Alpha...

scary spice

"Are you okay dear?" She said uneasily, leaning over the counter so to shield our conversation from Conan. I smiled faintly.

"I'm fine" I tried to assure her, as passed her the money for my half eaten Panini and Conan's lunch.

"There are people who can help" She nodded eagerly, her eyes flitting to Conan who was too busy on the phone with Theo to notice.

"Thank you, for your concern but he's... okay" I promised. She placed a hand on my arm.

" If you ever need me" She smiled and gently placed the change in my hands with a little folded piece of paper.

I took a deep breath and looked back at my Panini that I had spent the last hour picking and pulling at. I needed her one year ago when I had nothing left and a six year old girl to take care of. It was too late now.

I smiled politely and shoved the note in my pocket and put the remainder of change in a dog shaped charity box.

"Jenna" I turned abruptly to see Conan halfway out the shop, his body holding the door open for me. I waved goodbye to the shop keeper and walked briskly to the door eager to get away.

He held his hand out at me a gesture that meant 'hand it over'. I looked at him confused, my brows creasing before it dawned on me.

"I'm sorry, I put the change in the charity box" I bit my lip. Damn it Jenna.

"What? No. You think I care about a couple of pounds?" He questioned, genuinely baffled.

"Oh, what then?" I asked rubbing my arms absentmindedly

"The note, I know she gave you a note and I want it" He demanded. I laughed humourlessly.

"Why? I don't think she liked you"

"Ha. ha." He said flatly. "Just give me the note"

"Why. Why would you want it? So I have nowhere else to go." I asked accusingly, my hand sliding down to fist tightly around the little piece of paper, sure this woman couldn’t help me but why take away her small gesture of kindness?

"We don't involve humans in our business Jenna. It's messy and foolish. She can't understand your situation, for all she knows you're a defenceless teenage girl who suffers in the hands of domestic violence and that's all she'll ever know. Now give me the note." He said forcefully as if he could drum the words into my skull.

"Point taken, she can't know, I'll throw it away when I get back" I said simply. I wasn't going to risk her safety in exchange for my own, not that I had ever intended phoning her, she could never protect me from Conan.  Humans weren’t built to fight in our world

"Don't make me force you Jenna, I don't want to but I will." He advised, his voice laced with threat. I stood stubbornly fisting my hand tighter. There was a small part of me that wanted that note, even if it was just somebody to talk to.

"I won't involve her, okay? I'm a big girl, I can make my own decisions" I rolled my eyes.

"Give it to me, now" He commanded. I gasped as my brain switched off and my body responded. I growled in frustration when I dropped the note in his hand and watched him tear it into pieces.

"You asshole" I snarled vehemently.

"Maybe when you prove to me I can trust you I won't have to take precaution like this" He shot back. The little pieces of paper fluttered in the November wind and scattered across the pavement.

A car horn sounded close by and I jumped in fright, almost landing on his foot.

"Theo's here, you better get in his car, your shaking again" I looked over at Theo's bulky black truck and down at my shaking body. I hadn't even realised how cold I'd been. I nodded faintly.