Chapter Eight

Eira

As soon as the owner of the restaurant offered me the job, I was dumbfounded for several minutes. I didn't even know what to say because the last thing I expected was for him to offer me a job only after watching me for about three minutes. There were many things that ran through my mind as soon as I heard his decision and even as I walked home now, I was still finding it hard to believe him.

Did it mean I was really good? Did it mean that it was my wolf who helped me? All of these questions and more were burning in my mind as I walked home. The effects of the job if I decided to resume on Monday weighed heavily on my mind. For one, I knew that I wouldn't need to stay in the house regularly when I had a job. It was a very nice thing but still, doubt and uncertainty clouded my mind. What were the odds that if I began this job, I wouldn't run into trouble?

I had noticed that anytime I began something, trouble seemed to be associated with it and the last thing I wanted was for me to be in that situation. All I wanted was just a smooth running and deep down I knew that if I wanted that, I had to make that happen. I had the power to control my life and how I wanted it to go and the last thing I wanted was for my life to be in disarray.

Another thing that came into my head was that if I began this job, I would be able to go out more and in turn, boredom would be avoided. So, the way I looked at it, I realized that it was a win-win situation for me and I absolutely loved it.

This is going to go well, I thought.

If the people I walked past thought that there was something wrong with me, they didn't react. The joy in my heart couldn't be compared to any other thing and I loved that I had the autonomy to do whatever I liked in this new world without fear that members of my pack might come and attack me.

The fear that had gripped me on that couldn't be compared to any other thing. I had constantly been living in fear, constantly being terrorized that the very people whom I called my family would one day kill me. But now that I was out of there, I knew I didn't need to be scared anymore. I was going to make a name for myself in this new world and I knew the journey began with this small step I had taken. It might not be much but I loved it and it meant a lot to me.

Just before I stepped into our street, the sight of a beautiful dinner gown in a shop window caught my attention. I walked towards the window to have a better look at it and I couldn't believe what I saw. The dress was white and beaded but it wasn't just any bead. The beads sparkled when the lights touched it and I couldn't believe what I was seeing. It was the most beautiful dress I had ever seen and I had fallen so in love with it. Just then, a thought came to my mind. It was dangerous but what was life without taking risks?

In my pack, each of the pack members were entitled to a large amount of money and with me being the direct heir, mine was probably one of the largest and to accommodate this, I had been given a black express card that I could use anytime I liked. The money within it was unlimited and I knew I was free to purchase anything I so desired. Staring at the dress and thinking about my decision, I decided to just forget it not because I couldn't afford it but because any transaction that took place in that card would trigger the financial system within my pack and soon, the pack security team would begin hunting me.

It was a tempting offer yet painful considering what I stood to lose and I knew I just couldn't risk it. I needed to protect the girls and I didn't want any human dying. If the pack security team so much as invaded this world, there would be serious trouble and that was what I was trying to avoid. I closed my eyes tightly, willing the image of the dress to disappear from my mind even though it knew it wouldn't be easy. Finally, it went and I continued my journey home.

"Things would get better, Eira," I murmured to myself.

That was the only thing I could say as I unlocked the door to the house. The girls weren't back, not that I expected them to be but it was just that I was used to seeing them all the time. I collapsed on the chair, kicking off my shoes as I stretched out my body. This was the rest I needed and as I sat there, allowing sleep to take me, I knew that everything was going to be alright.

***

The following day, I began working. To say it was hectic would be an understatement, because it was tasking. Who knew washing dishes for a large amount of people could be this straining. Even though the job was demanding, I enjoyed everything about it because it gave me the liberty to be who I was without fear that anyone would question me.

Asides washing the dishes, I was tasked to prepare some meals and snacks I knew how to do just for a trial test. I wracked my head to think of something and I remembered my favorite apple sponge cake my mother and I used to make back in the pack. I decided to try that out whilst blocking the bad memory I had on that.

"Wow, this is really good. Where did you learn to make this?" the owner of the restaurant asked.

I had to come up with a quick lie and since it took a bit long to reply, he looked at me oddly, wondering what was going on with me.

"Err… I learned it on Youtube," I said quickly.

If he didn't believe me, he did a good job of hiding it and I heaved a sigh of relief when he went back to the main halls of the restaurant to take the order of another customer.

"Very crafty, eh?" a voice said.

I looked behind me to see that it was one of my co-workers. I had noticed him the first time I walked into the restaurant and thought how handsome he was but I quickly deadened the thought when I saw the wedding band on his finger.

"Who? The boss?" I asked, feigning innocence.

I resumed washing the dishes that had piled up while I was talking to the boss. It just seemed like with every minute that passed, a hundred dirty dishes were brought in. Not that I was complaining, far from it.

"Yes," he said.

"Oh…" I said.

I had no idea what to say and I sure as hell didn't want to implicate myself in the process. It was better to just keep my mouth shut and do my job.

"I don't think I've introduced myself. My name is Julian," he said, smiling.

He stretched out his hands for a shake but when he saw mine was covered in soap suds, he shrugged, smiling at me.

"My name is Eir… I mean…" I muttered gibberish.

"Oh, it's okay. You are the nervous type, I get it." he smiled.

"Yeah… sorry," I said and sighed.

I didn't know why I was shy all of a sudden when I usually wasn't like this. I realized that it was probably because I was talking to him for the first time and he wasn't Gianna or Diana but still, it didn't mean because I had talked to the owner and nothing of this sort happened. I just shrugged it off, trying not to bother myself on that when I had other pressing matters to attend to.

"So, where do you live?" he asked.

I didn't know if I could tell him but then again, I realized that Gianna and Diana would probably not like it and so, I decided not to say anything. They had warned me of times without numbers to always be careful of how I spoke to strangers.

"I can't tell you," I said.

I could see the surprise in his eyes but I didn't care. I was there to do my job and do it in peace and not to make friends. Besides, I wondered why he was asking me for my home address when he was most definitely married. If that wasn't weird, I didn't know what else was.

"Oh… I see. It's fine," he said.

For the rest of that day, he avoided me like the plague which I liked because I didn't want any disturbance from him at all.

***

Nighttime soon came and as usual, the girls and I were going to spend it at the club and for the first time in a long time, I was actually ready to party. I needed to unwind especially after having a very tasking day. I grabbed the shortest dress I could find and as soon as I stepped into the club, I knew I needed to be here.

Just as I walked further inside the building, a feeling crept up on me. It was the feeling of being watched and I knew who it was. I turned around and staring straight at me was Sebastian.