32: Hot Lunch

Quincy St. Martin

We stand there staring at each other. Me, frozen in mortification. The four of them in amusement. I open my mouth, and suddenly words just spill out.

“I don’t toy with boys. I don’t eat boys either. I really don’t. I mean, to toy with them and eat them would be mean. Just mean. Oh, no. One should never do that.”

I wince. That sounded bad. “I mean, I was just kidding. That was a joke. Ha ha, see? Funny, right?”

~Oh, my God! Somebody shut me up. Like right now~!

I hear a choking-wheezing sound behind me, and it occurs to me that I should check if Cat is dying behind the counter… After I find a hole to hide in.

“I’m gonna go die in a hole now,” I say. What? Shut up!

“Okay,” says the blonde lycan, who looks like she’s about to burst into laughter at any moment. The man beside the redhead turns quickly away. His shoulders are shaking with silent laughter, which is totally a bad thing.

What a disaster.

I cast my gaze up at the ceiling. My face is burning hot. Lord, have mercy.

The four of them walk over to a table for four not too far away. It’s not my table, but since Jenna isn’t here yet, I should go take their order. Instead, I spin around and make a quick escape to the washroom.

I walk past Cat, who really looks like she’s dying, bending over, clutching her stomach with a gasping and choking sound coming out of her.

Her face is hidden behind the curtain of her short purple hair.

I walk faster and lock the washroom door with a click.

Great! Just great! So much for wanting to impress Caspian’s pack members, slash family, slash trusted friends. They must think that I’m stupid or, worse, crazy.

They must be wondering how or why the future king of lycans and werewolves has saddled himself with someone like me.

Wait! Why do I want to impress them again? It doesn’t matter. I just do.

I splash water over my reddened face, neck, and my wrists and try to breathe slowly and deeply. That was beyond embarrassing, but I can’t hide in here forever.

My Nana used to say that she was proud of me because I dance to my own music. She also said that the music was in my own head and only I can hear it.

In other words, Nana was proud of me because I never give a rat’s ass about what people think of me, but she also thought that I was crazy.

Whatever. The point is I should just go out there with my head held high because I don’t give a rat’s ass about what they think of me. Well, I kinda do, but that’s beside the point. The point is there’s no point to this little story.

I just miss my Nana, and I like to think of my Nana when I’m stressed. That’s all.

I wipe my face and my hands dry, check myself in the mirror, and push my shoulders back, chin up, ready to face the world again.

Okay, not really. But whatever.

When I get out, Cat has several cups of steaming hot coffee ready on a tray. She’s not even hiding her amusement.

“These are for those gods and goddesses at table four,” she says with a gleeful grin and a wink. They must have ordered while I was in the washroom.

“Oh, goddess yes! You coffee angel you. I need this,” says the redhead who reaches for her drink as soon as I place it on the table.

“This is too early for me. Cruel…insane morning people. Torture…poor me,” she grumbles incoherently between big gulps of her hot coffee.

“She’s not a morning person,” explains the stunning-looking man sitting beside her while the redhead continues to chug her drink.

“We’re lucky she hasn’t murdered us all yet,” says one of the men quietly, sipping his own coffee. His expression is so grave and solemn that I pause to wonder if he was truly serious.

The blonde beside him nudges him with her elbow. She is impossibly gorgeous. Her honey-gold hair falls in soft waves down her shoulders, and her dress is impeccably stylish.

“Oh, where are our manners?” she says with a soft smile. “Hello, I’m Serena.” She holds out her hand. Her glowing amber eyes are warm and kind.

“This is my mate, Lazarus,” she says after shaking my hand.

She touches the arm of the man beside her, who has the bluest eyes I’ve ever seen. His dark curls would have reached his shoulders if they hadn’t been tied back.

I’m not really a fan of men with long hair, but on this magnetic man, it didn’t only enhance his stern and forbidding exterior, it added to his allure.

His intimidating grim expression never wavers, but there’s a gentle and benevolent curiosity in his gaze, and the small nod he gives me isn’t unfriendly.

“Hello, I’m Constantine,” says the other man, who sits across the table from Lazarus, as he captures my hand in his large one.

I remember Caspian told me that Constantine is his cousin. He doesn’t look anything like Caspian with his piercing silver-gray eyes and dark brown hair. He is less bulky than Lazarus but still very well built.

“This is my mate, Genesis,” he says, indicating the breathtaking redhead with flawless porcelain skin beside him.

She is now drinking his coffee after placing her empty cup in place of his.

“Oh, would you like me to get you another cup of coffee?” I ask them. “Or would you like to order some food?”

“No, I’m good,” answers Genesis.

Of course, she’s good. She just had two cups of coffee while her mate, Constantine, is left staring at the empty cup in front of him, wondering when he finished it.

“Maybe I’ll have a sandwich later,” she adds as an afterthought.

“Why don’t you join us for a minute, Quincy?” invites Serena.

Lazarus effortlessly pulls a chair from another table with his foot without even getting up.

We’re not yet busy, but we’re not allowed to sit with customers. I’m not usually good at following orders, but I’m already in enough trouble as it is.

Adam, our manager, is putting me on probation after yesterday’s event when I poured water on that woman. I glance over at Cat, who is trying to look busy wiping the spotless counter. Alex is typing away on her phone, and Jenna is not yet here.

I know Cat and Alex wouldn’t have cared, but Jenna would report me to Adam, even though she herself is always late to work.

“We won’t take a lot of your time,” promises Genesis.

Ok, well, Jenna is not here; neither is Adam.

I take the seat and look at the beautiful people around me. “Does Caspian know that you guys are here?”

“Not a clue,” says Genesis.

“He’s out practicing very early this morning,” answers Serena.

Her tone becomes sober when she says, “We’re leaving for Russia soon, tomorrow, actually. We thought we’d see you before we leave.”

The heaviness in my chest returns. Uneasiness settles deep in my bones once again at the mention of it.

“Is it going to be dangerous where you’re going?” I ask them quietly.

The four of them turn to look at me at the same time before they look at each other. Something changes in the air between them. It’s very subtle, yet somehow I can feel it. Not a second later, there’s a flash of some sort of mutual communication or understanding between them.

“It can be,” answers Lazarus carefully. “But there’s nothing to worry about.”

Constantine nods his head. “We have very tight security.”

“Besides, it’s hard to kill a lycan,” Genesis adds in a whisper. “So, how’s it going with the prince?”

I know she’s trying to change the subject, but, wow, she doesn’t mince words.

“You’re being very subtle, sweetheart,” says Constantine.

“Oh, thanks, honey,” replies Genesis with a proud smile before she turns to gaze at me with an expectant look.

I open my mouth to tell her that I think he meant she’s being the opposite of subtle, but then I figure it’s not my place, so I close my mouth.

Then I open my mouth again to say something, but then I’m not sure how to open up to them because I don’t know these people.

“Uh, right now I’m still thinking about the whole mate thing,” I tell them finally. “I’m still deciding…”

“Oh, how cute. She thinks she has a choice,” Genesis murmurs to Serena, who hides her smile behind a paper napkin.

If somebody else had said something like that about me, I’d be pissed, but her tone carried no malice, and I feel no anger.

“Honey, go play somewhere else for a few minutes, will you? We girls need to talk.” She pats her mate, Constantine, on the arm. “Oh, take Lazarus with you.”

She pushes Lazarus off the chair. This time Serena lets out a soft laugh.

Lazarus’s face remains serious, even though he shakes his head as he stands up. I don’t miss the look of amusement in his eyes.

Constantine looks at his mate with a raised eyebrow, but rises from his chair. Then he leans down and kisses the top of her head.

“Behave,” he tells her. Then he turns to me and says, “Don’t worry. Caspian will be fine in Russia.”

We watch as their long legs carry the two men out of the place before both of the women lean in close to me.

“We don’t want to scare you off or anything, love,” says Serena, “but he’ll never let you go no matter what you decide.”

Genesis nods her head in agreement. “Believe us, we understand. We went through the same thing with our mates.”

“You two weren’t born lycans?” I ask them in a hushed voice.

“Nope, we were both werewolves,” answers Genesis quietly.

I sigh. I guess they’re the best people to talk about this since they’re mated to lycans and, strangely, I feel very drawn to them. There’s a sense of ease that I feel with all of them that I’ve never felt with anyone else.

“So are you telling me that I should just give it up now and let him mark me?”

“Oh no, that’s not what we’re telling you at all,” says Genesis quickly and vehemently.

“You do what feels right to you, love. Don’t let him bully you into doing anything you’re not ready to do.” Serena pats my hand.

“In case you haven’t figured it out yet, Quincy, Caspian is used to getting what he wants,” says Genesis. “He’ll go all possessive and would claim you like a Neanderthal if you let him.”

“Well, you can let him. There’s nothing wrong with that,” suggests Serena.

Genesis shoots her a disapproving look.

“But that just means you could claim him right back,” Serena adds.

“Yeah, make sure to bitch-slap any bitches who overstep their boundaries,” says Genesis. “Don’t be shy. Feel free to bitch-slap him, too, if he flirts with them.”

Serena stops and stares at Genesis.

“What?” asks Genesis.

“I don’t know if bitch-slapping anybody, especially a human, is a good idea,” answers Serena. “Especially after she becomes a lycan.”

“Pffttt. Penny does that all the time. Just a little tap will do.”

“That little tap knocked them right out, remember?”

“They’ll live.” Genesis shrugs her shoulders. “By the way, Penny is another one of us.”

“Oh, yeah, Penny. I met her yesterday,” I tell them.

“What?” Genesis almost jumps out of her seat.

She turns to Serena and says, “That woman. Darn, she’s tricky! Do you remember what she told us the other day when you said you’d like to meet Quincy?”

Serena laughs softly. “She’s sly,” she agrees. “She said we were being nosy.”

“I can’t believe she’s already one step ahead of us.” Genesis shakes her head, but she’s smiling.

“Yeah, well, I splashed water all over her friend too,” I inform them. “Penny was here with her mate, Darius, and that woman overstepped her boundaries.”

“Atta girl!” Genesis exclaims with approval.

Serena laughs. “Poor Caspian,” she says, but she gives me a proud smile. “I think you’ll do just fine.”