8.

S TASSI

I had just finished the stock order when I heard someone at the door of my small office, so I looked up with a smile to greet whichever employee needed my help.

What I found was a frowning and obviously irritated cashier who looked like she was ready to set the building on fire, which was usually something that was more in my wheelhouse than anyone else’s.

“What can I do for you, Margie?”

“You can kill her. If that’s too much to ask, you can just fire her,” she said with an obviously fake smile. “And then I can kill her.”

The last thing I wanted to deal with was an employee who wasn’t just a pain in my ass but a drag on everyone else she came across, too, including her own children. Of course, I hadn’t met any of them yet, but from what my friend Sin had told me, they didn’t like her any more than I did.

“What did Aleta do now?”

“She just called a customer ‘a woman of loose morals’ and suggested that she didn’t know the identity of her child’s father.”

“Shit,” I muttered as I stood up, trying very hard to ignore the pain in my hips from sitting so long. I almost lost my balance as I walked around the desk because the numbness in my feet had given way to sharp, stinging pain that felt like I was walking barefoot on a bed of needles. “I’ll go talk to her.”

Margie looked at me with concern and said, “I can have her come back here to you.”

“Would you mind telling her that I need to see her?”

“Not at all. I’ll take over her register while she’s back here, but then I’ll be leaving for my break.”

“It won’t take long at all, I promise.”

That wasn’t a lie, considering that everything I said to Aleta went in one ear and out the other. I’d been accused more than once in my life of being obstinate and stubborn, but that woman had me beat by a mile. In all of my years, I’d met every kind of person imaginable - from Buddhist monks who had taken a vow of silence to soft-spoken elderly Southern grandmas who had never met a stranger. However, I knew that Aleta could throw even the most placid souls into a tailspin.

Five minutes with Aleta would have the monk screaming in outrage and the sweet old lady cussing like a rap star with Tourette’s.

“I can’t believe you put up with that . . . that . . . harlot!” Aleta said as she stomped into my office.

“Sit down, Aleta. I guess we’ll have to discuss that too.”

“That she’s going to rob my till and leave me in trouble?” Aleta asked as she sat on the edge of the chair on the other side of the desk. She calmly brushed invisible wrinkles out of her pale blue skirt - which perfectly matched the long-sleeved button-up shirt she was wearing.

“She could take every penny out of that register and set the building on fire and that would still not put you in any deeper of a hole than you’ve already dug for yourself.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means that you’re insufferable, inconsiderate, rude, abrasive, and just plain mean.” When Aleta gasped in outrage, I said, “All of which are traits that are going to get you fired.”

Aleta burst into tears, which I ignored as I pulled a form out of the drawer for her second official write-up in her short time as an employee here. This wasn’t the first time she’d pulled that little trick out of her imaginary hat, and I hadn’t fallen for it any of those times either. I could sense the evil in the woman and couldn’t pinpoint which part of me detested her the most - the witch who tried very hard to use her magic to help the world, the bear who wanted to rip her throat out every time she spoke, or the vampire who had explored her mind for just a moment and seen an abyss so dark, I couldn’t get out quickly enough.

All in all, my magic was almost useless against a woman like Aleta unless I set her on fire, ripped her throat out and drank her blood, or turned her into the animal she acted like - a rabid raccoon with easily-disturbed tear ducts and the attitude of a wolverine with a thorn in its paw . . . and that was only on days when she was acting nice, which seemed to be few and far between.

“I’m going to officially write you up for the second time in as many weeks. If there is one more incident with you insulting customers or other employees, I will fire you immediately and have you escorted off the property.”

“But I have a family to support. My children need this paycheck so I can feed and clothe them. We’ll be homeless and they’ll be hungry and living on the street if I lose this job.”

I tried to remember the details of what Sin had told me when she asked me to hire Aleta, but they were cloudy. There was something about the majority of her children living with her oldest daughter while the other two were being taken care of by one of her eldest sons who she happened to live with. I could have had the details wrong, but they really didn’t matter since they had nothing to do with her behavior at work.

However, that did add another detail I could put on her write-up. “So, I guess I’ll add lying outright onto your list of grievances today.”

“I would never lie! That’s a sin and . . .”

“You live in a home owned by your son, and someone else is taking care of all of your children, Aleta, which means that all of those tears and pleas for sympathy are a blatant lie, don’t you agree?”

It amazed me how quickly the tears stopped. I had to resist the urge to lean back in my chair to escape the fire in the woman’s eyes as she glowered at me. “What happens when I’m not working is none of your business.”

“Hmm. Well, I suppose it isn’t. However, you lied yesterday and said you hadn’t had a break when I know for a fact you took a long one - thirty-nine minutes by my count. That is a lie and can actually be considered theft, if you want to get technical.”

“Theft? I would never . . .”

“Theft of time and falsification of records on your timecard,” I interrupted. “Give me just a second to get those written down and then we’ll get to the reason for today’s meeting.”

“How did you know that about my children? Who have you been talking to?”

I smiled up at her and said, “I’m a witch and can read your mind.” Her eyes got wide and I couldn’t resist doing a parlor trick just to keep her guessing. “Will you give me my pen, please?”

She looked down at my hand and frowned before she said, “I don’t have your pen.”

“It’s behind your ear.”

“No, it’s . . .” Aleta stopped talking suddenly when she reached up and touched the pen that was tucked behind her ear. She pulled it down and looked at it before she stared at me with wide eyes. “How did you do that?”

“Magic,” I said with an exaggerated wink. “Don’t mess with me, or I’ll put that pen somewhere that’s very uncomfortable next time.”

Aleta was pleasantly silent for the next few minutes while I filled out the form that I’d created just for her since no other employee had ever needed to be reprimanded in such a way - the woman was a trendsetter, that was for sure. So far she’d pissed off people who otherwise seemed to be nice and kind. Fortunately, they didn’t always call her out on her shit. I had rarely been accused of being nice or kind, and I enjoyed going toe to toe with her just to see what sort of imagined slight she could come up with to complain about.

However, like a cat with a mouse, I quickly got bored of our little game, and now I just wanted to rip her throat out and set her on fire every time she spoke.

When I slid the write-up across the desk and tried to hand her the same pen I’d tricked her with, she swallowed loudly and asked, “How did you do that earlier?”

“I told you how.”

“I don’t believe in magic.”

“And I don’t believe you have no idea how abrasive your judgemental attitude is,” I retorted. “If you have another infraction within the next three months, you’ll be terminated, Aleta. Do you understand that?” Aleta sighed and nodded. Just to twist the knife, I ordered, “Repeat what I said and tell me you understand.”

She took a few minutes to read over what I’d written and then repeated what I’d told her and gave me her verbal understanding of the consequences she’d face if she didn’t straighten up. When she got up to walk out, it took everything I had not to say, “See you tomorrow when I get to fire your ass!” because I had no doubt in my mind that she couldn’t last through an entire shift without insulting someone or annoying them in some way.

I used to feel the same way about Aksel. There was something about that man that had set my teeth on edge for decades, but for whatever reason, we almost always ended our argument naked and panting right before we started bickering anew and went our separate ways.

That is, until last night when we got along for hours. When I had to leave, I felt like a piece of me stayed with him. If I didn’t know better, I would say that he’d entranced me somehow, but he wasn’t the type of person to do that to another because of the thrall that his sire had held him under so many times - forcing him to do things he would have never considered on his own. As unfortunate as it was for Drasil to be able to do that to Aksel, I had to be grateful because otherwise I wouldn’t be here today.

If Drasil hadn’t entranced him and forced him to go to Washington all those years ago, I would have met my end in the forest trying to find my way to Mereu. If Aksel hadn’t selflessly taken care of me when all he wanted to do was run as far away from his sire as possible, I would have died, sick and alone. For months after I arrived in Mereu, I was sick - so sick that I nearly succumbed countless times, but my aunts’ never-ending faith in my powers and the magic they poured into me, through the simplest of things like food and shelter, all the way to the spells that they worked with the members of their coven, kept me alive.

But they wouldn’t have had that chance or even known I existed without Aksel Nilsen.

I scanned the write-up before I put it into Aleta’s employee file and then left my office to go out onto the floor. I was hired for the position of stock manager, a job that helped tame the need to organize things that I’d inherited from Ivan, but had quickly been promoted to manager.

At first, I wondered if Harold was desperate, but when I asked him about it, he assured me that he could tell I was smart and trustworthy and couldn’t imagine not having me on staff.

I had to admit that his words of praise had made me feel as if I was walking on air. After so many years on earth, it was easy for things to get stagnant. When that happened, I usually found a cause I could believe in and focused on making a change in the world, putting my drive and stubbornness to good use. However, I had found a new mission this time - to keep the store clean and stocked while also seeing how many customers I could make smile in a day.

And the kids. Oh, the kids. Most people associated children in the grocery store with nuisances, but I’d found that working here gave me the opportunity to see everything from sweet infants that would coo and gurgle as soon as I met their eyes to sullen teenagers who I had to work my hardest to coax a smile from. I looked forward to interacting with customers the most and realized that, in the last few years, I had secluded myself little by little until I craved the company of others.

But most especially Aksel. Just thinking about him made my stomach flip and warmth spread over my body as my pussy ached for his touch. I had never felt this way about anyone other than him. In my time on earth, I’d enjoyed many encounters with men - both mortal and supernatural, but none of them had made me ache for them like I did for Aksel.

And it wasn’t just sexual. I yearned to be near him and found myself checking my phone often just to see if he’d sent a message. I got giddy about hearing from him and wondered how he felt when I returned his text. Did he think about me when I wasn’t nearby? Did he wonder what I was doing?

Was he telling himself that what he felt was stupid, just like I kept doing?

“Stassi, you have a delivery at the front,” a disjointed voice announced from the radio I kept clipped to my waistband.

“A delivery?” I murmured to myself as I walked through the swinging doors that would take me into the store. I smiled at customers as I walked by and was stopped by two who needed help. Luckily, their questions were easily answered and I made it up to the front in record time. There was a young man standing there with a large envelope in his hand. When I introduced myself, he thrust it my way and then hurried off. For a second, I worried that I’d been summoned to court for something, but he didn’t seem like the usual process server - a profession I’d enjoyed for a time because I really enjoyed the chase. I bent the brads and opened the flap of the manilla envelope with an air of curiosity. There was a handwritten note with Aksel’s name signed at the bottom, and I smiled. When I glanced over at Margie, who was watching me intently, I said, “I’m going to take my break and go to the coffee shop. Do you want anything?”

“You know my order!”

“Aleta?” I asked pleasantly, even though it pained me to my core. When she glared at me, I couldn’t resist messing with her and asked, “Is that my pen?”

“What?” she asked.

“You must have accidently taken it when you were in my office,” I said as I motioned toward her ear. “Can I have it back?” Aleta’s eyes got wide, and she slowly touched her ear where she found my pen. She held it out toward me and then thought better of it and laid it on the counter before she took a few steps back. When she bumped into the divider that separated the registers, I said, “Be careful! We wouldn’t want you to get hurt.” I winked at her as I picked up the pen and said, “I love this pen. Don’t you?”

I giggled to myself as I walked out the sliding doors and then hooked a left toward the coffee shop. As I walked in, the barista called out a greeting, and I asked for my usual and let her know that I’d need Margie’s favorite before I left. Once I paid for our drinks, I took mine and sat down at a cafe table by the window.

Finally, I let myself open the envelope and pull out the contents. The title page showed the logo of a charity that I had worked for years ago. I didn’t need to read the blurbs to understand that the paperwork explained how rare clean water was in the remote regions of Africa and that any donation I could provide would help dig wells to supply the villagers and give them a healthier life.

There was a cost breakdown that showed the amount to dig a new well and a plea from the charity organizer asking for donations. I’d seen the paperwork many times before, usually as I handed it to a friend and asked for their help and knew its contents almost word for word.

However, the handwritten note from Aksel had me curious, so I picked it up and smiled when I saw the greeting.

My dearest Stassi,

I know that this cause is near and dear to your heart. I’ll admit that just a few months ago, I wasn’t positive that you had one beating in your chest, but the last few days have assured me it is bigger and more caring than I could have ever imagined.

Rather than flowers or chocolate, I have taken the liberty of making a donation in your name that will help the people in ten villages acquire fresh drinking water within the next six months.

I hope this gift will show you how much I enjoyed our time together and let you know that I am waiting with bated breath until I get to see you again.

Always yours,

Aksel Nilsen

There were tears on my cheeks as I put the note on the stack of papers and then picked up my coffee. I leaned back in my chair and looked out the window at the passing cars as I took a sip of the delicious brew and thought about how much a gift like this meant to me.

It wasn’t flowers that would die within a few days or chocolate that could only be savored for a short while. No, it was the chance for hundreds, maybe even thousands of people to experience something that the majority of the world took for granted.

It was the most precious and meaningful gift I had ever received.

If I didn’t already love Aksel Nilsen, this would have turned the tides. As it was, it just made the love I already felt for him grow exponentially. The realization brought fresh tears to my eyes.

The man knew me better than I’d given him credit for, and I appreciated that he had put some thought into the gift he sent today rather than taking the easy way or just not sending anything at all.

Now how in the world was I going to finish my shift before I could see him again? If the ache in my bones didn’t kill me, missing him just might. I guessed we’d have to see.