New Age Werewolf Series Book 2: Hunter's Daughter, Alpha's Mate

Part 29: Just Another Day

The alarm went off.

I groaned softly, and looked at my window. The smell of coffee perking woke me up while meows sounded outside my window, telling me to get up. I sat up and smiled sleepily. "Here I come." I rolled out of bed and went to my efficiency kitchen cabinet for cat food. I poured my coffee and added creamer, poured a bowl of milk and of food for my fire escape pets. It suddenly began to rain. "Aw!" I opened the window and in they leapt. I knew this would happen sooner or later. I glanced at the cat litter box under the sink, and sighed. I set the food and milk down next to the stove and sat in the window, sipping coffee.

I spent two weeks at a hostel, volunteering there and getting great references while I found work. Luckily that opened up the chance at Cass's Coffee & Cakes. It was small and family owned, serving breakfast sandwiches in the morning, and soup, sandwiches and pastries for the rest of the day. Cass was the matriarch, and after meeting me, liked me right away. After chastising me for leaving school, she offered me the place and the job. It had been a month since I moved here, and I loved it. I lived in one of the old apartments with wifi for half price in exchange for working for the shop, and cleaning the halls. I bike messengered afternoons to pay for my food, went back to the shop in the evenings, and that was that.

I sat and ate my usual breakfast, one boiled egg, a bowl of cereal and a banana. My mind wandered to what Kyros might eat. Steak and eggs? I shook my head. I needed to stop thinking about him. Once I thought I saw him by Rockefeller Center when the all the workers from Cass's decided to go out. It was a fun night for me till then, and then I was distracted. Ben was the only one who noticed.

Ben is Cass's grandson. He runs the shop for the family, and I have only met his dad once. I see Mama Cass more often. He's cute, soft-spoken, but talks a lot if he's comfortable around you. One night I stayed up with him all night just talking on the roof of the building talking about family, New York, the future. He was impressed with my open minded look at it, but truthfully all I wanted to do was to survive and not be discovered. He just wanted to keep the shop going out of love for his family, specifically his grandmother, and go on vacation once or twice a year. That sounded good, too. Simple life. That sounded so good after everything.

I hurried down the steps to the shop to find him there, opening the door for business.

"Hey, sleepyhead!" he smiled.

"Hi, Ben," I chuckled. God, he was cute.

"First of the day," he offered me a cup.

"Thanks," I took it. I had one upstairs, but his was definitely better.

"Good morning, everybody!" Viola sang, coming through the front door.

"Hey, Viola!" We both sang back, and then rolled our eyes.

"Everyone having a good morning?" she asked.

"Yes, Viola," we replied in a flat sing song. We looked at each other and started laughing.

"Well, nice to see you two are in harmony," she teased softly. "Don't need any coffee, heading for the kitchen!"

"Oooo--kaay!" Ben shook his head.

"I'd say she's had enough!" I took another sip from my mug.

"Definitely," Ben chuckled. He became quiet for a second, as if trying to find the words. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure, shoot."

"Can I see it?"

I smiled and pulled the band-aid halfway off my inner wrist so he could see.

"Wow, cool, Fifth Element, cool." His smile faded. "What about the other one?"

I felt embarrassed. "Viola told you about the other?"

"Yep."

"I'd have to take off my shirt for that one, sorry." I shrugged, and smiled sheepishly.

"Hmmm...."

I felt heat go to the my cheeks. "You're terrible."

"Can't help it."

I laughed at him again, and suddenly the first wave of customers flowed through.

Things slowed down by late morning. The lunch rush wasn't as bad, so I was able to do some bike messengering. The weird thing was my first package was back at Cass's. I took it to the shop.

"Hey, Ben, you got a package!"

"Yeah?" He laughed. "Bring it here." He signed for the box.

I gave him the small box and turned to leave.

"Wait!"

I turned back to see him pull out a corsage in a box. "Wha--"

He took it out. "Go out with me." He offered it to me.

"Oh!"

"About time!" Viola rolled her eyes. "Well?!"

"Yeah," I shook my head, completely flattered and giggling. "Yeah."