Kyle straightened up from under the hood of the car. He took a deep breath and stopped himself from reaching for his phone.
He was working alone in the garage but he couldn’t stop thinking and worrying about Hollie. He had dropped Hollie off at Joe’s Diner an hour ago. She had been working at the diner for a week now, and she was always so excited to get to work every morning.
For the first three days, Kyle had parked himself in the corner booth and waited for Hollie to get off work. He busied himself with paperwork for the business, and worked on his laptop and phone while he was at the diner.
But that night, Hollie had told him firmly that he should go back to the garage and work.
“The diner is a public place and there are always people around. You can see how busy it is,” she had told him. “The Black Blade pack won’t come and make a scene. They’re cowards. They operate in secret, in the dark. They won’t dare try anything when there are so many witnesses around. Go back to work, Kyle. Don’t babysit me. I’m an adult. I want to live and work like one. People have been breathing down my neck all my life.” She sighed and went on, “I know you care for me, Kyle. But...I want to know what it’s like to live a normal life. I want to be free, independent and unafraid. I want to get up, go to work, keep busy and happy, and just...be like a normal person. I don’t want to be afraid and timid.”
When he tried to argue, Hollie pleaded, “Please, let me do my job. And you’re not being fair to Shane and Ian. You should be at the workshop with them.”
Kyle blew out a ragged breath.
Hollie was right. She deserved to live a normal, happy life. She had a good job and was making friends at the diner. He shouldn’t be so paranoid.
Joe and Maria treated their staff like family. Kyle liked and trusted Joe and Maria, and he knew Hollie was safe with them.
Joe’s Diner was frequented by shifters from various packs, and Kyle didn’t think the Black Blade wolves would dare stir up trouble at the diner. Those cowardly wolves only targeted prey that they deemed were weak, defenseless and isolated.
Joe’s Diner was pretty popular. Joe and Maria were human but they had many shifter friends and customers. They even knew the Alphas of some of the larger shifter packs. There would be friends and neighbors who would step up and help them if the Black Blade wolves caused any trouble for them.
Kyle forced himself to focus on his work. He was alone in the workshop at this time. It was still early morning. Hollie had wanted to get to the diner early to prepare for the breakfast crowd.
Shane and Ian usually came in to work around nine. There was still half an hour to go.
Kyle grabbed his tools and went back to the car. He threw himself into his work for the next twenty minutes or so. But a sound in the distance made his ears prick up.
He sniffed the air and put down his tools.
Kyle walked out of the workshop and squinted down the quiet road.
He heard them before he saw them.
Three cars rounded the corner and screeched to a halt in front of the workshop.
Kyle growled.
He could smell the stench of the Black Blade wolves.