Dracon (1st book of the Draconon Series)

Chapter 10

"What the hell, Miguel?" I asked, moving a hand across my face. My eyes were straining from trying to read his handwriting, and I was going slower than I would like. "Did you make this extra worse, so he couldn't read anything?"

"Why would I do that?" Miguel asked, and I looked at him and scowled. He was leaning in the back of his chair and playing with scissors looking rather bored. "I mean, there is no reason as to why I would make my already terrible handwriting even worse." He looked up and winked.

"I hope you stab yourself in the leg."

Miguel shut the scissors closed, pointing them at me, and placed them down on the desk. "What do you have down?" he asked.

"I have three paragraphs."

"Let me see," Frederick said, and I handed him the paper. He read over what I had written and nodded his head. "Not bad," he said, trying not to sound impressed. "I am surprised that you can read it." He handed the paper back to me.

I shrugged my shoulder. "I am used to horrible writing. It's why I prefer to use a computer." I took the paper from him and looked over what else I had to do. "Did you also put some of this in Spanish?" I asked, looking at him.

"Sí, Frederick no sabe Español, (Yes, Frederick does not know Spanish,)" Miguel said.

"Eres estúpido, (You're stupid,)" I said, and Miguel placed a hand over his heart and gasped.

"Rude," Miguel said, and I rolled my eyes and scowled. "What are your plans for today?"

I looked at the paper again and started to write again, making sure to switch everything in Spanish into English. "Go home, take a shower, and then probably sleep until I get hungry and make myself something to eat. Unless," I looked at the Alpha to see him staring at me with these calculating gray eyes, "you want me to start working today, Sir."

"If I like your work, I will let you start tomorrow. I hope you have some professional clothing."

"I have some khakis and a collared shirt. I don't have any skirts or business female formal wear," I replied. "I will have to get some stuff if that doesn't suit your needs."

"It will do for now," Frederick said, causing me to hide back an eye roll. "Why are your eyes different colors?" he asked, and I put my pen down gently and slowly looked at him.

I blinked, keeping eye contact with him before he broke it first, bristling because Alphas did not like to be challenged, and I had "challenged" him. "It's called Heterochromia," I said, finally, my voice cold. "It's genetics." I picked up my pen again and looked down at the paper again.

"So... no contacts?"

"I wear contacts, yes," I said, fixing some of Miguel's Gods awful work. "I have... some vision problems that require me to wear them. I don't use contacts to change the color of my eyes." That was a complete and total lie. I wore contacts to hide the fact that I had one eye that was blue and the other being red.

"Hmmmm."

I rolled my eyes and stayed quiet as I finished with the rest of the paper. "Here," I said, handing it to him and then my version. "Can I go?"

Frederick took both of the papers, not looking at them. "Yes, yes, you may," he said, not looking at me, and I rolled my eyes. "Miguel has your number?"

"Yes," I said. "He knows where I live, too," I said, standing. I moved a hand through my hair and sighed, glancing at Miguel. "Give it to him if he asks for it."

Miguel nodded his head. "See you around?" he asked, and I nodded in confirmation. "Lo siento por dejar tu apartamento desordenado. (I am sorry for leaving your apartment messy.)"

I didn't reply and waved off his apology. I knew that they had needed to get back to the pack at a certain time and didn't need to know why.

They were Werewolves, after all, and they did have to follow their Alpha's command.

"See ya around," I said. I opened the door and walked out, taking a deep breath and letting it out. I had no idea how it would be and prayed that he would actually let me work there again.

If not, then I had no idea what I would do. I was not confident in my paintings and had no idea if Miguel would sell them.

I just hoped that I would know soon to prepare myself for the weeks to come without a job and no other cash options.

***

My phone rang as I was making myself some dinner and listening to some music. I paused in cutting up some vegetables and watched as the phone vibrated on the kitchen counter, interrupting the music.

After wiping my hands on my jeans, I grabbed my phone and looked to see that an unknown number was calling me with the same area code as me.

Furrowing my brows, I placed my phone back on the counter, debating on whether or not I should answer it.

I had no idea who would be calling me at this hour, it almost being eight in the evening, because the men I worked with all had families and kids that would be put to bed at this time.

"Should... I answer it?" I asked, looking in the spot where I had a feeling where my Ghost was standing. "I don't know this number."

The phone swung violently one way before it was turned back into my direction and pushed towards me. The Ghost wanted me to answer the call.

Taking a deep breath, I picked up my phone and answered it. "This is Clover Greene," I said.

"You know, you should answer the phone on the first ring," the familiar voice of Frederick said, and I rolled my eyes.

"Yes, because I answer the phone for people that I don't know the number for," I said sarcastically. "What can I do for you, Mr. Long?" I stuffed my phone between my ear and shoulder as I started to finish my meal.

"Are you busy?"

"In fact, I am," I replied, chopping some vegetables. "I am finishing making dinner for me, but I can multitask, so what is it that you need?"

"You will be starting work tomorrow," he said. "At five in the morning sharp. You will work until everything is done, so I think you should pack a lunch. Do you wear glasses or contacts more often?"

"I like to wear glasses better than contacts," I said. I don't like wearing anything, but you don't need to know that I am a different species, I added silently.

"Wear those. After work, there are classes for the GED; I suggest you take them to get prepared for the big test."

"Un huh," I said. "How far are the classes? I don't have a car to go to them."

"How will you get to work, then?"

"Uh, the building isn't that far from my apartment, so I will walk," I replied. "I wake up at four, and it doesn't take me that long to get ready." I tossed whatever I had into the pot to let it simmer and placed the lid over it before turning on the timer.

"Hmph," he replied.

"Is there anything else, Sir?" I asked, leaning against the counter as I waited.

"No, no, that is all. Thank you." And with that, he hung up.

I stared at my phone and blinked. Confusion fell on me like a soft blanket as I stared at it.

I was confused as to why he had called me in the first place when he could have had Miguel or one of the guys that had my number.

I shook my head and saved his number into my phone, wanting to be sure that if he did call, then I would answer it.

For some reason, I hoped that he would call me soon, and that confused me more than anything in my fucked up life.