The Lone She-Wolf

Ch. 10

After hitting him and causing him to release his grip on me as he clutched his severely broken nose, I sprinted into the house. Fear, anxiety, anger—all those emotions engulfed me, making it almost impossible to catch my breath. I was right on the verge of allowing Via to take control and deal with the situation, but I hesitated, wary of stirring up even more chaos outside. How would my neighbors respond if they caught sight of a massive werewolf in their midst? Surely they wouldn't react with open arms. Instead, there was no doubt that they would either call the police or take some other drastic action that would only serve to shine an unwanted spotlight on me and my home. The frustration of this predicament seemed unbearable.

I peeked at Gram, who remained peacefully nestled in her bed, completely oblivious to the recent events. My relief grew as I realized that the cacophony that had transpired hadn't roused her. Nonetheless, I found myself tangled with anxiety and frustration, understanding that due to the unsettling episode, sleep would continue to evade me for the remainder of the night. The nagging worry that this mysterious individual in a car might pursue me and attempt a break-in gnawed at me incessantly. In my desperation and uncertainty about how to handle the situation, particularly since I had no idea who this person even was, I chose to make a change and let Via take charge instead. There was no way I was going to gamble with our safety by taking any unnecessary risks.

I remained in my wolf form throughout the entire night, only transforming back when I heard Gram's voice announcing that breakfast was ready in the morning. My energy levels were incredibly low, making me feel utterly exhausted. Despite being tucked away in the recesses of Via's mind all night, I couldn't find even a moment of respite. My thoughts raced incessantly, preventing me from getting so much as a wink of sleep, which only added to my growing frustration. With an air of frustration, I sluggishly put on my clothes and begrudgingly dragged myself out of my room, making my way towards the kitchen to eat breakfast. Gram was quick to pick up on my disheveled appearance and tired demeanor. "What's wrong, lovey? Did you manage to get any sleep last night?" I glanced at her and forced a smile before letting out a long, weary yawn. "I tried my best, but I just couldn't catch much shut-eye. I'll try to get some rest after work today."

I made a conscious effort not to tell Gram about the incident with the car, or what had transpired afterward. Nor did I mention how Via watched over us throughout the entire night like a protective guardian. Considering Gram's delicate state with her health issues and slowly fading memory, I didn't want to burden her with any additional stress on top of everything else she was facing. Following breakfast, I headed back to my room, utterly exhausted, the sole purpose of going back to my room was to make damn sure I apply my scent masking spray today. There was no way I'd allow myself to forget it again. Shane already knew my identity, and possibly even that mysterious guy in the car last night. The last thing I needed was more people added to that list. Satisfied with my precautionary measures and completely doused in the scent-masking spray, I grabbed my bag and sluggishly went back to the kitchen to inform Gram that I was heading out. As if to help soften my mood, she kindly handed me another bag filled with her delicious muffins. "Thanks, Gram. The customers will surely love these today!" She offered me a bright, comforting smile, pecked my cheek affectionately, and proceeded to watch me just like every other day while I made the short, journey to the coffee shop.

Before I could accomplish anything else, I needed to start brewing all the coffee. Desperately needing some just to maintain my ability to keep my eyes open today, I found myself utterly frustrated. To make matters worse, one of the women was scheduled to come in for her trial period. With an air of annoyance because of my lack of sleep, I was so happy that I had a list of things for her to attempt baking in the backroom already put together. I needed to determine if she could navigate a recipe and whether her skills were on par or even remotely close to Grams' divine baking abilities.

As per usual, my devoted patrons began to arrive at the coffee shop. I made sure to do everything necessary to ensure I was at my best performance. After putting on my apron and grabbing my notepad, I went around the shop, taking note of everyone's orders. Once their food and beverages were served, I retreated to the counter, pouring myself my third cup of coffee for the day. Dawn entered the shop a bit later than her usual time. As expected, she had some juicy news to share with me. While I did everything I could to show her that I was attentive, her story involved the hardware store owner catching his spouse with the gas station proprietor. My mental capacity was limited and struggled to take in any more information beyond that point. All I could do was offer a friendly smile and nod in response. Dawn proceeded to place her regular order but opted to take it with her today since she planned on doing some gardening work.

She eagerly informed me about her bountiful harvest of squash and cucumbers and promised to bring me some during her next visit. Expressing my gratitude for her generous offer, we said our goodbyes as she left the shop. In her absence, I seized the coffee pots and circulated the café once more, making sure everyone had their mugs refilled as needed. Once again, I found myself standing at the counter, glancing up at the clock and realizing we had merely two hours left of work. A moment later, the sleek black car returned, and I instantly felt an overwhelming sense of dread. In a futile attempt to hide, I crouched down behind the counter, hoping that whoever was inside wouldn't spot me. However, when I heard Shane's familiar voice along with the one I presumed was his driver entering the shop, I allowed myself to stand back up.

Without any forewarning or control over my emotions, I quickly approached Shane with tears streaming down my face as I reached out and hugged him tightly. It was difficult to pinpoint exactly what had overtaken me so suddenly. The very thought of being near him would have normally elicited reluctance. Yet, at that moment, both I and Via saw Shane exude a comforting aura that made us feel protected. Although we were more than capable of dealing with situations independently, there was something about his presence that put my troubled soul at ease.

"Sierra, what's the matter? Oh, Goddess!" Shane uttered with a soft, hushed voice. "Ramiro, I need to take her outside for a brief conversation. Please stay here and ensure everyone is safe and sound for the time being." I was astounded by his concern for me, prioritizing my well-being above all else. He even directed his chauffeur to keep an eye on my beloved coffee shop. As soon as we stepped outside, I opened up and shared everything with him. I described how I had assumed the mysterious car that followed me home from the diner the other night belonged to him when he arrived in a similar black vehicle the next day. Seeing the same car again last night, and also thinking that it was him.

I recounted every detail of the harrowing incident, including how the stranger had tried to grab me, and how I think that I broke his nose. As I spoke, I noticed Shane's eyes change subtly, signaling that his wolf was beginning to assert itself. After conversing for a significant amount of time, he and I decided to return indoors. Upon our entry, we noticed Ramiro's expression, which reflected pure relief at the sight of us. It was apparent that being surrounded by humans made him uncomfortable, even though his time without Shane in the shop had been brief. Frankly, it was hard to hold it against him; after all, living in a pack house had been his reality for his entire life. Soon enough, I caught a glimpse of Shane's eyes glazing over, indicating that he was communicating with someone through a link. Upon completion of the exchange, he informed me of his intentions to have some of his guards keep watch over my home tonight. However, he didn't know where I resided and therefore, requested my address. This revelation only reinforced my suspicion that the individual tailing me had not been him. After thoughtful consideration, I agreed to his proposal; it had been quite some time since I'd been involved in any werewolf affairs. Receiving assistance from someone as influential as Shane could only prove to be advantageous.