The Blood Pack (book two)

Chapter three

~Niomi~

I groaned as I woke up early the next morning. I knew that I had to get the bus to work or at least walk. I would miss the warmth and comfort of my bed, almost as much as I missed old Bessy. I hope that she would be okay, that it was just the battery like Mr. Grunts a lot said. I slid out of my single bed and went straight to my shower. My apartment was not much, but it was home. It was a studio apartment aka, the living room, kitchen, dining room and bedroom were crammed together in a small room with a small bathroom that consisted of a toilet, shower and sink attached. The space would send most wolves crazy, mine was just happy that the space was ours and ours alone.

I quickly finished my morning routine, locked my front door and descend to the entrance way to my building. I pushed open the gate and headed to the bus stop. I checked the time table and the next bus would be here in half an hour, so I decided to start walking. It was still dark outside and again my wolf enjoyed the fresh dawn air as much as she enjoyed the dusk. I got lost in my own thoughts, that somehow led back to Mr. Grunts a lot. He really managed to get under my skin with his lack of communication skills. Wolves were meant to be sociable creatures, how the hell did he get by through grunts alone?

I walked the same streets that I had the night before but they seemed much more peaceful to me now that the sun was rising and glistening off the small puddles that had formed from the rain over night. That reminded me of the way that the street lights caught the deep brown eyes of Mr. Grunts a lot. I shook my head, I could not let my mind wonder like that. I could not afford to get close to anyone, especially not a shifter. I had taken a risk with Margaret but she had proven herself time and time again to be a loyal friend to me. It would not take much, a rumour, a whisper in the wrong ear, and they would find me. I did not know what my punishment would be for running, but my wolf started to whine at the thought. They would not care about Damien's actions, of his betrayal of the bond that was meant to be sacred. All they would care about was that I had robbed them of a precious commodity, me. As I got closer to work, I started to push those thoughts to the back of my mind, I could not let my fear rule me. I had made a life for myself here. It may not seem like much to others but it was mine, and I would not let them take anything else away from me.

I fished my keys out of my pocket and unlocked the front of the shop, flipping over the sign and heading into the back to get the cash register tray out of the safe. "Morning Margaret." I shouted up the stairs as I head back out front, letting her know that it is just me down here.

"I'll only be a couple of minutes dear." she called back, her tone slightly panicked. Maybe I should have warned her I was going to be here earlier than usual today, completely mistiming how long it would take to walk from my apartment. I set up the till and started to think of the jobs that needed doing today when Margaret came down. "Would you mind taking the money from yesterday to the bank dear and then start to dust and vacuum." she was wearing a flowery dress and if I was not mistaken, lipstick.

I hid my shock at her change in appearance well. "You look nice today." I smiled as I pass by to get the money from yesterday out of the safe. "Got a hot date I should know about? Do I need to ask his intentions with you?" I mused as I came back on to the shop floor, and I swear I could see a small blush on her cheeks.

"No. No. Nothing like that. The investor I told you about last year is stopping by for a visit. He is a very handsome man, with handsome friends." she raised an eyebrow to me as her eyes scanned my appearance. "You know, I never see you with a man on your arm. You are only young once you know."

I laugh as I put the money into the bag that we used to ferry it to the bank. "I do not need a man in my life Margaret, I am perfectly happy just the way I am."

"Oh no dear. Having a man is the best part of life, or a woman." she quickly adds making me laugh more and shake my head at her attempt to be politically correct.

"I will be back in a few minutes Margaret, remember to put a sock on the door knob if I need to give you and lover boy some alone time." She blushed even harder at my little joke and waved me away.

It is a quick walk to the bank and with it still being so early in the morning, there was hardly any queue. I made the same small talk with the teller as I always do before heading back. I could see a jeep parked out front of the book store and smile as my mind wonders back to Mr. Grunts a lot, before I find myself shaking my head again. No, no more thoughts about him, it is Margaret's fault, being all flirty dirty with her investor. I can't help but chuckle to myself, thinking of sweet old Margaret with a young hottie on her arm as I walk back into the store and then I freeze. In front of me are the backs of three large males, too large to be humans. Then my wolf takes in their scents and my eyes land on the back of a shaved head, that slowly turns to look at me, my heart skipping a beat. It was him, s**t. "Is Bessy fixed?" I asked, a little too excited.

The other two turn and look at me confused while Mr. Grunts a lot just grunts as if to say, I am not here for that. "Ahh there she is. This is my employee Niomi, Niomi come here dear." I slowly walk around the three males, keeping my distance as much as possible in the small space with their large frames in the way. I manage to make it to her side and I feel her hand in my arm." Niomi has been my loyal employee for years and helps me out as much as I need." I was still a little confused as to why Mr. Grunts a lot was here with his two imposing friends and why Margaret was telling them our life story. 

"What I do not understand is why you need my investment, why does her pack not take care of the issue?" the middle one that oozes alpha asks frustrated.

I feel my self stiffen, f**k. Not only were these guys the mysterious investors that Margaret has dressed up for, but the mysterious investors were werewolves. "What pack? Niomi is not a werewolf! Tell them." I feel her eyes on me so I turn my head and give her an apologetic smile, her hand quickly leaving my arm as if my skin burned her and she looked at me with shock.

"Margaret, please, let me explain." I quickly say, hating the way that my sweet friend was looking at me right now. 

She held up her hand to silence me. "You have lied to me, for years. What am I, just some old fool to you?"

"No Margaret, you are my family, my friend!"

"You do not keep something like this from friends or family!"

"Margaret please..."

"Go on. Explain to me why you have kept this from me. Explain to me why you have never mentioned your pack to me!" My eyes shift slightly to the three men in the room, I would tell Margaret, if only to have her understand why I hid who I was from her, but I did not want these strangers to know." You can speak in front of them, they are your kind. "

"They are not my kind." I bit back, more harshly than I intended. "Margaret, it is complicated and very personal, please let us talk in private." I added in a more pleading tone. 

"You can explain yourself now or you can get out of my store!" I saw the hurt in her eyes, I had hurt the one person who had always been there for me. This may be my only chance to explain myself and let the chips fall where they may.

I straightened up as much as I could. "I am a lone wolf." I said with pride.

"A rouge!" I heard the smaller guy behind me hiss, the hatred in his voice evident.

Anger flowing through me I turned on them. "I am no rouge! I am a lone wolf by choice. I was not cast out, nor have I ever harmed anyone. Keep your prejudice to yourself!" I snap, my wolf slipping in my voice at her own anger towards the words of this man that does not even know what he is talking about. 

"Lone wolf?" Margaret stammered. I realized that my tone had been gravelly, my wolf slipping through must have shocked Margaret, because I could see her complexion pail and noted her step back when I turned back to her.

"I chose to leave my pack, long before I came here. Long before I knew you. I never told you because I was afraid..."

"Afraid?" Mr. Grunts a lot asked. Again with single word sentences.

I sighed and kept my attention on Margaret, her eyes telling me she wants to know the answer too. "My pack, they wanted me. Not because of who I am but because of what I can do, they kept me locked inside the territory. Until one night I left." I try to reach out to Margaret but she moved back away from me again. "Margaret, if they knew where I was, if the wrong person knew and told them, they would take me back there."

"What can you do?" the Alpha asked.

"That is none of your business!" I bit back through gritted teeth, this was between me and Margaret.

"What can you do!" he then commanded.

I felt the air being sucked out of my lungs, it had been a long time since I had tried to resist the alpha grip, my wolf being only slightly dominant the pain was almost unbearable. "Heal." I wheezed out as I gripped onto the counter for support. The air came back into my lungs and I gasped in big mouthfuls of air trying to regain my composure. Margaret now looked at her investor with shock, she knew that he had done something to make me talk but was unsure what. "I can heal." I repeated in a more composed tone, standing back up under my own steam.

"You can heal other werewolves?" Margaret asked seeming to relax a little.

"I can heal anyone. Shifter, human, witch, not sure about vampires and alike but I have healed those three."

Margaret moved closer. "Then why would you work in a bookstore, why not work in a hospital?"

"I cannot heal everything, mainly just injuries, not debilitating diseases. And it is very strenuous, I would only be able to heal a hand full of people a day and even then it would wipe me out for a while."

"But you could do so much good."

"No I could make people angry, angry that I chose one life over another. Angry that I couldn't push myself that bit more to heal just one more person, one more wound. Angry that I cannot cure cancer or reverse Alzheimer's." I thought about when I first left my pack. I had found a small village and stayed there for a while. There was a young boy who had fallen from a tree and broke his leg. Not thinking anything about i, or the repercussions from my actions, I healed the boy. The next day I was inundated with requests to heal the sick, blind and wounded. When I couldn't heal them all, some became angry and called me hateful and spiteful. I left shortly after. I shook my head, pulling myself from those thoughts and bringing myself back to the current conversation. 

"What makes you think your pack is still looking for you?" the prejudice guy asked.

"They will never stop looking. I was the first healer in the pack and the first wolf to develop a serious ability since the curse was lifted." 

"And you left just because they wouldn't let you out?" the alpha asked, scepticism writhe in his voice.

I shook my head, as tears pricked my eyes. "That is not the only reason. But that is the reason I will not go back."

Mr. Grunts a lot grunted, seeming to want to know what is the other reason. I cut him a harsh look, would they understand? I looked back at Margaret, who looked like I killed a whole pack of puppies. I needed her to know the whole truth, so I took a deep breath and steeled myself to say the words that I had never managed to say aloud. "I found my mate, my true mate, in bed with another."