The Truth

I look down at the pigeon strutting around my feet. Spending hours at work, you have to find something to take your mind off it. I've named him Puffington. His coloring is what stopped me from shooing him away. All white with a few gray flakes, bright green neck. It has taken me several weeks of leaving food for him to get this close to me. Most animals avoid shifters, must be our sent. I see a car pull into the wash area, shake out my long red hair, plaster a fake; but genuine, looking smile on my face and head over. He’s a male, mid 40's, he must be what we call a possible changer. A smile plastered across his face makes it clear he can sense something most don't. I say possible changer because not all wolves are born. Most aren't in fact, it takes power to stop the change each month to carry a baby to term. The change causes miscarriages and that’s why most wolves are bitten but the first change can be so violent it kills them. This one though, he can sense that my heat has started. He might be a possible changed if I wanted to risk it. I don't. He's a regular, I smile and ask what wash he wants, he goes for the top wash, 14 dollars and pulls out a wad of money. He hands me a 20 and tells me to keep the rest as a tip. I look over at the loud noise that is pulling into the wash. Its a black motorcycle, 'oh great' I think, I smile politely at the guy as he asks if that's my boyfriend. I laugh at this, smile and tell him “No.” I'm waiting for him to ask me out as the wash takes his car. Diesel pushes the kick stand out and gets off. How he can move in those pants is beyond me. He's been here sniffing around before. I stay by my office door, it's thick metal and has an okay lock, but still it would give me time to think. "What do you want?" I call over to him. "It's business" his voice is deep and a bit rough. I nod as I walk slightly closer. He's out of his territory, but then again public places are just that, public places. Wolves tend to keep to their own little areas. Mine is about three blocks. It's not all that big but I'm happy with it. Stepping on to another wolf’s territory means one of three things. Your looking to mate, your looking to move up in the pack, or your just damn stupid and looking for a fight. I nod before walking over, keeping out of reach. "What is it?" He stands still for a moment watching the car go into the wash. "The pack’s Alpha died in a fight last week. We need to pick a new one." I nod, picking a new Alpha meant possible deaths. Not just in the males but in the unmated females as well. There is no pull like you hear about in romance novels. The highest ranking female, the Luna, fights for her spot the same as the men fight for the honor of Alpha. "When's the meeting?" I use the rubber band on my wrist to pull my hair back, before trying to knot it up on the top of my head in a bun. "Are you going to go for Luna?" His eyes are watching me now, taking in my waist length hair, I'm slightly curvy but in a healthy way. There aren't a lot of fat wolves, my chest is slightly large and I have tanned legs from working in the sun. "No. When is it?" was my reply. I remain looking into his face, yes, he is handsome but like most wolves he sees a female as a piece of meat. From their first “Heat”, female wolves tend to go for the strongest i***t that will have them. I'm the oddity, I've been avoiding the males for years now. Staying in my own little territory, making it clear if you cross in you will limp out. I'm not going to end up barefoot and pregnant, like most of the females want to be. Turning 16 means your old enough to mate, I turned 16 just over 4 years ago. I decided quickly I wasn't going to slut myself out just for a little peace and quiet. Not that mates last. Males fight for position in the pack, the higher your position the more females who will fight for you. If your the lowest of the low you take what you can get. This goes for both females and males. Me? I haven't wanted anything to do with them, so I fight the males themselves. A female won't be forced to mate with a male she can beat up. Diesel shakes his head slightly, he needs a hair cut, it's down around his ears. "I heard some of the other females are looking to be the new Luna and they are talking about you." I glare at him "Your point?" He chuckles slightly "They think your holding out for whoever will be the new Alpha." It's my turn to shake my head. "In his dreams, and my nightmares. State the Pack business and go." He nods but it doesn't look as if he means it, more like he's being sarcastic "Tomorrow night. Sun down". The car with the human pulls back around. "If he's not your boyfriend you want to go out tonight?!" I laugh slightly and walk over to the car "I'd love to! What took you so long? I get off at 6, but I’ll meet you back here. Say 7?" I hear the bike start up and leave. No doubt he's pissed, Good!