The Shop

Jezebel

Uncle Jedd seems like a decent man. His house could use some sprucing up, but that is to be expected from a man who has been a bachelor as long as he has. I climb into his large silver hummer. It is unlike any vehicle I have ever seen before. There is a huge control panel with several buttons and switches. Curiosity is overcoming me, and I am working hard to control myself, but I want to flip a switch and press some of those buttons so badly.

"Go ahead. Flip that switch!" says my Uncle Jedd. I bring my right hand towards a switch at the bottom of the panel. "No! Not that one! NEVER flip that switch! Flip the one in the middle next to the blue button." I do as he says, and rock and roll music starts blaring from the speakers.

Even though it is loud, it is calming.

I sink into the seat and observe the scenes of my new town passing by my window. In about 15 minutes, we pull up in front of a small shop. My uncle turns off the engine and starts talking.

"This hummer is military grade, which is why there are so many switches and buttons. Don't mess with them. Most of them aid in the war, added weapons, speed, and protection. It is an armored vehicle and impenetrable. This shop here is the only convenience store on this side of town. It is a little small but does carry almost anything you would need. I prefer to do most of my shopping in a neighboring human town, but this is where you will shop. You do not need to be venturing outside of our area. While Wolvesbane territory extends past our town, it is best if you stay among wolves on this side. The shop owners are Mr. and Mrs. Carrol. They are a sweet old couple that are like everybody's grandma and grandpa. Bill is 120, and Shirley is 112."

I wasn't surprised by their ages, werewolves usually age slower and therefore have a longer lifespan.

"They had one child, a daughter that..... No one talks about her." He is quiet for a moment. "I don't know why I even brought her up," he says, looking regretful.

There is obviously a story here, but it is one no one wants to tell. "I'm sorry, what did you say? The last thing I heard was you telling me how old Mr. and Mrs. Carrol are," I say, letting him off the hook.

He smiles and continues talking. "Mrs. Carrol is an amazing cook and baker. She loves spoiling the pack with delicious treats. Be prepared to be fussed over. You ready to go in?" he asks.

I take another deep breath and exhale slowly. I feel a bit overwhelmed. There is so much to learn about my new pack. Maybe I should have settled in tonight and ventured out tomorrow. It's too late now.

"As ready as I'll ever be," I reply.

We exit the hummer and enter the shop door. A small bell rings to let the shop employees know that someone has entered the store.

"Jedd, so nice to see you. This must be your niece we have been hearing so much about," says a silky voice near the register.

We turn to see Mrs. Carrol sitting on a stool by the cash register. She is a petite older woman with long white hair braided in pig tails. She has grey blue eyes and perfectly tan skin. Although you can tell she is older, her skin is barely wrinkled. She is beautiful! I hope to look even half as good as she does when I am her age.

"I would like for you to meet my niece Jezebel. Jezebel, this is Mrs. Carrol." I hold my hand out for her to shake, but she pulls me in for a hug instead.

"You can call me Shirley. Do not hesitate to come to me if you ever need anything. My husband and I are pretty resourceful." She winks at me, and I am a bit confused as to what she means. "Brownie?" she asks.

"Sure." I say. I grab one and bite into it. It is so damn delicious! I quickly grab another, and my uncle chuckles.

"I told you she makes amazing treats," Uncle Jedd said teasingly. "Where is Bill?"

"He is in the back doing inventory," Shirley replies.

"I have some business to discuss. Go ahead and look around. Get anything you want or need, I'll buy. If you need help finding something, Shirley will help you," says my Uncle Jedd before heading towards the back to find Bill.

I smile at Shirley and let her know that I am not sure what I want or need, so I am just going to browse the store.

"I understand, dear," Shirley says. "Browse, you have plenty of time. Bill and Jedd usually talk for a while."

The shop is very clean and organized and I silently applaud them for keeping it so nice. I am a bit of a clean freak. I load my cart with bleach, surface cleaner sprays, cleaning wipes, air fresheners, and other miscellaneous items. I am looking through some magazines when I hear the bell ring and see a younger couple enter the store.

"Clarissa and Drew? I didn't expect to see you in here until Saturday. The cake you ordered isn't quite ready yet," I hear Mrs. Carrol say.

"That's alright, Shirley. We saw Jedd's hummer in the parking lot, and Drew said he needed to stop in and talk with Jedd and Bill about something," says Clarissa.

"They are in the back," Shirley says to Drew. He starts heading that way, and Clarissa turns to Shirley and starts gossiping.

"Have you met Jedd's niece yet?" Clarissa asks curiously. Before Shirley can answer, Clarissa continues to ramble. "I heard she was exiled from her last pack. Everyone is curious as to why. I am shocked that Alpha Jon even let her seek refuge with us. Especially since the Silverhair pack is one of our biggest rivals! She could be a spy!"

I don't know why, but hearing her gossip irritates me. News really does travel fast! I find myself slowly walking to the front of the store to confront her. Clarissa has small brown eyes and a long skinny nose. Her top lip is big, and her bottom lip is thin. Freckles cover her body, and thick red curly hair frames her face. She is short and plump. As odd as she looks in her human form, I imagine her wolf is beautiful. I am standing behind her now, so I clear my throat. Both women turn to look at me and seem bewildered.

"Wow. You are a sneaky one, huh?" Shirley asks. "Clarissa, this is Jezebel, Jedd's niece." Clarissa's eyes get wide as she realizes I must have heard her gossiping about me. I look at her and decide she ain't worth me causing a scene over. I just arrived here, of course I am the topic of discussion.

I give Shirley all the items I wish to purchase, and she rings them up and bags them.

"My uncle said he is going to pay for all this. Just give him the receipt and let him know I will be waiting in the hummer," I say to Shirley.

"Nice meeting you, Clarissa," I murmur before quickly exiting the store. I need to get out of here before I say something I will likely regret.