Chapter Six Josh

Iwas up before dawn. After Sam pulled me aside the night before, telling me he got me a job as a cook at a local cafe, I could barely sleep. The thought of getting back into a kitchen and doing some real cooking again was what I really needed. Hell, I'd even managed a smile after that news. It was amazing how easy it was to forget how shitty my life was when I could still do something I loved. For the moment I could say to hell with my father and just focus on getting back into the swing of things.

Not only that, but having a job gave me a lot more options. Shifter Grove was a town that I could stay in for now, but now one I wanted to stay in forever. First off, it was way too small, and the people were far too fucking chatty. Secondly, I wanted to get back to school, eventually. Even if I had to take a year off to save up money, I wanted that degree. I'd worked my ass off to get this far and I had the debt to prove it. I'd go to another school and start over if I had to, but I wasn't going to give up on that dream.

Needless to say, I barely slept. And when I came down to the lobby before the sun was up, I was surprised to find Sam already there behind the desk with a cup of coffee and a book in hand.

"Good morning," he said, smiling over the top of his book. "Couldn't sleep?"

"Too excited," I replied, grinning despite my best attempt not to. I paused, glancing around the room to make sure we were alone. "I thought I'd… go run off some energy. If you know what I mean."

Sam nodded. "I do." He put his book down on the desk. "There's a local park where the other wolves like to run. It's busy during the day, but you should be fine this morning. Nobody goes to the beach this early, anyway. But I'd keep to the woods if I were you. There's a lot of shifters in this town, but the humans definitely outnumber us at least three to one."

"I'll keep that in mind." I started for the door, eager to let my wolf out and run.

"And Josh?"

"Yeah?"

"Good luck with the interview. And if I were you, I'd plan on working the rest of the day. I know you're going to blow the owner's socks off."

"Thanks," I said, forcing some friendliness into my voice. It was the least I could do after all Sam had done for me. "I won't mess this up."

Following Sam's directions, I pulled my car into the parking lot of the state park less than ten minutes later. I could just see the faint hints of pinks and reds as the sun neared the horizon under Lake Huron. Growing up in Traverse City, the Great Lakes were nothing new to me. However, the beach in Shifter Grove was much sandier than I expected. A lot of the northern beaches for Lake Huron were rocky and a bit treacherous. While this one had a few big boulders, the vast majority of it was white sand. It taunted me, pulling at my heartstrings as it reminded me a lot of home.

There was a pang of grief in my chest as I remembered all those times Mom and Dad had taken me to the beach as a pup. The water was always crystal clear, and the beaches were some of the best in the world in my opinion. There was a reason everyone liked to vacation in Traverse City. It had everything you could want and the natural beauty was unparalleled.

I let out a deep sigh. But that was all over now. I couldn't go back. Dad made sure of that by banning me from pack territory. I'd probably never set foot in that city again thanks to his stupid pride. The heat of anger filled my chest once more and I switched off the car. I didn't want to think about it right now. Or feel it either. I just wanted to run.

Doing as Sam instructed, I headed into the woods instead of going for the beach like I wanted to. It didn't take me long to find a secluded spot away from the hiking trails to strip down to my skin. Thankfully autumn hadn't quite set in yet, so it was warm enough even before the sunrise that I didn't immediately begin to shiver. I tucked my clothing into the crook of a fallen tree, making sure to wrap my phone and keys up tight. Straightening up, I tilted my head toward the sky with my eyes closed, savoring the touch of the breeze on my bare skin. It did little to quell the anger still lingering in my chest.

But my wolf and I both still wanted to run.

Taking a deep breath, I reached down inside myself, searching for that familiar beast that was a part of me. My wolf practically leaped out at me, the shift coming on quickly. My bones rearranged themselves as I felt forward, fur sprouting all across my body. I shook my head, my muzzle snapping into place at last. The world came into sharp focus across all my senses as my paws landed in the leaf litter. My claws dug into the dirt, the coolness of the earth seeping in to the pads of my toes.

I always felt more alive as a wolf and it was a relief to let go of the nagging problems that came with my human form. For now I could just let the beast take over and forget about everything else.

And that's just what I did.

I took off at a dead sprint, zigzagging between the trees as I climbed the dunes. Sand flew from under my paws as I dug in, forcing my body up the hill as fast as possible. A thousand smells met my nose, including those of several other wolves. Sam was right, this place really was heavily frequented by the locals. But without a pack or owned land for them to run on, I supposed they didn't have much choice.

As much as I loved being able to run around, I did feel exposed using a public place like the park. Anyone could stumble upon me, including a wolf that I didn't know. The potential for territory squabbles was pretty high considering the amount of marked trees my nose picked up. The woods were so full of scent that I practically turned off my nose and relied on my ears. Thankfully all I could hear were my own feet digging into the sand as I climbed. I was all alone.

It only took me a minute or so to reach the top of the dune. I came to a stop, my tongue lolling out as I panted from the exertion. The trees fell away in front of me leaving a clear view all the way to the horizon. Even in my wolf form I had to stop and marvel at the majesty in front of me.

Pinks flashed into red and gold as the sun rose over Lake Huron. I could still make out stars overhead, but as the sun inched its way into the sky, they slowly faded from existence. Below the white-capped waves crashed against the shore, their dull roar rolling up the hill to meet me. It was an incredible sight.

I'd never seen the sun come up over one of the Great Lakes before. In Traverse City we went to the beach to watch the sun set over the water. It was always an incredible experience and one the tourists flocked to the beaches to watch. My friends and I almost always had to walk there because the place would be absolutely packed with tourist's vehicles. We always watched the sun go down with ice cream in hand, laughing away about a challenging day in the kitchens at school.

I wished I was there with them.

But I'd probably never see them again.

The wave of grief nearly knocked me out of my shift. In less than a handful of seconds, all that excitable energy I had was gone. The prospect of starting work at a cafe suddenly felt like a step down in the world. I missed my home, my friends, and even though I didn't want to admit it, my dad.

I just didn't understand why he was being such an asshole. That wasn't the father I grew up with. But if I was being honest, our relationship had grown tense since mom left…

I shook my head, my ears flapping against my skull in an effort to push those emotions away. But as I did, I felt the anger well up in me again and the wolf slipped away. Without meaning to, my body shifted back to its human form. Fur fell away as I sat back on my heels, my hands and knees buried in the sand. Anger gave way to despair and tears welled up, spilling down my cheeks.

How long I sat there, feeling despondent as I stared at the sunrise, I wasn't sure. However, the tears had stopped long ago, and the wind had picked up. Running around in fur was a little too warm for comfort, but sitting naked at the top of a sand dune had me shivering. Not only that, but the sunrise had given way to day, a bright blue sky stretching out above me. Locals would probably be arriving at the park any minute if they hadn't already. The last thing I wanted was to get the cops called on me for being naked in public.

Pushing myself to my feet, I started back down the hill. I followed my wolf tracks back to the fallen tree, slipped on my clothes, and went back to the parking lot. There were already a few cars there and several people carrying lawn chairs as they headed for the beach. I saw their smiles and heard their laughter, envy rising up in me at their happiness. I wanted to yell at them, to ask them how they could possibly laugh when my entire world was in pieces. But I didn't. I just did what I always do. I kept it to myself. Nobody wanted to hear about my self-pity.

When I turned the engine over at last and glanced down at the clock, I realized I only had twenty minutes to get to the cafe. I tore out of the lot, leaving the park in a hurry. Thankfully town was close and I arrived in front of the cafe with a few minutes to spare. I didn't even bother to look at the shop as I dusted myself off and stepped through the front door.

A smiling barista, probably a local no older than sixteen, stood behind the counter. She wished me a good morning as I stepped up to the counter.

"What can I get you?" she asked, her hand already on the register computer.

"Nothing for me," I replied, trying to force a smile to cover up my terrible mood. "I'm here for the baking interview."

"Oh! The boss is waiting for you." She gave me another huge toothy smile as she gestured toward the door behind her. "You can go right on back if you like."

I started but stopped, a sudden burst of nerves twisting my stomach.

"Don't worry," she added. "He's a really nice guy. I promise."

"Thanks," I grumbled.

Taking a deep breath, I stepped around the counter and pushed my way through the door into the kitchen. I was hit with a wave of smells. Butter, cinnamon, sugar, roasted pecans, vanilla, cardamom, and pumpkin spice. I couldn't help the deep breath I took through my nose, all those scents mixing into a riot of color inside my brain. The kitchen smelled like fucking heaven.

"You must be the guy Sam sent over!"

That familiar voice made the colors stop and my heart sink into the pit of my stomach. I opened my eyes just as the man working at the bench turned around. He dusted his hands off, looking up at me with those bright blue eyes.

Both of our jaws fell slack.

It was him.