CHAPTER 8

Melisca coughed several times while tapping her chest. She choked on her drink from what she just heard.

Jethro, the guy who joined her table, frowned and handed her a tissue. "Hey, give us some water here, please." He called the waitress, who was taking an order from the other customers that just arrived.

"No, it's fine." She held up a hand and cleared her throat, finally getting her composure back. She placed the milkshake away from her. She had enough.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes." She accepted the tissue he offered and tapped it to her mouth. She didn't want anything on her face. "Anyway, what did you just say? Wolf?" Her heartbeat started to rush. Surely he couldn't know that she really was a part wolf. No one can sense that in her. Well, maybe aside from that chasing alpha, she almost rolled her eyes at the thought of him.

"I mean, you're the new beautiwolf girl in town." He said confidently.

That made her almost choke on her own saliva. It's a pickup line! Of course, what else could it be? As she knows, no other wolves can detect her. She burst out in laughter. She was all worried for nothing then.

"Oh, my shit." She mumbled under her breath. Then she remembered that he could hear it. "Sorry." She ceased laughing and grinned at him sheepishly.

"At least it did make you laugh." Jethro smiled back at her.

He has such an easy stance. Not much of a talker, she guesses, but he sure is a funny guy. Then she heard his friends clapping as their advice had worked. Clearly, they were listening to them.

"Told you he'll get her."

"I bet it won't take long for him to score one now."

"I bet for him to score twice."

That made her ears red. Really did irk her. So they were betting on her. They want to play, huh? Then it'll be her game.

"You are the real wolf, yourself." It's her turn now to show him a knowing smirk.

The sheepish smile on Jethro's lips suddenly vanished. She did throw him a real line. His eyes widened, and that made him lost for words. Even his friends from the far corner got quiet.

She raised an eyebrow at him. "I got it right, right?" Just staring at his face. "And your friends too. They are wolves." She really is putting on her game.

He leaned closer, propping up his elbows on the table. His eyes turned sharp, threatening. "Who are you? How did you know about us?" He almost whispered with intimidation in his voice. But that won't work for her.

She looked past him, over his shoulders. Where his friends were staring at them now, a warning look on their faces, waiting for her to make a wrong move and they would all likely jump on her. The threatening look they gave didn't even scare her a bit. They can all throw daggers at her as she cares.

The air around them is full of tension. Like how she wanted it to be for them. That they did bet on the wrong girl. That she may be outnumbered, but she has an upper hand in this.

"I figured it out the moment I entered that door." She even gave the door a look. Waiting for what Jethro was about to say, she smiled at him more and tilted her head to give the predators behind a wink.

"I'm saying that you all were like a werewolf, gorgeously hot, undeniable presence, and that solid build." She finally released her bomb. "Like Jacob from Twilight?" She said with a look of feigning adoration. Even her eyes twinkled.

Melisca doesn't have enough experience with men. Pause. Actually, she doesn't have any. She never had a boyfriend before, so apparently, her first kiss is still available to be taken. But that doesn't mean she's ignorant in that area.

The tension suddenly puffed out in the air. The other customers turned to look at the table at the far corner. Their loud laughter boomed in the entire diner.

Jethro in front of her had snickered also. She chuckled at her stunt. She had given them a heart attack there.

"You men are not the only ones who can play this game," Melisca stated.

"Man, I like her." Said one of his friends from the back.

"Interesting, huh." Replied the other one.

"She really did pull that one convincingly." The man tapped his other friend.

"Oh, I was not trying to be convincing, just merely stating the truth." She leaned back from her seat, then just realized what just slipped from her mouth.

Uh-oh. Nice game, Melisca. She chided.

That made everyone stop again.

"Did you hear what she said?" The stony look on his face made her gulp. But she stared back into his scrutinizing eyes. She won't back down in this.

"Heard what? You haven't said anything. I just thought that maybe you were thinking that I was only trying to be convincing. But it's not. What I said is true." All she had said was real anyway. "That you all look delicious." What did she just say? She wanted to smack herself right then. That sounded weird to her ears.

'Just hold your tongue, Melisca. Enough games.' Scolding herself again. But she admits that she enjoyed the conversation on edged seats.

"Did she just say we all look delicious?" Someone from the back repeated.

Right. As if she hadn't heard herself say those words. She really was stating the facts. As fun as it was, she had to stop her foolishness. Before she says anything much worse than 'delicious'.

"You're so interesting." Jethro said with a twinkle in his eyes.

"I'm not trying to be interesting. I'm just being me." She moved forward, closer to his face, and stared back at him. Completely seeing the fire in his eyes, his desire for her. The tension now is between the two. A different one from before. Still dangerous but tempting.

Yes, she didn't have any love interest before, but it doesn't mean that she hadn't been tempted. Even a woman had her own needs. So, there are times when she really wants to give in. To feel the pleasurable warmth in her body. To satisfy her desire as well. But she hasn't gone past it. However as time passes by, her feelings and needs grow.

She abruptly stood up, looking down at him. "I need to go." The fire in his eyes and the temptation snaking up to her body has to stop. No time for such things. Her needs can wait.

Then taking her eyes off him, she opened her backpack and put some bills on the table. The payment of her extravagant meal.

"Where are you heading to?" He also stood up. The disappointment on his face was visible enough.

How she wanted to erase that look. The situation even dismayed her. She can't indulge in such things for now.

"You don't have to know. Nice meeting you, Jethro." Then she turns her back on him.

He was about to reach for her arm to stop her but he heard his friend exclaimed.

"Walden!"

Everyone looked at the restroom from the back corner to the left side. Jethro's friends came in rushing to the alarming voice of their buddy.

Jethro contemplated to either stop her or attend to his friends.

Melisca gave him one last glance through her shoulders and she whispered, "Go." Knowing that he can completely hear it. Then she went to the door. Leaving the commotion behind.

"He's dead." That reached her ears when she was about to open the door. She halted on her way.

"How did this happen right under our nose?!" Vilkas, one of Jethro's friends, thundered.

"Call the general. He has to know about this." Jethro ordered him, as the leader of their mission.

"Casper, you and the others, ward off the humans. They shouldn't get involved in this."

The people who gathered outside the restroom haven't exactly heard what's going on inside. Of course, the restroom is too small, even for Jethro's comrades alone.

"Com'on people, nothing to worry about. It's just our friend slipped on the floor and he passed out." Casper, the one he ordered, told the customers.

Jethro knelt and examined his friend closer. His body sprawled on the dirty white tiled floor, face in shock. They haven't heard anything from him if he had struggled. He should have been able to defend himself with his strength as a werewolf though. No signs or marks of fighting with someone either. Seems like he had just been knocked out in a single snap.

He held his jaw to look for something, anything. Then he found a reddish spot just at the side of his neck, a hickey. So, he was with someone here. A female, the two maybe were making out. Then she struck when he put his guard down.

He shook his head. Continuing the investigation, he slowly turns him on his side a little.

His eyes widened when he saw the syringe, with a parcel of paper. He picked it up and brought it to his face.

-ONE DOWN. A HUNDRED NEXT-

"Shit! Vilkas, tell the others not to get too close to anyone. There's a hunter around with the syringe."