"Willow are you alright?" her grandmother asked, noting her distracted stare. Willow turned her eyes on her. "Yeah, sorry. I was lost in my thoughts," she replied, shaking loose the thoughts from the other day. She hadn't seen Garin since they met his family in the woods. She was still shaken by the hate and venom in his father's eyes. She knew hunters were their enemy. She knew it in her bones, but she had foolishly thought that those days were past. The treaty had been enacted a hundred years ago; her grandmother had penned most of it. She had encountered other Red Hoods before, but they were more civil, just stopping by every few years to make sure the treaty hadn't been broken and to share news with her clan elders regarding other parts of the world. It was tenuous at best, but it worked, and they never stayed. Until the Brochades came. With a shiver she looked down at her plate and began gobbling up the eggs there, hoping to leave before Lyall wandered in as he had been doin
Garin smoothed down his chestnut hair, hoping to tame the wayward cowlick that refused to comply. He hadn't seen Willow in a few days. After his dad had dragged him home, he had been too embarrassed to face her. That and his dad made Silas escort him anytime that he went into town until Garin had had enough and went back to his apartment for a few days just to get some breathing room. Now he was waiting in his car outside of the café like some lovestruck idiot, hoping to catch a glance of her. The town was full of people anxiously awaiting the festival in two days. The line to the café was stretched outside. He shouldn't bother her. Not when she was this busy. He saw a tall, lean man come loping up the sidewalk and peer into the windows. He felt his teeth clench when he realized it was the guy, he saw her with before, Lyall. He even hated his name. Lyall cupped his hands against the glass and left, a slightly crestfallen look on his face. Good. Garin was half tempted to tell him ho
Willow anxiously waited for her last customers to leave. She kicked herself for letting Caitlin go home early. Garin had asked to see her later and she hadn't been able to focus on anything else since. She contemplated telling the patrons to leave but she had a stellar five-star rating and she didn't want to risk it. The couple waved their goodbyes as they left. Willow hurriedly locked the door behind them, spinning the closed sign so hard it nearly snapped the chain. She dashed and locked the register; she would worry about the deposit tomorrow. Before she left, she checked her appearance in the antique mirror above the sink. Her mascara was smudged, as always, and she had a long streak of what appeared to be mocha sauce across her cheek. She scrubbed her face and quickly pulled her hair out of its braid. She noticed how much Garin seemed to like her hair when it was down and crazy. He was waiting by the door as she locked up. He looked up as she walked out, and her heart lurche
Willow's head was still spinning from the night before as she walked to work. Her grandmother had offered her the car again, but Willow had too much energy flowing through her. She couldn't keep the smile from her face, even as the rain began to fall. The streets were quiet, the tourists still sleeping off the night before. Willow's heart was soaring, and she knew it was only a matter of time before it came crashing back to reality, but she didn't let that dampen her mood. When she walked into her store, she remembered that she hadn't cleaned up last night in her rush to see Garin. With a groan, she trudged back to the utility closet for the cleaning supplies. She flipped on the radio as she wiped down the tables, singing softly along, the strong scent of the lemon cleaner filling her nose. Mopping the floor, she noticed a curious set of footprints on the wooden planks. They lead to her office. She placed her boots next to the print on the floor. They were much larger than hers.
Garin was busy grading terms papers. There were only a few weeks left before the end of the semester and it showed in his students' papers. He groaned as he found another plagiarized essay. It appeared as if one student wrote at least five papers. He took a long swig of the amber whiskey at his elbow, the ice cubes clinking gently. He couldn't stay focused. He kept thinking about Willow's kiss last night. She kissed him desperately. He didn't know why, but it felt like not only their first but also like she was trying to tell him goodbye. Maybe he was reading too much into it. He kneaded the back of his neck and looked at his watch. He had been grading for over three hours. Time for a break. Stretching he stood and wandered downstairs, hoping that there were leftovers in the fridge and no family members anywhere. His hopes were dashed when he saw them sitting at the dining room table, speaking in hushed tones. When they saw him, they went silent. Everyone left except his father.
"What do you mean the truth? She was in a car accident," Willow said, confused. "Drink," her grandmother said nodding towards Willow's mug. Willow took a small sip of the tart, spicy drink. Willow had never seen her looking so lost for words or uncomfortable. Loriann was staring down at her hands, which were just now beginning to hint at her age. "Your mother wasn't killed by a drunk driver. She was murdered by a hunter. A member of the Red Hoods actually. They claim they don't know who it was, but I never believed them." Willow gasped, her hands covering her mouth. "Why didn't you tell me?" she asked. Her grandmother shook her head once, her eyes surprisingly dry. Her tears for her daughter had run dry many years ago, she had nothing left. "I didn't know how to explain to a five-year-old why her parents never came home," "Parents? But I thought my father passed before I was born?" Willow felt adrift. What was happening? How did she not remember her father? "No, he died at
Garin was feeling strange after reading the history of the Red Hoods. While it was compelling, much of it just felt…wrong. They painted shifters in such a brutal, fierce light which he had never seen in Willow. She was gentle and kind, not the bloodthirsty, baby-eating beasts that were described therein. He knew some of it had to be true. Certain events that lined up neatly with actual historical happenings, such as their origins dating back to around the same period as when the Vikings were rumored to first trade here. His scholarly mind was fascinated at how the shifters fit into the tapestry of history. It should scare him, the things he read. He should at least be freaked out enough to never want to see Willow again, which he was sure was his father's intention, instead, he wanted to know more. He couldn't picture her as a snarling monster. There was definitely something wild about her, but he didn't think that meant the same thing as what the hunters believed. He would ask h
Garin stormed away, his head spinning. Fiancé? She had said he was just a family friend. The poisonous thoughts swirled through his mind as he pushed his way through the crowd. Willow's cart was only a few feet ahead of him. He could confront her here, make her tell him what the hell was going on. He couldn't do that to her though and he just wasn't that guy to cause a scene. He watched her serving cider to the crowd, a genuine smile on her face. He felt a pang of sorrow shoot through him. She looked so beautiful, her face red from the cold nip in the air. He wasn't sure if he completely believed Lyall. He didn't like the look of that guy and it didn't make sense that Willow would lie about him. Then again, he barely knew her. Her eyes met his over the heads of the crowd in line. A smile immediately stretched across her lips before she dampened it down. He looked at her sadly. It could have been something, he thought as he looked at her. She waved and he turned, but not before he s