TROUBLE!

I heard my stomach grumbling, then the churning, twisting sensation returned.

It had been going on for the last two hours, I had forgotten to bring my credit card with me, not that anyone even gave me the chance to bring it, they had packed my bag for me and left me without a single penny. 

I did not care much about myself, it was the pup I was worried about. I exited the car and stared straight at the restaurant, I didn't have any money in my pocket.

I walked into the restaurant, it looked fancier than other restaurants I had seen on the way, I stopped in front of the counter.

“Can I get your order?." The lady asked me.

I cleared my throat, shame washed through me for what I was about to do.

“Hi, good day... I don't have any money with me but I'm very hungry... Please believe me, I'm not looking for free handouts, I can work for my food... I can do the dishes, serve some customers for a while, anything." I said trying my best to hold the tears at the corner of my eyes from falling.

The young woman stared at me, worry crossed her expression, then pity.

" I don't own this establishment, I can't... I don't know, I'm sure I would get in trouble for doing what you're asking for. " she said dismissively.

I felt my heart beating hard against my chest, my stomach grumbled again. I placed my right palm against my stomach.

" Please, I'm carrying a baby." I told her.

Her eyes travelled from my face down to my belly, I know I didn't look pregnant. I was only about a week and a few days pregnant, so I did not have any bump.

“Wait here." She told me almost immediately and she went through a door, she returned with a man.

He was short, bald and chubby.

“Is she the one?." The man asked, there was no warmth beneath his eyes, it made me clutch my hands together in fear.

“Good evening sir, I'm sorry to bother you but I'm really hungry..." I was saying but the man cut me off sharply. 

" If you're hungry then buy food... Do this place seem to you like the North Pole... Do I look like Santa?." He asked me.

I shook my head.

" N-no."  

“Buy something or get out." The man said and then he turned away to leave, the young lady shot me an apologetic look.

" I can mop the floors after you guys close down." I said in a rush.

The man stopped walking and turned to me.

“We close by nine…the time is five pm, can you wait for four hours for just a plate of pasta?." He asked me rudely.

I nodded my head.

" I have no other option, I'd rather wait here and work than be out there begging." I told him.

He shrugged.

" Fine." He simply said and I felt overwhelming joy, at least I was going to have dinner.

Four hours felt like an eternity, my mouth watered as I saw other people eating, the smell of the food almost made me run mad. Hungry was a new kind of torture.

" We're closed." The young lady said to me, her name was Vivian.

She handed me a mopping stick.

“I'm leaving now, the cook is at the back, the boss has spoken to him, when you're done meet him and he'll inspect the place and then you'll get the food." She said, I thanked her and watched her walk out.

I mopped the floor with precision, it would be horrible if I was asked to start all over again, I had waited for hours for this, a dirty piece of tile wouldn't take this away from me.

The restaurant was bigger than I expected, the more I mopped the more the place stretched out. 

When I was done, sweat was crawling down my face and neck. My whole back felt as if I was flogged. 

“I'm done." I told the cook and he handed me a very big plate of food after he had inspected the place. I sat at the kitchen counter and devoured it, at a point I thought I would choke to death because a huge pile of food had been stuck in my throat but it went quickly as I downed my entire glass of water.

“Thank you." I told the cook handing him the plate. His eyes were filled with pity.

“The boss didn't ask me to do this, but out of good will..." He said taking a Takeaway plate and filling it with rice and chicken. “For dessert..." He said giving me some slices of cake.

“Thank you." I told him wiping my eyes with the back of my palm.

I exited the diner knowing that it would be somewhere around ten PM. I walked to my car, it was the only car in the parking lot.

I drove out of the parking lot and away from the diner, I was miles away, just driving around looking for a motel, wondering if I could really live like this and for how long my suffering would last when the car suddenly came to a halt.

I hit my hand against the steering, I wondered what the problem would be, that was when I found out I had an empty tank. 

The weight of everything hit me like a missile and I cried. The car was becoming too hot, I grabbed my takeaway plate from the side and put it in a plastic bag.

I walked out and shut the door. Thankfully the car was not blocking the road, by tomorrow it would be towed and taken to the impound. When I had the money I would take it out. 

It was the dead of the night and the street was deserted.

I walked forward, with no destination in mind, that was when I heard the footsteps behind me.

I turned, it was a really hefty man dressed in black, there was a tattoo on his neck that ran down his chest, he had several scars that made him look very violent. I could tell that he was a Gamma and knowing how violent they are, I became very scared. 

“Hey Carina, are you lost?...." He asked me obviously advancing towards me.

He called me Carina, meaning 'my dear'.

“You must have the wrong person..." I said trying my best not to sound scared.

“Tsk tsk tsk, I'm sure I've got the right person." He said with a devilish smirk. 

That was enough signs for me, I picked up my feet and started running as fast as I could. 

“You must protect the pup!." My wolf was screaming in my head.

I was about to turn back to see whether I had lost the man when I felt his strong grip in my arm, he yanked me backwards and threw me across the concrete floor.