I drifted off for a while in a fitful sleep and woke up tired and cold. After getting dressed, I went to the inn. It was about thirty minutes until breakfast when I walked into the kitchen. A couple of helpers were bustling around; they momentarily paused as I entered, then quickly returned to work. I let them be and went to the front desk, where the old man sat drinking coffee.

“Good morning,” I said, trying to sound cheerful. He grunted. “Okay, then,” I said, and went to tidy the sitting room, fluffing pillows and fixing the fire. About five minutes before breakfast, I made myself a plate of food, figuring I should eat something before work. After a small plate, I sat at a table in the far corner of the dining room, sipping my coffee and picking at my food. It was a dreary day, matching my mood.

“Mind some company?” a deep, velvety voice asked from behind me. I jumped, startled.

“Oh, uh, sure…” I said, turning to see Kol.

“Good morning, little flower,” he said, smiling. He sat down with his breakfast. “Did you sleep last night, or was Cinderella working the night away?” he joked.

I chuckled softly. “I slept,” I said quietly.

“You aren’t very talkative,” he observed. I shrugged. He chuckled. “That’s alright. I’m just a customer, right?”

“I’m just feeling a little out of it today. I’m sorry. Enjoy your breakfast. I’ll be around if you need anything,” I said, standing. I felt bad for being unfriendly. The empty feeling lingered, and the cold returned after I finished my coffee.

Taking my plate to the kitchen, I got more coffee and returned to the front desk, sighing as I sat down. Today was going to be even longer.

By lunchtime, I was sluggish. I sat at the desk, checking the week’s schedule. People trickled in for lunch, despite the dreary weather. The inn ran smoothly with the extra help; we weren’t losing money. I considered hiring more part-time staff to lighten Amy’s and my workload.

A familiar voice interrupted my thoughts. “Why, aren’t you a sight for sore eyes? Hello there, Miss Lea,” John said, approaching the desk. I looked up and gave him a weak smile.

“Hi, John. How are you?”

“Much better now. Back from your trip?”

“Yep. I got back yesterday. Ready to be back at work.”

He looked at me strangely. “So, where’s your friend? Have a good time?”

I gave a shallow laugh. “He’s, uh, busy. My trip was fine. How have you been?”

“Well, that doesn’t sound like much fun.”

I smiled weakly. “Would you like to join me for lunch? I may not be great company, but a friendly face would help.”

His face brightened. “I’d be honored!” He took my hand and escorted me around the counter, offering his arm with showy chivalry. I laughed softly as he led me to the dining room.

“What’s made you so somber?” he asked as we sat. A waitress took our order—two specials—and he turned to me expectantly. “So?”

I sighed, looking out the window. “Things didn’t go as hoped.”

We were silent for a few minutes. I changed the subject. “It’s okay. I have the inn, and that’s all I need. So, what have you been up to? Busy?”

“Not really. I’ve been on a bit of a break, but I’ll be busy again soon,” he said.

“You’re in contracting, right?” I asked.

“Yep. Basically.” The waitress arrived with our food and drinks, giving me a speculative look before leaving. I didn’t recognize her, but guessed she was one of the pack. John ate heartily while I picked at my food; my appetite remained poor.

“What does that involve?” I asked.

“Usually, someone needs a job done, and they call me,” he said between bites. Our waitress returned.

“You’re Azalea, right?” she asked. I nodded. “Oh, thank goodness. There’s an urgent call for you up front.”

“Coming,” I said, standing. Muttering an apology to John, I hurried to the front desk, where the phone was blinking.

“Hello, this is Azalea,” I answered calmly. A growl came from the other end. “Um, h-hello?” Heavy breathing punctuated the growls. Realization hit me. “N-no…” I stuttered, as he growled again. I slammed the phone down and ran out the front door. My breath was shallow, my heart racing. I reached the porch and gripped the railing, trying to calm down.

“Are you alright?” a voice asked. I nearly jumped. Clutching my chest, I saw Kol in the doorway. I held up a finger, indicating I needed a moment. Before I could compose myself, I felt a hand on my lower back.

“No!” I screamed, jumping away.

“I’m sorry! I was just trying to help!” Kol exclaimed.

He stared at me for a few stressful minutes while I calmed down. “I’m sorry, you scared me,” I apologized.

“No, no. I shouldn’t have done that. I saw you run out, and you looked distressed,” he said soothingly.

“It was nothing; I’m okay,” I said.

“No offense, little flower, but I know what ‘okay’ looks like, and that wasn’t it,” he said sternly.

“I’m sorry, but I have things to attend to. Please let the front desk know if you need anything,” I said, walking past him back to the inn. The waitress from earlier stopped me.

“Oh! Wait! There was a message for you!” she said, handing me a note before hurrying off. I pocketed it and hurried out the back, needing a moment alone. I went to my apartment and read the note:

Caller: Liam Message for: Azalea Please respond to your phone. We need to speak.

I crumpled the note. How dare he? Demand I call him back after that? I went to my desk, where I’d left the phone he’d given me. Twenty missed calls and twenty messages glared back at me.

Before I could read them, there was a knock. This truly wasn't my day. I ignored it. The knocking persisted, followed by a voice: “Miss Lea, I know you’re there. Please open up.” It was John. I sighed.

I opened the door to find him with an expectant expression. “Sorry for leaving you,” I said quickly.

“What happened? The girl up front said you were acting strangely,” he asked.

“Nothing, just a bad day. Lots of stress from the trip,” I replied.

“Alright, well, I have to go. Let me know if you need anything?”

“Sure,” I nodded, attempting a smile. He left. My phone rang as I closed the door. It was Lily. Relief washed over me.

“Hi, Lily,” I answered.

“Azalea, what’s going on? Are you with someone?” she asked, worried.

“No, what do you mean? I’m working!”

“I know you probably don’t care much about him right now, but Liam is losing it. Damien’s kept him from storming over, but he’s freaking out about some ‘John’ guy.”

“How does he know I had lunch with John?”

“Who is John?”

“Just a customer, a regular! How does he know? It literally just happened!” I was getting angry.

“Azalea, there are still wolves at the Inn…” she said hesitantly.

“So, I’m being spied on in my own home? It wasn’t bad enough he had to… to… do that, but now he’s spying on me?! I didn’t think I needed to tell him this is over explicitly! I sent Damien away and told him to remove the wolves! I just want my simple life back!” My fury poured out.

“Azalea, please calm down. I really need to talk to you about something,” she said calmly.

“Well, what is it, Lily?”

“Why don’t I come over for dinner? This is a better conversation in person,” she suggested.

“Fine. Dinner’s at six; I’ll be at the front desk!” I snapped, and hung up.

I spent the rest of the afternoon cleaning my apartment and unpacking from the disastrous Lake House trip. I should have dealt with things at the inn, but I was too irritated. I planned to tell Lily she needed to take the pack members with her, and that Liam needed to come so I could officially reject him.