How It Begins

             Sapphire sat in the tiny space she called her room. Really, it was a closet. But it was the only space where she could call her own after all these years. It wasn’t from lack of space. After all, she lived in the Vagas Moon Packhouse. Today she was an adult, and she felt mixed feelings about this.

Today would be her last day at work in the Black Hole Café and Diner. It was pack-owned and themed around a trip into outer space. With this being her birthday and the last day, she’d work there, Sapphire would leave this place behind tomorrow. No one wanted to work in that rundown money pit, so it was a perfect place for her to work and avoid most of the pack. But now, she didn’t have to work for her place in the pack anymore. She’d saved enough money to get out of there, and being old enough, she could leave with no punishment. It wasn’t like anyone would miss her. They’d probably celebrate her leaving. Her uncle and aunt were the pack’s Alpha couple, but she was the reminder of her parents’ betrayal of choosing life outside of a pack rather than suffering under their control.

             Why would she leave her pack? They were the wolves that proved wolf shifters were monsters. She was their reminder that her parents fled from them for greener pastures without a pack. Her wolf was another bone of contention. Alpha Frank was her uncle, but that didn’t matter to him or anyone else. She was the product of pack deserters and they never failed to remind her of that. An accident killed them, which forced Sapphire to be returned to them as a small child. Tradition forced them to look after her, as the alpha couple were her closest blood relatives. It would look bad on them if they didn’t accept her. But nothing in the tradition said they must love her or do anything more than tolerate her. She now faced the abuse her parents fled from every day. She was the pack’s whipping boy. Every dirty job and every unwanted job were hers to do. There was no way she could say no without there being some sort of punishment.

             So, here she sat with a small cupcake that she’d bought herself. Alone and at peace for a moment. This was her time, and the cupcake was her indulgence to celebrate her birthday. Before she could take a bite of the chocolate indulgence, the closet door shook under the force someone used to bang on it. The sound echoed painfully off the walls of the tight space around her. Sapphire winced and made a face reflecting her annoyance and sadness at her lost privacy. She could only do that when she was alone, without fear of someone punishing her. “Yes? What’s up?”

             “You need to get your butt moving so you can pick up my dry cleaning before your shift. I’ll be there at two to pick it up. You better have it, or I’ll take it out of your paycheck.” Those were the shrill tones of Ivory Kilburn, her cousin and daughter of Alpha Al. Yes, she got to speak that way to her because that’s how everyone spoke to her. Pointing out how wrong it was just made things worse for Sapphire and she now was counting the hours before she slipped away from all of this.

             “I’m almost ready to leave. I only need to brush my teeth before I head out.” Sapphire popped the tiny cupcake back into its pastry box and set it carefully on a shelf beside several jars of canned peaches before she opened the door to leave the tiny room with its one bare light bulb.

             “You need to empty the dishwasher, too. All the dishes better get put away properly or I’ll tell mother and there will be hell to pay.” Ivory’s scarlet lips sneered at her. Of course, she did. Ivory never lifted a hand to do anything. Except to slap occasionally Sapphire around. You would think her wolf was white with the name Ivory, but the truth was Sapphire’s wolf was truly white. So white, in fact, they called those with this colouring ghost wolves. In this pack, pride in one’s appearance was paramount unless you were Sapphire. She’d learned long ago to shift rarely because no one wanted the reminder that she was the exotic one and not their precious Ivory.

             With her chores done, Sapphire returned to her room for her jacket to find the door ajar. She knew she had closed it fully. Frustrated, she forced a growl down in defeat. This was just so common. Ivory loved to show off to her friends things like this. It was to remind everyone that Ivory could get away with doing anything to anyone because she's the alpha’s daughter, and her parents encouraged her nasty streak.

Upon opening the door, Sapphire found everything swept off the shelves where she neatly stored all her worldly possessions beside jars of preserves and dry goods. Bottles and clothes lay in a messy heap on her bedding. At least Ivory didn’t have time to smash any of the jars this time. But this mess would take hours to clean up and delay her packing. Sapphire looked frantically at her things. She could hear Ivory laughing and talking to someone about what Sapphire was doing in her room right now. Ivory was bragging about being nasty and destructive like she deserved a medal for it. Upset now because she couldn’t find the box with her cupcake, Sapphire left the house. She was determined to have a good day, and confronting Ivory was not part of that. She wouldn’t cry for their amusement, and she wouldn’t give up her day for their amusement.

             At the Black Hole Café and Diner, she clocked in and put her few things away in her locker. Out front, she found the dining space unusually busy, with a couple of unfamiliar faces at the counter looking for service. “Hi. What can I get you?” Sapphire’s nose quickly noticed the fact that these two were wolves. Wolves, she didn’t know. This meant trouble. Alpha Al and the pack pushed out other packs from this area long ago.

             “Two coffees and a couple of your lunch specials.” The big one said with a warm smile. His eyes were trying to connect with hers. But that was something Sapphire never did. It only led to trouble, either from the person she made eye contact with or with Hank, the cook if he noticed.

             “Sure thing, I’ll be back with your coffees after I put in your order.” Sapphire smiled and then moved away as quickly as she could. Her body sang at the smell of him, not his friend, just him. She couldn’t understand it. Her emotions were all over the place. His presence made her excited and happy for the first time in so long. It frightened her. If anyone noticed, it would spell trouble. It always did.

             Dropping off their order at the kitchen window, she scooped up the coffeepot and a couple of mugs. Sapphire couldn’t resist glancing up as she poured their coffees. The dark-haired wolf watched her intently, as if she were the only person in the room. “Are you new to the area or just passing through?” Sapphire asked, not knowing what else to ask. She was half afraid they’d take offence at her prying into their business.

             “We’re in town for a few days. I guess you’re a local. I thought I knew everyone.” His voice was so calming, and she forced herself not to shiver.

             “I’m the niece of Frank Kilburn.”

             “I didn’t know he had a pretty niece like you.”

             “Not his choice. It was out of his hands. I’m the red-haired stepchild of the family, if you know what I mean.”

             Their scents changed, souring a little. That was a sure sign to Sapphire. She’d gone too far and needed to change the subject. The conversation just entered dangerous waters for her. She didn’t need to change the subject, though, because Ivory entered the coffee shop with another stranger in tow. What was it today with strangers?

             “Your orders will be ready soon. I’ll bring them out as soon as they are ready.”

             “What’s your name?”

             “Sapphire. I’m sorry I need to take this.” Sapphire stepped away, she was embarrassed and irritated that Ivory showed up hours early. She dragged people around with her all the time, but this guy was new, and he smelt off. Sapphire took an instant dislike to him. It shouldn’t surprise her that Ivory found a man as loathsome as herself. “Ivory, you’re here early. I’ll get your dry cleaning. I’ll just be a minute.”

             “Oh, I’ve got something to say first. I’d like you to meet Cliff Danvers. We’re engaged.” Which meant these two detestable people would be the new power couple. The future alphas of the pack. “Oh, and your invitation will go missing.”

             Sapphire stood there with no expression, never revealing her thoughts or feelings for a moment. “Thank you. I’ll get your dry cleaning.” She turned and headed for the back room.

             “Babe, I’m going to take a leak. Be back soon.” Cliff followed Sapphire down the hallway. But he didn’t enter the men’s room. He instead followed her into the back room and caught her closing her locker.

             “What are you doing back here? You shouldn’t be here.”

             “I just came back to see if I couldn’t make a new friend.” Cliff’s smile was sickly sweet, almost slimy, as he tried to crowd her against the lockers. “Come on, give me some of that hospitality you were sharing just a moment ago.”

             “What? No. Ivory just said you were mating with her. Get away from me. I am not kissing you. What do you think you’re doing?” Sapphire couldn’t help it, her anger shot up like a rocket.

             “I want to know that I have the best one. So, a brief sample won’t hurt. Who knows, when I get bored with her, I might just have a few playdates with you.”

             “What? No!” Sapphire pushed him, causing him to trip over a small bench. She dodged around him and left him in the back room. Once he recovered, he followed her out.

             Sapphire held out the dry cleaning to her cousin, who stood there looking bored and rolling her eyes. “Here, take it and get him out of here. He tried to kiss me.”

             “Thank you.” Ivory took a double take as Sapphire’s words registered. “What? You’re lying. Why would he do that? No, it’s more like you tried to take him away from me. Cliff, baby, tell me it’s not true.”

             “Of course, it’s not true. Why would I want that thing?” His thumb flicked at Sapphire and his voice dripped with mocking distancing.

             “Then promise me once we’re in control at the end of the week, you’ll kick her out.” Ivory found it difficult to speak because she needed to edit her words around non-wolf shifters. So, she looked furious.

             “How about I take care of this problem right now? Your father doesn’t need to know a thing.”

             “You’d do that for me? I would be forever grateful.” He’d just threatened to harm Sapphire in front of everyone. Sapphire was speechless now. Her mouth gaped in disbelief at her cousin’s encouragement at his offer.

             Cliff made a move to grab Sapphire. To find her pulled away from him before he could touch her. “I don’t think so. If you have a problem with her. You’ll take it up with me.” The black leather-clad body who’d suddenly appeared between her and Cliff. It all happened so fast Sapphire wasn’t sure how to react to any of it.

             Before she could say anything to defuse this situation, the two men began fighting. Ivory screamed as Cliff decided he’d use his claws instead of fists. They knocked over tables and chairs in their struggles. They left blood behind. Other diners screamed and yelled, then headed for the door to escape the clear and present danger. As they fought and tore at each other. The stranger gave more than he got, and in the end, he landed several blows in that included a rather bloody gash across Cliff’s throat. Leaving Cliff unconscious in a pool of his own blood. He stepped back and assessed the damage. He threw a stack of cash down on the table, used his head to point at the door, telling his friend to use it. On his way past Sapphire, he grabbed her wrist and dragged her with him out the door.

             Everything was over within minutes, and Sapphire said nothing. She heard Ivory crying over Cliff and threatening to have her expelled permanently from the pack.

             Now she was in trouble for real. What was she going to do? Why did he do what he did? Who was he? Was she being kidnapped?