The Masked Wolf

Nonessential

Ava’s point of view

After stepping out of the refreshing shower and wrapping myself in a cozy towel, I glanced at my phone to discover a message from Tom.

Tom’s text read, "When is your next day off?" I smiled. He was relentless.

Curiosity piqued, I swiftly messaged Gloria, asking, "When is our next day off at the bar?"

Inquisitively, Gloria responded, "Why are you already tired of working at the bar?"

With a hint of disappointment, I typed back, "No, it's not that. Tom wants to meet me again, and I want to pan a rendezvous at the bar."

Gloria's following message provided a solution, "I'm free on Wednesday since I'll be visiting my grandma. I can see her earlier in the day because I won't be working at the pack house, and then we can head to the bar. So you can meet Prince Charming. "

Relieved, I replied, "Okay, Wednesday night, we can meet at the bar. Does that work for you, Tom?" I wondered if it was too short of notice.

Without delay, Tom responded, "I'll rearrange my schedule to make it work."

My heart fluttered with excitement. Was he rearranging his schedule for me?

Feeling the exhaustion settle in, I sent Tom a final message, "Well, good night. I desperately need some rest, as I'll be working all day again tomorrow."

Tom's reply came swiftly, filled with affection, "Alright, beautiful. I wish I could convince your boss to let you have tomorrow off so I could see you then. Nevertheless, Wednesday will suffice. Sweet dreams."

Exhausted from the previous night's shift at the bustling bar, I reluctantly dragged myself out of bed.

Balancing two jobs was undeniably draining, but the financial rewards from the bar made it all worth it. With Tom's help, I could determine exactly how much I owed and calculate the time it would take to pay it back.

As I began to rise from the comfort of my bed, my phone chimed, signaling a message from Tom. "Good morning, beautiful," his text greeted me. It was exciting to receive this kind of text from him.

Smirking playfully, I responded, "Good morning. Is it always this early for you?" I liked Tom being up early and texting me.

Tom replied, "Well, as the boss, I have certain responsibilities. I did mention that, didn't I?"

His response elicited a giggle from me. "Yes, you did. By the way, Ava mentioned that things went well with the Alpha and conveyed her gratitude towards you. She also mentioned that he inquired about me."

Amusement laced Tom's following message. "Oh, did he now? He better not be trying to infringe on what's rightfully mine."

Blushing at his possessiveness, I quickly assured him, "No, I don't think so. It seemed he was trying to gather information about me for you. Ava said Alpha Ace was nice to her, though."

Giggling softly, I continued messaging him as I went to the kitchen.

I paused upon hearing Brenda's complaints echoing through the air. "He forgot about our date yesterday, and now I have to reschedule everything. He blew me off for some stupid meeting. Can't he spare one night for me?" Brenda vented her frustrations about her boyfriend, Alpha Ace.

Was I the reason he canceled their plans? The guilt gnawed at me, but I didn’t want to face Brenda. After all, I had gone to bed hungry the previous night and needed to eat. With bated breath, I entered the kitchen.

"Eww, look who decided to show up," Brenda shrieked, her disdain evident. "

Eww, that poor omega owes so much to the pack. Can you even imagine being so shameful?" her friend Sabrina chimed in.

Determined to ignore their comments about me, I grabbed my breakfast and hastily devoured it.

As I left the kitchen, my phone chimed, alerting me to a new message. "I hope you're safe and not in the neutral pack lands today. There's a pack of violent rogues roaming around. Some packs have even locked their borders," Tom's text warned. I was thankful for the warning.

"Thanks for the heads up. Yeah, I won't be venturing out today. I'll probably work half a day," I replied, grateful for Tom's concern.

Just then, Gloria approached me, offering a warm hug. I reciprocated the embrace, finding solace in her presence. I was always happy to have Gloria around.

"I think we shouldn't go to work at the bar today," I began telling Gloria. I was hoping she wouldn't be disappointed. I loved working at the bar, and she probably did too.

"Oh, right. You can't receive mind links since you haven't shifted yet. Alpha Ace locked down the borders for our safety," Gloria explained, understanding my predicament and relaying the message.

"Tom mentioned that several packs have taken similar precautions due to the rogue activity in the neutral pack lands," I added. Gloria smiled at the mention of Tom’s name and nudged me.

"Well, the Alpha granted non-essential staff the day off, and you know what that means? We get to spend the day together!" Gloria exclaimed, linking her arm with mine as we joyfully danced in celebration.

My phone pinged once again, interrupting our conversation. "Does this mean I can spend half the day with you?" Tom persisted, his eagerness evident.

I wanted to. I needed to give my day off to Gloria instead. She had been so amazing and kind to me, never asking for much in return.

"Sorry, but my bestie already asked. You'll have to wait until tomorrow if the neutral pack lands are deemed safe. If not, I suppose we will meet another day," I replied, trying to let him down gently.

"Well, I'm jealous of your best friend. I'll definitely see you tomorrow, even if I have to clear the neutral pack lands myself personally," Tom texted back, making it clear that our date wasn't something I could easily escape.

Gloria and I drove to the lake, my mind still preoccupied with safety concerns. "Are you sure it's safe for us to be out here?" I voiced my worries as we pulled up to our destination. I worried about the border lockdown.

"Yes, Alpha Ace would have ordered us to stay inside if it wasn't safe. Besides, we need to be out here so you can shift today," Gloria said, placing her hands on her hips as she got out of the car.

"What? No! I'm not even prepared for all of that. Let's go back home. " I protested, feeling unprepared and overwhelmed by the idea.

I wouldn't have come if I knew this was what Gloria had planned.

"Oh yes, we are," my wolf Sage interjected in my mind, her voice strong and commanding. She was excited.

"Yes, you are. What if we encounter trouble in the neutral pack lands? I'll have to face it alone and protect you by myself. I know you love it there today proves that it's not as safe as you think it is." Gloria countered, her concern evident.

"Okay, fine. Only because without you, I would have no one else. You're such a pain." I reluctantly agreed, my fear causing me to shake.

"Promise me that you'll stay right here with me, no matter what.“ I said, shaking a little with uncertainty.

"I promise. I'll always be here for you when you need me. It will be fun once you shift, I promise. And you and your wolf will have a deeper bond!” Gloria said with a reassuring smile, pulling out a blanket from her car.

"What's the blanket for?" I inquired, my curiosity piqued by Gloria's unexpected choice to bring along an old, worn-out blanket.

Despite its tired appearance, I couldn't help but notice that it was clean. Confusion swirled within me as I wondered about Gloria's intentions for bringing it along on our journey.