Page 7 of Under Dark Skies

She tried to be as friendly and helpful as she usually was with the customers and her co-workers, but every time a young girl came in, she thought of her sister. Where was she? Was she okay? What kind of bullshit did she get herself into this time? And why must it involve her.

Anger mixed with fear. Concern mixed with trepidation.

She had just finished cashing out a customer when Amy, one of her closest friends and coworkers, came over and tapped her on the shoulder.

“Are you feeling okay today Layla? You look a little flushed.”

Layla blinked hard, forcing herself to come back into the present. She had been ruminating at the particular moment about the wolves and what it would be like to be murdered by one of them. Torn limb by limb. She could only hope that one of them would bite her neck and end it fast.

She lifted one hand to her face and rubbed her eye.

“Yeah, I’m okay. Just couldn’t get to sleep last night, I don’t know why.”

“I noticed you didn’t go out last night, that isn’t like you!” Amy said while folding clothes beside her. They didn’t make eye contact, so it was easier for Layla to lie. Maybe it would become even easier in the future.

“I know right? I don’t really know why either. Just wasn’t feeling it. I tried to sleep early and that clearly failed.”

Amy turned from her station and placed a hand on Layla’s back. “Well, while that all sounds like a nice story, I’m afraid you’ll have to make up for it tonight.”

Layla smiled, detecting the playful sarcasm. “Huh? What’s tonight?”

“It’s Don from across the street’s birthday, you remember? The tall redhead whose always had a thing for you.”

Layla shook her head like she was trying to loosen the information. She had completely forgotten about him. He was quiet, but attractive because unlike most men, he left her to her own devices. Layla didn’t like being chased, because it often quickly turned into harassment.

She figured a night out may help. It would be her usual routine after all, and some booze could take her mind off her current predicament.

Layla wiped her face with both hands this time. “Christ that’s tonight?”

Amy was holding a pile of clothes and made her way toward the display wrack.

“It's been in the works for a month! God you must really be tired.”

She definitely was. She doesn’t remember the last time she felt like this, if ever. She hoped she could rely on Rafe to get the job done, and get it done fast. But she wasn’t sure what exactly that entailed. Was it murder? Was it escalation to the actual authorities? How long did she need to be on edge for?

Layla pulled her phone from her pocket to check for any calls. Nothing. She sighed and shoved it back into her pocket. Everything had felt calm before yesterday. There was no way she could have even dreamed that a Lycan and human war had been brewing between PEACE and Legacy. If that came to be, every simple luxury that she and her friends take for granted would be set ablaze.

The thought made her heart pound in her chest. She decided she would take her break then, and maybe some lunch would do the trick. She sat in the concrete back room with her sandwich sitting in front of her. Piles of clothes stacked around her like a tiny city. It wasn’t until that moment that she had realized how depressing this room looked.

She munched down on her tuna sandwich. The protein and bread would give her more energy for the day and night to come. Right now, cortisol, the stress hormone, was surging through her veins, but she knew that after a few laughs and drinks that dopamine would take over. By then maybe, Rafe would have some information.

Her mind wandered to his appearance once her lunch was mostly finished. She wasn’t sure how old he was, but he spoke like he was from another time. He certainly knew how to get right down to business and not get tangled in the emotions of the moment.

She thought about kissing the sharp edges of his cheeks, then how the tips of his teeth would on the bare exposure of her skin.

“Good god woman.” She said aloud. It had been a while since she had had sex, so it made sense that her mind would arrive there. But in this moment she was fucking waiting to hear if her life was on the line or not. Why was she thinking about sex?

Plus, the guy was a fucking wolf. What kind of sex would that be like?

She allowed herself a few more tempting thoughts, then shook herself free of them to return to work. She did her best to remain upbeat, but anxiety managed to creep through every barrier, every defense mechanism she had previously put into place.

She kept patting her phone to see if she missed it vibrate, only to be disappointed by the blank screen and the messages from friends that used to light up her soul instantly.

Eight

Rafe

Traffic in LA was absurd, so Rafe took to the streets to investigate the day after speaking with Sol. He was old in human terms, but almost a century wasn’t much for wolves. He was still agile and quick, so walking from place to place doesn’t bother him. He had a mental list, assuming Layla was doing fine.

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