I made it to Rosemary’s Diner with five minutes to spare if I was going by Leon’s fifteen minute rule. Tate had come with me, per Eli’s request. Staring at me while I worked should come naturally to him by now. When I used to meet Alec here, Tate would sit at the corner table and stare at me while eating a burger and fries. It used to get on my nerves. However, today it was welcome.

When I entered the diner, I walked straight to the coffee pot and picked it up. Pamela winked at me.

“Good call reaching for the coffee pot. I already clocked you in. Just keep on actin’ like you’ve been here awhile,” she said with a smile.

I lifted the coffee pot into the air. “Done and thank you!”

“You’re welcome, sweetie.”

I made my rounds, filling everyone’s coffees while blatantly ignoring Tate in the corner. Twenty minutes passed before Leon noticed I’d arrived.

“Nearly fired your butt,” he grumbled.

“I know I was late. I’m sorry,” I said.

I moved to wipe down the table closest to me, making myself look busy and hard at work. I really needed this job. Eli didn’t make much working at the bar. Even though I knew Bobby would help us out if we needed it—the same went for anyone in the pack—I didn’t want to have to ask. I wanted us to be able to support ourselves. It meant a lot to me. Maybe I was too prideful. All I knew was there was a good feeling that came with being able to pay your own way and standing on your own two feet.

“It better not happen again. This is your final warning,” Leon insisted. “I don’t take kindly to people wastin’ my time. And that’s exactly what you being late is to me—a big fat waste of time. If you can’t make it to work when you’re supposed to, you need to find a job somewhere else. Understood?” he asked, waving a finger in my face.

“Yes, sir.”

My words were said through gritted teeth. His finger in my face was uncalled for, so was his nasty tone. I’d apologized. What more did he want from me?

My wolf didn’t like his attitude either. I bit my tongue and tried to settle her.

“Head over to that table and take that boy’s order. He’s been sitting quite a while waiting for you to notice him. That is your section, is it not?”

I knew who Leon was pointing to without having to look.

“It is,” I said, hating the fact that I was going to have to wait on Tate. No doubt he would be an ass about it. An arrogant ass. That’s exactly what Tate Vargas was.

I pulled my order pad out of my pocket and grabbed a pen before heading to his table. A wicked grin stretched across his face. His lips puckered together when I was a few feet away, and he made an annoying kissing noise.

“I didn’t know you had it in you to be such an ass kisser,” he teased.

I wanted to slap his smirk right off his face.

“Oh, hush,” I snapped. I flashed him a nasty look, making sure my back was to Leon. I didn’t need to get on his bad side any more than I already was. “What do you want to eat? I already know you want a sweet tea.” I jotted down the words sweet and tea while I waited for him to answer.

Tate leaned back in his chair, and he skimmed the laminated menu as though he didn’t already know what the place served by heart.

“Hmmm,” he muttered. “Let me think.”

“I don’t have all day. I have other customers to tend to. Hurry up.”

He ignored me and continued to peruse the menu selection.

“I think I’ll have the Big Time Breakfast,” he said.

I rolled my eyes. “You know it’s after eleven. We’ve stopped serving breakfast already.”

“Right. In that case, I’ll have a bacon cheeseburger. Double the bacon. And, give me an order of fries.”

“The usual, then. Sure. Coming right up.” I scribbled down his order and headed toward the kitchen. I’d barely made it three steps away from his table before someone entered the diner.

“Mina!” the woman shouted.

I glanced at her. She looked familiar, but at the same time, she didn’t. Her hair seemed disheveled and her skin paler than the last time I’d seen her. Blood was smeared across her face, and it stained her clothes. She wasn’t wearing any shoes, and it looked as though she’d ran a great distance barefoot. Through the woods maybe.

“Mina Ryan!” she shouted as she stumbled away from the door. Her eyes locked with mine, and in an instant I knew who she was—Lucy Appleton, the woman who’d been attacked last night by Roman outside the Caraway Inn. “I-I have a message for you.” Her words were low, barely audible, but I was able to pick up on what she was saying easily with my werewolf hearing.

I stepped to where she stood, swaying on her feet. Tate was at my side in seconds.

“Lucy? How did you know I was here? What happened? What message do you have for me?” My voice was low. I didn’t want those around us—all the humans—to hear our conversation because I knew it would have to do with Roman. He was who the message was from, I was positive.

My heart grew sluggish. What did he want?

“You’re next,” Lucy whispered.

Her eyes rolled back into her head, and all of the breath inside her lungs expelled in a final push before she fell to the floor.

“Lucy!” I bent down to press my index and middle finger to the area beneath her jaw bone, feeling for a pulse. I felt nothing. “Someone call nine-one-one!”

I lifted her chin and began performing compressions on her chest. It wasn’t something I’d ever done before. Heck, I wasn’t even sure I was doing it right, but there was no one around to tell me different. Everyone seemed locked in a state of fear. Sweat built across my brow as I tried to think back to the class I’d taken as a freshman in high school. I couldn’t remember the placement of where my hands were supposed to be or how many breaths I was supposed to give into her open mouth. My heart hammered against my rib cage. I blinked as I continued pumping on her chest and counting out breaths. Doing something was better than nothing until the paramedics arrived. That’s what I told myself at least.

“Breathe for her,” Tate insisted. He’d knelt beside me. “I’ll pump. You count and breathe for her.”

His hands took over and I did as I was told, praying we’d be able to bring Lucy back to life.

Minutes passed and nothing happened. She didn’t gasp for breath like in the movies. Her eyes didn’t open. Her heart didn’t start beating.

She was gone. Dead. Another victim taken by the Midnight Reaper. Another victim of Roman’s.

Tate’s eyes shifted to mine as he leaned back onto his heels. He removed his hands from her chest and shook his head.

“Is she? Oh my,” Pamela gasp.

Murmurs floated through Rosemary’s Diner.

“I’m going to step outside for a second. I need to call Eli,” Tate said. He pulled himself into a standing position in one fluid motion and bolted for the door.

Unease shifted through my core. I couldn’t believe Lucy was dead.

My gaze drifted over her. She hadn’t deserved to die. Especially not by someone like Roman. My throat grew tight. She’d been a pawn in his sick game.

My hand reached out to close her eyes. As I did, I made a silent promise that I’d make sure Roman never hurt anyone again. In fact, I’d see to it personally.

His game was over.