Mated to a Human

☽ 10 ☾

"Hey, sorry I'm late," I breathe as I make my way around the counter. With few customers in the café, Kiki follows me back, standing in the doorway to the break room as I hang up my jacket in exchange for an apron.

"I don't think you've ever been late," Kiki says. "What happened? Car trouble?"

"No — I was with a friend and we lost track of time."

"Well, you're only late by like five minutes, so don't worry about it. I don't go on break for another fifteen minutes anyway."

"So, I haven't seen you since you mentioned helping your boyfriend move? How did it go?"

Kiki and I return to the counter as I tie my hair up. She uses the rag in her hand to wipe around the machines. "He called me the day after I came back from his new place — we don't usually call each other; we text and Facetime, so I was surprised — but he said he needed time to adjust and grow roots and whatever other bullshit he spewed. He said he wasn't breaking up with me but putting us on hold. I broke three nails carrying his crap up two stories to his apartment. I was pissed, so I broke up with him and blocked his number."

"Oh."

"I swear the guys in this town suck," she mutters and leans against the counter.

"Yeah," I murmur. "Why don't you go on break now, and I'll handle things here. Take the extra fifteen."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. It's slow. Go ahead."

Kiki brings the strap of her apron over her head. "Thanks."

I work for thirty minutes alone, two hours with Kiki, and again by myself until closing. Other than one or two customers drifting in at a time, the café is quiet until I lock the main doors and prep for tomorrow's opener. The clean-up goes quickly as I replay the day's events in my head, picturing myself on Abby's wolf as she leaps through the forest.

At first, I was too focused on holding on to comprehend what was happening, but she was right; once I was brave enough to open my eyes, I enjoyed it. Riding her wolf was like riding a hairy racehorse, and when I jumped off, it took a moment for my adrenaline to calm down.

Abby said she could take me again sometime, and my endorsement left my mouth before my head caught up. But I will go. Today felt like Abby and I were thirteen again, except we didn't need to use our imaginations to play with the supernatural. In a way, thirteen-year-old me's dreams have come true because I wanted the world to be magical so badly when I was young, and now I know it is.

I finish closing down the café for the night, but just as I reach for the main lights, a knock sounds on the door's window. I peer over my shoulder and see Harvey outside with my jacket that my mom forgot to recover from the laboratory.

Without thinking, I point to the back side of the building, and Harvey walks past the windows towards the café parking lot. I flick off the lights and rush into the break room as my heart drums. I take off my apron and grab my bag and jacket, throwing on the jacket but squeezing my bag in my hands. My heart only beats harder, so I force a deep breath and open the back door while simultaneously shutting off the last light.

Harvey is waiting for me. My heart squeezes, but if our last sliver of a conversation is any gauge of how this one will go, we won't be here very long.

"Hi," he says and steps off the wall, holding my jacket and wearing the effortlessly charming face the Society women eat up.

I shut the door and lock it while side-eyeing him. "Why are you here?"

"Can we talk?"

I cross my arms and face him. "I haven't said anything to anyone."

"I'm not here to scare you into silence. You don't have to worry." He hands me my jacket, so I take it and fold it over my arm. "You forgot it in the Lab basement."