“The only thing around here that’s going to break is your ego when you realize that being a dick isn’t ever going to make up for the micro-penis in your pants.”
Heart pounding in fear, I ducked under Harvey’s outstretched arm as he reached for me. I bolted into the hallway and twisted toward the front door. Even though I burst outside, I wasn’t free until I could get to my car. The ancient sedan awaited me.
“Don’t fail me now,” I whispered as I turned the key in the ignition.
The engine turned over just as a wolf leapt out of the door and charged down the driveway. I put the car into reverse, waved goodbye to Harvey, and hit the gas. I sped backwards. The car bounced as I hit the road. There, I put it into drive and yanked the wheel so I could speed away.
Harvey let out a pissed-off howl, but I turned the radio up and ignored him. Maybe there would be hell to pay for telling the Alpha’s son that he had a small dick, but I was always paying the price for things that were out of my hands. At least now, I had actually done something to deserve my future punishment.
* * *
Breathless,I stumbled into Bad Moon Café with an apology on my lips. I was a half-hour late because of that asshole. The aroma of coffee and baked goods enveloped me in a warm hug that almost eased away the fear still clinging to me.
Violet wasted no time, sticking her arm out over the counter. In her hands was a plastic cup filled to the brim with chocolate-laced espresso. I groaned and snatched it from her. That first sip of hazelnut mocha filled me with a renewed will to live.
Violet laughed and shook her head. Her blonde shag shifted, revealing her pointed ears. Violet Murdock wasn’t pack. She wasn’t a shifter at all. Yet, she was family. Everyone here at Bad Moon Café was family to me.
They knew my favorite drink and always had it ready for me before my shifts. They knew exactly what I needed and when.
Behind Violet, Cerri hummed to herself. Though her full name was Cerridwen, she preferred to be called Cerri by her friends. Her cloud of blonde curls was bound into a low-hanging bun. A green bandana rolled into a headband graced her head like a crown. She gave me a soft smile as she took off her apron.
“Don’t worry,” she said. “I covered for you.”
My brow furrowed. I glanced at the clock. For fuck’s sake, I was later than I’d originally thought. “You didn’t have to do that. It’s not your job to—”
Cerri cut me off. “Stop fretting! I have your back. I always will.”
Grateful tears burned my eyes. Though Cerri hadn’t shifted yet, she was pack. She knew about everything.
“But, Audra,” I said, more than a little nervous as I glanced around for signs of the café’s owner.
Both Cerri and Violet waved me off.
“Audra isn’t going to care so long as the shift was covered,” Cerri assured me.
“Besides,” Violet said. “You haven’t missed much. It’s been slow today. We spent an hour watching a crow try to seduce another crow.”
Cerri laughed. “He tried very hard, but I don’t think she was in the mood.”
I pulled my curls into a messy bun at the base of my skull. I wasn’t one for higher buns because I liked to wear my beanie most of the time. It beat trying to manage this mess I’d inherited from my mother.
While I washed my hands and got to work, Cerri hung around. She clearly didn’t have anywhere else to be, so the three of us chatted while we waited for Violet’s shift to end. There were a few customers in that time. Most of them were supernaturals because of Bad Moon’s proximity to Lakesedge, the supernatural neighborhood, but none of them were shifters.
When Violet’s shift ended, she and Cerri retired to the plush couch at the back of the café. The glowing moon on the wall above the couch was only three quarters illuminated. Audra had programmed the lights to change with the moon, which was both a blessing and a curse.
The days that the moon wasn’t illuminated filled me with relief. That meant I had time before the pack gathered again. The three-quarter moon left me with nothing but dread. In a few days’ time, the pack would gather for the full moon run once again.
The run was mandatory for all shifters who could change forms. For me, that meant I had to show up to my own bullying session. At least, I had a few days left until the next run.