If Max thought the way Samuel acted in the bakery and the car was nerve wracking then what he did when they got back to his apartment was another thing entirely.
Shifters have always said there were no lines indicating which of themselves was animal or human. Even said that they were not two different beings but just one person. Others think of it as the two sides on a coin. It is either heads or tails. Right now Max did not know which one to believe.
He was seeing his friend, someone who he considered a big brother standing before him but it was not him. It was someone else entirely. His eyes brimmed with gold and the air around him was charged with tension and a barely contained feeling that bordered on rage and fear.
“Samuel–” Max started.
At the mention of his name, Samuel or whoever was in control turned to Max and growled.
Max bent his head and knelt on one knee against the polished wood floor. The humane part of his friend was not in command right now. The wolf was. And it demanded attention and respect. “My apologies, Alpha. I meant no disrespect.”
He learnt this form of showing respect when Samuel brought him back to his pack. The former alpha had made quite sure to have it beaten into his skull. The wolf growled one more time before it opened Samuel's mouth and spoke. “What did the demon look like, human?” he asked. The wolf sounded exactly like Samuel except he could feel the clear difference in his bones.
‘Demon?’ Max thought. ‘When did he–Oh, he must have meant the guy in the bakery.’
“He had a six foot frame with curly black hair, purple eyes and olive skin, Alpha.” Max answered.
“Will you be able to recognize him again?” The wolf asked, moving about the room that was Samuel's work space.
“Yes, Alpha.” He could never forget the feeling that man, that demon, gave off. It was almost as if Max's body was actively trying to make a break for it without his consent.
“Good. Once my human is back in control of his body relay that piece of information.”
“As you command Alpha.” Max replied.
The wolf stood at a place and Max heard the sound of paper shuffling. “In the meantime, I will take care of protecting my mate.”
Fuck! He knew it! This was bad. When Samuel was back to making the shots, he had to tell him.
The shuffling of paper stopped. “And you will not say a word of it to my human.”
It was almost as if he had read his mind. “Yes, Alpha.” He was still going to tell Samuel.
The wolf stopped beside him. “You know the price of disobedience. I do not need to teach you that again, do I?”
Max swallowed. “No, Alpha. I perfectly understand.”
“Good.” The word coming out as a mix of words and a growl.
******
“Uurghh! This is not fair! You are completely siding with him!” Marisol screeched, filling the room with an annoying sound.
It was two in the afternoon when this show down started.
“I am not Marisol, ever question my decision again and I will fire you without so much as a second thought.” Rita's head was banging.
“But–” Marisol started.
Rita cut her off. “But nothing, Marisol.”
Rita had called both of them into her office one after the other in the morning to hear their sides of the story. And after that, she questioned the rest of her employees and then brought out the security footage.
Turns out Marisol was not just being an over dramatic bird. She was being an over dramatic bird set on pecking out potential rivals, whether it was her fellow employees, customers or Hendrix, for a man that had no feelings for her whatsoever.
It was sad. And just plain pathetic.
With her outrage, anger and her already hurting head Rita ler her words through. “Marisol if I ever hear that you are bullying your coworkers, being rude to customers or stealing someone's possessions again for any reason, let alone for whatever fantasy going on in that head of yours, I won't only fire you, I will also get you arrested. Got it?”
Marisol just stood there glaring at her and replied with a voice loaded with contempt. “Got it.”
Rita held on to the desk for support. “Okay now that's settled–”
“I quit.” Rita turned her head to Marisol who tore off the top of the uniform she was wearing. Still glaring at a shocked Rita. A shocked everyone else. “I don't need this place anyway. Reeks too much of human.” she said jutting out her hips and flicking her hair.
Rita was about to say something when Marisol stopped her. “No need, I will show myself out.” She walked to the door, proudly displaying her chest and all Rita wanted to do was yank on that hair and throw her out.
Before she opened the door, she turned back to face them all. “And Matthew, when you're done chasing, waiting or whatever it is you're doing for her to notice you, find yourself a real female. I refuse to be some male's second choice. That too, to a human.”
With that and a final flick of her hair, she stomped out through the staff exit, slamming the door behind her and hopefully to be never seen again.
Rita's head started pulsing. This was more than enough for one day, she needed to go home.
*****
He was so happy to see her. And standing on her own two feet instead of lying in a hospital bed. Though he really wished she would rest. He wanted her healed up and okay before he took her with him.
He spied that mutt Princeton before he even entered in the bakery and he could not stop the lethal rage that reeled off him. He only managed to get it under control when he saw Rita, his lily smile. For those few blissful moments, he revelled in her voice and basked in her smile. It took everything in him not to twirl her in his arms and plant a kiss on her lips.
Meeting her today, made his day a lot brighter and not even Princeton or Carmilla with her baseless errand running could take it away from him.