The Omega Queen

Six

“A burger and a chicken basket,” Laverne said as she delivered another order.

Erin merely nodded, not breaking her focus. It was a busy day. Days like this always left her exhausted, but she didn’t mind the work.

Two weeks had passed since Gethin’s visit, and she couldn’t help but worry. She knew the rules of such places, and she knew she was pushing her luck by staying, but she had nowhere else to go. Even if she tried to join another Kweo pack once, her secret would be revealed and that pack would pay the same price as hers.

“Order for a double-cheeseburger and an everything omelet,” Laverne announced. “Table three also wants a slice of rhubarb-custard. Can you get that for me? I got a clean-up at table six.”

She was gone before Erin could answer. With a sigh, she pulled off her apron and stepped out of the kitchen. Nervously, she grabbed a plate and set the chosen slice on top. Turning around, she nervously scanned the interior of the diner. It was quite packed and for some reason her wolf was restless.

Normally, Eir was content to slumber in the deepest recesses of her mind and hardly ever stirred. But for the past several minutes, it had been pacing in the back of her mind. When she questioned it, however, it merely complained that it was itchy.

Perhaps she should take time to let her wolf run. Erin didn’t do it often and Laverne cautioned her never to let her wolf be seen, not that she needed reminding. She didn’t want to cause panic, but Eir was so small most would probably think she was nothing more than a dog.

Carrying the pie to the designated table, Erin was surprised to note they were both wolves. In all the years she had been there, it was her first time seeing other werewolves. This was a large city. After all, most supernatural creatures avoided such places and left it as neutral territory.

What was more, most also avoided places frequented by the Fae. Many found them unsettling and their powers difficult to deal with. Avoidance was mutual as the Fae rarely went out of their way to associate with other creatures. Laverne was a rare exception, even among exu.

Hopefully, the wolves wouldn’t even notice her. Erin set the pie on the table and nodded to the words of gratitude, eager to get away from them. Just a few steps and she would be out of their range of detection. Her wolf whimpered, but she ignored it. Suddenly, her hand was grabbed and something like lightning shot up her arm.

Yelping, her wolf practically bounced in excited leaps, ‘He’s here! He found us!’

Erin turned to see one of the wolves had grabbed her. He was tall with broad shoulders. His auburn hair shimmered red under the harsh glow of the café’s fluorescent lights. Chiseled features gave him a handsome but harsh expression.

“Mate!”

Erin’s gaze widened. Was this him? Was this her Goddess-given mate? Had he really found her?

But…

Why didn’t he look happy to see her? Was he that disappointed? He must have sensed she was nothing more than an omega. Clearly, he was from a higher rank, a beta or perhaps even an alpha, given his dominant aura. Neither would want her. She was useless to them.

Then, was he going to reject her?

Eir whimpered.

Why did he have to find her now? She had already decided to leave to save Laverne from any further trouble. In a couple of days, she would have been long gone.

Elders warned her that the pain of rejection was almost too much to bear and some even lost their wolves in the process. She couldn’t lose Eir. Her wolf was all she had left.

NO! Please, not that!

Erin wrenched her arm free before darting back to the kitchen and up the stairs to her room, her sanctuary. It was the only haven she had ever known, but now she worried it wasn’t quite safe enough.

* * *

“Wait!” Alexander was dumbstruck when his mate pulled free and ran away.

Was she disappointed in him? Did she not sense he was an alpha? Didn’t all she-wolves long for a strong mate? Did she take a chosen mate because it took him so long to find her?

No. There was no mark on her neck. It had to be something else. She had looked terrified. What was she afraid of? Was she afraid of him?

Argo whimpered, ‘How dare you frighten our Mate.’

‘Me?’

‘I will not forgive you if you run our Mate off! Go to her!’

Alexander stumbled forward only to have his path blocked by the African-American waitress. Growling, he ordered, “Out of my way!”

“I don’t think that will be very helpful to you, your Majesty,” she stated. “I suggest we sit and have a little chat first.”

“If you know who I am, you know to stay out of my way!”

Alexander pushed past her only to suddenly freeze. The café had suddenly disappeared, and he stood surrounded by desert scrub. The only vestiges of the place they had been was their own booth. It was quite jarring to see it just sitting there on the loose sand.

“You would do well to listen to me,” the waitress said. “This is my realm, after all.”

“Your realm?” Alexander glared at her. “What have you done with my mate?”

“Absolutely nothing. I assure you, she is quite safe. She’s been under my care for quite some time. I consider her to be very precious.”

“Of course! Herma!” Nathan suddenly exclaimed. “I remember now. I read it in a history book. It is Greek. It is the marker for a crossroads. And crossroads are the domain of the Fae.”

“The Fae,” Alexander growled.

“Your friend is quite learned,” the waitress pulled up a chair. “Call me Laverne. Now, then, shall we have our chat?”

Alexander glanced over his shoulder, desperate to see some sign of the path his mate took. He didn’t even know her name and he hadn’t heard her voice. Her scent still lingered in his nose. She smelled like apples.

She wasn’t from any pack he recognized. She appeared to be a wendigo. Was that why she was afraid of him? Would she reject him because of the centuries-old conflict his great-grandfathers had instigated?

History told of his great-grandfather brokering peace between them and the native werewolf pack, but, in actuality, it was more like a war. Many native packs looked at them like invaders and there had been years of violence and skirmishes. In the end, they forced many wendigo packs from their natural territories. This was the very reason why he had such difficulty trying to make contact with them now.

But this was his mate. He didn’t care where she came from. All he wanted was her. But first, he had to deal with the witch keeping them apart.

Alexander looked back at the unassuming figure. She certainly didn’t look like the regal, elegant figure he pictured when he thought about the Fae. He had never seen one in person before, and they largely kept to themselves. Why, then, was this one so invested in his mate?

“Are you ready to sit?” Laverne asked. “We have all the time in the world, and I have nowhere else I need to be.”

“We have a flight to catch,” Nathan interjected.

Laverne chuckled, “That’s out there. In here, time doesn’t exist. Think of it as an in-between place: between here and there or between one minute and the next. So, you see, we have all the time we need for a young pup to mind its manners and respect its elders.”

“And what if I decide to behead you right here?” Alexander challenged.

“That would be an impressive trick, assuming you could even find the real me,” Laverne smiled. “This is my domain and within it I am virtually omnipotent. You should consider that before making idle threats. You should also consider the fact that your mate is very fond of me. I doubt she would take kindly to you removing my head. She’s already terrified of you.”

Argo whimpered. Alexander hesitated before returning to his seat. In a standoff like this, he was beat.