Kim R. Fitzpatrick
LYRIC
I have been on the move since my birthday, the day of my graduation speech dedicated to myself. That was three weeks ago. I’m tired, hungry, and dirty—but I’m free! That’s what keeps a smile on my face.
I’ve learned to take shelter wherever I find it—caves, a crevice here or there, a grouping of bushes. I even climbed up into the boughs of a tree. Sadie hunts and eats raw. She can stomach it. I can’t.
She and I are our own best friends. At one point, we had to talk about the rejection of Damien. I don’t dislike him, but for years, I believed he was my brother. Even though we never acted like siblings, it was always there in my mind.
I kind of feel bad for him now. Damien was never cruel to me like the luna, but he wasn’t friendly either. The fact that he isn’t Alpha Marco’s can’t be good for the luna or Damien, and I wonder if he’ll go to Alpha College after all.
I shake my head. No sense in dwelling on them anymore. I’ll never see them again. It’s over. I’m on a new life path.
When I had begun planning my exit, Mr. Marshall gave me some money and a slip of paper with pack names and addresses of where I could find temporary refuge so I wouldn’t be considered rogue. He wrote his phone number and that of the high council, and he encouraged me to make an official complaint against my father to have him and the pack investigated for unfair practices against lesser wolves.
I intend to do that as my last act toward the Half Moon Pack. Perhaps in doing so, they can give a new, worthy alpha the name and set my father aside.
In our three weeks of travel, we’ve passed several human settlements but stay far from them. I don’t want them to spot my wolf and take off on a hunt. With her remarkable size and stunning silvery-white coat, Sadie stands out as an extraordinary and scarce find, making her the ultimate prize for any enthusiastic hunter.
I’m in North Dakota now, where, instead of wooded areas to travel, there are lots of small towns and fields of wheat, corn, and sunflowers. It’s beautiful, but I have to stay more in my skin than my wolf, meaning we can’t travel as fast.
I enter a town called Hazen, North Dakota, which is really close to a huge lake. It seems like a nice place to stop for a while and get myself rested and cleaned up. I also hope I can find a job. My funds are running low. I don’t need much. A few hundred will get me farther down the road and closer to college.
A small cheap motel comes into view, and I take a room. It’s sparse, but it’s clean, and the first item on the agenda is a shower. After, the bed, with its crisp white sheets, is next on the list!
***
Waking, I feel refreshed and ready to search for a job. First, though, I’m hungry. I ask for directions to the closest diner and make my way there. The little bell above the door heralds my entrance, and several people look up in curiosity but then resume eating and talking.
I take a stool at the counter, and the server, a middle-aged woman, slides a glass of ice water in front of me and hands me a menu.
“Hi, honey,” she says around her gum. “You want the breakfast special?”
“Ah, sure, as long as there are eggs and meat,” I reply.
“Yup! Bacon. You want coffee?”
“That would be wonderful.” I look around the diner, noting how busy it is. I assume it’s filled with a lot of locals. Some people smile or nod and carry on eating and conversing.
The server places a cup down in front of me and pushes the cream and sugar canister toward me. “You new in town, honey?” she asks.
“Mmm,” I respond around my sip of coffee. “I’m making my way to New York. I’m headed for college in the fall.”
She looks me over. “You strapped for cash? I sure could use some help around here for a few weeks. I’ve got a good sense for people, and you look trustworthy and strong.” She pops her gum.
“Actually, that would be great! A few weeks would be perfect. I’ve been traveling for three weeks and could use a break.” I give her a big smile.
“Okay!” She reaches over the counter. “My name’s Maggie. I usually work from mornings to lunch. You can work lunch to dinner with Denise. She’s my niece. Luke is my cook in the mornings, and Larry is at night.
“I pay ten dollars an hour and you keep your tips. Sound good?”
I nod, a smile growing on my lips.
“I provide your apron and name tag. There’s no dress code, but be respectable. Dinner will be on me anytime you’re working. If you come in to eat on your day off, it’s one-third the price. Okay?”
“Yes! When do you need me?” I’m excited.
Maggie grins. “Eat your breakfast and then join me in the back. We’ll start training today.”