The Omega Queen

Five

Alexander leaned back in the passenger seat with a relieved sigh. Beside him, Nathan drove, keeping an eye on any vehicles trying to tail them. He had already sent their bodyguards on ahead to secure the airport and their departure, so they were on their own. But Alexander often tired of traveling with an entourage anyway.

Luckily, most of the werewolves slept in after their late night. In the past, Alexander lamented the lack of control other wolves demonstrated at such events, but this time it worked in their favor, so he wouldn’t complain. Now that the event was over, he could officially say it had been a bust. Not only did the wendigo packs not make an appearance, he also hadn’t found his mate.

“That was a deep sigh,” Nathan commented. “Anything you want to talk about?”

“No, just the usual.”

With a grimace, Nathan nodded. He knew well enough the turmoil in his alpha’s mind. The longing for one’s mate was a hard thing to bear, and it only worsened as the years passed. It certainly didn’t help that others continually threw their female relatives at him.

If that wasn’t enough, there was also the disappointment of the Wendigo packs not answering any of their invitations. Contrary to human beliefs, the shifter community was much vaster than it appeared at first glance. Werewolves, in particular, included a much wider array of variations. Over the years, Alexander had gone out of his way to establish working relationships with several other factions, including the Baraks, Wulvers, Vargulfr, Vrkajina, Lous Garous and Gurki communities, to name a few. All would be considered werewolves by humans but possessed distinctive traits and habits that set them apart.

Werewolf past was littered with many conflicts between the various groups. Alexander’s great-grandfather hadn’t done him any favors by instigating several of them in his desire to expand their own territory. It had taken years of dedicated negotiations for him to overcome the hard feelings on both sides and prove he was not like his predecessors and now the various communities truly did look on him as their representative.

It was a monumental feat, to be sure, but now he wanted to build the same bridges with the local packs of the Americas. However, it was difficult when one side wouldn’t even show up to the table. They were clearly at an impasse, and neither were certain what their next move should be.

“Well, we can talk about it after we get home,” Nathan finally said. “I’m hungry, though, so we need to stop somewhere to eat before we get on a plane. I hate airplane food.”

Alexander grunted, but he didn’t argue. Werewolves had a higher metabolism than other creatures, so frequent meals were a necessity. Maybe food would make his wolf settle.

His wolf was an alpha, so it came as no surprise that its presence was sometimes a lot for even him to handle, especially without their luna. It certainly didn’t help that, for the last several months, the Wolf Council had been pushing him to take a chosen mate. Alexander understood their concern. With a mate, his wolf would not be so difficult to handle. If an alpha was fire, then a luna was water. They balanced each other, but his wolf did not want just any female. It wanted its true mate and so did he.

Whatever she-wolf became Winter Moon’s luna would also be the Werewolf Queen. They would have a lot of responsibility foisted upon them, to say nothing of attention and scrutiny. It was a lot to ask of any wolf. They would have to be strong, unbreakable. Nathan had to admit it was difficult to imagine such a wolf and perhaps that was why Alexander hadn’t found her yet. But surely, the Moon Goddess had some plan in mind. After all, no wolf existed without its other half.

* * *

“This place looks good,” Nathan said as he pulled over and parked along the curb.

Alexander stirred. He looked out the window to see a rather quaint café. It looked like something from a much earlier time, back when Route 66 was not just American nostalgia. Raising an eyebrow, he glanced at his beta.

“Oh, come on, live a little,” Nathan chuckled. “It wouldn’t kill you to have a burger once in a while. All that fancy food they usually serve you can’t be good for your digestion.”

Alexander couldn’t help but chuckle. Most packs meant well when they prepared the best they could offer, but it was sometimes tedious. Maybe a simple burger was really what he needed. With a sigh, he climbed out of the vehicle and followed Nathan to the front door.

“How peculiar,” Alexander muttered.

“What is?” Nathan asked, pushing the door open and stepping inside.

Alexander’s wolf stirred, bristling. The atmosphere shifted and something seemed to brush the edges of his mind. He froze, trying to ascertain which direction the probing came from. Who would dare use such tricks to attack him? Was it even an attack?

He didn’t sense any hostility and the presence quickly retreated, making him wonder if he imagined it after all. Alexander’s wolf remained on edge, restlessly pacing his mind. Yet, his wolf gave no indication that it felt threatened. Why, then, wouldn’t it settle down?

“Welcome, gentlemen,” their host greeted. “Have a seat anywhere, be right with you.”

They complied, taking a booth near the door. Far better to have an easy exit should something happen. Somehow, though, Alexander felt they had already fallen into someone’s web.

“Here you are,” the waitress delivered menus and poured cups of coffee. “I’ll give you a moment to look everything over.”

“Thank you,” Alexander nodded.

He sniffed the cup before tasting it. There didn’t seem to be any poison added, not that there was much that could affect a werewolf anyway. He glanced around the diner and noticed several patrons enjoying their chosen meals. They chatted as if they didn’t have a care in the world and none seemed to be paying any particular attention to them. Why then did he feel as if he was being watched?

“Something wrong?” Nathan asked, noting his wary behavior.

“You felt that right?”

“You mean when we first entered, yeah. Something was feeling us out.”

“Thoughts?”

“I don’t sense any hostility. Maybe they just wanted to make sure we weren’t a threat,” Nathan said, glancing around them. “There are a lot of humans here. They seem normal enough.”

“Indeed,” Alexander wrinkled his nose.

Humans had a distinctive odor, similar to musk, that could be rather overwhelming, and that was before they soaked themselves in perfume and cologne. Sometimes it was so strong it was like a miasma that made his eyes water. Apparently, some wolves actually liked the smell and even wore perfume themselves, but he could never stomach such strong, artificial scents.

“Herma Café,” Nathan muttered.

“What was that?” Alexander looked at him.

“Just the name of this place. It’s an odd name. Sounds vaguely Greek, but everything on this menu is definitely American. Herma, why does that sound so familiar?”

“You read far more books than I do,” Alexander shrugged.

“It could have been from a book,” Nathan frowned, but it wasn’t ringing any bells.

“Maybe it’s from one of those fantasy books you like so much: Battle of the Thrones or the Ring King.”

“You mean Game of Thrones and the Lord of the Rings?” Nathan rolled his eyes. “I read those years ago, but I’m much more into Terry Pratchett these days. You should read his Discworld series.”

“I’ll pass.”

They perused the menu. It all seemed rather mundane compared to the café’s name. Considering the oddity of what happened when they arrived, Alexander was a little disappointed. He had expected something unusual. Was he just being overly sensitive?

“All right, what can I get you?” the waitress returned, ready to take their order.

“I’ll have the double cheeseburger with fries,” Alexander said. “And just the coffee to drink.”

“I’ll take the everything omelet,” Nathan said, “and a slice of that rhubarb-custard pie that looks so good in the case.”

“Sure thing, sweetie. I’ll get that right out for you,” she smiled, walking away with the menus.

Alexander frowned. He couldn’t put his finger on it, but there was something strange about their host. Her footsteps were rather light for someone so heavy-set. There was no air of exhaustion one might expect from someone working a physically demanding job either. Perhaps it was because it was still early in the day. Still, something was keeping his wolf on edge.

Normally, Argo remained virtually comatose in the back of his mind. Despondent about not finding their mate and only stirred when its anger was incited, like the previous night. Whenever his wolf was restless, Alexander had to be careful to keep it under control. But it didn’t seem aggressive. It felt like his wolf was looking for something.

“Something wrong?” Nathan asked.

“My wolf is restless.”

“Any danger?”

“I don’t sense a threat.”

“I was more concerned for the other patrons’ safety than ours,” Nathan said. “I’m still thinking about the café’s name. It’s right on the edge of my mind.”

“It’ll come to you eventually.”

“I’d prefer it sooner rather than later. Somehow, I think it is important.”

Alexander let out a small chuckle. Nathan never changed. His eager mind absorbed everything around it, distilling it, but sometimes random facts got lost in the mix. Eventually, Nathan and his wolf would jar it loose. They just needed a little patience, and pie, apparently.

“Maybe food will help,” Alexander suggested.

“Maybe.”

Even as they spoke, a server arrived with a plate bearing the pie Nathan requested. He smiled, noting it was a person different from the waitress who took their orders. This person was a slender Native American. The faint stain on her tank top indicated she probably spent most of her time in the kitchen. So, the café did have more employees.

She set the plate down with a nervous smile before turning away. Alexander suddenly snagged her arm. Her eyes went wide as shocks of recognition hit them both, and he lurched to his feet. His aura flooded the small café as Argo rushed to the surface.

“Mate!” Alexander declared, and Nathan was speechless.

It couldn’t be. Could it?

The young lady stared at Alexander with an expression bordering on terror. Why? Why did she look like that?