Status: Updated every Friday.
Rejecting Him
Chapter Six
CHAPTER SEVEN
I was floored. "Dad's stepping down? He never said a thing about it to me! Not a damn thing!"
"Callie, people are staring!" Alanna hissed in my ear through clenched teeth. I took a steadying breath, fighting to keep my tone level.
"I'm sorry. But no. I didn't know." Why can't Dad just fucking tell me stuff, like a normal Dad? I told him about the rogue!
"I thought you did," Alanna ventured with a grimace.
"He only, like, considered stepping down," I replied, rubbing my temples. "About a year ago. Mentioned it once, Mom talked him out of it, he never discussed it again. I never actually thought he'd step down for real."
"Well, maybe a new Alpha won't be so bad," she said, her usual perky self snapping back into place.
I sighed. "Maybe you're right. Maybe Dad just needs a break from pack business."
I stared out the window to cover up my annoyance. I needed a break from pack business.
As soon as we stepped off the train, we spotted Logan, which made Alanna clutch my arm in excitement.
"Is that him?" she murmured conspiratorially in my ear. I peeled her off me, hoping she didn't notice the blush blooming in my cheeks.
"Yes, that's the one. I-I mean, the guy. Er, his name's Logan."
Logan looked up at the sound of his name. Alanna giggled behind her hand. I nudged her in the arm.
"Ssh! Be cool! Here he comes!" I hissed.
Logan pulled me into a short, friendly hug. "Glad to see you could make it, Callie," he said, the usual easy smile gracing his face.
"Yeah, any time," I said, suppressing a schoolgirl giggle. It's been awhile since a guy ever made me want to giggle in such a way.
Alanna cleared her throat. "Aren't you going to introduce us?" she asked, maintaining her perfect Stepford smile.
"Yeah. If you'd give me a sec," I said. Logan stared at his shoes, but I still heard his soft chuckle. "Logan, this is my friend, Alanna Beaumont. Alanna, this is Logan."
She held out her hand and they shook. "Pleased to meetcha."
"Likewise," Logan said.
"So, what all do you guys have planned?" she asked, wide eyes taking in everything.
"Oh, just a little get-together," I said at the same time Logan said, "A date."
I froze, trying to look natural. Logan and I exchanged glances. From my periphery I saw the look that Alanna always gave me when I met a guy...or was trying to hide something. The look, in this case, was clear as day--Human or werewolf?--but it was obvious she already knew. Human scents were easy to pick up in their plainness; they were plain like rice cakes or saltine crackers. It was the paranormal smells that ever had any "spice" to them.
"Yeah," I agreed in a way-too-natural voice. "A date."
"I see. Well, you two kids have fun then," Alanna said pleasantly. In my ear, she whispered, "I wanna know all about it when it's over."
I whispered back, "I'll tell you what I feel like telling you, now scoot!"
A put-out look briefly flickered across Alanna's face before she took her leave. I gazed at Logan apologetically.
"Sorry 'bout that. I really didn't expect to run into her--"
"No worries. I know what it's like," Logan assured me.
"Yeah?"
"Mm-hmm. My aunts are like that. Can't tell 'em a damn thing without the rest of the family finding out, too."
I gave a dry laugh. "Huh. Thought I was the only one."
We crossed the street and immediately I was hit by a wall of smells: Downtown, plus all the smells of the food stalls. Brats, Mediterranean, Asian fusion, and my beloved Elephant ears. That was only the tip of the iceberg, considering the host of different food stalls that were set up.
I bit into the elephant ear Logan bought for me with a satisfied moan. Logan laughed.
"Good?" he said. I nodded, mouth too full to speak. Otherwise I would have told him that if I could eat my weight in any food, it would be the elephant ear. He winked. "Thought so."
After spending the afternoon walking around, seeing everything the Saturday Market had to offer, Logan and I finally lay ourselves out on the grass. He spread his grey checkered shirt out for me to lay on; all the better to protect my shirt from dirt and grass stains, he'd said.
"You really are a gentleman," I joked.
"Southern hospitality," he said with a wink. "Use it or lose it."
I sat up on my elbows. "Southern?"
Logan nodded. "I came here with my parents after we lost our home to Katrina. My uncle's family took us in, and we liked it so much that we stayed."
"Must not have taken too long to lose your accent."
"Eh, kinda I guess. It still comes back every once in a while. Get a few drinks in me, you'll see."
"Think you'll ever go back?"
Logan tilted his head, considering the question. "Maybe, maybe not. I mean, I've visited my grandparents and it seems like shit finally got sorted out. At least they're not in that nasty formaldehyde house anymore. But I love Portland. It's beautiful here." His eyes met mine on beautiful and I felt my heart flutter in my chest.
"Hold on, formaldehyde?" I said when it finally occurred to me. Logan nodded.
"Yeah. There were these houses built for victims of the hurricane, but they were really cheap and leaked formaldehyde, or some shit like that. Honestly, the way things were handled, I'd rather just stay put. But I hate talking about Katrina, to be frank."
His eyes clouded over, his lips set in a grim line, Logan jerked a hand through his hair. His previously cheerful demeanor had vanished.
"Sorry," I murmured.
"It's okay, you didn't know." Logan's spirits seemed to lift a little, and as I opened my mouth to say something--anything--to brighten the mood again, I felt a familiar buzz in my pocket.
"Oh, what now," I muttered under my breath with a groan. My cell was vibrating too much for it to just be a text. Couldn't Alanna wait for a fucking minute?
I glanced at the screen. Dad was calling--finally--but when I saw his face I remembered in a split second what he had neglected to tell me. Annoyance bubbling just below the surface, I pressed Ignore and shoved the phone back into my pocket.
"Who was that?" Logan asked curiously.
"Just my dad, no big deal."
"Didja need to get that? Cuz if it's important, I wouldn't care."
"No, no, don't worry about it."
Logan shrugged. "Okay, if you say so..."
My phone gave a final vibrate, but I chose to ignore it. Text message or voicemail, I could get it later.
I was floored. "Dad's stepping down? He never said a thing about it to me! Not a damn thing!"
"Callie, people are staring!" Alanna hissed in my ear through clenched teeth. I took a steadying breath, fighting to keep my tone level.
"I'm sorry. But no. I didn't know." Why can't Dad just fucking tell me stuff, like a normal Dad? I told him about the rogue!
"I thought you did," Alanna ventured with a grimace.
"He only, like, considered stepping down," I replied, rubbing my temples. "About a year ago. Mentioned it once, Mom talked him out of it, he never discussed it again. I never actually thought he'd step down for real."
"Well, maybe a new Alpha won't be so bad," she said, her usual perky self snapping back into place.
I sighed. "Maybe you're right. Maybe Dad just needs a break from pack business."
I stared out the window to cover up my annoyance. I needed a break from pack business.
As soon as we stepped off the train, we spotted Logan, which made Alanna clutch my arm in excitement.
"Is that him?" she murmured conspiratorially in my ear. I peeled her off me, hoping she didn't notice the blush blooming in my cheeks.
"Yes, that's the one. I-I mean, the guy. Er, his name's Logan."
Logan looked up at the sound of his name. Alanna giggled behind her hand. I nudged her in the arm.
"Ssh! Be cool! Here he comes!" I hissed.
Logan pulled me into a short, friendly hug. "Glad to see you could make it, Callie," he said, the usual easy smile gracing his face.
"Yeah, any time," I said, suppressing a schoolgirl giggle. It's been awhile since a guy ever made me want to giggle in such a way.
Alanna cleared her throat. "Aren't you going to introduce us?" she asked, maintaining her perfect Stepford smile.
"Yeah. If you'd give me a sec," I said. Logan stared at his shoes, but I still heard his soft chuckle. "Logan, this is my friend, Alanna Beaumont. Alanna, this is Logan."
She held out her hand and they shook. "Pleased to meetcha."
"Likewise," Logan said.
"So, what all do you guys have planned?" she asked, wide eyes taking in everything.
"Oh, just a little get-together," I said at the same time Logan said, "A date."
I froze, trying to look natural. Logan and I exchanged glances. From my periphery I saw the look that Alanna always gave me when I met a guy...or was trying to hide something. The look, in this case, was clear as day--Human or werewolf?--but it was obvious she already knew. Human scents were easy to pick up in their plainness; they were plain like rice cakes or saltine crackers. It was the paranormal smells that ever had any "spice" to them.
"Yeah," I agreed in a way-too-natural voice. "A date."
"I see. Well, you two kids have fun then," Alanna said pleasantly. In my ear, she whispered, "I wanna know all about it when it's over."
I whispered back, "I'll tell you what I feel like telling you, now scoot!"
A put-out look briefly flickered across Alanna's face before she took her leave. I gazed at Logan apologetically.
"Sorry 'bout that. I really didn't expect to run into her--"
"No worries. I know what it's like," Logan assured me.
"Yeah?"
"Mm-hmm. My aunts are like that. Can't tell 'em a damn thing without the rest of the family finding out, too."
I gave a dry laugh. "Huh. Thought I was the only one."
We crossed the street and immediately I was hit by a wall of smells: Downtown, plus all the smells of the food stalls. Brats, Mediterranean, Asian fusion, and my beloved Elephant ears. That was only the tip of the iceberg, considering the host of different food stalls that were set up.
I bit into the elephant ear Logan bought for me with a satisfied moan. Logan laughed.
"Good?" he said. I nodded, mouth too full to speak. Otherwise I would have told him that if I could eat my weight in any food, it would be the elephant ear. He winked. "Thought so."
After spending the afternoon walking around, seeing everything the Saturday Market had to offer, Logan and I finally lay ourselves out on the grass. He spread his grey checkered shirt out for me to lay on; all the better to protect my shirt from dirt and grass stains, he'd said.
"You really are a gentleman," I joked.
"Southern hospitality," he said with a wink. "Use it or lose it."
I sat up on my elbows. "Southern?"
Logan nodded. "I came here with my parents after we lost our home to Katrina. My uncle's family took us in, and we liked it so much that we stayed."
"Must not have taken too long to lose your accent."
"Eh, kinda I guess. It still comes back every once in a while. Get a few drinks in me, you'll see."
"Think you'll ever go back?"
Logan tilted his head, considering the question. "Maybe, maybe not. I mean, I've visited my grandparents and it seems like shit finally got sorted out. At least they're not in that nasty formaldehyde house anymore. But I love Portland. It's beautiful here." His eyes met mine on beautiful and I felt my heart flutter in my chest.
"Hold on, formaldehyde?" I said when it finally occurred to me. Logan nodded.
"Yeah. There were these houses built for victims of the hurricane, but they were really cheap and leaked formaldehyde, or some shit like that. Honestly, the way things were handled, I'd rather just stay put. But I hate talking about Katrina, to be frank."
His eyes clouded over, his lips set in a grim line, Logan jerked a hand through his hair. His previously cheerful demeanor had vanished.
"Sorry," I murmured.
"It's okay, you didn't know." Logan's spirits seemed to lift a little, and as I opened my mouth to say something--anything--to brighten the mood again, I felt a familiar buzz in my pocket.
"Oh, what now," I muttered under my breath with a groan. My cell was vibrating too much for it to just be a text. Couldn't Alanna wait for a fucking minute?
I glanced at the screen. Dad was calling--finally--but when I saw his face I remembered in a split second what he had neglected to tell me. Annoyance bubbling just below the surface, I pressed Ignore and shoved the phone back into my pocket.
"Who was that?" Logan asked curiously.
"Just my dad, no big deal."
"Didja need to get that? Cuz if it's important, I wouldn't care."
"No, no, don't worry about it."
Logan shrugged. "Okay, if you say so..."
My phone gave a final vibrate, but I chose to ignore it. Text message or voicemail, I could get it later.