The Saving Mate

Ch. 3: New Life

Entering the pack was not the same as being accepted by the pack.

The looks of contempt that followed me and Faustina as we walked through the town said it all.

We were not one of them, we were outsiders who lived in their territory.

Nothing else.

I wasn't expecting a welcome party but I was hoping they would at least treat us like one of their own. Apparently I was expecting too much. Maybe it was our destiny to wander for the rest of our lives without belonging anywhere.

One way or another we had to survive and that's why I had to find a job. It was clear that we couldn't count on the support of the Wild Fangs members at all, we depended on ourselves and the money we could make on our own. And as the oldest sibling, it was my responsibility to take care of Faustina.

In my twenty-one years of life, I had acquired some useful work skills and even had experience as a cashier and waitress. Having a profession would have been ideal but the misfortune that hit our former pack prevented me from finishing my studies. A shame considering that teachers are always needed.

"Let's go into this store," I told Faustina.

She nodded. Her head barely moved and her eyes seemed to close of their own accord.

"I'm sorry, I promise we'll go home after this."

"It's okay," Faustina whispered, her voice empty of energy.

The clothing store was our tenth stop that morning. We went to several places asking for a job and all we received were negative responses.

"We are not hiring at the moment," they said. Even the owners of the shops that had signs that they were looking for employees said the same thing.

The aroma of roses welcomed us after we walked through the door. The ringing of the bell made the employee turn towards us and give us a business smile. She put aside the jackets she was hanging and approached the counter.

"Hi! My name is Sasha. What can I do for you?" She had a sweet voice that matched her appearance.

"Hi, we're new to the pack and I'm looking for a job, are you hiring right now by any chance? I have experience as a cashier," I replied.

She tucked a lock of her blonde hair behind her ear. "I wouldn't know what to tell you, the owner is not here right now. If you have a resume I can give it to her, or maybe you can give me your phone number to let you know if she needs someone new."

"Thank you," I told her. "I don't have a phone, though, when could I find the owner?"

"Julia should be here tomorrow after three in the afternoon." Sasha sounded authentic, at least one person treated us with respect.

"Don't even waste your energy on them." A tall man with short, red hair leaned his body on the open window and fixed his light blue eyes on me.

Sasha let out a breath. "What are you doing here, Kilma?" she said, approaching him. Then she pushed his muscular arm. "Get out of my window, I have work to do."

Faustina and I watched the scene in silence, without understanding what was happening.

"The pack trash is more important than me?" Kilma walked away from the window and seconds later he entered the store. "Look at them, they're not even werewolves, they look like humans and smell like them. Even the little girl has a stronger scent than her sister."

"Can you stop acting like an animal for once?" Sasha shouted, she straightened her body to face the man but there was still a significant height difference between them.