Lib Novel Page 19
It’s been two days, and I’m already feeling trapped and suffocated in my tiny apartment. I have not seen Drew since the incident in the bar, and in the back of my mind, I’m a little concerned about him. I did hear that Cameron, the delivery guy, was just knocked out. He’s human, and killing humans is punishable by death, so Freddy exerted some restraint there.
I’m running low on groceries, so I decide to head to the farmers’ market and pick up some things. I also shop for one of the pack members, Rita Brown, who lives near the edge of town. The weather is kind of nice outside, with cool but non-freezing winds here in our dismal town. Perhaps a nice walk will help clear my head. Winter is finally over, and I love springtime.
It’s the middle of the day, so there aren’t a lot of people at the farmers’ market. It’s open all week, but the weekends are more crowded.
As I’m reaching for the last box of strawberries, someone else picks it up first. I look to see who it is, and my eyes land on a hulking man. I recognize him as one of Alex’s companions from the other night. I instantly stiffen.
Mistaking my alarm for upset, he offers me the box. I shake my head and tell him, “You can keep it.”
“Are you sure?” he asks, immediately putting the box with the rest of his things. I see the barely concealed excitement in his eyes.
Unable to help myself, I suggest, “If you like strawberries that much, there’s a small farm on the edge of town where they grow them. You can pick them yourself and fill a basket if you pay a certain fee.”
The man’s eyes gleam with interest. “That’s a good idea. We don’t really have strawberries where we’re from, so—”
He stops, but his words already have me blinking. “The South Alliance is known for producing the best strawberries. Which pack are you from that you don’t have access to strawberries?”
It’s his turn to become stiff. “I meant that the area where my pack is located is a little barren. We focus more on other fruit.”
“I see.” I don’t buy it, but then again, I don’t really know a lot about other packs and how they are run. I’m just a suspicious sort by nature. “Well, enjoy your strawberries.”
“Wait…” The man stops me. “Aren’t you the waitress from the other night?” He studies me closely, and then a huge grin breaks out on his face. “Yes, you are. Oh man, you really had Alex going there.”
The wise choice would be to ignore his words and move on, but hearing Alex’s name has me lingering despite my better judgment. “What do you mean?”
The man chuckles. “Nothing. It’s just that I’ve never seen our a—” he pauses before continuing— “our boss so on edge around a female before.”
A surge of irritation gathers in me. “Are you saying he’s a womanizer?”
I don’t know why it bothers me.
“A womanizer?” the man chuckles. “Far from it. Anyway, it was a treat to see him so flustered. I’m Patrick, by the way.”
“Sophia,” I introduce myself reluctantly. “But I guess you already knew that.”
“Kind of.” Patrick grins. “You’re hard to miss.”
I stare at him, wondering if that’s an insult or a compliment. I can’t figure it out with this guy. But he has a jovial personality, and it’s hard not to like him. He seems to be in the mood for some conversation, though, and I am not.
“The couple who run the farm are a pair of elderly humans,” I tell him. “They’ll be coming to the farmers’ market tomorrow, and they hand out pamphlets about the pick-your-own strawberries. If you come in the afternoon, you can’t miss them.”
I gather my things and head out. Oakrest isn’t exactly huge. The business center is smack dab in the middle of the town, surrounded by residential housing and apartments. Although we live by the ocean, the land is extremely fertile, so there are a lot of farms and ranches as you head further inland. Ever since Alpha Black took charge of this town and its surrounding area, there hasn’t been a lot of development. Most of it is rural and just woods. But the walking paths within the town are well maintained, and as I stroll along, I enjoy the cool breeze caressing my face.
It’s spring here in the South now, but the weather is mildly cold, edging toward warm. Living so close to the sea, I’ve never experienced snow. I’ve always wanted to know what it’s like.
I feel there’s a lot I’ve not experienced in life, and I won’t get to till I leave this dreary place.
Being sent away from the orphanage and my hometown where the main pack resides was a punishment. Years have passed, and as I grew older, I realized that I was not wholly responsible for my actions that night. What I did was terrible, indeed, but I was defending myself. Nobody took that into account. Nobody asked what those boys tried to do to me or if I was okay. I was just packed up and exiled to this isolated town, forgotten and abandoned. Oakrest is at the far end of the South Alliance and under the control and protection of Alpha Black, so I guess they sent me here to hide my crimes and leave me for dead.
I can’t wait to get out of here. As soon as I have enough money to buy my freedom from the South Alliance, I’m going to go somewhere far away. I want to travel the world.
I’m still lost in my daydreams when I turn the corner by a small, cozy-looking cottage. There’s a golden retriever napping on the lawn, and he lifts his head as my shoes crush the gravel of the road.
“Hello, Buster.”
Buster’s tail begins to wag, and he gets to his feet, rushing over and barking happily. I let him sniff me till he’s satisfied, and after one welcoming lick on my ankle, he returns to his spot and lies back down.
“You’re not the best guard dog,” I tell him.