Hollie felt both nervous and excited as she stepped out of the house with Kyle. It felt like she was stepping out into the world for the first time.
She had never been allowed to wander around town on her own. On a few rare occasions, she had gone to the shops to purchase some necessities for the pack.
But she and her pack mates had been escorted by two lieutenants who never let them out of their sight. They couldn’t walk around and talk to the shopkeepers or the town residents. They were to get whatever the pack needed and return to the pack house without delay.
It was just a short drive to Joe’s Diner, but Kyle drove around a bit to show her the park, the cinema and the shopping mall that had just opened.
Hollie stared in wonder and fascination at the buildings and houses.
Nightbrook was such a lovely, bustling little town, and the people looked so happy and friendly. She had been confined to the pack house almost all her life. The pack house was at the edge of Nightbrook, near the forest, so there weren’t any houses in that area.
For the longest time, she had thought that Nightbrook was a secluded, lonely, remote small town. How wrong she was.
Kyle pulled up in front of the diner and parked the car. When they entered Joe’s Diner, a middle-aged, bespectacled woman behind the counter looked up and beamed at them. “Hi, Kyle,” she said with a warm smile.
“Hi Maria, this is Hollie,” Kyle said. “Maria is the boss here,” Kyle told Hollie.
Maria chuckled and handed Kyle the menu. “I run this place with my husband, Joe. He’s the chef, and I am...everything else. I’ll be with you guys shortly.”
She winked at Kyle and tilted her head towards an empty booth. “I guess you’ll be at your favorite booth.”
“I’m a regular here,” Kyle explained as they slid into the booth. “I eat here at least twice a week.”
As Kyle flipped through the menu, Hollie looked around. The diner wasn’t very crowded, and only a few elderly customers were in the diner, enjoying their coffee as they read the papers.
Maria came up to their booth to take their order. “I haven’t seen you around,” she remarked, studying Hollie over the rim of her glasses. “Are you new in town?”
Hollie saw that Kyle was about to answer for her. She didn’t want him to lie and say that she was just visiting or that she had just moved to Nightbrook.
She didn’t want to hide who she was. She refused to be ashamed of her past. The truth was the truth.
“I’m from the Black Blade pack,” Hollie said.
Maria’s eyes widened. “You are? But...”
“She was from the Black Blade pack,” Kyle corrected. “Hollie is no longer a part of that pack.”
Maria frowned and shook her head. “I’ve never heard of anyone getting out of the Black Blade pack. That pack is...not like the other shifter packs in town. The members don’t mingle and talk to the townspeople. They keep to themselves, and there’s an air of secrecy around the pack.” She lowered her voice and added, “I’ve heard that the members can only choose their mates from within the pack.”
Hollie made a face. “The union has to be approved by the Alpha, so...it’s really the Alpha who chooses your mate.”
Maria sucked in a breath. “How did you get out, Hollie?” she asked.
“Kyle saved me,” Hollie answered without hesitation.
Maria broke into a grin. “I’ve always liked you, Kyle,” she said. “But now, I adore and admire you! You got a girl out of that awful pack. I don’t know how you did it, but...well done!”
Her expression sobered suddenly. “Will they come after you? I don’t think they let you go willingly, did they?”
Hollie shook her head and snarled, “No. But I’m not going back. I won’t. They’ll have to drag my corpse back.”
Maria nodded and a steely glint entered her eye. “And I won’t let them drag you back. If anyone comes asking or sniffing around, I won’t breathe a word.” She made a zipping motion across her mouth.
Hollie smiled gratefully. “Thank you, Maria.”
“Now, what can I get you?” Maria said chirpily, clicking her pen.