Page 2 of Her Werewolf Protector

Behind me, a car horn blared. The red BMW tore past me, the driver screaming vulgarities and flipping me off. But I didn’t care. I wastoo fixated on where I needed to be.

Here was where though?

Checking my mirrors, I shifted to reverse and began backing down the highway until I came to a dirt road partially hidden by overgrown trees. Turning onto the road, I slowly continued on my way, my eyes scanning the area, searching for whatever it was that I was looking for.

It wasn’t until I reached a sign on the side of the road welcoming me to Beastly Falls that I knew I’d found the place. Somewhere in this little town I was going to come face to face with my destiny.

Roosevelt

Stabbing the double-decker hamburger with a toothpick to keep it together, I placed it on the plate and then added a serving of golden, crispy French fries. I did the same with the second plate. Satisfied with the presentation, I picked up the plates and carried them from the kitchen to the two customers waiting at the counter.

Over the years that I’d been here, the population of Beastly Falls had increased so much that I was struggling to keep up with the demand. But who in the hell could I get to help me? Everyone in Beastly Falls had a role to play in the functioning of the town. There wasn’t much of a supply of people wanting tobus tables for free at the local diner.

“Hey Chef Savage! How much longerfor my pizza? We’vebeen waiting for ages!”

Dropping the plates off to the customers, I looked past them to Theadore Sullivan, the short, portly, red-haired leprechaun. Across from Theadore was his wife, Elaine, a human. She came to Beastly Falls years ago, long before I arrived, and never left. She worked with him in his little tailoring shop.

While most people in town loved Theadore, I found him annoying. He was too happy. All the time, happy. How can a person be happy all the time? I was rarely happy, especially since I arrived here. Pissed off seemed to be my default.

Beastly Falls sucked and I wanted out and back to my old life, if that was even possible. While I was trapped in this town, life on the outside world had no doubt moved on without me. While I’d been a celebrity in the cooking world before being trapped here, I’m sure I was nothing but a distant memorynow.

“It’llget to you when it gets to you,” I growled, turning and making my way back into the kitchen. I was especially grumpy today. Tonight was a full moon and with it, a complete shift that I’d be unable to control. Shifting to my primal form was uncomfortable atbest. Normally it was downright painful.

But with the shift would come a run through the woods, and a sense of freedom that I rarely got to feel. My monthly transformations were a double-edged sword for me: They hurt, but they made me feel alive.

The smell coming from the brick pizza oven signaled that Theadore’s pizza was ready. Grabbing the pizza peel, I shoved it under the pizza and lifted it from the oven. I slid it onto the granite pizza plate sitting on my stainless-steel prep counter. With a few flicks of the wrist, the pizza was cut into six slices. I added some chili flakes and freshly grated parmesan cheese, and the pizza was complete.

A few more hours and my whole day would be complete.

Perhaps tomorrow I’d work on some new recipes. The menu was becoming stale and certainly not worthy of a Michelin star chef. If I ever – no,when– I got out of here I needed to make sure that I was still at the top of my game.

I’d have my old life back.

One day.

Sophia

Something felt different the moment my vehicle passed the Welcome to Beastly Falls sign. I couldn’t explain the feeling if I tried. It just felt– different. Like this was where I was meant to be. It felt like home. I was confident that whatever I was searching for I’d find here.

His amber eyes flashed in my mind again.

I’d been driving for so long that Icouldn’t even say what state I wasin anymore. While it was still sunny out, I could feel the evening settling in. Before long, the sun would disappear and I still needed to find a place to stay for the night.

Shops began to appear. They all looked quaint. A picturesque version of what you’d envision a town to be. The buildings were in great repair, no graffiti to be seen. It was nice. It was certainly a change from the lights and excitement of the big cities I normally resided in.

I let my vehicle slow to nearly a halt, a frown creasing my brow, as I realized I’d become the main attraction for the townsfolk. What was even more surprising was the fact that many of them were dressed in Halloween costumes. There were vampires, gargoyles, werewolves, and even elves. It wasn’tyet October. Maybe some sort of costume festival or comic-con?

My stomach grumbled as I came upon a 70s style diner called the Moonlight Café. Perfect timing. I’d grab a bite to eat and get a recommendation on a hotel in the area to stay the night. I’d figure out what I was supposed to be doing here in the morning.

After pulling into a space in the nearly full parking lot, I cut the engine, grabbed my handbag, and made my way inside. As I entered the loud murmur of voices died off to the point where you could hear a pin drop as all eyes turned to stare at me. The silence broke as a symphony of whispers began.

I’d seen horror movies that started in just this very way.

Well, no thank you. No matter how much I felt like this was the place I needed to be, the desire for self-preservation kicked in. I spun around intent on getting the hell out of here when I collided with a solid wall.

“Oomph!” I moaned as I stumbled backwards.

A hand shot out, steadying me on my feet.“You alright?”

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