6. Dean

6

DEAN

F rustration pulsed through me because I couldn't get Astrid out of my damn head for the past two days. I kept seeing how hurt she'd looked by what I had said. It had me wondering if I'd been wrong to say she seemed compliant with the things that happened with Lucius and about her not fighting back.

My wolf grumbled, but I blocked him out, choosing to focus instead on the rhythmic sound of the ground rushing to meet my shoes as I jogged through the woods near my place.

He'd had his turn.

I'd set him free last night. If he was still feeling crabby, that was on him. It was my turn to destress.

I pushed myself harder, hoping physical exertion would steady my mind and wolf for the day. Hoping to get Astrid out of my head.

It didn't work.

Her warning about Xander being different now and there being a coldness to him that wasn't there before, a darkness, surfaced again half a heartbeat later.

For the millionth time, I wondered what she'd meant by that.

What about him had changed? And what cold darkness was she talking about?

While it was true that I'd felt something while in his presence—and so had my wolf—I also didn't know him well enough to know if I was right.

I should have asked Astrid to elaborate.

Instead, I'd been so hung up on thinking she was stalking me and getting a dig in at her that I hadn't cared about what she'd said.

I cared now.

I couldn't get her words out of my head any more than I could get out how hurt she'd looked by what I'd said.

Shit.

I'd threatened her. She had every right to keep her distance from me now, which she seemed to be doing because I hadn't seen her since.

If only I knew how to reach her.

I realized then that everything I knew about her could fit on one hand—she was a raven shifter, Xander's younger sister, and she sometimes enjoyed having an Americano from The Caffeinated Fox.

Knowing that last tidbit about her was why I'd frequented the coffee shop more in the last two days than I ever had. I'd hoped to run into her there, but if she came through, our paths never crossed.

Honestly, it felt as though the woman had vanished.

My wolf released a howl. It was a panicked and desperate sound that grated my nerves. He was acting stranger than usual lately and I couldn't pinpoint why. All I knew was that now was not the time for him to be giving me more crap about anything. He needed to stand down so I could figure some things out.

I started back home. It was time to shower and get to the diner for my shift.

The drive to work cleared my head more than any run I'd been on lately as myself or my wolf had, but only because some asshat switched lanes without looking and nearly clipped the front end of my truck. I probably should have thanked him for distracting me, but instead I'd flipped him off.

Once I parked, I made my way through the alley to the back door of the diner. My thoughts shifted from the shitty driver, who'd almost clipped me, to Astrid faster than I thought possible. It was maddening.

Why couldn't I stop thinking about her?

Alarm nipped at my insides suddenly, and I froze. Someone was watching me. Glancing around, I scanned my surroundings, searching for any type of threat. All I spotted was an elderly woman standing in the alley behind the diner. Her eyes met mine, and she beckoned me closer with a slight nod of her head and a warm, friendly smile.

What was she doing back here?

My muscles tensed as I approached her, ready for anything. She rummaged through a weird tortoise shell purse she held and pulled out a box of pancake mix and then a jar of syrup.

"Here," she said, her hands steady and her expression calm as she held them out to me. "Take these."

I hesitated for a moment before reaching out and accepting the items, not sure what the hell was happening here.

"You'll need both at some point," she said, a knowing look entering her stare.

"Lady, I doubt I'll need pancakes or syrup at any point in my day."

"Maybe not today. Maybe not tomorrow. But you will need them at some point." She winked. "After all, they say breakfast is the most important meal of the day."

I opened my mouth to argue with her, but she turned and walked away without another word, looking as though the exchange had been the most natural thing in the world. I stared after her, watching as she disappeared through the alley.

Could my life get any weirder?

Shaking my head, I made my way into the diner. I placed the items on the counter and looked around, half expecting someone to explain the strange gift as though I'd been on some hidden camera show.

"Hey, Dean," Mariam greeted me. "What's that you've got there?"

"I'm not sure," I replied, still trying to process the strange encounter. "An elderly woman gave these to me in the alley just now."

Mariam raised an eyebrow and then smiled. "Maybe it's a sign you should make pancakes for breakfast sometime."

"Maybe." I chuckled.

As I went about my day, I couldn't shake the feeling that the old woman had known something I didn't. Her eyes and expression had said as much.

Time moved slower than it ever had.

By the end of my shift, I was exhausted and on edge still. I needed a drink and quite possibly some company because being alone didn't seem like a good idea.

My thoughts would get the best of me again.

Pulling out my cell, I opened a group text with some of the other solitary shifters who had been under Lucius's control and tapped out a message, asking if anyone was up for a drink at Last Drop in a few minutes.

To my relief, everyone said yes.

I pocketed my cell and got to work closing the kitchen down. After clocking out, I carried the pancake mix and syrup to my truck. Tossing it into the passenger seat, I opted to walk to Last Drop instead of driving. My wolf craved being in the night air, and so did I. While I loved my truck, I needed a moment to decompress before meeting up with everyone, and a walk was perfect for that. Besides, Last Drop was only a street away. It wouldn't take me long to get there.

When I made it to the bar, the sheer number of vehicles filling the parking lot had me rethinking my decision to ask everyone for a drink tonight.

Why weren't these people at home?

I paused in the parking lot, debating how big of an asshole it would make me to cancel on everyone when getting together had been my idea.

"Shit," I muttered, deciding it would make me look like a huge one.

Besides, I wanted to know whether anyone else felt off like I did lately. Were they losing sleep? Feeling disconnected from their animal? Paranoid?

My wolf slid closer to the surface as a flicker of movement from the corner of my eye caught my attention. He'd picked up on something not right. When I turned to look that way, I didn't see anything, though. However, the same sensation from earlier that someone was watching me hit me in the gut. I glanced around, searching for the eccentric old woman again, but didn't see her. Honestly, I didn't notice anyone paying me any attention.

What the fuck was going on? Was I being haunted or was I going insane?

I shook my head, trying to clear my mind. This paranoia thing was gaining too much control over me. I needed to get a grip because I was losing it.

Clenching my fists at my sides, I forced myself toward the doors of Last Drop. However, a slight prickling sensation humming through my head made me come to a sudden stop a millisecond later. I cocked my head to the side, focusing on the sensation. When I felt it again, my heart kickstarted inside my chest and I swallowed hard.

This couldn't be right. I had to be imagining things.

There was no way I'd felt what I thought I had. It wasn't possible someone was attempting to get inside my head, because the only person I'd ever known capable of such a thing was dead.

I narrowed my eyes and glanced around, scanning the surrounding area for anyone focused on me. Everyone was still off in their own world, laughing, eating, and walking to their vehicles.

So, then where the hell had that sensation come from?

"Hey, Dean," someone said before placing a hand on my shoulder, startling me. "Whoa, someone's jumpy."

"Sienna. Hey," I replied, running a hand through my hair. "Yeah, I guess so." I flashed her a weak smile.

"You look like crap." Her face scrunched up as she gave me a once-over. "Busy shift at the diner tonight?"

"Something like that." I nodded toward the doors of Last Drop. "Ready?"

Sienna started for the door, but her watchful eyes lingered on me a moment longer. She was observant, cautious, and I knew she could see right through me.

It was the fox in her.

Inside, the bar was nearly overwhelming. It was so loud I could barely hear myself think.

Maybe that was a good thing, though.

"Oh, there they are," Sienna said, grabbing my arm and steering me toward the back of the bar to where the others sat.

"Why is this place so busy tonight?" I asked her, leaning in close while we walked.

She nodded to where a woman was gripping a microphone and looking like a deer caught in headlights. "Looks like it's karaoke night."

As if on cue, the woman holding the mic started singing. Honestly, she wasn't half bad, but karaoke night wasn't something I wanted to be here for.

"Planning on wowing us with your vocal cords?" Waylen asked, flashing me a shit-eating grin. "And here I assumed you weren't the singing type."

"I'm not," I said, situating myself in one of the open seats at the table.

"I told you he had no idea it was karaoke night," Ellis said, leaning his elbows against the tabletop. "Did you see his face? He looked horrified when he realized what was going on tonight."

"I like karaoke," Sienna declared, not giving two shits what the rest of us thought about it. She reached for the pitcher and an empty glass in the center of the table. "Who knows, maybe I'll get up there and sing for y'all in a minute." She slid the beer she'd poured over to me and then grabbed another empty cup to pour herself one.

"Whatever you do, don't wave your hands around like that lady up there now," Waylen said, nodding to the woman holding the mic. "She looks like she's trying to take flight."

"She looks like she's having fun," Sienna scolded, giving him a look that said he needed to watch his mouth. Her attention shifted to me next. "So, what's up? I feel like there's a reason you reached out for a drinking date with us. Plus, like I said, you look like shit."

"Tell him how you really feel," Waylen said before taking a swig from his beer. "Damn."

"What?" Sienna waved a hand at me. "Look at him. You're all thinking the same."

Ellis nodded, his face twisting into a grimace. "Yeah. Sorry, man, but you do look like shit."

I took a swig from my beer without meeting anyone's eyes. "I feel like shit."

It was one of the most honest things I'd said out loud in a while.

"Like sick shit or mentally exhausted shit?" Sienna pressed.

"Mentally exhausted shit," I clarified. "Have any of you been feeling strange lately? Paranoid, maybe?"

Waylen looked at me with a puzzled expression. "Strange how?"

"And what are you feeling paranoid about?" Sienna added.

I pulled in a deep breath and rubbed the back of my neck. This wasn't as easy as I'd hoped it would be. "I'm not sure how to even explain it. Maybe it's just me. I've been on edge lately."

"Understandably so," Ellis said, and I knew he got it. They all did. After all, each of us had been under Lucius's mind control. "I think we've all felt on edge lately."

"Definitely." Sienna nodded. "What specifically has been going on for you lately, though?" she asked.

She was too focused on me. It had my wolf pacing and my heart racing inside my chest. This woman knew how to get straight to the point without any twists or turns.

It was unnerving.

I took another swig from my beer, stalling while I tried to find the right words. "I've just felt off. Disconnected with my wolf," I said. "I've even felt like someone is watching me a couple of times the last few days, like I'm being followed. I know how paranoid it sounds."

I didn't mention the prickling sensation in my head I'd felt out in the parking lot a minute ago, because everything I'd already said was enough for now.

Sienna narrowed her eyes. "Is someone following you?"

"I haven't seen anyone," I admitted.

"It's probably nothing," Ellis said with a shrug. "Lucius messed us all up. Feeling off for a while is bound to happen."

I nodded, trying to brush it off, but their lack of concern didn't ease my mind. While I downed the rest of my beer, a conversation sparked about the worst karaoke song of all time. It was harder than I thought it would be to nail down one song we all agreed on when there were so many that came to mind. Even so, the conversation had us laughing, even me, which was something I'd needed.

I couldn't remember the last time I'd laughed.

While meeting everyone for a drink hadn't gotten me any closer to figuring out what the hell was wrong with me, it had been the stress reliever I'd needed. For the first time in days, I didn't think about Astrid or Xander. I didn't even think about the familiar sensation I'd felt prickling through my head in the parking lot.

Instead, I enjoyed being in good company.