Caught Between a Mate and Love

Chapter 2: Sneaking Around Ain't So Easy

Her eyes widened and she nodded. "They already hit the Russo's and Kovaski's. They're out for blood, Ritz!"

"But why?" I asked in a hushed tone; a family entered, halting my important discussion. I put on a smile and guided them to a booth in the back, handing them the menus I was holding and promising to return soon, but in reality only as soon as Deb told me everything.

"Back so soon?" She laughed and put down her 'cino. We went around the counter to pretend to do things like make coffee, just to talk.

"Well spill," I urged her from the donut case. She loved to play the waiting game with information, to make it seem more important than it probably is. Debbie took her time refilling her apron with straws and napkins, watching me squirm the whole way through. "Deborah!"

"Fine!" She smiled and leaned back on the counter. "I guess their leader, Tim? Tom? Something T. Anyways, he wants to control East American drug cartels. See the Mexicans have the West side all figured out, but we are scattered and all over the place with ours. Plus, I mean, the man loves to see blood spill."

I nodded and grabbed the filled coffeepot. "So he's just after drugs? My mom made it seem so much more urgent, like a total war."

"It may have to come to that," Debbie said in a serious face and tone. "We will put up a fight for this land, Ritz, and if that means war then so be it."

I felt a chill run up my spine as I refilled coffees on my way to the family's table. They were lucky. A perfectly normal, human set of people who had nothing but bills to worry about. They were probably on a trip upstate to see the leaves fall or something like that and decided to accidentally hit up this werewolf joint and pass through the little werewolf neighborhood. Humans.

"Have we decided yet?" I asked, pouring some coffee into the dad's out stretched cup. As they ordered all I could think was, how do I hide Zack in a war?

After a few hours of work I decided I had to see Zack. We had to see each other as much as possible before something bad tore us apart and I couldn't explain weird occurrences any more, or my death.

"Rita," Debbie held onto my arm with her hand before I left. "Don't, ah, don't go see him, ok?"

"Debs," I started nonchalantly, but she gave me that same serious look she had about the McClellan Alpha.

"No, Rita, I mean it," She tried to look into my eyes. "He's not worth the price. Besides, he could die and that blood would be on your hands. Don't make this harder than it really is."

I could only nod and walk further into the city. Even Debbie was concerned with this stupid war. I thought I could ask her to cover for me, but things just got harder for me and Zack, and he didn't even know the beginning of it.

I found the comic store he worked at. A small place, that hole in the wall, was Comix. It was even spelled stupid. But there he was, with his dark pouf of hair, too big eye brows, and peppery scent that could be smelled from down the corner. I could smell Zack from a few stores down, unlike other humans. I mean I smelled the others on my way there, but no one smelled as strong as Zack and his roommates.

"Hey," He greeted me with a smile as soon as I stepped inside. I sighed and walked up to the counter he behind, before a customer could attract his attention. He leaned on the counter in front of me and smiled. He was too adorable not to kiss, really. But after hearing a small grunt behind me I had to pull away from his plushy mouth and move aside to let a kid buy some books.

"Have a super day," Zack called out lazily as the kid hurriedly left the store leaving us alone. He leaned back on the counter and smiled again, probably hoping for more. "So what brings you here, beautiful?"

"I just," I closed my eyes, then opened them to look into his. "It just sucks to have to hide around now. It's harder than I thought."

"What, your dad have super spies following you or something?" I didn't even think about that and turned around haphazardly. This made him chuckle. "I was joking, Rita. Man your dad got you wound up tight this time."

"Well this time is worst than the rest," I shrugged and looked back at him. My ears were perked just in case someone was following me, considering my family probably would send Joey after me. "I feel like we have so little time now, like I have to be urgent, you know?"

"No, I don't." He stood up. "Is there something you're not telling me?"

"No," I chuckled lightly. "It's just hard for me."

"To sneak around? We snuck around, going to parties all senior year in high school!" He laughed and put his hands on the glass on either side of me. "Trust me. We. Will. Be. Fine."

I sighed and nodded. There was no way he could understand without knowing the whole truth so I just gave up. "Ok, well I'll try to see you later. I told Debbie I'd be back soon."

I walked out and heard him yell, "Love you!" I laughed and waved, but on the inside my stomach was churning. Maybe I was doing something really wrong for once. I kept walking in the cold, brushing my hands together because of the harsh winds, even in the city with all the buildings. I couldn't run aruond and come in sweaty like the night before, so before I reentered the place I put on a load of perfume, hoping to mask Zack's distinctive scent. It didn't matter with Debbie.

"I hope you went to break up," She said, not looking at me over the counter. I didn't respond. Sneaking around really isn't so easy.