Page 24 of Semi-Rejected Life

“There are plenty of humans in this town. At least one of them is bound to like you.”

“But… I can’t go with a human… that’s…”

“Wrong?”

I shrugged. “It feels like it is.”

“That’s because you’re still living in the past. Old pack laws don’t matter here. You can do whatever the hell you want.”

He was right of course. But up until that moment, I didn’t realize I’d been carrying that around with me. Every man I’d ever met that didn’t smell of wolf got pushed away without a second thought. It suddenly occurred to me that there might have been several years worth of missed connections because I didn’t know I was doing it.

“You’re right,” I said at last. “I guess… I didn’t know I was still holding onto that.”

“Well, let that shit go because there’s more than one guy I’ve seen staring at you when you come in to get coffee. I’m sure you can snag one pretty easily. And, it doesn’t have to be forever. You’re allowed to just get laid until you find someone that seems right.”

What Andy didn’t know was that River felt right to me. But there was no point in saying it or getting my hopes up. Andy would call me a moron for yearning because it was extremely clear that River would stay for no one.

“So who are you going to hop on first?” Andy asked, a bit more excited that I really felt comfortable with. “I can start scoping some dudes out for you if you like.”

“Don’t you have your own love life to worry about?”

“Eh… I’m not really interested in that sort of thing.”

“Andy… I’m a wolf. I can smell how horny you are all the damn time. Don’t lie to me.”

“I thought we were talking about your problems?”

“No, you are talking about my problems and I want a change of pace. So lets focus on you now.”

“You know what,” Andy smiled, clicking his tongue. “I think I have some baking I need to do in the back.”

“Of course you do,” I replied sarcastically. “Amazing how that happens, isn’t it?”

Andy just smiled, gathering up his half eaten brunch on his tray. He left mine behind thankfully so I could finish in peace.

“Just think about what I said okay?” he added. “I don’t like seeing you looking so torn up about a guy that doesn’t give a shit about you. He’s not worth it.”

I nodded. “Thanks. Now go away.”

“See ya later, Vince.”

Andy took himself through the kitchen doors into the bakery, leaving me to finish my meal in solitude, which I was grateful for. He had good intentions, but I couldn’t give him the resolution he wanted that second. It was going to take time for me to get over River and probably more time to get used to the idea of messing around with a human. Both had their unique complications and I wasn’t exactly the quickest at working through those things. I’d get there eventually and when I did, maybe I’d do something about it.

But for now… I just wanted some peace.

Still lost in my thoughts, I absentmindedly ate and sipped my coffee. When both were gone, I figured it was time to stop taking up space in Andy’s cafe. The lunch crowd was starting to file in anyway, and it was getting a bit louder than I cared for. Gathering up my plates, I took them up to the counter and slipped them in the bussing tub off to the side.

However, I wasn’t paying attention when I turned around and ran face-first into one of the customers. Both of us crashed to the floor in a tangle of limbs and every head in the cafe was turned in our direction.

“Ouch…” I mumbled, rubbing my knee that I’d smacked on the hard tile floor.

“Are you okay?”

I felt a hand on my shoulder and looked up into the face of the man I’d collided with. He had quaffed short blond hair, warm brown eyes, and a well-kept beard that framed his face perfectly. My eyes scanned down him quickly and back up to his handsome visage. If I were asked to envision a Nordic god in human form, he was what I’d see.

“I… uh… yeah… yeah, I’m good.” Christ, I could barely talk. He was smiling at me.

“Sorry about that,” he said, getting to his feet easily. He reached a hand down to help me up.

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