The Hunted { old version }

The clatter of dishes and the murmur of conversation were the usual soundtrack to my evenings at the diner. Sasha, my ever-dramatic co-worker, whined at me from across the counter, her eyes darting nervously towards a table near the entrance.

"Can you please take my table?" she pleaded, her voice a strained whisper.

I sighed, hitting 'enter' on the order screen. "Why? So you can laze around?" I shot back, a joke that fell flat under the weight of her distress. Her ex, she explained, a stalker who just wouldn't get the hint.

"Don't worry, Sasha. I'll take care of it," I said, patting her hand as she pointed him out. He was fidgeting, looking around too quickly. I took a deep breath, the scent of his agitated human emotions hitting me like a physical wave.

Approaching him, I plastered on my practiced customer service smile. "Good evening, sir. Would you like to start with something to drink?" His surprise at seeing me instead of Sasha quickly morphed into irritation. "Where's the other waitress?" he growled, scanning the room.

My smile remained fixed. "Oh, she's on her lunch break, so I'll be your waitress for this evening." His fist slammed the table, a low growl escaping his lips. "That little bitch… She thinks she can make a joke out of me…"

I leaned in, my voice hushed, a dangerous edge beneath the sweetness. "You were already a joke." His eyes widened, a flicker of surprise, then anger. He pushed himself up, trying to intimidate me with his height. I knew, with a certainty that hummed in my veins, that I could rip him to shreds in two seconds flat. My wolf stirred, a low growl in the back of my mind. "No," I commanded, pushing her back, "my way."