003_Awakening The Predator

Elora's POV

I was refilling the napkin holder when I saw him—khakis too tight with a smirk too wide for his face. He was the kind of guy who would think calling a waitress “sweetheart” was charming.

I kept my head down, hoping he’d just order and go.

But then I caught it—his hand. It was sliding low and sneaky toward Annie’s butt while she bent down to grab a dropped fork.

“Don’t,” I said, loud enough to make him freeze.

He chuckled. “Relax, babe, I was just—”

“I said don’t.” I said , cutting him off as I stepped forward. “You touch her, and I’ll make sure your fingers bend the wrong way before you even think of ‘just joking’ again.”

His smirk dropped. He looked around like someone might back him up, but no one did.

“I—I was leaving anyway,” he mumbled, retreating like a kicked dog.

Annie straightened, still holding the fork, eyes wide. “Elora…”

“You okay?” I asked, my tone softening.

She nodded slowly, a small laugh escaping her lips. “I think you just became my favorite person ever.”

“Yeah, well,” I said, grabbing the fork and tossing it with part of the dirty dishes I had just picked up. “Don't get used to it.”

She smiled awkwardly, knowing I meant those words. This was my first time acting out of character, and it felt oddly out of place.

I wasn't the social type. Well, I was, but I decided to not be while working around Omegas.

The only person I could easily talk to was Laura.

Actually, she knew a lot about me, more than I ever intended for her to know.

"What are you thinking about?" Laura said, pulling me out of my thoughts.

"Nothing," I said simply.

She shrugged, before her eyes beamed with amusement. "Oh, and that was cool—" She pointed towards Annie. "I'm sure they're going to see you as more than just a weird Brunette."

I chuckled. "Just what I was avoiding."

Suddenly, my alarm rang.

"I guess that's your cue to leave," She said.

"Yeah it is."

She smiled. "Say hi to the little one for me."

I nodded, giving her a hug before heading towards the changing room. When I was done, I went out through the back door.

In less than an hour, I was at the cemetery, facing Katelyn's gravestone.

Since we couldn't get to see what she looked like, we didn't have any picture to put there.

The only thing that marked it was the names, "Katelyn Dawn," that had been engraved into the top of the cemented grave.

Her grave didn't look very dirty. It was like someone had been here a few weeks ago.

I dropped the flowers I had bought on my way, staring at the engraved spot.

I couldn't help but think about how she would've looked if she had actually been born.

After she was taken out of me through surgery, Zeke had ordered that she should be thrown away. So I didn't even get a glimpse of her.

I didn't get to see the color of her eyes, or the color of her hair. Was her hair brown like mine? Or red like Zeke's? Was her eyes as blue as the sea, or brown like the tree trunks in the woods, just like Zeke's?

His eyes always reminded me of my first shift.

I was eighteen when it happened. I had recently been told about Dad's death.

The then Alpha's daughter, Mira, had pushed me as usual, slamming my back into a locker.

"What's up little freak?" She had asked , a smirk curving her lips. "How's being alone been treating you?"

I had tried to ignore her as always, pushing her out of my way. But her next words made me freeze.

"No wonder your father was killed," She purred. "I'm sure he has been longing to rid himself of a weirdo like—"

Before she could complete the words, I grabbed her hair, dragging her into an empty class.

The next few minutes were filled with lots of screams and blood, but neither of them were mine.

Still, it wasn't enough to quench the anger that her words had ignited in me. So I ran away, towards the woods, as fast as I could, and that was when it happened.

Born breaking, flesh tearing, muscle stretching sounds filled the air, mixed with my screams.

I didn't know what was happening. All I knew was that my body was changing—painfully—and I wanted it to stop.

I didn't know how long I was out, but then I felt someone tapping me, calling out my name.

When I blinked my eyes open, there they were—eyes as brown as the desert underneath the setting sun—staring at me.

But now when I needed those same eyes, they weren't here.

It was over two hours, and yet, Zeke still wasn't here. He didn't show up. Not for me—our daughter—or our marriage.

I returned back to the restaurant since my shift was over, heading in through the back door.

But then, I heard noise—more like an argument—coming from the front desk.

I moved closer, trying to understand what was going on.

"I'm sorry, but you have to leave!" Someone yelled.

I didn't have to look to know it was Laura. But a part of me wanted to know who had awakened the beast in her.

I moved, about to cross into the main dining area when Annie blocked my path.

"Laura told us not to let you by," She muttered, her hands up.

But it was too late. My eyes looked past her shoulders, and I was stunned.

It was Charlotte. She was the one Laura was yelling at.

But what shocked me the most was the red-headed figure behind her.

It was Zeke.