The Omega Queen

Two

Soon the smell of chicken and roasted vegetables enticed them to the open door. They were far too starved and tired to be properly wary, and there was something about Laverne that made them feel safe. It would be several days before they learned the truth about the woman who offered them sanctuary. But even knowing it, Erin found it hard to believe.

After breakfast, she washed the dishes, then helped prep the diner by wiping tables and mopping the tile floors. She made sure the condiment bottles and napkin containers were full, wondering why they even really bothered.

Isn’t this something Laverne could do with a thought and wave of her hand?

The diner was Laverne’s domain, and everything obeyed her whims. That was how these sorts of places worked if they had their guardian Exu. Everyone who entered her domain was under her protection and Erin was so grateful she had been allowed to stay. She had no idea what might have happened to her otherwise.[1]

Because of Laverne, she and her wolf had recovered. They still bore the mental scars of their ordeal, but she was no longer starved or forced to drain herself for her cruel captors. Erin never told Laverne what happened to her, but the exu didn’t ask either. There was always a quiet look of understanding in her gaze. Laverne claimed she couldn’t read minds, but Erin was not so sure.

‘She is a mystery,’ Eir agreed.

‘But she is trustworthy, right?’

‘Yes, for the most part.’

‘Most part?’

‘The Fae don’t choose sides and are really only loyal to themselves. But they are generous to those they favor.’

Erin nodded. She could always trust Eir’s intuition even if hers was clouded. Laverne promised she was safe as long as she was within the bounds of her domain. That was the way of fairies. They were exceptionally frail, but within their territory they were practically omnipotent.

Erin occasionally left to explore the city and run errands. Employment at the diner gave her a steady income for her to use on necessities and clothing. She only bought the barest of supplies and didn’t even have a phone. Electronics didn’t work well within a fairy circle, so there was no point. Besides, who would she call?

Instead, she walked several blocks to the library. There, she could access sale websites and have the items she needed delivered directly to the diner. It was far better than shopping in a department store. Crowds made her uncomfortable and, more importantly, her inability to communicate directly with the sales staff added a level of difficulty.

“All right,” Laverne announced, “I think we are ready. What do you think, honey?”

Erin looked up from the shakers she was filling and nodded before moving her hands in gestures she had long mastered to communicate. Unfortunately, not many bothered to learn ASL if they themselves were not similarly impaired or unrelated to someone who was.

“Well said,” Laverne agreed. “Today will be a good day. I can feel it.”

Moving to the door, Laverne turned the closed sign to open. Immediately, the air changed as if letting out a breath it had been holding. The atmosphere brightened, becoming warmer and lively. The Herma Café was officially open for business.[2]

The first customers of the day trickled in. Erin busied herself helping with coffee until the orders started coming in. She disappeared into the kitchen to man the stove and griddle. Over the years, she learned to make all the entrées offered at the diner and even created some new ones. Now, she handled the cooking while Laverne focused on the customers, not that she was really needed.

Laverne’s power allowed her to do a multitude of jobs single-handedly. Still, Erin wanted to be of use and repay the kindness she had been shown. And staying in the kitchen meant she didn’t have to interact with people.

Once people realized her handicap, they would generally react in one of two ways. The first was that they would look at her with pity. They slowed their speech and talked loudly in broken English, like she was a child, sometimes accompanied by hand gestures that meant nothing.

The second was that they became cruel, calling her all sorts of names in the most condescending tones, becoming increasingly verbally abusive. Occasionally, some had actually become physically abusive, bolstered by the fact she couldn’t call for help. At least, in the Herma Café, they were prevented from harming her.

It was times like that she wished she was stronger. Though she was a werewolf, she was not endowed with strength or a powerful aura. She simply couldn’t intimidate anyone, and she possessed no combat skills. Her endurance wasn’t bad. Running was one physical skill she did have. She had often raced her sister and the other pack pups and remained undefeated. No one, not even her alpha sister, could match her pace and her wolf was even faster.

If she couldn’t fight back, at least she could run away. It was just as her sister told her to do the night of their escape. Run. Survive.

The first and last alpha command her sister gave was all to save her, and it had been pointless. She was a curse. It was her fault. Her entire pack was wiped out in a single night. They paid the price and only she was left alive. It wasn’t fair. She should have died alongside them. Was that why she could never escape her nightmares? Was that her comeuppance? It didn’t seem like enough.

“Honey? You okay in there?” Laverne called through the service window.

Erin stirred, giving her a thumbs up and turned her attention to the food. She couldn’t afford to become distracted. If she dwelled too much on her thoughts, her emotions would affect the food. Erin wasn’t certain how, but her emotional state occasionally leaked into the food and the diner’s moods would reflect how she felt when the food was eaten. It led to several reactions: giddiness and laughter if she was happy, quiet contemplation if she was pensive, tears if she was filled with sorrow.

Erin certainly didn’t want to cause any trouble for Laverne. She filled the orders with ease, setting plates on the window and tapping the bell each time. Once she got into the rhythm, it was easy to lose herself in the action. She truly loved to cook, though baking was her favorite pastime.

In between orders, she prepared pies, sweet treats and baked goods. They were displayed in the case, and people could order them at any time, though most usually grabbed something with their coffee. It always brought Erin immense contentment when she saw their satisfied smiles, especially the kids.

She had a soft spot for children. Eir often whimpered with the longing to have pups of her own. Erin, too, wanted pups, but that was impossible without a mate, and no one would want her. Not even her true mate, assuming the moon Goddess planned to give her one. She would surely be rejected once they found out what she was. Perhaps they wouldn’t even wait that long. She was weak. No male wanted a weak mate.

Erin shook her head and shoved away her thoughts. It seemed she just couldn’t focus today. Perhaps she should take the day off. Laverne would have no difficulty manning the café without her, but Erin hated being idle. It just gave her more time to wade through the landmines of her mind and that was something she desperately wanted to avoid.

‘Erin, you don’t know that our mate will reject us,’ Eir said, stirring from the recesses of her mind.

‘You know what being our mate entails. There is no way they would ever agree to remain at our side, even if we weren’t so weak.’

Eir whimpered, then retreated without argument.

She knew how much her wolf longed for its mate, every wolf did. It was part of their biology. Mates, pups and packs were all things wolves needed and clung to. It was unfortunate she and her wolf would never be able to enjoy them. It wasn’t fair.

“What’s this? I see the stray is still hanging around.”

Erin stiffened and turned to see a man dressed in a brown suit, but she knew he was no mere man. It annoyed her that he could completely hide his presence, but that was the way of his kind. She glanced at him and felt Eir’s similar irritation.

“Gethin, I thought I told you not to disturb my staff,” Laverne suddenly appeared in the doorway.

“Staff? You shouldn’t even have staff,” Gethin said.

“Let’s take this into the office, shall we?” Laverne gestured. “Keep the kitchen moving, Erin. Thank you.”

Erin nodded, watching the man with a wary eye as the pair headed into the cooler. She wasn’t sure what they would discuss, but she had a feeling it would center around her. No matter where she was, she caused trouble.