Page 39 of The Lone Wolf Café
Before I could react, she pulled me into a hug.
My heart nearly burst. I couldn’t believe this was happening. My eyes widened as I hovered between euphoria and panic, wanting to both pull away and sink into her touch. I decided on the latter, and my shaking hands gently wrapped around her back, reciprocating her embrace.
As usual, she smelled like lavender, and it felt like her perfume was wrapping my nose in a hug. It smelled gentle. Comforting. Nostalgic.
It smelled like home.
Rowena pulled away as suddenly as she’d hugged me, and without a word, she stood up and walked out of the kitchen, closing the door behind her.
Once again, I was speechless. Completely and utterly dumbfounded.
How am I supposed to react to this?
I could lie to myself. I could tell myself it was the hug of a friend, nothing more, and that I’d be able to go on my merry way in a few weeks without a single shred of remorse. That Rowena was merely my employer, and her comfort was strictly professional. She’d pulled me out of my panic attack so I’d be functional again and could continue cleaning the café.
In my young life, I’d had a few flings, mostly inconsequential with no strings attached. I’d never truly been in a relationship, but even I knew friends didn’t hug like that. They didn’t embrace each other, melting into each other’s arms, until the rest of the world slipped away.
That was what lovers did.
And nothing will ever come of it,I growled, reminding myself of the truth.She’s still a witch. You’re still a werewolf.
I stumbled to my feet, my legs still tingling from my earlier panic attack. It was now past 3 p.m., which meant the café was closed. I needed to hop back into the kitchen and help Rowena finish cleaning up.
We did so in absolute silence. I couldn’t read Rowena’s emotions, or lack thereof, and it frustrated me. It was as if she’d shut down all sense of feeling in her brain. She was hard as stone.
I fought down the lump in my throat. I hated this. The reluctance, the fear, the layers of secrets that divided us. Rowena was hiding something, but so was I. Our relationship, whatever it may currently be, was built on a web of lies.
“Well…” My voice broke the awkward tension in the air. I’d just finished cleaning the front counter. Aria had disappeared, although I knew she’d likely re-summon in my cottage later. Or I could always summon her myself, thanks to Rowena’s instructions. “I guess I’ll be off.”
“Headed home?” Rowena asked. Her voice sounded so distant.
“Um… no. I have the esbat to attend.” I frowned. “Don’t you?”
Rowena shook her head. “I’m not part of the coven.”
“You’re not? But wh-”
“Have fun though,” Rowena cut me off as she brushed past me, heading toward the kitchen. She’d already turned the lights off, and the café was shrouded in a dark gloom. “Now that you know you have witch blood, it should be easier to play along.”
“Rowena, I–”
“You should go ahead and leave out the back door. I have a few things to attend to here, and I’ll have to lock up behind you.”
I opened my mouth, then shut it again. Rowena clearly didn’t want to talk, to the point of interrupting me every time I tried to say something.
Then I reminded myself I shouldn’t care. She was my employer. She was a witch.
And I was pathetic.
“Sounds good,” I replied, keeping my voice as level and polite as possible. I strolled right through the kitchen door, refusing to glance in Rowena’s direction.
I don’t care. I don’t care.
I was well on my way to the town hall, where coven meetings were held, when I finally felt I could breathe again.
I did care. But I could deal with those emotions later.
First, I had a coven meeting to attend. And I needed to pretend to be a witch now more than ever.
