Page 16 of Half Wolf Mate
“Of course. I’ll be busy all night. As you know, I lost my chef this morning.”
I smiled wryly, remembering the scene I’d stumbled upon.
“So, I’ll have to pick up the slack around here until I find another chef. I’ve been doubling as the cook and helping Arlene, the other waitress you saw this morning, serving tables.”
My ears perked up. No way was a job presenting itself right here, right now. Maybe this was a sign that things would work out for me in New Orleans. “Sounds like you could use another waitress. You know, I happen to have experience in that area.”
“Is that so? Well, we can discuss that later. Right now, you look just about done. How about you rest while I take care of my customers?”
“Thank you so much, Macy for everything. You’ve been a godsend. I won’t take up your space for too long.” Sighing, I perched on the mattress. “Maybe just a couple of hours, and I’ll vacate your office.”
She said nothing, just smiled, and walked out the door.
***
The couple of hours I told Macy I’d spend snoozing in her office turned into an all-nighter. When my eyes fluttered open, the room was flooded with sunlight from a window. Blinking against the light, I gingerly sat up and looked around. After hours of much-needed sleep, I felt better.
Reaching for my backpack that I’d used as a pillow, I pulled out my cell phone. It was off because I’d been afraid to use it. For all I knew, the hunters wanting to carve me into pieces could use the device to track me.
“I’m not turning this thing on,” I grumbled.
“Why not?”
Gasping, I looked up. Macy stood in the doorway, holding a small shopping bag and smiling. She looked fresh and radiant as if she hadn’t single-handedly manned the dinner all night. Combing my fingers through my hair, I blew out a breath. “I’m not interested in hearing from anyone back home,” I lied as if there was anyone back in Nebraska who cared about me.
“Hmm.” She eyed me in a way that made me feel as if she saw through my lie. But she didn’t call me out. Holding up the bag, she said, “This is for you. I figured you’d want to freshen up. Everything you might need is in here. Well, except for a change of clothes.” She nodded to my backpack. “I hope you’ve got something in there.”
My heart soared at the thought of a shower. “I do. Oh, my gosh. Thank you, Macy. I don’t know what else to say.”
“Say nothing at all. Us girls have to stick together, right?”
“Sure.”
She pointed to an ajar door. “I’ve got a tiny bathroom in there for when I’m here for days on end.”
Getting up, I eagerly fetched the bag she offered. “Hey, Macy, what do you know about werewolf lore?”
Her eyebrows arched.
Heat filled my cheeks. Rubbing the back of my neck, I said, “I know, that’s a weird question, but—”
“It’s not so weird around here, trust me.”
Frowning, I waited for her to go further, but she didn’t. “Okay. Do you happen to know what a fated mate means?” When she just stared at me, I rushed out, “My aunt was a werewolf myth fanatic”—that wasn’t far from the truth, at least— “she said something about that once, and I’m just curious…”
Maybe it was my imagination, but Macy’s expression seemed to crumble, and pain flickered in her eyes. However, when I blinked, she looked fine. “Fated mate, huh? I know a thing or two about that. The myth, I mean.”
“Right.”
“Fated mates are supposedly the other half of a werewolf’s soul. The one person made for him or her. They mate for life, and when they find each other, they instantly know they’ve found their other half.”
That sounded about right. As soon as I’d seen Cole, I just knew I was supposed to be with him. He didn’t share the same sentiment. “In other words, a fated mate is a soul mate,” I said.
“Exactly. It’s romantic to most, but I say it’s a load of crap.”
The vehemence with which Macy spoke made my eyebrows shoot up. “Oh.”
“But then again, werewolves and all that nonsense aren’t real, right?”