Rejected, Rebirth, and Revenge

Chapter Eight: Welcome

“You scared the hell out of me!” I couldn’t help but exclaim.

He gave me a disinterested look. “I told you that we’d talk later. There’s a lot we have to discuss, remember?”

I sighed and folded my arms. I didn’t like this. I didn’t want to be questioned too thoroughly. But at the same time, I had to know that this was expected. They wouldn’t allow a stranger to come into their midst and tell them all their plans without trusting them.

“Okay,” I simply said, not wanting to initiate anything.

Dixon shot me an annoyed look before taking another drag of his cigarette. “You seem reluctant to share anything valuable about your past. Why is that, Fox?”

“Wouldn’t you be reluctant if the same thing had happened to you?” I shot back.

He kept his lips sealed, but his eyes were stone as he gazed at me. I wondered what it was I said that triggered this reaction.

“Look,” he said ultimately, flicking his cigarette so it landed on the road, “you don’t get to talk back to me when I ask you a question. I don’t know when the last time that you were around people was, but you don’t always have to have your guard up, especially here. I need you to answer my questions so I know whether I can trust you or not. My f*****g life depends on this.”

There were so many insults in his speech that I didn’t know where to start. “I’m not some wild animal that you can boss around, Dixon. I’m—”

“It’s Hunter,” he said, interrupting me.

I took a deep, steadying breath. “Alright. Hunter. You can’t boss me around. And you can’t force me to share personal aspects of my life with you. You didn’t share any of yours with mine, remember? I never even asked you why you wanted Alpha Desmond dead!”

He became feral. He pointed at the ground and said, “My house, my rules. If you expect to stay here and cooperate with us, then you should follow my rules and answer my questions.”

“I won’t do it,” I said, folding my arms. “If you want me to leave because of this, I’ll leave. If I ever have to tell you my truth, it’ll be when I decide to share it with you. When I decide that I trust you enough. It goes both ways, Hunter.”

He ran a hand over his mouth, exuding frustration. I knew I was pushing him, and that if he sent me away, I’d have nowhere to go, and I might lose the only opportunity I’d have to do what I was sent down here to do.

But if I didn’t impose respect now, I’d pay for it later.

“I’ll tell you when I’m ready,” I repeated, tucking my wind-rustled hair behind my ears. “For now, you’ll just have to trust me.”

“Trust you,” he repeated.

“Yes,” I said confidently. “I’m trusting you, after all, and I don’t know you either. And I’ll be risking my life infiltrating a pack that caused me so much harm.”

The words that left my own lips hit me like a rock. It was the truth; I’d be facing the very people who killed me and left me there in the woods. It wouldn’t be easy, and there was always the risk that I’d give myself away.

Hunter sighed, then turned away from me. I didn’t know if I’d convinced him to leave me alone. I hoped so. My whole plan depended on this.

“Fine,” he said. “I’ll figure out if the plan works. If it doesn’t, there’s no reason why you should be here anyway.”

I didn’t react to his statement and he walked past me, reeking of smoke and an earthy scent that I couldn’t put my finger on. I was relieved that he left me alone, at least. He wasn’t pushing me for any answer of any kind.

I didn’t know how long this would last, so I’d have to come up with a credible story by then. He’d ask again. He didn’t seem to me like the kind of person who gave up easily.

In fact, there was pure stubbornness in Hunter Dixon, and I had a feeling that there was more where that came from.

I felt a little lost, but decided nonetheless to go to the diner. He didn’t invite me, but honestly, if I waited for an invitation from him, I’d starve.

I made my way to the diner. Unsurprisingly, it was lit up, and the sign was flashing neon red. I wondered about the history of the place, but pushed the thought to the back of my mind when I smelled the food.

My stomach grumbled, and I had to clutch it as I walked inside.

Again, I received looks from people as I walked by, and I felt terrible and self-conscious when I noticed that they were staring at my bare feet. I felt like a wildling here. My dress didn’t even fit their dress code, which was mostly all-black. I stood near the door, unsure of what to do or where to even go. I saw unfamiliar faces staring back at me, and it filled me with an anxiety that I wished I could shake off.

“Pssst,” I heard. When I looked in the direction of the noise, I saw the waitress, Sandy, waving me over. She was standing behind the long counter, an apron wrapped around her upper body.

I walked toward her, tucking my hair behind my ear. It was a nervous tic I’d developed since coming here. I noticed how her gaze lingered on my feet before she dragged it up my body, ultimately landing on my face.

“Hey,” she said casually.

“Hi.”

“You’re the new one they’re calling Fox, right?”

I nodded sheepishly. “That’s me.”

“Clothes,” she began, “do you want some?”

“Yes,” I said, nodding eagerly. “Please.”

She jerked her head in the direction of the kitchen and lifted the top of the counter to allow me to pass. I followed her to the storeroom, but before that, I inevitably had to cross the kitchen. To my astonishment, there were only three people cooking. I saw piles of hamburger meat on a flat tray, and they just kept piling more on top.

They didn’t look at me. They probably didn’t even notice anyone coming in.

“What is this place?” I asked her. “Who’s funding this?”

She scoffed. “That’s something you don’t want to know. Besides, you came here during a good time. It’s not always like this.”

“What’s it like?”

“Empty. No food.”

I nodded, but didn’t really understand what she meant by that. My first thought was that this was something illegal. What else could explain how they got their hands on so much food?

“We’re sorted for the month, though,” she assured me. “There’s more than enough to go around this time.”

We walked into the storeroom and she closed the door. I saw boxes stacked on top of boxes, and I couldn’t help but wonder what was in them. I couldn’t peek inside them, though, because they were all closed.

Sandy was rummaging through a large plastic storage container, throwing some articles of clothing on the floor. The room was dimly lit, but I could see what she was doing pretty well.

“Here,” she said, grabbing a pair of jeans and stretching it. “This will fit you fine. It might be a little tight. I can’t tell.”

She threw it at me and I hurried to put it on. It was a tight fit, but I was grateful to be wearing something that wasn’t this dress.

Next, she found a pair of sneakers that fit me, followed by a black turtleneck. She put a few more clothes into a black plastic bag and handed them to me. “For later.”

“Thank you,” I said. “I’m beyond grateful.”

She outstretched her arm. “Do you want me to get rid of that for you?”

She was talking about my dress. I held it close to me protectively, cradling it as if it were a child. “No. This one holds so many memories for me. I’ll keep it.”

“If you need any soap, come after closing time. I’ll find something for you.”

“I really appreciate it,” I told her.

We went back outside. It was wonderful to have my feet covered and not feel dirt under my feet whenever I walked. Besides, they were sore, and in these sneakers, they were cushioned.

I walked back into the main area without her, holding my plastic bag. It was then that I heard my new nickname being called. “Fox!”

I looked to my left and saw Hunter’s friends waving at me. Waving me over. They were occupying the same booth as last time, and much to my dismay, Alexia was with them.

She was perched on Hunter’s lap.

I decided to go near their table, and they made space for me to sit down. Once I did, Malcolm said to me, “Thank the Moon you got that stupid dress off. You look like one of us now.”

Alexia scoffed lightly and I felt somewhat embarrassed. I said, “Thanks, I guess?”

He put out his hand. “Welcome to the club.”

I shook it and there were some yells from the group, playful ones. I couldn’t help but laugh a little, feeling more comfortable than I had before. I looked at them because if I looked straight ahead, I’d meet Hunter’s eyes, which were currently drilling holes in the side of my head.