Page 4 of Violet Moon
“It is rather dreary out there, isn’t it?”Parisa’s skirt swirled around her legs as she slipped around the edge of her oak desk.“I feel like this autumn has given us a lot of gray days so far.Though, maybe it’s nice — like a bit of nighttime in the day to give us all a break.”
“You sound a bit like our vampire neighbors,” Sera teased.
Parisa clicked her tongue.“A comparison I don’t enjoy.But I do enjoy these daisies,” she said, placing them in the vase she kept on her desk for Sera’s daily delivery.“They’ll be the perfect distraction when I’m talking to —” She turned to consult her well-organized planner, a stark contrast to the messy, red binder Sera kept everything in.“Oh nevermind, my first meeting’s out of the house today.Chamber of Commerce.”
Parisa groaned.“I have to deal with that small group of overly loud humans that think we’re taking over too much of the local businesses.Perhaps I need to visit Clyde instead.The Alpha issue was important enough for him to reach out and, while he hasn’t followed up with us just yet, I can’t imagine it would be unwelcome.After all, a serious issue requires a serious response and traditions, which Clyde loves.”
“And you love,” Sera added.
Parisa shot her a look.“Traditions on this matter are clear: a new Alpha is a potential celebration or threat for every other pack in the region.There are ways to handle this, but we need to strengthen our decades-long bond with the Crooked Creek Pack now more than ever.”
“I could go to your meeting instead,” Sera offered.“I love the gossip I get out of those.”
“You enjoy hearing Clemente drone on and on about the recent financial successes of his vampire coven?He loves the sound of his own voice.”
“He’s not that bad,” Sera defended her vampiric best friend’s partner.“You could swap bakery shifts with me.”
“You keep it.I had my fill of the bakery this morning when I did my bread batch.I’ll go to the meeting and go to Crooked Creek as soon as it’s over.”She stepped away from her desk, lost in thought, before refocusing on Sera.“Before I forget, where’s the color for the day?”
“The daisies are colorful.”
“They’re mostly white.Also, they don’t count.You know the rules.”
Sera looked down at her outfit.“There’s a stripe of yellow in the pattern.”She yanked on the hem of her vest to hold it out.“There.See?In the plaid.A strong slap of yellow.”
Parisa stepped into her space and held the hem of her vest between her fingers.“I would hardly call that a slap of anything.More like a love tap,azizam.”
Sera held her breath as Parisa ran the fabric between her fingertips.
“But I suppose it will count.”Parisa glanced up, face inches from Sera’s.
“Sometimes it’s a good thing to not stand out.”Sera pulled away, ignoring how the room felt warmer now.
“Oh, but you always stand out in the best sort of ways, don’t you?”Parisa spun on her heels.“Even when you don’t intend to be, you’re too good to fade into the background.”
Sera curled her shoulders, folding in on herself.“You wear enough color for the both of us, Pari.At least my outfit is from this decade.”
“This is modern enough.I attempted to keep up with the styles for over a hundred years.Do you know how much fabric I went through?Not to mention all the times the wolf slipped out and I ripped the beautiful things to shreds.No, I stopped in the fifties.Once those patterns in the sixties hit, I knew I was finished.Besides, it’s not old-fashioned.It’s vintage.”
“You’ve been unstoppable since you learned that word.”
“Haven’t I, though?”Parisa’s eyes crinkled in the corners before Pari transformed back into Alpha Parisa, losing all the whimsy in her features and replacing them with the stern, respectable gaze of a pack Alpha.She nodded at Sera, “Chamber of Commerce and then Crooked Creek.”
“Bakery and then Hugh.”
Seraphine arrived at the back door of Violet Moon several minutes after her shift began.She flung the door open, and Emmaline looked up at her with one eyebrow raised.
“Better timing than yesterday!”Sera exclaimed.
“Barely,” Emmaline said with an amused grin.She had her hands in some pastry dough and her long box braids were loosely tied back.
“Still counts.Been busy back here today?”
“Always.”
“Don’t worry.I won’t get in your way.”Sera made her way towards the door that led towards the front of the shop.
“I’d just barrel through you if you did.”Emmaline winked.“I stand by my offer to teach you so you can be back here, too, and not out there with all the people.”She shuddered as she said the last word.
