Chapter Three

Rose

*** Doesn’t she look pretty this morning.*** I mind linked Alaric as I scooted over in the cracked pleather booth to make room for Heather to sit by me.

Heather had her platinum blonde hair pulled back in a low ponytail and was wearing a simple blue sundress with a chunky cream sweater thrown on top of it.

Heather slipped into the booth beside me and immediately picked up the menu. We all knew the menu by heart, but she still took the time to look it over.

Alaric’s eyes bugged out of his skull at me. During Alaric’s time in Black Moon, he became almost like a little brother to me. I had been the baby in my family, and all three of my siblings seemed pretty apathetic when it came to me. They teased me, but that was the extent of their interest in me. Alaric appeared to fill a hole I didn’t know I had in my life.

“Why are you two up and functioning so early?” Heather yawned and nuzzled her head into my shoulder. I lifted my hand up and cradled her head. Part of me wanted to sneak a peek at Alaric to see if he was jealous or not, but instead, I closed my eyes and relished in the affection.

Only when Heather lifted her head back up did I even attempt to respond to her.

“Orion is training with the higher-ups early this morning, so I thought I would get some cleaning done at the library. However, someone broke in before I even got there.” I drummed my fingers on the table and grinned at Alaric.

“Alaric! You have to stop breaking into places!” Heather dropped her menu to the table with a look of exasperation plastered in every pore on her face.

A couple of people in the diner looked at our table. No one really paid any attention after realizing Alaric was with us. It was expected for there to be a little bit of extra noise wherever he went. The pack accepted this and never held it against him. Everyone in the diner went back to their breakfasts and discussions.

“Hey, who said it was me?” Alaric threw both his hands up in the air like he was pleading his innocence. What innocence? Everyone knew who it was. He was probably one of the only people who would get away with it and not be punished by the Alpha.

I leaned back in the booth with my hands tucked behind my head to enjoy the show. A few years ago, I would have never purposely sent Heather into a tizzy. I tried not to do it too often because she might hate me forever.

Still, there was something about watching her with Alaric. Something in my heart felt warm almost. It was a weird sensation that I had refrained from telling anyone about, especially Heather. She would be less than thrilled to hear me admit that.

“Who else would it be?” Heather threw her hands up, exasperated in the air, the poor girl she was playing into his hand. This was their dance; they did it almost every time they spent any time together.

“I find that incredibly offensive.” Alaric let his hands hit the table, causing the silverware to noisily clang.

“I find you incredibly frustrating.”

“I find you incredibly sexy.” Alaric gave Heather a playful wink. The fake vomiting that was her signature action in those last weeks in Silver Cresent made an appearance. The retching brought an odd reminiscing smile to my lips.

“Luna, why do you put up with him?” Her eyes were usually a beautiful icy blue now looked with icicles ready to impale me.

“You don’t think he is charming?” I nudged her with my shoulder as I teased her.

“No, I don’t! He is immature and purposely provokes me!” She nailed Alaric and not in the way he would like her to.

“I am an angel.” Alaric stuck his tongue out at Heather before putting his hands together like he was praying while turning his eyes to the ceiling.

“No, you really aren’t!” I could almost feel the heat radiating off of Heather. I was about to try and break them up when a welcome distraction appeared.

“Sorry to interrupt the fun, but do you know what ya’ll want? If you need another minute or two, I can come back later.” Marie walked up with her order pad in hand and reaching for the yellow pencil tucked behind her ear.

“No, no, Marie. Perfect timing. Absolutely impeccable. Can I get an orange juice and your egg white omelet with bacon and fruit?” Heather jumped at the interruption like a dog for a treat. Anything to drop the topic. Alaric dreamily stared at her with his teeth resting on his bottom lip. I didn’t even want to know what he was thinking.

***You are drooling.*** I teased Alaric through a mind link. I picked up my napkin from the table and dabbed the corners of my mouth just to taunt him.

***How could I not? Look at her!*** Alaric mused back. I watched his eyes trail the curves of her lips and follow her hand as she tucked back a stray strand of hair.

***You are driving her crazy already.***

***Heather likes it. She hasn’t even threatened to leave yet.*** I couldn’t disagree because I had the same thought from time to time. I would never admit that to Heather, though. She might disown me completely, and then I would lose a sparring partner.

“What about you, Luna? What can I getcha?” Marie turned to me with her pencil perched in her hand. I took a moment to appreciate her perfectly manicured red nails. Marie was something else; she always looked like she was freshly made up. I wish I had to time and patience to do that. I never embraced the feminine side like others, but it didn’t mean I couldn’t appreciate it in others.

“Can I get a coffee and some french toast?” I slid my menu forward towards Marie with a smile. Marie’s fingernails clicked against the tabletop, and she scooped up the menus.

“Of course. Okay, your food will be up shortly.” Marie smiled and ripped the paper she had written on out of the pad.

“Hey, what about me?” Alaric whined after Marie.

“A stack of banana and walnut pancakes with a side of sausage and a coffee, which you do not need. Everyone in the pack thinks you need to lay off the caffeine, kid. Anyone who has met you thinks you need to lay off the caffeine.”

“Oh, Marie, are you after my heart?” Alaric placed his elbows on the table and leaned his cheeks on top of his fists.

“Alaric, you order the same thing every time you grace this diner with your presence for breakfast, you, Buffon.”

“She is after my heart!”

“I’ll be back with your orders soon,” Marie said as she walked away, waving our order above her head.

“I like her.” Alaric settled back in his seat with a look of triumph smeared across his face.

“She called you a Buffon.” Heather groaned as she pinched the bridge of her nose.

“So? You call me insufferable? I know you are just trying to hold off on your desire for me until we are mates.” Just like that, he was back into it.

“Please, stop it.” The color in Heather’s face paled as her frustration grew.

“What do you want to do for your eighteenth birthday? It is next week, after all. You want me to tell Iris to throw you a party?” I tried to give Heather a break by changing the topic.

“Definitely not. I don’t want to do anything.” Heather shook her head defensively. She leaned her elbow on the table and sighed.

“Come on, Heather. You have to do something.” I gently prodded as I leaned over to brush my shoulder against hers.

“Yeah, we have to do something dramatic so everyone can see when we find out we are mates.” Alaric flashed Heather a wicked grin. His comment and grin weren’t helping. Dramatic wasn’t really Heather’s thing...Harriet, now that was a different story.

“No, no, and no. Not happening.” Heather shook her head side to side. A slight rosy tint rushed to her cheeks. I definitely noticed, but I was sure Alaric wasn’t perceptive enough to catch it.

“Why do you deny the possibility? When it happens, I hope you are nicer to me...Nah, actually, I like the challenge. It will make it even sweeter when your heart and soul beg for me.” Alaric was pressing his luck today. Heather might actually kill him. He would be the one begging for her to remove her heel from his windpipe.

“Don’t worry, Heather, we can do something chill. No carnivals or forest fires. Promise.” I tried to offer in a joking tone, but that didn’t appease her stance either. I was willing to throw my eighteenth birthday in as a punchline. Orion would not be happy if he heard me do that, but he wasn’t here. The poor guy still would occasionally bring up the “if only’s.”

The wheels were turning in her mind, trying to find a way out of this discussion. She didn’t want to be teased or talk about her eighteenth birthday anymore. As one of her best friends, I knew it was time to switch gears. Whatever she said next, I would go along with and do my best to keep the conversation away from Alaric steering it.

“So Luna, are you have a meeting with Pru and Brigid later today?” Heather turned away from Alaric and looked only at me.

Marie set down our drinks, and I mouthed a “thank you” as she slipped away.

“Smooth...yeah, I do. Seeing if our lovely pack witches have found any new leads. Anything would be helpful.” I stared down into my mug of coffee. Just like this cup of coffee, all of our leads had gone dark. I sighed as I ripped open a packet of creamer and dumped it into my mug. I watched the cooler slightly lighten, and for a brief moment, I was jealous of a cup of coffee. I wanted something, anything, to shed light on Mister Clay’s trail.

“They will. Mister Clay couldn’t have just disappeared.” Alaric picked up a spoon off of the table and began to try and balance it on his nose. He couldn’t stop being a clown, but he did at least seem to catch on that it was time to give Heather a break.

“I know you said you didn’t really know much about him, but you will tell me if you think of anything, right?” I knew Alaric had given us all the information he could, but maybe somewhere, there was something deep down that would be helpful. I would take any small grain he could help with. After all, he was the only actual link to the rogues that we had anymore.

“Of course. Cross my heart and hope to die stick a needle in my eye.” Alaric stuck his right hand up in the air like he was taking a pledge or something.

“Breakfast time! Eat up, lovely ladies...and Buffon.” Marie slid our meals in front of Heather and me first but toyed with Alaric. She slid his plate in front of him back and forth like she was playing with an energetic kitten. Marie only stopped when Alaric managed to grab his plate.

“I hope you get some answers, Rose. We all need some answers soon.” Heather said before she stuck a piece of a strawberry in her mouth.

I knew I wanted answers about Mister Clay and even what my second power was. I am sure other people wanted those answers, too. However, I knew she was craving different answers from her tone. What answers did Heather want? Was it her mate or maybe something else?