prowling around the house. Though it was unlikely any predatory animals knew I was in town, I wanted to keep it that way. I didn’t have a scent but if a supe was close by, they might hear the absence of a heartbeat… if they were listening. I was dead after all. In this existence, I was always alone, living a solitary life and it suited me. I’d become accustomed to it many centuries ago.
As I drove, I stayed alert. I always was. It’s how I knew other supes were in the area, running in the forest around my new home. It would take time to pick up and move again so soon and I didn’t want to have to do that unless I had to. The other supernatural beings in the woods wouldn’t know I was there unless I gave myself away. It was the last thing I intended on doing. I was only glad that I’d realized they were there before they picked up on my presence. For the most part, I went through life ignoring their presence. Though most supes lived as pets, they were not the problem.
Packs were.
I hoped against hope that I hadn’t moved into pack territory because if I had, things could get messy before I extricated myself. I sighed out loud, realizing I was being judgmental again. In my experience, packs were not all bad. There were some decent ones. I suspected that the woods around town were being used as a place to run. It just wasn’t clear to me whether a pack who lived in town or somewhere close by was using the Prosper Woods. That was another thing I planned on learning tonight. It was better to know what I was dealing with so that I could get on with life in town. Odds were, they wouldn’t detect me unless I made myself known to them.
I pulled up and parked behind the moving van at the curb in front of the store. Two burly guys were carrying boxes into the store while another stood on the sidewalk holding a clipboard. He looked up as I walked over.
“Mr. Burrows,” I said, recognizing the same man I’d met at my former store in Charleston.
“Mr. Lasco,” he replied, smiling at me.
I held out my hand and walked toward him. He was human but the moment I got close enough, I could smell salami, garlic, and pickles. I swallowed down bile as he smiled and took my hand. I dropped it immediately after the handshake and stepped back, glancing over at the door where two more men emerged. They were dripping sweat and the same scents poured off their skin. It was times like these that I lamented my sharp sense of smell. These guys had most likely stopped at a sandwich shop somewhere on the road. Burrows turned and instructed them to grab a bedroom set near the back of the large moving van next. They nodded, jumping back into the truck, before Burrows turned back to me.
“I trust you had an uneventful trip from South Carolina?”
“Nothing to worry you about, Mr. Lasco.” He pointed inside the store. “You want to come inside and see how it’s coming along?”
“Sure.” I followed him into the store, keeping several paces behind his large frame as he pointed out how they’d placed several large pieces of furniture exactly where I’d drawn them in on the floorplan I’d given him at the starting point of his journey. As we walked around of the store, I realized that with rare exception, everything was where it should be. I was perfectly capable of moving objects around but it was nicer when I didn’t have to. I pointed out the few changes and he made notes. I’d unpack smaller items and shelve rare books, but it was nice to have the larger items in place before all that began. Besides, I wasn’t planning on having any help until the morning when my employees arrived.
“Thank you, Mr. Burrows. This looks great,” I said after touring the store and checking out the office, satisfied with the way my desk fit inside. I reached into my pocket and pulled out an envelope, handing it to him. “Here’s the rest of your fee. If you’ll just leave the key in the mailbox out front when you’re done here, I’d appreciate it.” I’d already told my new employees, Scott and Bryce, to be at the store bright and early to begin work. I would take