Page 2 of Lightning Strikes

I take a seat on one of the wobbling stools in front of the bar and order a bottle of tequila. The human sends me an odd look before slowly sliding an unopened bottle to me and stepping away to the next patron. I shake my head to try to dampen my senses, the damn music is way too loud and is rattling through my sensitive ears. At least it’s dark in here. There are a few old lanterns on the walls that cast a soft glow around the small room. And if someone could open a window, that would be great. Humans just… they smell. The fear, sour notes of jealousy, and shit when they’re angry.

I toss town a few hundred-dollar bills before fisting the bottle and heading to the patio, out into the fresh, crisp air to find a more secluded area to sit and sip my drink. The music is muted out here and there’s a fire lit in the middle of the cemented patio. Luckily there are only a handful of humans out here and I’m able to block out their menial conversations. Stacy is cheating on John, and John is married with seventeen kids and has an alcohol problem. Soap operas, everywhere I turn.

I’m halfway through the bottle when someone sits beside me and clears his throat. I ignore him and take another swig. I have no idea how long I’ve been sitting here, staring at the flames… But apparently a while if I go off of the moon’s position.

“You doing okay over here, ma’am?” The man’s accent is something I’ve never heard before and I chance a glance out of the corner of my eye.

“Ma’am? How old do I look?” I snort as I set the bottle down on the table to my right before twisting to the side to see who wasn’t smart enough to sit next to me. He’s a man, so he’s the enemy. Unless your name is Mac, dad, or Tom, you’re dead to me.

He chuckles deeply and I can’t move my sight away from his jewel-like green eyes. Damn. “I was just being a gentleman; you can’t be a day over thirty.”

I raise a brow at him and hold back a smirk as he frowns. “I’m eighteen. You’re telling me I look close to my mother’s age?”

He blinks at me and stares over at the half-empty bottle of tequila and back to me. “I could have sworn the drinking age was twenty-one here.” He hastily moves to stand up and run away and I chuckle and wink at him.

“I’m thirty-six. Relax, gentleman. Where are you from?” His accent sounds like a mix of Scottish and German… Deep, guttural, yet musical and kind. He smells human, so I assume he’s traveled a lot. His auburn hair is grown out and curls around his ears and his skin is so pale, yet he has a slight sheen to him that makes him seem ethereal… If I didn’t have a heightened sense of smell from my wolf, I would assume he was a paranormal… Maybe a vampire with his perfect complexion and bone structure.

He relaxes back into the rickety chair and licks his bottom lip. “You sharing that bottle?”

I shake my head and gulp a few more mouthfuls. “Nope. I’ve had a rough day… A rough few weeks. It’s all mine.”

He hums and crosses his impressive arms over his chest and narrows his eyes at me. His tight, white dress shirt is thin enough to let me peruse all of his glorious, lean muscles. “You’re not driving, are you? Mind if I stay around and drive you home?”

I chuckle and shake my head. “No. I’ll be fine to drive. High tolerance and all that.” He frowns and slaps his thighs as he stands. His gray slacks have slight wrinkles from where he’s obviously been walking or sitting a lot throughout the day. I wonder what he does.

“Well, have a nice night then…”

“Night.” I wave him off and focus back onto the fire and don’t give him my name. Or my number, not that he’s asked for it. He’s too handsome and screams ‘heartbreaker’, just like all of the pretty men do. He stares at me for another few moments before he walks away, back into the bar and I glance around the patio and notice I’m completely alone now.

I pull my phone out of my pocket and see that it’s close to midnight. Time flies while staring at a fire and trying to drink yourself into oblivion. I wish I could. Damn being a shifter.

I toss the empty bottle into the recycling bin by the door before walking through the groups of sweating, sour smelling humans and unlock my tall, blue truck when I finally make it out to the emptying parking lot. I scent the air around me to ensure I’m alone before jumping in and driving home. Our pack lands are deep in the Prescott forest and I nod to the enforcers that are doing perimeter checks in their wolf forms as I pass into our territory. I’m assuming the pack meeting is over by now, hopefully, and cross my fingers that I don’t have anyone waiting for me on my porch.

The single-story log cabin is where I’ve lived alone for the past three years since my parents disappeared… We moved here when I was fifteen, for a ‘better life’ they said. I couldn’t control my powers and our last pack in Idaho was a lot larger than Prescott’s. They didn’t trust the alpha there, so we packed up and moved after some other unfortunate incidents that were completelynot my fault.Ha.

I step into the warm cabin and flip the light switches as I take the time stare at the family photos adorning the walls. I sigh when I see my mother and father so happy in the portraits.

I’m the splitting image of Katarina Miller. Five foot ten, slender, with long blonde hair and dark blue eyes. Dad had the same pale skin, but the lightest blue eyes I’ve ever seen with silky dark blonde hair that always lightened in the summers. He was just over six and a half feet tall and bulging with muscles. He built this cabin with his own two hands.

I glance down and lift the necklace I don’t remember ever receiving, but I’ve had it on since I was a little girl. It’s pure silver with a locket that I can’t open, and in the middle is a gorgeous green gem. The design is unique, and means so much to me, that I refuse to ever remove it. Not to shower, work, or swim. Then again, I was also told every day for over thirty years to never, under any circumstances, remove it. So… I don’t.

I turn away from the photos and walk through the living room, frowning down at my growling stomach as I step into my kitchen. I forgot to go grocery shopping tonight, so all I have left in the fridge is enough to make a sandwich and a bottle of water. Better than nothing. I’ll try to remember to go tomorrow.

I grab the ingredients and assemble my dinner beside the sink, glancing out of the window that overlooks the dense forest beyond. At least it’s not winter yet, so no snow. Thank the cows.

I toss my knife and cutting board into the empty sink and step into my childhood bedroom to turn on the TV before I eat my meal. I eat in silence as I watch the muted news channels, staring as I read the headlines. Nothing about any other missing persons anywhere around here. I turn off the TV and toss the remote onto my bed and rub my hands down my face.

I set my empty plate on my nightstand before walking down the hall to the bathroom for a soothing shower and get into bed… I have to be back at the clinic in six hours and I need my damn sleep. The tequila is already out of my system, not that I can get hangovers anyway, but I shouldn’t have a problem waking up in the morning.

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I stride into the modern, bright clinic and wave to Blake as I step up to the reception desk. I took months working with decorators to make this place the best clinic that Prescott has ever seen. Tan tiles, bright white walls that are adorned with cute photos of all sorts of animals, both domestic and exotic, and comfortable chairs in the waiting area. All of the desks and furniture in every room are a bronze metal with glass tops.

I glance up at Blake and roll my eyes at his dark circles under his eyes. He looks like he’s about to conk out. “Hey, get out of here and get some sleep. Any reports?”

He shrugs while he crosses his arms over the desk and places his head down on top of his bare forearms. His floppy brown hair falls into his eyes and his dark blue scrubs look wrinkled and slept in. “Cutie is doing great. Ate some wet food after he passed the block… He’s also drinking water like a fish. He’s ready for some more blood work. Nothing else to report since he’s the only patient in the hospital.” He glances up and his hazel eyes are so dull that I almost want to offer him to sleep here. But I also want him to go away…

I pat his shoulder and smile at him. “Good, see you tonight!” I step into each patient room on the way to my office to ensure they’ve been cleaned and sanitized before I collapse onto my white leather chair behind my desk and turn on my laptop.

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