The First Mate

Chapter Nineteen

The atmosphere at Roughnecks was warm and lively.

Most of the booths and centre tables were full as we opened for dinner, leaving the outdoor seating available, but the weather was starting to turn.

Benny weaved behind me on the line as I focused on garnishing and ordering, calling for the hotplate.

I yelled two more tables, Benny and the two other chefs behind me calling back.

Vince and Keenan, Coyote Shifters who, while amazing at their jobs, were a handful.

"Hey, boss!" Keenan smirked over his shoulder, his golden eyes flashing with mischief. Like all of us behind the line, he wore chef whites and a black cap with the Roughnecks logo on it, his black apron folded in half across his slender waist.

"What?" I mumbled to him as I garnished three plates.

"When's break?" He flashed me a grin as he set a tray of rested steaks beside me.

I gave him a playful scowl, bumping him away from me with my hip.

"You just got here, back to work." I moved the meat onto the plates, looking up to see Jannie coming in with a stunning fake smile as she pulled on her hat, she turned away, stuffing her bag into the cubbyholes by the door.

She spun again, gracefully and way too energetically, her fake smile was still in place.

She was a beautiful blonde Wolf, shapely in hips and breasts, with a cute button nose, large doe blue eyes and the sweetest thing to customers.

Seeing me being the line, her smile fell, and she rolled her shoulders, groaning like she was having an exorcist.

"Thank fuuuuuuuck." She sighed.

My face twisted with worry.

She giggled, her nose scrunching. "I'm just glad to see you, Luna. I was worried you left me with a bunch of animals." Her eyes narrowed at the Coyotes, both just snickering at her. "Again." She glared at her, giving them a perfectly manicured middle finger.

I rolled my eyes. "You're an idiot." I chuckled as I set the plates up for her. "How are you, sweetpea?"

She smiled, bouncing slightly in place as she did when she was happy. "Good, I was worried when you hadn't come in for a few days." She gave me a slight pout, her full lips moving adorably.

Ugh, if I was into women. It'd be her.

I waved her off, cleaning down the bench as Benny put down another set of orders.

"I had to go to Santa Feia for a few days; it wasn't anything exciting," it wasn't a complete lie. I looked up and smiled at her. "I'm on for the rest of the shift; I'll make you a takeaway for you and the girls."

She gave me a grateful smile, backed through the two-way door into the dining room and kissed the air at me.

I kissed it back at her and Xavier stepped in, looking back at her as he saw the interaction.

She gave him a sheepish giggle and disappeared.

He chuckled, coming around the bench and pulling an apron on. "Hey baby," he kissed my head as he stepped past me.

"Hiya," I smiled, setting the plates up and rang the bell for service. I turned to look up at him as he looked over the orders we had in and what I'd already sorted since I got here at midday.

"How's it been?" He asked absently.

I shrugged, smiling at Finn as he came in to grab the plates. "Tables two and then four." I pointed to the plates.

He nodded, stacking them and backed out with a smile.

"Had three refires, had to eighty-six the carbonara just before dinner cause someone," I leaned back behind Xav, looking pointedly at Vince. "Dropped an entire palette of eggs."

Xavier sighed. "Do I want to know how?"

I shook my head. "Just know he's already cleaned it up and is on deep cleaning the next two nights." I flashed a cruel smile at Vince that made him look away from me. "And is shadowing Byron on patrols for the next week."

Xavier hissed, looking at Vince, a flash of pity in his eyes. "You know she likes the cab."

Vince gave a defeated shrug. "I didn't realise scaring her wasn't safe to do anymore." Benny and Keenan started to laugh.

Xavier's eyes widened and he looked down at me.

I ignored him, setting up for dessert orders.

He chuckled, shaking his head, knowing he could check the security cameras later, and fell into a rhythm beside me and Benny.

It'd been nearly a month since someone had attacked our home.

I refused to continue school, switching to home school programs and working beside Xavier or trusted Clan members.

I'd told all my mates about my suspicions.

That Damien's Pack were aiding Jordon more than he led on.

Damien and two others of his Pack worked at the garage Byron's uncle owned.

They'd all worked the day Xav's car had been taken in for maintenance.

Jordon knew about Berry Thistle; he knew about all the Clan's weaknesses.

How else would he have known to start using wolfsbane and his blood on me after my Shift.

I remembered books I'd seen in Damien's house, finding copies we had at home, reading them after they had been secured with new security and patrols in place.

Books on Binding Laws.

I wouldn't have questioned it if he wasn't an already bonded male.

Something he'd done well to keep hidden, but Annie recognised the aura.

Annie released her knowledge to me, showing me the things she'd seen and I had missed, not willing to see the truth.

There had been a few moments Annie should have acted, but I had withheld her.

Now, we worked in sync.

Her thoughts and presence were a warm reminder of the magic that sang through my veins.

Magic, Theo had spent a lot of time perfecting.

When he wasn't with Dane overseeing the school as a student, he was beside me as a teacher in magic and combat.

Shadows were wielders of exactly that.

He commanded darkness and smoke like extensions of himself, a new lust for him grew as he stepped into his role as my Shadow, the quadruplets, Keenan and Vince, the first Coyotes to become Shadows, falling behind him.

They had trained since they were thirteen, being called together by Carter when I had arrived.

Though they were designed to protect my child, they had made their own pact to ensure my safety before and beyond the realms of me as a mother.

They cared for me.

For Annie.

I checked my watch, a banding of thin twisted stems that formed into a rose-shaped watch face of quartz.

A gift from the Lunas.

I tapped Benny's shoulder and he stepped in my place, taking over the orders I was running.

Xavier raised a brow.

I grabbed his wrist and pulled him behind me.

Don't talk. Just follow. That was all I said to him as we walked through dining.

We gave polite smiles and headed for the side exit near the bathrooms.

I pulled out a packet of cigarettes and a lighter from my apron as we stepped into the alleyway between Roughnecks and the bar Anderson's, owned by Elsa's brother Peter.

The tall, shaggy-haired Coyote smiled at me as I lit my cigarettes, stepping out of his side exit and doing the same.

He tilted his chin at Xav, who returned the gesture. I inhaled my smoke as Xav turned to me, a curious smirk on his face.

Just wait. I smirked back.

I leaned against the wall beside the door, grabbed Xavier's shirt and pulled him to my lips.

He leaned down, his lips meeting mine to inhale the Lunaris smoke as I swept my tongue through his mouth.

His eyes opened in surprise and I smiled.

Don't kill him. I purred, pushing him back as the side door of the Andersons opened again, a man stepping out quickly to throw his guts up beside Peter.

Peter snarled, taking a healthy step away from the guy as he dropped to his knees, heaving the contents of his stomach.

Xavier caught his scent, staring at me as I took another inhale of the calming substance, soothing Annie as we watched Ulric rise.

"You give the best gifts." He growled, turning to Damien as his breath rattled, trying to calm the sickness.

I turned, leaning my shoulder against the wall and watched as Xavier straightened and stepped forward.

Damien's head snapped up, his glazed eyes finding me. I waved at him with two fingers. "Wolfbane is a hard ingredient to conceal from you, Wolves." I inhaled again, calming Annie. "But, not impossible."

Xavier grabbed him by the back of the shirt and lifted him.

I stepped off the wall, Peter turning and flanking Xavier with me.

We both exhaled our smoke into his gagging face as Xavier gripped his throat, growling.

"Mixed with Lunaris, it becomes very," his eyes started to daze, rolling unfocused as he struggled against Xavier's grip to stay awake. "Sedative." I purred the word at him as he blacked out, giggling to myself that the word for the spell of sedation was the same.

Something the Goddess just knew to leave alone.

I stepped away, finishing my smoke as three Bear Shifters entered the alleyway, Byron chuckling when he saw me casually dance away to the restaurant.

I looked back at Xavier, he still held Damien, sniffing him before he dropped him.

His nose was scrunched as he turned and walked towards me, following me back inside.

You poisoned him?

I giggled at the tight edge in his voice. knowing it wasn't anger at me.

But the even more fearsome FH&S.

Food, Health and Safety.

Don't worry, Benny made a salad with it before work and brought it in a sealed container we threw out. No one but me and Benny touched the plates. Damien thought we were short-staffed from a stomach bug I had Elsa mention before he came.

I felt a pulse of approval from Xavier. To make him think you weren't as guarded.

I giggled. And, so he didn't think twice when I served them.

He gave a slight grunt in approval, his lips tilting as we stepped into the kitchen, Benny looking up.

He smiled at me as I went to the storage cupboard. "How'd it go, boss?" He called

I looked at Keenan, pulling out the bucket and yellow rubber gloves.

His face paled as I smiled at him.

"You wanted a break," I shrugged at him, holding out the items. "I promised Pete we'd clean up the mess."

Everyone but Keenan laughed, he growled at me, taking the items in a childish snatch that made me laugh harder as he headed out of the kitchen.

I sorted Jannie's orders into to-go boxes, stacking the four boxes on the hotplate as Benny and Keenan cleaned behind me.

I moved to their orders, going to the one frier set we still had on and dumping a basket of fries and another of chicken wings.

Xav came out of his office, his face expressionless but I saw the strain of tension in his shoulders as he moved past me, squeezing my shoulder and kissing the back of my head.

"Theo's coming to get you." He said quietly, looking over to see I was sorting our orders.

He gave a tight half-smile, kissing me again.

"Is there a reason?" I asked as I shuffled the baskets, not meeting his eyes.

"He's got that feeling, again."

I froze for a moment, suppressing a snarl. The shadows Theo controlled allowed him to feel anything within them; the last week, he'd felt something.

He and the others cast a net across the town to ensure they would be notified if it happened again.

Jordon was somewhere in town.

"Fine, I need to go to the herb shop," I said stiffly.

"Not tonight." He muttered, pulling the wings I'd almost overcooked.

He expertly drained and tossed them in the BBQ marinade I had prepared on the bench in a bowl.

I finally looked up at him. "No, tonight." I clipped, pulling the fries and dumping them to season, moving around him and portioning them into the waiting boxes.

"Rose-" he tried.

"No!" I snapped at him.

I felt Benny and Keenan tense behind us, slowing in their cleaning.

I looked away, sighing, controlling the rage. "I need three things. Jezette already has them waiting."

He rubbed my shoulder comfortingly. "Then I'll pick it up on the way home." He leaned down to kiss my forehead.

I stopped Annie from pulling away, letting him. "No, Theo can take me. You have other things to deal with." I said, evening to voice to be rational. "Damien should be waking up soon, if we want answers, I need those herbs."

He sighed, his lips still pressed against my brow. "No other stops."

I nodded, tilting my head and reaching on my toes to give him a chaste kiss before I turned away, going back to finish the orders.

He gave a soft chuckle and let me work until Theo, Quade and Tobie arrived, coming in through the loading bay.

Theo's eyes set on me as I turned, a stack of boxes in my arms.

His beard had grown to be thick and rugged around his jaw, chin and lips, the scar from the invasion still leaving a gap on the side, the silver cut marking his neck.

I frowned when the three lined up. "I thought there'd be four."

Elsa's voice sounded from the empty dining room, shouting something at Jannie in playful bitchiness as she came into the kitchen.

She smiled brightly at me.

"Rosita, mi amor!" She winked.

I rolled my eyes. "¡Qué sorpresa," I muttered as she stepped to the boys, giggling.

"Hola, Elsa, I made some food."

Elsa's eyes widened as she took in the box I handed her filled with wings, fries, Mac and cheese and ribs.

"¡Ay, caramba!" She exclaimed. "¡Esto es un festín!"

I giggled, handing the others their food.

Theo, Tobie, and Quade looked amused, as Elsa continued to exclaim over the food in rapid-fire Spanish.

We headed for the car after I said goodbye, kissed Xavier and grabbed my things.

Theo's arm wrapped around my waist, pulling me against him to kiss my forehead.

"Hi, sweetie." He muttered against me, making me giggle as his facial hair tickled my cheek. "Nice little ambush." He chuckled, his voice hinted with adoration. Theo had helped me plan most of it; the creating and planting was up to me; Theo just ensured the stage had been set, calling Damien to town for a meeting between leaders to go over paperwork.

After meetings like that, Damien's Pack always ate dinner before going to Andersons.

I nuzzled into him. "Thanks for the help."

He chuckled again, helping me into the car. "Dane's a little pissed." I knew it wasn't about my ambush but something that had troubled Dane the last week.

I gave him a sideways look as he climbed in beside me. "When isn't Dane pissed?"

The three in the back hid their chuckles, Theo rolling his eyes as he drove, hiding a smile.

"He's worried. The dreams you've been having..." He trailed off. "He thinks they're a premonition."

I scoffed. "What a great vision, bright eyes in complete darkness and someone calling me pet names."

He gave a snarl at my tone, worry edging it.

The dreams weren't nightmares, but unsettling.

A man's voice, concealed in shadow, the only thing visible were blood-red eyes.

Calling me darling.

I'd run, finding myself unable to escape the shadows that caressed my skin with electric touches.

They'd started three nights ago, Dane had been awake when I'd shot out of bed, panicked and incredibly horny.

Dane had mentioned his worry about it being a premonition, a warning.

But, without a spell or a conduit, I shouldn't be having premonitions.

It was something else.

I just didn't know what.

I crossed my arms. "It's fine, I'll ask Jez about them." I started to push a mental connection with Jezette, she was Avana's daughter, but also a Witch, running a small herbs and potions store on the outskirts of town where she grew a farm plot of herbs and foraged from the surrounding wilderness.

We'd become close friends over the last few weeks as she helped me learn the art of potion-making and how to channel Annie's powers.

"Rose-"

I held up my finger at Theo, cutting him off as I looked out the window, something stirring Annie as Jezette didn't reply to my connection.

"Something's wrong."

Theo pressed his foot on the gas, Quade and Tobie vanished into shadows and shot ahead as we came to the turn-off.

Elsa moved forward in her seat, canines baring and her nose moving wildly as she sniffed the air.

She gave a low growl. "I smell blood."