Letti's Heart

Sunset

Sunset was a bar at the back and Sunrise was a diner at the front of the property, owned by Mrs Lee, she always said she wanted to keep her business and partying separate so she divided the place into 2 parts and we have the Sunrise Diner and around the back we have the Sunset Bar. She was getting on in her age and all of a sudden decided she wanted to go cruising around the world before she dies....her words not mine. She's been begging me for a year now to let her sign it over to me or she would sell it to me for a dollar, here we are again, I came in for my afternoon shift, doing inventory at the bar and she's on my case " Letti please, there's no one I trust more than you to take over this place " I sighed " Mrs Lee that's a huge responsibility and I'm not sure if I'm ready for that " she clicked her tongue " you're practically running the place already, you do inventory, you clean, you cook, you manage the bar and the diner, plus you do the spreadsheets and the payroll, you write the roster and anytime someone can't make it you find a solution or cover the shift yourself. You're never late or absent, s**t all I do is open the doors and bug you about taking it off my hands " she hugged me from behind " you're the daughter I've always wanted Letti please....I want to give this to you honey you deserve it " I turned around and looked at her, " ok " she stopped and looked at me " what did you say? " I chuckled " you heard me you old bat, you've worn me down, I said ok " she hooted and hollered " woweeeee, lord, I thought I'd never get you to agree, I've had the papers drawn up since last year " my eyes widen and she shrugged " I didn't expect you to resist for so damn long, I've had to cancel tickets to 3 cruises already " I looked at her and she looked at me and we both laughed. " Travis get in here, come witness me and Letti sign these papers " Travis came around through the curtain separating the bar from the stockroom and waited for Mrs Lee to get back from the office with the documents and deeds to the business and building, he watched us sign the papers and saw me give Mrs Lee a dollar, then he signed them saying he witnessed the transaction and I was now the legal owner of the Sunrise deli and the Sunset bar and all the property that came with it. Mrs Lee hugged us both and went upstairs to pack, apparently she was close to cancelling another cruise when I finally agreed to take the place.

I took the late shift at the diner and decided to work the 1st 4 hours at the bar after I closed the diner up. After hours and hours of orders, screaming kids, flirtatious men and numerous spilled drinks, I helped the staff clean up and prep for tomorrow, then I headed behind the building to help Travis and the waitresses get ready for the bar flies and nightly rowdy bunch. I planned to work the first 4 hours and then leave Travis to close up. Mrs Lee had called to say she was safely boarded and headed to Florida, she promised me to check in regularly and let me know she was ok. I cleaned tables and washed glasses, helped with the stock and grabbed a tray waiting until the first few customers trickled in, in about half an hour the place was teeming with people. A biker crew rode in and they all sat and ordered drinks and hot wings, they flirted furiously with the wait staff and I did see some girls giving out their numbers. I also got propositioned but like I said, I'm waiting for my mate, why hang your hopes on the unsure when there is someone out there just for you, made for you and you made for them. The goddess has ensured you a love that won't fail and a partner that will never hurt or leave you, I'd rather wait for my mate till the end of time before I give myself to somebody who can walk away from me whenever the mood suited them. I politely declined any " offers " thrown my way and continued the rest of my shift. I was 15 mins away from finishing my shift and as I was behind the bar washing glasses when someone called my name " Letti.....Leticia Summers is that you? " I dried my hand on my little apron and turned around to see who it was, I recognized the face but the name just wouldn't come to me, " its Ray....Ray Brock, from high school " I smiled " yes Raymond Brock, I was trying so hard to remember your name, how have you been Ray? " he chuckled " I've been good, moved away, found a nice job and a place to settle down. But I wasn't happy, so I pulled up stakes and came back home, what about you, found your mate and got married yet or is there still hope for me? " He grinned and put his hand under his chin batting his lashes at me. I smiled and dropped my head, " haven't found him yet but he's out there, I can wait " he nodded his head and asked when my shift would be over, I told him it was just about over and I had to go home and check on my boy " you just said you were waiting for your mate, now you're telling me you have to get home to your son?! " I laughed " my boy is a 168 pound wolf that I found, rescued and raised from a pup " he dropped his head laughed and apologized " thought you were trying to get rid of me " I shook my head and grabbed my bag from under the bar and told him it was nice seeing him again but I had to get home, he offered to see me home but after what happened yesterday I was NOT letting anybody outside my pack near my house. I assured him I'd be fine and started walking out the door and down the road, the diner/bar was about a 20 minute walk away from my home. He was behind me telling me he didn't feel comfortable letting me walk home alone when a low growl came from my left out of the trees, Ted Levi our pack beta came out of the trees, growling lowly in his chest and walking towards me and Raymond " trust and believe she is NEVER walking home alone " he stared Raymond down until he coughed nervously and backed away, he told me goodnight and turned on his heel and walked back to the bar. I looked at Ted and he turned to look at me " come on Leticia, let me walk you home " I crossed my arms " how long have y'all been "escorting" me home at night beta? " I asked him. He sighed and started walking down the road " Ted.....I'm not moving until you tell me how long have the pack warriors have been walking me home without my knowledge! " I shouted, he stopped walking and turned towards me, he made the couple of steps it took to bring him right in front of me " me Letti.......just me........ " he let go of a long breath " I've been walking beside you in the woods whenever you had a night shift since you got the job in your senior year " I froze, to say I was shocked was the understatement of the millennium " you've been secretly walking beside me for almost 3 years?! Why Ted? I don't understand any of this, did the Alpha ask you or order you to? " he shook his head and reached out like he wanted to touch me but he didn't and dropped his hands back down to his sides, " he didn't, he doesn't even know I do this, everybody thinks I'm training in the woods " I huffed " why Ted, is it because I have no wolf? You feel obligated to to protect poor defenseless Leticia who has no wolf! " I turned and stomped my way down the road " he ran up to me and touched my shoulder, a small jolt of what felt like electricity ran from my shoulder straight to my heart and Ted snatched his hand away, my eyes widened " what was that, you felt that too I saw it in your eyes, what was that Ted?! " He seemed to drop his shoulders in defeat, he came forward and took both of my hands in his and looked me straight in the eye. In his eyes I saw love, affection, fear, hope and sorrow, he sighed with a shudder and held my face " if this is the first and only time I'm ever going to get to do this I want it to be perfect " I looked at him in confusion " Teddy what is going...he kissed me.....like really kissed me, he took my face in his hands, caressed my cheek and planted his lips on mine. His lips were soft and he sighed again and ran his tongue on my bottom lip, I opened my mouth and he plunged his tongue into my mouth, I moaned and grabbed his forearms, he deepened the kiss and a growl came from deep in his chest, I felt small sparks of current and fireworks going off, then it dawned on me, Ted Levi is my mate.

I gasped and my eyes snapped open " you're my mate " I blurted out and stepped away running my hands through my hair, more talking to myself than to him " he's my mate, you're my mate, I have a mate " he reaches out for me and I avoid his hand " Leticia please " I start to walk towards my house " you're my mate, Ted you're 23! " he tried to take my hand again as he easily kept up with me " Leticia.... " I wouldn't let him touch me " you've know for almost 5 years that I was yours and you are mine " I started to run and he tried to stop me once again " Leticia please let me.... " I turned to face him " let you what Ted, let you explain ?! Let you tell me how you've know for 5 years that we are fated, that although everyone and their mother knows I'm waiting for my mate you decide to keep that information to yourself for 5 long years? " I shuddered and ran towards my cottage which I could see the roof of through the trees, he caught up with me and spun me around by the shoulders " Letti I was afraid, and young and stupid, Letti please....talk to me " I stormed up to my door and tried to open the door but my hands were shaking so badly I kept dropping the keys, Ted picked them up and opened the door for me. Shadow came bounding outside and licked my hand, then he went over to Ted and rubbed his muzzle along his leg, Ted bent to pet him and I went inside and sat on my couch " Leticia can I come in? " I nodded " Leticia please try to understand, as beta I'm second in command and as my mate you're going to be expected to be as strong as I am and capable of doing both mine and the Alpha's or Luna in your case job " he sat and held my hands the spark were there again " I wasn't sure if you could fill the duties asked of us without a wolf and I wasn't prepared to give up my position so j just kept it to myself and next ting I knew it was almost 5 years ", " every time I saw you, smelt you or spoke to you was pure torture for me, I.....I I love you, I never wanted to reject you or anything I just needed to think about things " I turned to him looked down at our joined hands and snatched mine from his " I Leticia Summers of the Sunset pack hereby re " he clamped his hands over my mouth " Letti what the f**k are you doing!? " I drew in a shuddering breath " you don't want me, you don't want anyone to know we're mates and if you won't reject me, I'll put us both out of our misery " he dropped to his knees in front of me " Please Letti, please don't do this, I do want you, I love you I was just stupid and thought only of myself and my own desires, please don't reject me " I looked down at him " but I don't know how to forgive you for this Ted, my heart is breaking, it's been 5 years, we could've been happy and had a pup by now, I don't think I can...I'm so confused " he held my face in his hand " you can feel the sparks, maybe not as strong as I do but i know you feel them, when i kissed you, you kissed me back, you moaned, can you at least give me.....give us a chance " he was begging, the pack's beta was on his knees in front of me....begging. I knew a man in his position and standing in the pack would never be caught dead in this position. I got off the couch and walked to the door " you have to go Ted, he ran his hand through his hair " Leticia pleeeease...." I stopped him " I'm not rejecting you, but I can't just forgive you, let me think, leave me alone with my thoughts for a few days please " he took my hand and kissed the back of it " I'll talk to the Alpha in the morning and I'll admit my wrongs, I'll take my punishment and I'll come back to you after it's finished, let me know what decision you've made " he kissed me quickly and shifted, his red brown wolf looked at me and then took off in the direction of the pack house. I locked up and walked around doing menial tasks, fed and watered my boy, made a light dinner and barely ate it, then took a shower and got ready for bed. I lay down pulled the covers up to my chin, turned on my side and I cried, I cried for my lost time with my mate, I cried because I thought my mate was ashamed of me, I cried and cried until my eyes were puffy and swollen. I cried until I fell asleep and woke up after 3am and cried some more. " What am I going to do about this, why is my life such s**t? " I asked no one in particular, Shadow was scratching at my door, I got up to open the door for him and he came into the room and hopped on my bed. I chuckled and lay back down and cuddled my big boy " you love me though don't you Shadow? " he looked at me and lay his big head on my legs and closed his eyes, I shook my head scratched him behind the ears and lay back down and nodded off, lots to think about in the morning.