Chapter Ten
For the first time in months, Julia was actually happy to be waking up on a weekday morning. When she started working as a bank teller, three years ago, she was thrilled by the idea of meeting new, exciting people. Still, her expectations were proven woefully wrong. Making new acquaintances came at a price: a personal price, to be exact. Why? Because her job entailed too much fakery and Julia despised anything false. She had to smile at everybody, and that rule applied to every customer, no matter how rude a customer might be. In truth, she was beginning to hate her job; but, she was in such a fantastic mood that Monday morning that even rudeness could not wipe the smile off of her face. Julia had not spent a day with her friends since Monica moved to Shandaken, and she had been missing her and Kate dearly. They had had a wonderful time together the night before. More than that, her friends had slept over at her apartment, and they’d gossiped for hours about their mates and Ray. Mainly, though, the reason behind Julia’s smile was none other than her date with him, and the notion that many more dates like that would follow. She had intrigued him; this was the first – and most vital – step. Everything else would come naturally.
Another day at work meant a crowded reception area, people complaining about the endless lines, and predictably, minor arguments between Julia and her colleagues. More often than not, the people she had to work with were much more demanding, and even ruder than the customers. In her mind, abusive coworkers were worse than outsiders. She had to use more energy putting up with them for ten hours every day, whereas she had to tolerate customers for only a few minutes each. At any rate, the anticipation of Ray’s phone call got her through an extremely busy day. By the end of business hours, Julia’s head was spinning, and her stomach was churning. She couldn’t wait to leave the building.
A wave of sizzling heat hit her in the face, as the power doors slid open sideways. Honking and foul voices pierced her ears, as she stepped outside. But, the sight that greeted her was nowhere near as awful as the all too familiar traffic. It was Ray. His motorcycle was parked on the right side of the road between two black SUV’s. There he was, dressed in tight jeans and a red tee, looking up at her through his black shades. The bright sunlight was shining down on his bronze skin, highlighting every bulging muscle on his arms.
“You sexy stud…” she thought to herself, as a huge grin formed on her face. “You are the best surprise ever, baby.”
“Ray?” Julia yelled, climbing down the stairs that led to the street. “Oh, my God: what are you doing here? You said you’d call me.” She didn’t get any kind of response. However, she didn’t mind. He was there. He was there for her. In her impatience, Julia jumped off the last few steps. Closing her eyes, she bent her head down, but it was then that her enthusiasm was cut short. Her smile fell from her lips, as Ray leaned back.
“Where’s my kiss?” She wondered with a voice a little higher than a whisper.
“Hi,” he croaked, averting his gaze from her. “Kate gave me this address. Is there someplace we can talk?”
“Yeah,” Julia gave a quick nod. “There’s a coffeehouse just down the street.”
Right away, negative thoughts poured into her mind. This was not the Ray she left in Paxton on Sunday. As a matter of fact, he didn’t resemble the frightened man who had insulted her on Friday. There was something different about him, something that Julia could not put her finger on. There was no fear in his eyes. His voice was steady; monotonous even. Under any other circumstances, Julia would have appreciated the opportunity to watch him walking alongside her. She loved the way he swaggered his shoulders. It suggested confidence, and she had always had a thing for confident men. His impeccable looks were just a bonus.
After pushing the glass door of the coffeehouse open, Ray swept the large, wide room. She followed him to the table in the upper left corner, feeling her frustration building up inside. Julia had no idea why he was acting like this, but, if he mentioned his weakness again, she would completely disregard his nature and humiliate him, right there and then. As much as she appreciated men with a good level of self-esteem, she disliked the ones who would give in to fear.
“Alright…” Julia sighed, selecting the seat opposite from his. “You said you wanted to talk to me. I’m listening.”
“I think you should stay away from Paxton.” Ray’s tone had not changed at all. It was just as calm as outside. His expression was cold, as if he had been announcing something trivial.
“May I ask why?” She spoke, holding on tightly to her temper, as she jutted her chin up.
“It’s going to be dangerous for a while.” He declared, throwing a few, furtive glances around him, as he leaned his elbows on the table.
“What is happening in Paxton, Ray?” Julia put a little force in her voice. “Give it to me straight. Is anyone watching you?”
“No.” Ray said, fixing his gaze on her. “My pack is at war with a neighboring pack. Things will get ugly. Bloody. Trust me; you don’t want to be there.”
“What, that’s it?” Her surprise sent her voice two octaves up, her mouth falling open in disbelief as she leaned forward.
“Yeah, isn’t it enough?” He shrugged his shoulders, maintaining the calmness in his tone. “What did you think it was?”
She dreaded that question, and there was no way she was going to answer it. A wave of relief washed over her face. No, Ray had not fallen prey to fear. He was merely looking out for her.
“Never mind,” Julia waved her hand in front of her face. “Would you like to know what I did, when Monica first told me about your kind?”
“Yeah,” Ray responded with curiosity.
“I laughed at her.” She confessed, as heat flushed her cheeks. “Her story sounded a lot like a fairytale. You know, mighty wolves, rescuing damsels in distress, risking their lives for them, always loyal to them, prophecies… She insisted, though. She showed me a picture of your brother’s wolf. That’s when I, uh…” She paused; “passed out. I couldn’t believe how big he was. For a second, I wanted to tell her off. I thought she shouldn’t be together with a guy who’s not entirely human. But, her narrative changed my mind. Raul had done so many wonderful things for her. I mean, he gambled his own life, just to date her for God’s sake. What kind of man does that? Anyway, what I’m trying to say is that I don’t care if you guys are at war with anybody. Monica and Kate were there, when you killed that witch. You protected them. I’m sure you’ll do the same for me.”
“Why risk it?” Ray inquired, frustration flickering in his eyes. “Of course we’d protect you, but why can’t you just do as I say?”
“Do I have to repeat myself?” Julia made her voice sound sweeter, as she reached her hand towards his. “Either way, the chances of me going to Paxton these days are slim. I have to work on weekdays.”
“You’re one stubborn girl,” he remarked, as his face was lit up with a huge smile. “I like it.”
“You’d better get used to it.” She winked up at him, returning the smile. “Now, can we please, please go to my place? God, I’m exhausted.”
“How did you put it the other day?” Ray teased, looking up at the ceiling, as he tapped his index finger on his lips. “Lead the way…”
“Don’t say it,” Julia interrupted, furrowing her brow in a look of mock anger. “Don’t even think about stealing my lines. Let’s go.”