Page 15 of Half Wolf Mate

“Sure.” She shrugged. “Some things I just know.”

“Okay.”

She glanced around the room with narrowed eyes, and like magic, all attention shifted away from me. Conversations started again, the people at the counter went back to drinking, and the sound of cutlery clinking filled the room.

Eyebrows snapping together, I looked around again, wondering what had just happened.

“Don’t mind the crowd,” Macy said chirpily. “Most of my nighttime diners are a little…”

I eyed a woman wearing a flowing pink dress, practically prancing around. She seemed awfully happy. “Eccentric?” I finished.

Macy chuckled. “That’s one word for them.”

I nodded.

“Have a seat,” she said. “I’ll be right with you.”

As I sat, I watched the woman in pink twirl and giggle. The man she was with laughed and reached for her, pulling her back into her chair. She was so giddy and reminded me of the fairies I saw in cartoons as a kid. Drawing a breath, I sat taller and glanced at the woman again.

Could it be? Considering that I’d gotten proof that supernatural creatures did indeed walk among us, the prancing woman being a fairy didn’t sound all that crazy. I survey the room with fresh eyes. The man and women in the black leather outfits reminded me of vampires I’d seen portrayed in movies. They might very well be blood-sucking creatures of the night for real.

“Oh, my god,” I whispered. Was I sitting in a room full of vampires, werewolves, and, who knew what else? Was Macy one of them? I stared at her. She looked so normal. Then again, so did Cole and Violet. I was starting to wonder if I should leave when Macy came back.

“Hey, are you okay?”

Ignoring the rapid pounding of my heart, I squeaked, “Fine.”

She frowned. “You look like you could use a drink. A non-alcoholic one, of course. You said you’re nineteen, right?”

I nodded. After the rough few days I’d had, I felt like I’d guzzle down the strongest liquor ever made. “I thought this was a diner.”

“Certain hours bring in a different crowd. After hours, this diner counter,” she waved to encompass the expanse of shiny wood, “turns into a bar.” She winked.

I lifted an eyebrow, staring at a patron drinking something thick and red from a glass. I wondered what kind of cocktail that was. It looked disgusting. “My life has gotten so bizarre,” I muttered.

Macy tilted her head to one side. “What do you mean?”

“Never mind.”

“How about that drink?”

I couldn’t pay for one, and Macy had done so much for me already. “No, thanks. I just came here because…” The pressure of the last few days hit me like a ton of bricks. On top of losing my aunt and finding out I wasn’t quite human and was being hunted, I was also being rejected by someone who was supposed to mean something to me. Thinking about how Cole kicked me out of his office left me ready to crumble emotionally.

I blew out a long breath. “I came here because, well, I just don’t know what to do, and you said I could come back to talk to you. I think I found what I came here looking for, but I’m not sure if it’ll be of any help.” Maybe the Alpha of the Moon Guardian Pack will tell me to get lost like Cole did. If that happened, it wouldn’t be long before I lost my battle to survive in this new world.

“I’m so tired,” I whispered. Exhaustion made it hard for me to form a next coherent thought, much less to plan my next move.

Macy placed her tray on the counter and rested a hand on my arm. Peering at me with concern, she said, “Sydney, you don’t look so good. I think you need to lie down.”

Lifting a shoulder, I said, “I have nowhere to go…”

“I can fix that. Come with me.”

Before all the madness I’d experienced recently, I would have been skeptical about trusting someone I barely knew. But Macy had been an angel in my ongoing nightmare. Sliding off the stool, I followed Macy through the back door. We passed an ajar door, and from what I glimpsed, it was the kitchen. She stopped at another door, opened it, and gestured for me to go in. After only a moment of hesitation, I entered. It looked like a small office with a tiny desk in one corner, an armchair, and a sofa on the opposite side.

Macy walked to the sofa, which unfolded into a bed. The mere sight of it already had my limbs crying out for relief. I wanted to sprawl on the makeshift bed and go into hibernation for about two weeks. So when Macy said, “You can take a nap here. You really look like you need one,” I almost hugged her.

“Are you sure?”