Page 7 of Half Wolf Mate

“But you are running scared?”

I gazed at the woman who had shown me kindness, wishing I could spill my guts about everything that had happened the last few days. She’d probably call me crazy and run me out of the diner. I sighed. “I’m just…looking for something.” That wasn’t a complete lie. I needed to find the Moon Guardian Pack.

“I see.” Macy’s gaze remained locked with mine. “Of course, you won’t confide in a stranger. I’m Macy Dupart.” She held out a hand.

“Dupart?” I shook her hand. “As in, you own this diner?” She didn’t look much older than me.

Her lip twisted into a wry smile. “Sort of. It’s my mother’s place, really. But since she’s a bit of a mess right now, I had to step in to keep this place going.”

“Oh. I’m Sydney Sullivan.” Uttering my surname caused a lump to form in my throat. Aunt Lydia gave me her last name when she officially adopted me. “It’s nice to meet you, Macy. Thank you so much for your kindness.” I let out a laugh, but there wasn’t much humor behind it. “But I guess I can’t camp out in your place forever.”

“Well, if you find something you you’re looking for, you can come back and tell me about it.” She shrugged. “Or if you don’t find it, you can still come back and tell me about it.”

I sat taller. At that moment, I felt a little less alone since Aunt Lydia was killed. However, I’d stay away from Macy. She was too decent, too kind to be pulled into my mess. Dangerous people were after me, so I’d stay away from her. “That’s nice of you. Maybe I will come by again,” I said. Even though I knew I wouldn’t.

“But just in case I don’t see you again,” Macy said. “Take this.” She reached into her uniform pocket and pulled out a tiny card, placing it on the counter in front of me.

I glanced at the business card and almost choked on my gasp.Moon Guardians: Private Security.CEO: Cole Grayson. My gaze flew up to Macy’s. “How did you…Moon Guardians?”

She nodded. “It’s a private security firm. Like I said, I know the look of someone running scared, Sydney. Those that come in here with the same look in their eyes as you have usually need that kind of help.” She pointed at the card.

I gaped at Macy, wanting to tell her I wasn’t looking for human protection. It had to be a huge coincidence that this security firm had the same name as the werewolf pack I sought. “I…” I was about to tell her I didn’t need that kind of security, but I didn’t bother. Instead, I told her, “Even if I needed to hire private security, I don’t have any money.”

“Cole has been known to help even those who can’t afford him,” she said.

“You know him?”

“We’re not exactly bosom buddies, but I do. I’ve sent a lot of people like you his way, and he’s helped them.”

“People like me?” I asked.

Macy looked me square in the eye. She was no doubt fearless and direct. “People reluctant to admit they need help.”

I could do nothing else but chuckle. She didn’t understand. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to ask for help. I was simply wary of it. I was looking for werewolves, for goodness’ sake. I couldn’t ask just anybody.

“He sounds like a good guy.” I gazed at the business card, feeling drawn to it for some reason—the name of the CEO, rather. Picking it up, I ran my thumb over the block letters of Cole Grayson’s name. My heart somersaulted, and I frowned, wondering since when the organ did that.

Releasing a long breath, I decided to check the place out. “Thank you, Macy. I think I’ll give this security firm a shot.”

“Great.” She beamed. “You’ve got the phone number and address. Go for it.”

I nodded. It wasn’t like I had any other leads. Cole Grayson could either help me or not. It was worth a try.

Chapter 5 Sydney

“This is stupid,” I whispered, making a U-turn to stomp back down the stone steps of the office building. Before I walked away, I paused and looked back. Maybe I shouldn’t walk away without making sure this was a coincidence. What if the security firm Macy recommended was related to the werewolf pack I searched for?

Uncertainty nagged at me. A pack of werewolves wouldn’t have a business in the middle of the city, would they? Since I had no idea about werewolf tendencies, I couldn’t even begin to guess the answer. Pulling in a deep breath, I turned back around and marched up the steps.

By the time I entered through the glass door and stepped into a lobby, I was almost sure that Moon Guardians Private Security was a regular human-operated firm. A woman was sitting behind the reception counter, and she looked human to me with her sleek black bob and perfectly made-up face.

Her smile faltered when she scanned me from head to toe, but she kept it in place. I was impressed by her professionalism in not wrinkling her nose in disgust at my appearance. Compared to her sophisticated appearance, I looked like a street urchin.

“Hi, welcome to The Apex,” the woman greeted brightly. “How may I assist?”

The Apex was a fitting name for the office building. The lobby’s futuristic design and decor set the tone for the pinnacle of elegance. Cole Grayson must be really successful to have his office in a place like this.

Shoving aside my embarrassment for looking as disheveled as I did, I squared my shoulders and returned the receptionist’s smile. “Hi, I’m looking for Cole Grayson’s office.”

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