The Enigma (The Loup-Garou Series Book 1)

by Sheritta Bitikofer

  But it was those pitiful brown eyes staring back at her that cracked her armor somehow. She sighed and rolled her eyes. “Maybe someday,” she muttered. She wanted to add that he shouldn’t hold his breath waiting for her, but he didn’t give her the chance.

  He smiled and headed to the door. “Sounds good to me. I’ll see you at school!” he called back as he walked out to put his boots back on.

  As soon as his black Ford pick-up truck pulled out of Main Street, Katey let out a heavy breath. She wasn’t sure if she had won this battle or not, but the important thing was that he was gone - for now.

  Chapter 4

  The two lovers came in seconds later. Lily was busy fixing her dark blonde hair while Forrest was fixing his shirt that had some buttons suddenly missing.

  Katey went back to Logan’s jacket that was still hanging over the back of one of the chairs against the wall. New students were making their way in as Forrest merrily greeted them and instructed them in the group lesson.

  She didn’t even hear Lily come up beside her just as Katey was sticking her nose into the collar of the jacket.

  “So, when are you going to see him again?” Lily asked.

  Katey hugged the jacket to her stomach, afraid that Lily would try to steal it again. With a whimsical smile, she shrugged. “I don’t know. He didn’t even say goodbye last night.”

  Lily gave her a wary, hesitant look. “Are you sure this guy is legit?”

  “Of course,” Katey replied with a less than convincing tone.

  Lily leveled a look at her that told volumes on her opinion of the situation. She wasn’t convinced either.

  “Listen, I know you’re all star-crossed about him, but you don’t know anything about him besides his name.”

  Katey knew how sketchy this all was. She knew there might have never been a chance of seeing Logan again, but she didn’t want to think about that. She didn’t want to spiral back into that dark abyss she had spent the last year in.

  “So what if I never see him again? I had one great night.”

  “But,” Lily replied, “I don’t want you to get your hopes up… What will you do if you see him again?”

  Katey hadn’t given much thought about it. “I’ll definitely give the jacket back. I have plenty.”

  Lily propped a fist on her hip, looking extraordinarily sassy. “And?”

  “And… I don’t know. We’ll probably talk.”

  Lily sighed ruefully. “Well, are you going to ask him out? Give him your number?”

  Katey blinked and felt anxiety streak through her. Yes, she was moonstruck over Logan, but did Logan feel the same? Would he even want to date her? Anxiety was chased by panic as she began to think of all the ways this could turn out absolutely embarrassing for her. Mortified, Katey sat down heavily in the nearest chair and whined.

  Lily joined her and hugged her about the shoulders. “Awe, come on. I didn’t mean to make you nervous,” she cooed, rocking her back and forth.

  Katey was normally unaccustomed to such touchy-feely attention, but she had become used to it with Lily. Denying Lily the right to hug someone was like trying to stop the sun from shining or the wind from blowing. It was going to happen anyway, so why fight it?

  “I’ve never dated a guy,” Katey confessed.

  Lily pulled back in surprise. “Really? Not even once?”

  She shook her head. “Not even once. The only guy that’s asked me is Eric,” she replied, gesturing towards the door Eric had walked out of moments before. “But I’ve never taken him up on his offer because he’s a jerk.”

  Lily’s face took on a new expression, a mix of pity and sympathy for Katey’s plight. “Take my advice. If Logan appears out of thin air again, don’t let him disappear without getting his number first.”

  Katey cracked a smile and nodded in agreement.

  “Until then,” Lily continue, waving a cautionary finger inches from Katey’s nose, “don’t get too gushy over the idea of him. I don’t want to see one of my best friends fall to pieces over a guy like that.”

  It was a heartwarming sentiment and Katey was grateful that she cared so deeply and unconditionally. Sudden guilt washed over her and she wished somehow she had told Lily about her struggles before. Maybe she wouldn’t have suffered in silence for so long.

  But those days were over and all that remained was a future of promise for Katey. She hadn’t given up on her resolve to find her place in the world, wherever it may have been.

  “By the way, did you do something different with your hair?”

  Katey tilted her head. “No, why?”

  Lily stood up and began strutting towards the podium. “You just seem different.”

  Two people now had noticed the change in her. It was strange how a simple alteration in attitude could change a person’s whole countenance for the better.

  ***

  When her shift at the studio came to a close, Katey walked the few blocks down the street to the bookstore.

  She passed by the old abandoned movie theater, several dining restaurants, and cozy antique shops. Some of the buildings had been remodeled to hold private businesses for lawyers and accountants, but they retained much of their vintage façade that were reminiscent of the mid-twentieth century when Crestucky was founded. The city had grown since then, reaching a population of fifteen thousand or more and the main vein of traffic through town had been diverted a couple blocks east of Main Street a few decades ago. Katey could hear the roar of commuting cars just a short distance away, while only a few trickled through the few intersections of Main Street.

  The sidewalks were paved with crimson red bricks, some of them engraved with names of the founding families or important members of the community. Sprinkled all along the four blocks were iron benches and trees that were guarded by little fences.

  As Katey approached the bookstore, she saw Beth was by the front door smoking a cigarette as usual. Beth flung the butt onto the sidewalk and stomped on it with her converse shoes.

  “You know you need to quit,” Katey remarked as she held the door open for her friend.

  “Yes, mother,” she quipped.

  They giggled as they made their way into the back storeroom. Katey had often lectured Beth on the health consequences of smoking, but her pleas fell on deaf ears. Beth’s boyfriend smoked and that meant Beth would too. There was little use in trying to convince her to quit.

  Katey slung her duffle bag into one of the few chairs and began changing out of her dance outfit, turning her back towards Beth for the sake of modesty.

  “Whose jacket is that?” Beth asked. Katey could hear the rustle of fabric as her friend picked up the item in question.

  Katey glanced over her shoulder and saw Beth doing what everyone else had done so far. She sniffed it and smiled.

  “I met a guy last night and he gave me the jacket since I was cold.”

  Interest flashed in Beth’s eyes. “Oh? Did you meet him at the party last night?”

  Katey slipped on her shirt and finished buttoning her jeans before turning back around. “No. I met him after.”

  Beth nodded and gave her a sly look, but asked nothing further as they walked out into the bookstore. Almost a perfect contrast to Lily, Beth wasn’t interested in gossip. She cared, but in a private, subtle way. Barraging her friends with question was not her style.

  Instead, she was a quiet force of comfort and companionship. She and Katey could sit for hours watching movies or snacking on junk food without saying a word. After enduring Lily’s lively energy for hours, Katey could use a bit of rest.

  It didn’t take long for them to get focused into their tasks.

  Katey took used books donated over the past week and organized them onto the shelves. Beth was busying texting her boyfriend on the sly when a customer opened the door and rang the little brass bell that dangled over the entryway.

  At first, Katey thought nothing of it, so she went about her business as usual. It wasn’t her job to gree
t customers and smother them with attention the moment they walked through the door. But if they needed to ask a question, she was happy to help.

  She found a book that seemed out of place on the shelf. When she pulled it out to check its author, through the hole she saw the back of the customer that just walked in.

  Katey froze and watched him with wide eyes for a moment that seemed to drag on for hours. Just taking one look at his black hair with light blonde streaks and black shirt that stretched across his broad, muscled shoulders, Katey knew exactly who he was. In that moment, she could scarcely breathe. The intoxicating aroma of pine and masculine deodorant passed through her senses.

  The customer turned his head, displaying his profile perfectly. She saw the familiar thin line of stubble that traced along his jaw and stopped short at his chin. Icy blue eyes scanned down the aisle and for a moment, she thought they had darted sideways to land on her.

  Katey gasped and ducked down from the gap in the bookcase. Beth looked up and saw her crouched down, her back facing the books and Logan on the other side of them.

  “What are you doing?” Beth asked a little too loudly.

  Katey shushed her quickly and slowly stood up to look at Logan again through the breaks in the books. Only this time, he was gone. Katey began to panic.

  She grabbed Beth’s wrist and pulled her into the back storeroom before she had time to say a word.

  “What’s going on?” she asked as soon as Katey shut the door and leaned against it, as if that would be enough to keep the reality of the situation out of the room.

  “The guy I told you about, the one I met last night, the owner of this jacket.” She picked up the heavy black jacket and waved it in her face. “He’s out there, right now.”

  Katey was trembling. A thousand thoughts raced through her mind. So many questions she wanted to know the answers to, but she was too scared to even go out and look at him. Seeing him now in the daylight, she gained a full understanding of how attractive he really was. In the moonlight, his features weren’t clearly as striking as they were here in the bookstore.

  Not only that, but she thought of what Lily said earlier that morning. She agreed to not let him leave without getting some way to contact him again. But how could Katey do that when her knees were ready to give out on her.

  “Why don’t you go out and say hi?” Beth asked, obviously confused on why it was such a big deal.

  “Because I’m the shyest person on the face of the planet and he’s absolutely perfect.” Katey bit her fingernails nervously, pacing the floor of the storeroom.

  “Well, how about I go and talk to him and see if he needs anything and then you can go and talk to him right after?” Beth offered rational.

  That seemed like the best idea to Katey so she dispatched Beth out the door and waited impatiently for the reply. She picked up Logan’s jacket and hugged it tightly, feeling like she wouldn’t have much more time with it before she had to give it back to its owner.

  In the meantime, Katey tried to form exactly what she would say and how she would say it. Should she be coy or nonchalant? Or aloof and uncaring to make him want her more? Still, the nagging doubt in the back of her mind made her want to think that Logan wasn’t interested in her in that way at all. Perhaps he just wanted to be friends and last night didn’t mean as much to him as it did to her.

  Beth walked in a few minutes later, smiling so wide that Katey thought she’d gone insane. “He’s such a hotty! You really scored this time Katey,” Beth squealed.

  “I don’t want to score, I just want to find out what he’s doing here. What did he say?” Katey said, ready to shake the information out of Beth if she didn’t give it readily.

  “Ok, I walked up and I asked if he needed any help. He said he didn’t need anything, but he asked if you were working today.”

  Katey grimaced. “Please tell me you told him that I wasn’t?” Her feet were turning cold and her promise to Lily was the last thing on her troubled mind now.

  “Nope, sorry,” Beth announced boldly. “I didn’t cut you that much slack. I told him that you were and what time you get off work.”

  “You traitor!” Katey groaned as she fell into a nearby chair and covered her face with her hands.

  “I know I am, but get this! He said thanks and all, but that he would rather talk to you right now if it weren’t inconvenient. He’s got a way with words. So articulate.” Beth seemed overjoyed, but Katey’s heart sank even deeper. For all she cared, he could articulate his way right out the front door without his jacket.

  “Well it is inconvenient!” she cried.

  Beth crossed her arms. “The sooner you go and talk to him, the quicker he will leave.”

  She was right and Katey hated it when she was right. She stood up, took a deep breath to steel her nerves and walked out into the store again. The only way this could be done and over with is to treat it like a sticky bandage and rip it off quickly.

  Beth followed closely behind her to watch the action, but stayed a few aisles away to give them privacy.

  With her heart pounding uncontrollably, Katey walked up and down the aisles until she found Logan flipping through a thick leather-bound book.

  Katey approached him, her nerves frazzled and palms sweating. Now she wished she had worn her hooded jacket with the front pouch so she had some place to stick her hands as they fidgeted.

  She peered over the page he was reading and noticed that it was in a different language. Maybe French or Italian, but Katey wouldn’t have known the difference.

  “Hey, Katey,” Logan said without even looking up to her.

  The first words she had heard from his lips since last night and oh, how sweet they sounded. She found her vocal cords unresponsive in the heat of the moment and wordlessly handed his jacket to him, hoping he didn’t notice how badly she was shaking from nervousness.

  He closed the book and placed it back on the shelf before looking at the jacket, then up at Katey. Katey tried to avoid eye contact so her heart wouldn’t explode from the excitement.

  “What’s this for?” he asked, his deep voice making her heart seize in her chest.

  Katey felt compelled to meet his stare and it felt as if her lungs had stopped their normal function. His eyes were a piercing blue that had an even greater luster than they had the night before. Katey could also tell how much more defined his muscles were through his shirt compared to how they appeared last night.

  A small, gentle smile appeared on his lips and a lump formed in her throat. He was so ruggedly handsome, so perfect. And he was looking at her. It was enough to make her melt into a puddle on the carpet.

  “It’s your jacket. You forgot it last night,” she managed to say without stammering. But, her voice was soft and airy. She was surprised he heard her at all.

  “No, that was a gift to you. I have plenty of jackets. You can keep it.”

  Katey returned the smile and hugged the jacket tightly to her chest when Logan handed it back to her. Somehow it meant even more to her now. It wasn’t just the jacket that he left behind. It was the jacket that he gave to her as a gift.

  “Okay… Well, my friend said you wanted to talk to me about something?” Katey asked.

  Logan seemed puzzled at first, as if he had forgotten what their meeting was all about in the first place. Then, his eyebrows shot up as he remembered. “Oh, right,” he said. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small folded up piece of paper.

  She could see his fingers were shaking as he handed it to her and it gave her hope. At least she wasn’t the only one a little nervous. But then, it made her wonder why. She was nothing, he shouldn’t have been nervous around her.

  Katey hesitantly took it and unfolded it. Written in perfect penmanship was a phone number. The sight of it made her inwardly rejoice. The awkwardness of asking for it had been completely bypassed.

  “I wanted to give it to you last night but it slipped my mind.”

  Katey grinned. “Right.
Just like you slipped out of the cemetery in like, five seconds without a sound.”

  Logan chuckled and nodded. “Yes, exactly.”

  So, he admitted to sneaking away unnoticed. He must have planned it all along and the thought made her a little indignant. Didn’t he want to say goodbye like a normal, polite person?

  “Why are you giving me your number?” she asked.

  He shrugged and slid past her. “In case you ever wanted to talk, then you can reach me.”

  She glanced down at the numbers, then back to him as he was making another quick exit towards the front of the store. She hurried after him.

  “Wait! Do you want my number?” Katey asked as his hand rested on the handle. He opened the door and paused, waiting for the bells above the frame to stop ringing before he answered.

  “No, you’ll call when you need me,” he smiled, his eyes sparkling like the stars from last night. She blinked and he was gone again, the door slowly closing on air.

  Katey’s knees felt like they would buckle from under her, but she kept herself up with the little strength she had left.

  How did he know where she was? Did he come in here just to see her? Or was it all pure coincidence, just like last night? Katey couldn’t make sense of any of it and the part of her that was on Cloud Nine didn’t want to care. She had Logan’s number and a way to get a hold of him again if she needed to. There was another connection between them besides what was formed last night as they lay upon the bed of gravel gazing up at the passing comet.

  Beth joined her shortly after. “Well, what’d he want?” she asked.

  Katey showed Beth the little piece of paper without a word.

  “Are you going to call him?” Beth asked excitedly.

  “I don’t know… I really don’t know.” Katey’s words were mixed with hope, confusion and a dash of whimsy that made her sound as if she were in the middle of a dream rather than awake.

  “Then can I call him?”