27
10 years earlier
“What can I get you?” it was my first day taking orders instead of cleaning at the Tooth and Claw. I had my order pad in the crook of my right elbow and the pen in my left hand. My handwriting was still atrocious, but I had improved by leaps and bounds. Had to, or I wouldn’t survive one week in my classes at Easterville College.
“Are you sure you’re up for this, dear?” Edith Lark asked me. She was having dinner with her husband, Louie. Louie was a kind man from what I could tell, when I dropped a broom at closing one night, he picked it up for me. Edith was a different story.
“I sure am, Mrs. Lark,” I said with a bright smile, “what’ll you have, or should I just tell Earl to surprise you?”
Edith huffed. Louie took over, “We’ll both have the Easterling burgers with the chili fries. Can I get a glass of water?”
I nodded writing down the order using the shorthand Earl had taught me, “I’ll have that right up for you.”
I put my pen behind my ear and pulled the notepad from my elbow and walked the order over to the kitchen window. Now for the tricky part, getting the page to the carousel. I bit my lip as I concentrated. We’d practiced this many times. I could do it. It was go time. I pulled the page off the order pad and held it tightly in my right elbow. I raised up to my tiptoes to get the page in place, squeezed the clip with my left hand, raised my right elbow a little bit more and there, it was in, I spun the carousel and dinged the bell letting Earl know a new order was placed.
Earl caught my eye from the window and winked at me with his trademark smile. He was proud of me. I’d done it. Now for the rest of the shift.
I took another deep breath, Louie asked for water, I could do that. It used the soda gun. I needed to get ice in the glass, then use the gun to fill it with water. Easy peasy.
I was doing good. I had this under control. I took more orders, got more drinks out, and only spilled a little beer on myself during a pour. Not bad for my first night. Earl dinged the bell at the window letting me know food was up. Louie’s table would be first. This would be the next tricky part of the evening. I had to get the food to the tray, the tray to my left shoulder, cross the pub, set the tray down, get the food to the customers. I could do it.
I took a deep breath and began. Plate one from the window to the tray. Done, plate two. Done. I ducked down low squatting beneath the counter. I carefully used my stump to get the tray just so. My left-hand balancing most of the tray. I slowly stood up. Relief washed over me. Halfway there. I could do it.
I started crossing the pub. It was still early, not many people were wandering the floor yet, so I had plenty of space to work in. I made my way. I was almost there. So close.
Someone backed into me causing me to stumble and I couldn’t catch the tray, and everything clattered to the floor.
I heard a low growl from the person who knocked into me.
“See, I told you she wasn’t ready,” I heard Edith say to Louie.
“That could have happened to any waitress,” Louie defended. He was already out of the booth picking up the plates.
I turned to apologize to the patron who’d bumped into me but as soon as I did, my wolf started freaking out. She wanted me to run as far away and as fast as possible.
The man looked down at me and I saw his nostrils flare, “Who are you and what are you doing in my grandpa’s pub?”
28
Present day
Kendrick’s threat that everyone knew the woods better than I did echoed seriously in my mind as I barreled through the trees in human form. My feet were raw and red from the cold snow. I was freezing. I was less than 100 yards from the house. This wasn’t fast enough. But I couldn’t trust my wolf to run to safety. I could hear Mama Biel barking orders at the wolves still in the house, I’d have the whole pack after me in minutes if they weren’t already.
I had to shift to wolf form, that was my only chance. I would need to fight her for control the whole time. I slide the handle of the blade into my mouth and willed a shift to happen. It was a painful shift. As soon as I was on three legs, I forced my wolf to run. She didn’t want to, but she had to, I couldn’t let her fight me on this. Not again.
The pack was on me now. I could hear them spread out in the woods. I barreled through the trees. I had to get past the pack boundary. Where was the nearest one to the house? Ugh I couldn’t remember. It certainly wasn’t toward town, I bolted toward the opposite direction of town.
29
10 years earlier
“Evan stop growling at my waitress,” Earl came out of the kitchen after hearing the crash, “Lee, I have replacement order at the window, go get it.”
The giant stopped growling and looked back at Earl, “What is she doing here?” he snarled.
I bristled and walked the long way around to get the burgers for Louie and Edith. I was less nervous about getting the burgers to the table than I was about the man sitting with Earl at his table. I rushed the burgers out to their table and delivered them no issue. I then ran back to get the broom and dustpan sweeping up the remnants of food.
I felt the giant man’s eyes on me the entire time. After I cleaned up the food, I wandered back to the floor to refresh drink orders. I would finish the shift out. I could do it.
I continued to work and eventually Earl went back to the kitchen, “This here is my grandson, Evan,” Earl said patting Evan on the shoulder, “Evan, this is my waitress, Lee. Lee, can you show Evan the ropes? He’s going to help you out tonight. Whatever you need, he’s going to do it.”
A low growl rose from Evan’s gut, but he stuck his left hand out to shake mine, “Nice to meet you,” the words and body language was friendly, but the tone was strained.
I shook it, “Nice to meet you too, Evan. I’m not so good at pulling drafts, can you get me three Guinness and a Red Ale for Duke’s table?”
Evan gave me a quick nod and we went to work. Earl quickly pushed out the burgers and I brought them out to tables. Louie and Edith left me a large tip. I had a feeling it was more Louie’s doing than Edith’s.
The whistle sounded and it was last call. A 7 and 7 for Duke, a couple cups of coffee for his friends. I had Evan make the coffee, I couldn’t hold the lid and fill the carafe at the same time, yet.
I started lifting chairs onto tables so I could mop the floors while Earl showed Evan the kitchen cleaning duties. There were exactly 29 chairs and 10 barstools to lift. By the time I was ready to mop, my shoulders were sore, and my phantom limb was hurting something fierce.
“Want to explain what a wolf is doing in your pub, grandpa?” Evan’s voice was raised. He knew I was a wolf. My heart raced. What was he? How did he know? I tried to focus on my mopping.
“Lee’s a good kid,” Earl said, “She’s taking classes at the local college. She works hard. And she’s staying. If you have a problem with it, tell your mom to send you somewhere else.”
Evan growled.
“Don’t think ‘cause I never got a grizzly that I’m not as tough as one,” Earl snarled. It was the harshest I’d ever heard his voice, “I don’t care what that girl is as long as she works hard. Which she does. Now are you going to play nice or piss off?”
“I don’t like it,” Evan growled again, “My bear doesn’t like it.”
“I’m sure her wolf’s not too keen on you either,” Earl muttered.
We finished up our closing duties and I started up the stairs to the apartment. Evan followed, “Where are you going?” I asked him.
“Where are you going?” he asked suspiciously.
“My room.”
“Your room?” He asked surprised, “You’re sleeping with my grandpa?”
“What? No, oh god no,” I was horrified at the implication, “Earl put me up in his spare room.”
“That’s my room,” Evan growled.
“You’re on the couch, Ev,” Earl called after us. He turned off the lights and I heard the beeps of the alarm system, “
Lee’s right, she’s in the second room.”
I smirked at Evan before I ran up the stairs.
I walked out of my bedroom the next morning. Evan was snoring. He was laying on the couch contorted in a painful looking way. His legs nearly touched the floor while his head was hanging over the other arm of the couch. I sighed. Earl was stirring in his room. He came out and looked at Evan.
“He can have the bed,” I told Earl, “Tell him you gave me discounted rent or something.”
“I think the couch will do him good,” Earl told me, “For another week or two. Come on, Lee, today we’re going to learn car maintenance.”
“Car maintenance?” I gulped.
“Yup, first you’re going to pop the hood, then you’ll check the oil,” he said patting me on the back, “Let’s go.”
30
Present day
I’d been running for twenty minutes when I was surrounded. I forced my wolf to snarl at them. We were a cornered animal. She kept fighting me on the snarl, this was her pack. They wouldn’t hurt her, but I knew better and forced her to snarl around the blade. The circle of wolves parted, and Mama Biel’s massive tawny wolf stepped inside the circle to meet my small black one.
Her wolf was strong. She radiated power that made my wolf want to cower and beg for her life. I didn’t let her. She stood snarling. I forced my wolf to drop the knife and howl. Biel’s wolf howled in acceptance. A challenge. I wouldn’t survive a challenge with Mama Biel, wolf or human form, but I couldn’t let myself become a beaten whelp like my mother. I’d rather die a loser in an ill-conceived challenge then live a prisoner.
Mama Biel leapt toward my wolf and I forced my wolf to duck under and bite at the sensitive underbelly. I urged my wolf to pretend we were fighting Ethan for real. No need for play bites. The tawny wolf was a grizzly large and lumbering, ready to kill me. Go for the guts, not the glory, just as Ethan had taught me. Mama Biel landed on the other side of my wolf.
The other wolves backed away expanding the circle. They were going to enjoy watching the dud finally get put in her place. I begged my wolf to at least put in a good showing. My father had been a strong warrior, I could have been too. I snarled low and watched the tawny wolf stalk closer to me. I watched her eyes. Ethan always telegraphed his movements in his eyes. She stayed low to the ground this time. Her tail twitched but her eyes quickly darted to the left of me, her body went right.
My right side was my weakest side, I jumped into the air, darting away from her. She continued to stalk toward me. We danced this little dance. The wolves around the circle yowled and yipped. They wanted action. They wanted blood, preferably mine.
I was getting worn out from the constant darting in and out of her reach. Her wolf was large, but still quicker than mine. What few attacks I managed to get in were nothing compared to what she’d done to me. I felt like she was playing with me. Why wouldn’t she just kill me and be over with it? She took another leap toward me. I ducked underneath her raking my eye teeth from tip to tail. Blood was covering the snow of the clearing. I’d injured her. It wasn’t deep, but it was big. My wolf licked her chops. Blood was good. She stopped fighting me and turned her attention to the bloodied wolf. My wolf wanted to end the beast.
With energy and speed, I’d never felt before, my wolf leapt off the ground and raced toward Mama Biel’s wolf. She landed on top of her and gripped the back of the bitch’s neck holding on for dear life. Without the fourth paw, my wolf struggled to keep her balance as Mama Biel’s wolf thrashed and tried to roll. My wolf bit down on Mama Biel’s neck harder. This wasn’t a killing hold; it was a submission hold.
“Enough,” the booming voice of Beta Lorde echoed off the trees in the forest, “Let her go.”
My wolf held tightly. Nothing but the other wolf’s submission would loosen her bite. I sensed the Beta coming closer, but my wolf snarled at him. This was her fight. He would not end it before she had satisfaction.
“Shift, Aster,” Beta Lorde commanded, but I and my wolf resisted. His hands were on the top of my head prying my jaws open. We thrashed him off and Mama Biel submitted. Beta Lorde was back on us forcing our jaws apart, we let him this time. We’d won. She submitted.
Mama Biel’s wolf shifted into Mama Biel. She was bloody, both my blood and hers. She had a nasty wound from her neck down to her pelvis. I’d done that. My wolf wriggled in Beta Lorde’s grasp demanding final satisfaction.
“Hold her still,” Mama Biel’s commanded. Beta Lorde was joined by another enforcer. Firm hands forced my muzzle open. I felt a hand in my mouth. I blinked my eyes; it was Mama Biel. She was yanking on my tooth. Her face was red with anger. I tried to wriggle out of her grasp. She pulled at my upper right fang until it released, my own blood filled my mouth, “Take her to the cell. The Elders will convene a trial.”
My fang. My fucking fang. The bitch had taken a fang. I growled and barked and fought against them.
“Kendrick control your bitch,” the enforcer helping Beta Lorde trap me yelled. I hadn’t felt Kendrick join the clearing. My wolf and I were too wrapped up in fighting for our lives.
“Shift, Aster,” Kendrick’s voice called from the distance. My wolf stopped fighting Beta Lorde. His grip loosened in surprise. My wolf and wiggled out of his hands, she trotted easily over to her mate. He didn’t look proud of her. She didn’t understand. She won the challenge; she was a strong wolf. He lightly pet her head, “Shift pretty girl,” he whispered. The wolf forced me from her fur.
I was dragged by several hands, naked through the snow to the town hall. The humans of the town would have been occupied elsewhere. This was wolf business. I struggled against the grip in my hair and was met with a sharp crack to my face. I was being dragged to judgement. My inner wolf was furious, she didn’t commit any crime.
I was shivering. It was many miles into town, and it was 20 degrees below zero. The sun shone high overhead mocking me with its brightness and lack of warmth. My escorts did not speak to me outside of yelling at me to walk faster. My wolf rankled inside of me and I growled at them. A few flinched back, but they kept pushing.
I was dragged inside the town hall and thrown into the basement cell usually reserved for rogue wolves. The cold concrete floor felt warm against my skin. Every inch of me was burning, I didn’t need to be a doctor to know how badly frostbitten I was. I willed my wolf out. Shifting would heal me. She accepted and burst through. She curled in a ball in the corner of the cell and slept.
31
10 years earlier
Professor Carlson hands thumped, pulled, swirled, and dotted the marker on the whiteboard as he explained how to calculate the profit potential of the lemonade stand from the homework. I couldn’t focus on the lesson. With every pull of the marker it squeaked. A shrill painful squeak. I cringed with every loop. Carlson was an over explainer, which I normally liked in an instructor, especially now that I had to take notes with my left hand. I winced again as the marker skittered with a trill of high-pitched squeaks as it thudded the dotted line along the graph.
I glanced at the clock. 10 minutes. I could survive 10 more minutes of this. I could survive anything. My head ached. I tried to focus on anything other than the horrifying squeak. I turned my attention back to my notes. My handwriting would make a kindergarten teacher proud, and no one else. I struggled with angled letters like w, v, y and capital A. But it was better than it was a month ago. Other people could read it now. 9 minutes. I needed to survive 9 more minutes.
Squeeeek squeeak squeak I groaned pressing my hand to my temple. I didn’t need a headache today. I had to work tonight. Carlson stopped writing and turned back to the class, “Any other questions?’
I was ready to rip the throat out of anyone who raised their hand, but no one did.
“Great, see you next Monday,” Carlson said excusing the class with a reminder to check the syllabus for the homework and the class page on the Easterwebs for the lecture videos. Another reason why I should adore Carlson. He posted videos
of each lesson so they could be reviewed. He even had a comment section he checked nightly if you had questions. Earlier in the semester I lived for those videos, it was the only way I could take notes, now that I’d gotten better writing left-handed, I survived with just what was done in class. Progress.
I waited until the rest of the class had left before I started to pack up my bag. I still hadn’t mastered the zippers on my backpack and didn’t want anyone to see me struggle. I hated the stupid backpack and that it continued to challenge me, and often defeat me. Even Earl had told me to just buy a different one, I’d done much better with other zippers, this backpack just had a bad zipper. I refused, buy a new backpack would be spending money I didn’t have to throw away on something I already had. I needed to save every penny, just in case. I wouldn’t be caught off guard like last time.
Professor Carlson was the only person in the room, he was diligently cleaning the whiteboard as he did after every class. I sensed he was paying attention to me with those magic eyes every teacher seemed to have in the back of their heads. My books were safely in the bag, I was sliding my notebook in. Now for the big show. I could do this. I pressed my ankles to the sides of the bag to hold it steady. I pulled one side of the zipper. It was sticking again.
“Damn it just work for once,” I muttered under my breath trying the other side. I pulled and tugged, and the force of my tug caused my shoulder to hit the heavy table knocking it over to the floor with a loud boom.
Professor Carlson walked over to the back of the room where I was and set the table back to right side up. It was a struggle, this was the science building and these tables were heavy, designed to be used for sciency things.
Tooth and Claw (Kootenai Pack Book 1) Page 8
