soft tapping noise as the cheetah print flats with fake bedazzles came towards our table. I sat on the uncomfortably hard cushions supported by 50 year old springs with my legs tightly closed and hands in a ball in front of me. Melanie leaned on the fake wooden divider next to me, arms crossed and an empty look in her eyes.

I stared at my hands, occasionally glancing at the floor to see the cheap animal print shoes and pale calves.

"What can I get for you?" The honeysuckle voice boomed compared to the ever so slight elevator music playing in the speakers.

Nobody answered.

My eyes shifted upwards and across the table to see Xander furrowing his thick brows at his own hands. A glance at Melanie told me she wasn't about to answer either.

"Waters, all waters. Please." I cleared my throat, exhausting myself in raising my head to meet the green eye shadowed woman. Her skin was beginning to loosen, and smiling wrinkles were evident. She had soft grey/green eyes and poorly filled in eyebrows. Her lips were thin and pressed together as she shakily wrote down our simple order on the worn out tab of paper.

"A coffee." Melanie interjected, with a hard and distant voice. "Caffeinated. And bring extra sugar and creamer."

"Please." I added with a sigh, not in the mood to scold the girl next to me on manners. We had just been through a lot and the sun was barely rising.

My eyes returned to their position, staring at the table and listening to the quick scratches of the pen the woman used. "Alrighty,will there be anything else-"

The plastic covered menu by my hand was pulled away from me.

I looked up with disbelief as my mate openly searched for edible options.

How could someone eat after what just happened?

"And a tall stack of pancakes, six eggs and-" My head craned to see him quizzically pausing and looking over at me. "-and a lot of bacon."

The waitress furiously wrote gibberish on her note pad, finishing with an assertive dot and nodding. "Is that all, folks?"

We all nodded tiredly. As soon as she and her powdery old green apron left, I snapped at my mate. "You honestly think you can make up for what just happened with bacon? "

"Doesn't hurt to try?" He replied, leaning backwards and raking a large hand through his messy hair.

He had changed into a light pair of fitted jeans and white loose undershirt. He wore some broken down black vans and kept his backpack of belongings between his legs under the table. Xander didn't seem to mind walking straight into the IHOP bathroom naked after he had shifted, or phased by what had happened only moments before.

Back at the forest entrance, as soon as Melanie and I recognized our Alpha in pain and conflict- both caused by us but mostly me- we went into a state of distress.