She-Wolf I

by Gaëlle Bonnassieux

The life I was leading was not so bad. The idea of not having to rely on a pack had grown on me, and it was agreeable. After all those years of mental and physical imprisonment, and misery, being on the street felt like a living dream. That was a bit of an overstatement, but whatever: in spite of my lack of money, food and general comfort, I was free. I could do whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted, and that was all she-wolf could ask for.

  On the other hand, solitude was wearying. I was a talker and used to spend my days talking for the sake of it, even to wolves I loathed, and it was torture not being able to communicate. I’d often talk to myself. I might look like a crazy person; but it was quite the opposite. Talking helped me remain sane. I’d sometimes go to a café and listen to other people talking, or even go to a restaurant and order food before running off, just for the sake of having human warmth. Sticks and stones may break my bones. Sometimes, I’d even meet an old woman with whom I’d talk about the weather, and those were the most beautiful days.

  Two weeks went by, and my living conditions worsened. I had only a few bucks left, and I wouldn’t be able to go on like this much longer. I had done my best to find a job, but I had been turned down everywhere I had applied. I didn’t make a good impression and didn’t look trustworthy. Of course you assholes, I was living in the street without any possibility to have a decent shower! It was a vicious circle: I looked like a psychopath, so no one hired me, and because no one hired me, I continued to look like a psychopath. If no one reached out to me soon, it would get even worse and fast. No need to have brains to figure this out.

  I had applied for jobs all around the city unsuccessfully, and despair was starting to show now. I kept on hoping, but it was getting harder not to give up. As the days were passing by, I was less and less enthused and roamed the streets – miffed.

  One morning, as I was having a blast doing nothing, my instincts let me know of a supernatural creature’s presence. I looked everywhere with interest, it was the first time I came across a non-human individual, aside from the mysterious lycanthrope playing hide and seek. I was sitting on a bench in front of a café’s terrace and went through the people passing by. It was this enormous flow of humans trotting around to attend to their businesses, and it reminded me of the sea’s backwash. The comings and goings seemed endless amongst this gentle hubbub of scattered voices.

  It took me a couple minutes to spot the intruder. It was a woman leaning back against a wall and scrolling on her phone. She was standing apart from the crowd and had long black hair – the straightest hair I had ever seen – which framed her face, as white as snow and her soft features. She seemed to be in her mid-thirties, and from her aura and her scent, I could tell she was a witch. I hadn’t had the chance to meet with her kind very often, but I thought them fascinating. As solitary creatures, they were very different from wolves and rather similar to vampires, and their power lurked behind fake smiles. It might be just a cliché, but I still thought they were selfish, and played by their own rules.

  The witch looked up and around her, and we made eye contact without her noticing me and I was surprised by her eye color: it was blue, nearly purple, quite out of the ordinary. She smiled as the one she was waiting for came out of the flow. A young woman with brown and purple hair took her in her arms. The look alike was striking, and they were undoubtedly sisters. They left together talking animatedly.

  On a sudden whim, I got up and decided to follow them. I had definitely gone insane. How would they react when they’d spot my presence? Probably not in a good way. Lycanthropes were not very fashionable in the supernatural world and had a stormy relationship with every other species. Ryan and William considered, it was actually quite understandable. I followed them still in the distance, wondering where they might be heading. So early in the day, they might be off to work, or meeting with other supernatural beings. A burst of hope woke my heart up, and I came on their heels for a good twenty minutes. Their walk ended on their entering a Memphis Coffee after having unlocked the gate which prevented people from going in the property, which might be theirs.

  I hesitated for a while. Should I go in as well? I would probably not be very welcomed. And even if I were, it felt insane to think that the witches would actually hire me. I was insane, I was insane.

  I gathered my courage and looked at the front window of the restaurant, and went straight in. My heart was pounding fast with concern and excitement combined. A hundred miles away from my old life, would it be possible for me to start a new one here, in a town I had grown to know and appreciate?

  Chapter 5

  When I opened the door, I discovered a bright 50’s décor. I was blinded by red, pink and blue radiances. The AC was lashing air in my face, and my hair was even more tangled. I gazed at the two sisters. “We’re closed,” the elder one coldly said

  Ouch. Off to a great start. I didn’t doubt they already knew what I was; because even though magic, powers and all that were not really my thing, they must have had some way to look right through me. I figured this out from their hostile behaviors. I had to look calm and determined. It was not my intention to offend them and thus lose the opportunity of an alliance. It could be nice to mingle with other species for a change, witches especially. I have had this desire to create inter-species alliances for as long as I could remember, but I had a thirst for knowledge concerning other creatures that I had not been able to fill yet.

  Lycanthropes locked themselves up in their stupid outdated traditions without noticing that there was a myriad of other things to discover. They had only a leap to take to enter the world of knowledge, but they never had nor will. But me, I was rushing into this world, with this dire need to explore every inch of it. I wanted to get to know other people, and not just those of my own kind. And right now, I deemed it relevant to get to know these witches. I had a good feeling about them actually. I took a deep breath.

  “Hi. My name is Madelyne, and I’m a lycanthrope,” I said bluntly. “I was cast out of my pack for almost three weeks now, and I’m looking for a job and a place to live, and I was hoping you might be wanting someone to work here. I’ll be on time every day, I’ll work overtime, and I won’t bother you about money. I have quick reflexes, I don’t bite, and I have a nice smile.” It was the longest I had talked ever since I left the pack. I was actually running low on saliva.

  “And a good sense of humor obviously,” answered the younger witch – the one with the purple hair. “She does seem nice for a werewolf” she told her sister.

  The black-haired witch stared at me with a frowned brow. I thought I made a good impression, but she was not overjoyed. I had played the candor card because it was a part of me I could not erase. She was definitely weighing up the pros and cons, I could tell by the look on her face. I kept quiet – unwilling to influence her decision in any way. They seemed to be nice people, with no prejudices against werewolves, but I understood their lack of enthusiasm. I would have had those too. How could they know whether they could trust me or whether I was going to get them in trouble? They had no way to know my intentions, which were perfectly good though.

  “Come on Adé, look at her,” insisted the youngster. “She can’t be lying. I have a good vibe about her. Say yes! We could have her living in the studio, say yes!” I bit the inside of my cheeks not to smile. My lips did quiver though, and it hurt. It was like I hadn’t smiled in forever. The so-called Adé rolled her eyes.

  “All right! I’m Adélie and this is my sister Esthelle.”

  “Nice to meet you,” I answered stressfully.

  “Here’s what I can offer you. I’ll take you on probation today, and if I’m satisfied with you, we’ll talk tonight about what we can do for you. The service starts in two hours, and the other employees will be here soon. They’re humans, and I wish them to remain unaware of our own supernatural selves. Understood?”

  I immediately nodded. I couldn’t believe I had actually found work, and that the witches were giving me a chance amongst them. I was n
ot accepted yet, but I was already very much grateful. A few seconds later, Adé handed me over a white and pink dress with buttons on the front, and the fast-food logo. I took it carefully in order not to get dirt all over it.

  “That’s your working outfit, and I encourage you to take care of it. You can go change in the little room over there, it has lockers and conveniences. You might want to clean yourself up a bit to be fit to be seen, and once you’re done, I’d like you to join us in the kitchen.”

  I could sense she was being really careful not to give me direct orders, for which I was very grateful. No one in my pack had ever treated me with so much respect. It felt weird, but good. “Okay, thank you.”

  They smiled, and Esthelle showed me the way. She started talking really fast about stuff I couldn’t make out, in a very cheerful manner. I was still astonished to be here with someone to talk to, and my head was in the clouds.

  The room had half-a-dozen lockers, a dining table and a sideboard with a coffee maker, a boiler and a teapot. My heart and my stomach ached when I realized how much I missed my daily latté and my favorite waiter, Milo. How long had it been since I felt the bitterness of coffee on the tip of my tongue?

  I averted my eyes from the coffee machine and went into the bathroom. Esthelle lent me a hairbrush and a scrunchie. Message received. I brushed my filthy hair for a few minutes, trying to untangle it all as best as I could. I was a disgusting and dirty mess. When I entered the room, I had avoided the mirror, but I HAD to look into it. So, I did.

  That reflection scared me. I could not be this woman, whose oversized clothes were dangling on her lean body. Her collar bones were prominent, and she had lost a bra-size. Her face was nothing but skin and bones. Those cracked lips could not be mine. Neither those gaunt cheeks. And those eyes, one brown like hazelnut, the other shiny like toffee, both ringed with fatigue, whose were they? I was nothing but the shadow of my former self. Where did my pounds go? My joie de vivre? That little happy glow behind my two-toned eyes? There was nothing left of that handsome body I lovingly cared for. I was not beautiful. I was not slim. I was skinny. I nearly barfed.

  Looking away, I started putting water all over my face, unable to face this nightmarish sight any longer. I could see why I hadn’t made a good impression before. I took off my clothes and thanks to the soap on the washstand, I managed to clean myself up a bit by once more trying my best to get rid of the coat of dirt covering my body. Once I was done, I put on the flashy pink dress. It was too big, but it’d do. I almost looked decent.

  My dirty clothes went straight into the backpack. I tried not to dirty the wolf’s tee-shirt, without which I could not fall asleep. That man’s scent was essential for me to rest, no matter where I slept. It reassured me when I needed comfort and gave me hope. It might seem ridiculous, but I had stopped wondering why it was so soothing. I cared about the tee, period.

  “Are you ready?” Esthelle asked from the other side of the door.

  “Yes, I’m coming.”

  I tied my hair up in an attempt to look prettier. It worked; my face was bare. I went out, eager not to keep the witches waiting too long, and followed Esthelle into the kitchen. I was really fascinated by her eyes, as purple as the wild strands of her hair. It was almost hypnotic. I did have unusual irises too, with two shades of brown, but I never thought purple could be an eye-color.

  In the kitchen, the smell of all the food went straight into my nose. A whirlwind of bread, meat, milk and spices were torturing my entrails, but I did not let it show. How would they feel if I suddenly pounced on their food? I had to behave properly, I was here to work, not to rob them of their provisions.

  Adélie invited me to sit by her, which request I agreed to. I received a glass of milk and a slice of brioche and some cheese and a piece of chocolate. Chocolate! My eyes could hardly believe it. I was both on the verge of becoming hysteric and embarrassed. After I had thanked her, I drank a sip of milk and nearly orgasmed. But I didn’t touch the food. I was famished. But uncomfortable. They were too nice. I hadn’t done anything to deserve such kindness.

  “If you don’t eat anything, you won’t be efficient. And besides, it’s breakfast time!” she added slicing more brioche for herself. Esthelle took a chocolate bar and ate it up. I understood what they were trying to do. And it worked. Since they were eating too, I was less ill-at-ease, and thus timidly bit into the brioche. Its airy and foamy texture made me sigh with pleasure. It was delicious.

  I took my time to eat everything, both to make the best of it all and to avoid a stomachache. I finished with the chocolate square. In the meantime, Adélie explained everything I was supposed to do while her sister was running back and forth to make sure everything was ready before the doors opened.

  “I’d rather you stay here for starters. You’ll do the washing-up and help the others get the plates ready for service. If that’s alright with you, of course.”

  I liked this witch. She was always using ways of speaking in order for me to not feel threatened or bossed around. My wolf-self was calm, and so was I. She was pacifying and considering how cautiously she spoke, it felt as if she had met some very grueling werewolves. Unless she was making considerable efforts not to anger me.

  Esthelle thought my not responding meant I was worried, and thus spoke: “Don’t worry, I’ll be right beside you to help. Assuming you don’t mind receiving orders,” she teased with a wink.

  “Esthelle!” her sister snubbed.

  “It’s okay,” I assured them.

  I was quite astonished from the sense of humor of that little witch. I knew she meant well, and so I took the joke as best as I could, but I was not having the laugh of my life. She needed some getting used to. She was young and just tactless. Besides, from all those years in William’s pack, I had learned not to be sensitive. We should be able to get along.

  Two more employees – Liam and Sarah – joined us. I briefly introduced myself and received warm welcoming smiles. They seemed nice but I wasn’t here to make friends, so I didn’t pay too much attention to them. Adélie left for the dining room whereas Esthelle and I remained here in the kitchen. I had expected to see a head chef arrive, but it turned out that she was the said chef. She must not have been more than 18 years old and I was surprised that she should rule the kitchen, but I eagerly waited to see her at work. And besides, since her sister was the manager of the place, they might just do as they pleased.

  I spent the morning peeling potatoes and boiling them into French fries. I had already done so at my old job, so it was easy peasy. I also pared other vegetables and helped Esthelle cook the burgers and the salads. Smoothies and dishes were left to my care. I had a lot to do and it kept my mind busy. Chores were piling up – cutting, baking, washing, mixing – and I tackled them all head on. It was all very tiring, but at least time was passing by and I was not spending my day dwelling on my misfortunes.

  The crew changed a few times since the diner was open from 9:30 am to midnight. I was granted a few breaks and I went out two or three times throughout the day to breathe fresh air and walk in the sun. I hadn’t dared take food from the fridge, so I just had whatever was lying around.

  Esthelle and Adélie kept going home back and forth, the one leaving when the other was in charge and vice versa. I didn’t really understand their organization, but after all, who was I to judge? Maybe my being there upset their ways. When Esthelle was not in the kitchen, a middle-aged man named Paolo was taking over. From what I understood, she ran the kitchen up to 3:30pm, and then it was his turn. Adélie was opening and closing the diner, and she sometimes let one of the employees – Patty, who was on a day-off – take care of it. It did feel complex, but if it worked, good for them.

  Upon the witches’ hour, after I had washed the last dishes and put away all the utensils, I wished Paolo good night and met the witches in the little room where I’d changed this morning. They had just sent home the last customers, and the night crew had just left as well. It was just the th
ree of us. It was judgement time. Suspense. Were they going to hire me? I thought I had worked well, but one could never know. If I was fired before even being hired, I was going to eat them alive. I let myself fall on a chair. A moan caused by the soreness of my back escaped my mouth. Because I slept on the ground and spent the days standing up straight, I was in dire need of a bed. I felt two thousand years old, at least. I was waiting for their answer as enthusiastically as a person sentenced to death.

  “Well, what a day!” Adélie sighed, boiling water. She took three mugs out of the cabinet, one of which was for me. She did hand it over to me after having poured water inside. I carefully and thankfully took it. The water was warming the mug which was warming my fingers. It was both painful and pleasant. My hands remained on the mug whilst the tea was infusing. “Aren’t you tired, Madelyne?” Adélie asked. “You’ve worked all day long…”

  “I’m all right. But I wouldn’t say no to an hour of sleep or two.” I smiled.

  The two sisters then complicity looked at each other. I frowned. What was that? That didn’t exactly fill me with confidence. I was perhaps too distrustful but hey, I had my reasons.

  “Why don’t you sleep a whole night?” Esthelle stepped in. “We’ve got a big house and we just redid the attic into a studio. It’s rather small, but comfortable, so if you’re up to it, you’re most welcome.”

  I choked on my sip of boiling tea and started coughing. That was unexpected. Esthelle got up and patted my back. The contact felt weird. I wasn’t used to being touched, both literally and metaphorically. And all of this was very touching. Good pun, yeah me! I was out of words. It was very kind of them, but… “I wouldn’t be able to afford rent,” I answered.

  “It’s not an issue,” Adélie assured me. “If you want, you can work here on weekdays and live at our place for free in exchange of what we’ll cut your salary in half.”

  “I…” I would never be able to thank them for their kindness. They were taking risks, giving a place to live just like that. How can one get a glimpse of someone’s character in a mere day? It was impossible that they would trust a werewolf. And yet they were putting aside the prejudices and the fears they might have in order to take me in and welcome me into their own home. All people were not monsters as it turns out. “Okay,” I accepted without further precisions.