Without a Wolf

1

The moment I saw him, I knew that my world was about to change.

I had woken up this morning expecting nothing more than another day of serving coffee at the cozy little cafe that had become my routine.

But when I noticed him stepping out of the all-black SUV, everything shifted. The large windows of the cafe allowed me a perfect view of the street in front of the building, and I couldn't take my eyes off him, even as anxiety clawed at my insides.

He wasn't looking at me, in fact, he hadn't seemed to notice me at all. But I noticed him. I didn't know who he was, or where he came from, but I knew enough to know that he wasn't human.

He wasn't human, at all.

My eyes were transfixed on him. They weren't fixated by choice, they were fixated in panic. He was a mountain of a man, with broad shoulders and a muscular build that seemed to defy human proportions.

The two men flanking him seemed small in comparison, mere ants scurrying about his feet. Power exuded from every inch of him, like shockwaves rippling through the ground after an earthquake.

I could tell that he would intimidate every man who he crossed paths with. He would intimidate every woman, too. These clues were enough to make the hair on the back of my neck rise up, they were enough to have every alarm bell in my skin blaring at maximum power.

I didn't dare move my body as I watched him walk away from his car. I wondered what on earth his kind was doing here, in the middle of nowhere. There were no cities close to this small town, just tiny communities littering the sides of the one major highway cutting through the top of Ontario.

It took me almost three days of trekking through the thick bush before I was able to find any civilization at all after the bloody incident. I was lucky that it happened in the middle of summer, and not in the frigid Northern Canadian winter, otherwise I wouldn't have made it at all.

I watched him fasten the front of his suit, praying to the Moon Goddess herself that he would not come into the cafe. I felt paralyzed as I watched him, my body was as still as a statue. My mind was begging my body to run, to hide, but my body didn't listen.

I didn't know what was left of my scent, but I knew I didn't want to risk him knowing what I was. I didn't want to make any sudden movements or draw attention to myself. I just wanted him to go away, and allow me to remain undetected, the way I had been for years.

I heard the thump of my heart in my ears as I watched him bring his phone to his ear, his face falling into a deep scowl while he barked into the mouthpiece.

However, like always, the Moon Goddess betrayed me.

The man, still seemingly unaware of what I was, opened the door to the cafe. He moved with a quiet grace, his eyes scanning the room as if he was looking for something - or someone. I knew it was too late to run as he made his way towards the counter, his sharp features set in a solemn expression.

When he reached me, he didn't seem to acknowledge my presence at first. His gaze was focused on something beyond me, and I wondered if he was lost in thought or simply lost. But when he finally looked at me, I knew that he was anything but lost.

"Good morning," I said, forcing myself to smile, though it was the last thing I wanted to do right now. "What can I get for you?"

He didn't answer immediately, his eyes roaming over my face, as if he was looking for the missing piece of a puzzle. I felt a sense of unease creeping up my spine, wondering what was going through his mind.

"I'll have a black coffee," he said finally, his voice low and husky.

I turned to make his coffee, my hands shaking slightly as I tried to regain my composure. I had no idea if he had figured it out. Perhaps my scent was less human than I thought.

I prayed that even if he had figured it out, he would leave me be, and ask no questions.

As I handed him his coffee, he was still silent, but the look on his face told me that he knew as much as I did, this wasn't just another normal human-werewolf interaction.

Once he had his coffee, I couldn't stand being in his presence any longer. I turned on my heel and made my escape into the back room.

Just as I turned the corner to my hopeful safe space, I heard the word that I was never expecting to hear again, and the word that I knew would complicate this infinitely more.

"Mate."