Oath Sworn - K.N. Banet Page 0,62

my diet that would make many humans very concerned, like steaks were served to me blue now. It was the step below rare, and most restaurants didn’t even offer it due to health concerns. I needed a lot more protein in my diet, and even if I accounted for the increase in that, I had to triple my calorie intake when I was active. I had been very active and very bad at eating enough in the last week, which was going to make me crash due to lack of energy soon if I didn’t start keeping an eye on it.

While I didn’t care about my life too much, because Carey remained mine and my cat’s number one priority, eating was very important. I couldn’t save her if I was passed out from malnutrition.

I sat down with my order and took a large bite of the first one, frowning as a blonde teenage girl walked in. The reason I frowned at her was because she smelled like she had just been cuddling a werewolf, an idea that made me want to spit my food up. It wasn’t because werewolves smelled bad, but because of her age. Teenage werewolves were unpredictable and dangerous, unfit to be making out with some high school human girl.

I watched her, able to swallow my food and go for another bite as I realized she wasn’t injured. She ordered something and turned my way when they handed her the order.

I raised an eyebrow as she walked directly to me, sitting down quietly and without asking.

“I know you aren’t human,” she said quietly, leaning over as she unwrapped her sandwich. “Um…We’re going to eat lunch, then leave together, okay? Like we’re friends.” She was speaking quietly enough that none of the other humans in the room would have been able to hear. “You’ve…you’ve gotten people’s attention, which is something it seems like you wanted.”

“How do you know?” I asked softly, keeping my eyebrow raised. “You’re human.”

“My dad,” she whispered. “He’s Everson’s fourth. Inner circle.”

“Is he who I smell on you?” I asked, going back to my sandwich. “And what’s your name?”

“Oh, um…my name is Stacy, and yeah, he hugged me and told me to stay safe before I came in. He’s going to take you where he thinks you want to go.” She took a tentative bite of her own lunch. “Look, I’ve never done this. I’m nineteen and the pack is in shambles, which…I never thought was possible. I don’t even know what or who you are. They won’t tell me. They just said I’m safe around you. They don’t think you’ll hurt me.”

“Why did they send you?” Another girl sent by the wolves. Either they were very smart or cowards. I couldn’t decide which.

“They don’t want a scene. Heath didn’t think my younger brother would work because he’s…well, he’s human, too, but he’s also a seventeen-year-old boy.” She gave a wary smile that I returned. That was kind of cute, really. The wolves were smart, then. They sent a very good little message. ‘Look, we don’t want problems. To show you that, here’s the most non-threatening thing we have. A seemingly kind nineteen-year-old human girl. She’ll be completely at your mercy.’ Amazing. It was a risk. I could easily kill her, but they knew my kind well enough to know that wouldn’t happen.

“I won’t hurt you,” I promised gently. “I don’t plan on hurting Heath or your dad either, if he’s loyal to Heath.”

“Oh, good. Thanks.” She giggled, nodding. A faint pink blush covered her face. “So…what are you?”

“A werecat,” I answered. She was going to find out soon enough. There was no way things were going to stay quiet once I was in the middle of a bunch of werewolves and in front of Heath. “Rarer, different. Solitary creature.”

“Heath started acting really weird when he found out some Jacky Leon was leaving messages for the wolves in the city. That’s you. So…”

“I need to keep my information to myself until I see him. What gave me away first? Was it the roughing up of the guy at the accounting firm?”

“Yeah. He’d left my dad a message, that my dad didn’t get until an hour ago. Said you scared the shit out of him. Why did you do it?” Now she was interested. Still wary, but curious.

“He dismissed me for a pack-bitch,” I answered. “A human who fucks werewolves for kicks. Even insinuated I…uh…” Well, damn. How do I tell a nineteen-year-old that he said