That Shifter Love

*****

Marissa glared after him, then pulled out her cell phone and dialed her trusted assistant. “I need you to follow Nathan tomorrow, watch him as he talks with this new were he just discovered.” She listened for a moment. “Yes, but I don’t trust him with this one. Something is off.” She listened again. “Fine. Report to me. I don’t think he will.”

*****

Lucy spent the next day in her apartment, alternately cleaning and working on her project for her online class. The meeting was only three days away, and they were supposed to have a certain amount finished so they could show the professor. Lucy had wondered how Marla was going to present her partial project if she wasn’t there, but that wasn’t really her problem.

She’d found it hard to concentrate at first, thinking instead of the events of last night. Shifting had been a mistake. If the police heard rumors about it, she could get into trouble if they figured out it was her. Anonymity was the best course, she’d been told time and again by her father, who had been born in the city and left as soon as he could. She remembered their conversation on her last day at home.

“Honey, I wish you’d reconsider,” her father had pleaded. “You don’t understand the freedoms we have out here. City humans are intolerant of our kind, all weres really.”

“Dad, I know, but I can’t stay here. I’m miserable. I want to be something other than a wife and mother in this camp.”

Her father had shaken his head at her; he understood, but he didn’t like it. “Just promise you’ll be careful. Don’t reveal yourself to anyone, not even if you’re sure they’re another were. Trust no one.”

Lucy shook her head, removing the thoughts before they took hold. She missed her family; thinking of them made her sad. But she wouldn’t go back to the mountains. The freedoms here far outweighed the freedoms there. So she could only shift in her apartment and couldn’t run free in the park. She could live without that . . . most of the time. Every now and then, she wished to get out in her wolf form, but she got over it.

She glanced at the clock. 3:30. Dammit, she thought, I have to be at work by five and I’ve only done about half of what I wanted to. She grumbled to herself and set an alarm on her phone for 4:15 so she could get ready for work and get there on time. She focused on her computer in front of her and let all other thoughts drain away as she typed another sentence.

*****

Lucy rushed into the back door of the café at 4:58. Her boss, Jeff, just happened to be exiting his office when she did. He glanced at her, then at his watch.

“Cutting it a little close, there, Lucy,” Jeff carefully commented.

Lucy narrowed her eyes at him. “I’m not late, Jeff. I’m two minutes early.”

He nodded his agreement and continued through the door into the dining area. Lucy mumbled under her breath as she tied on her apron and put her notepad and pencil in the pocket. The door opened again, and Kayla flew in, her ponytail flying behind her.

“Where’s Jeff?” she asked quietly as she grabbed for her apron.

“He’s out front. Be glad he’s not back here. I was two minutes early and he gave me sh*t.”

“Crap, he must be in a mood,” Kayla said, looking over her shoulder to make sure he wasn’t close by. “Let’s get out front and pretend we’re the happiest waitresses in all the land.”

Lucy snickered as they walked through the door. The café was about half full, and Lucy grabbed Tiffany to explain her tables to her before she left since she’d be taking over her area. She listened closely; she hated shift change when there were already people at tables. She didn’t always remember everything and that lowered the tip. Luckily, there were only two tables in Tiffany’s section, an old couple who came in all the time who seemed to be finishing up, and a man by himself sipping coffee.

“The dude by himself has been here about fifteen minutes. He’s a weird one, for sure,” Tiffany claimed as she untied her apron.

“Weird how?” Lucy questioned, glancing his way.

“Just weird. He’s only ordered coffee, doesn’t plan to order anything else as far as I can tell,” Tiffany explained. “Don’t look for a big tip.”

“Not a good way to start the night,” Lucy grumbled under her breath, but put on a smile as she grabbed the coffee pot and headed for the tables.

Lucy greeted the old couple, asking if there was anything else they needed. She didn’t know their names but did know their favorites because they came in so often. “No chocolate cake tonight?”

“Ah, young lady, you know our weakness,” the old lady murmured, smiling a big smile. “We’ll share a piece, please.”

“Of course. I’ll be right back with that and two forks.” She winked at them and moved to the man by himself. As she approached, though, she froze. She recognized his scent from the night before, that strange smell she’d been unable to place after Austin had run away.

He must have realized she was there; he lifted his head and looked at her. Their eyes met. Lucy’s eyes widened. He was gorgeous, but he was also dangerous, she was sure of it. He watched her stand there, holding the coffee pot, obviously on her way to greet him and offer him more. She looked at the coffee pot in her hand, turned, and walked away.

“Kayla, I need you to take the table with the single guy at it,” Lucy hissed at her best friend.

Kayla glanced at him. He was watching them. She looked quickly away and said, “He’s watching you. Who is he?”

“I think he’s the person I saw after shifting last night,” Lucy said quietly. She could feel him looking at her.

“I got bad news, sister,” Kayla said. “He was here yesterday. I’m surprised you didn’t see him.” Lucy’s mind screamed at her to get away, but she couldn’t. Kayla sensed her panic and put her hand on her shoulder. “Hey, I’ll take the table, no worries. Maybe it’s just a coincidence.”

“I don’t think so. I’m not going near that guy,” Lucy said, glancing back at him. He was no longer looking at her but out the window at the passing traffic. “I’ll take one of yours until he leaves.”

“I only have one right now. The rush hasn’t started yet, so don’t worry about it,” Kayla assured her. “I’m sure he’ll leave soon. All he’s having is coffee.”

Lucy handed the coffee pot to Kayla and retrieved the cake and two forks for the old couple. She also retrieved her smile and her nerve; she would ignore him for as long as he was there, and maybe he wouldn’t speak to her.

But she felt his eyes on her over the next thirty minutes as he sat and sipped his coffee. She couldn’t help herself; she looked at him several times to see if he was actually looking at her. He was. By the time he left, she was a bundle of nerves, screaming at her to run away. A physical weight lifted off her shoulders when she saw him rise, leave bills on the table, and walk out the front door without a glance in her direction.

Kayla walked over to her. “I was hoping he’d pay with a card so we’d know his name, but he paid in cash.”

Lucy nodded. “I saw. He stared at me the whole time. Did you see that?”

“I did. So weird. Maybe he has a crush on you?”

“That guy? I doubt it. That tall drink of water wouldn’t date me. He’s almost as pretty as those actors you talk about,” Lucy joked, hoping to relieve her stress even more. It worked a little.

“That blond hair and those blue eyes did make me drool a little. I wouldn’t mind having a stalker who looks like a surfer dude,” Kayla mused.