Tap, tap, tap.
Remi’s Dragon nudged his consciousness.
Tap, tap, tap, tap.
Remi’s Dragon snarled from the depths of his mind.Wake!his Dragon snarled.
Remi’s eyes popped open and blinked several times, his vision bleary as he tried to figure out where exactly he was. His memory came flooding back as he took in the sight of the store and the business up ahead.
Tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap.
Remi’s head swiveled quickly to the sound at his window. His Dragon rushed forward, his orange eyes peering at the male standing outside his car tapping on his window with a flashlight.
The male raised an eyebrow in question, the golden eyes of his own beast staring back at Remi.
Remi pressed the button on his door handle and the window dropped a few inches.
“You Remi?”
“Yeah. And you are?”
“Richie. I’m Riley’s second.”
“I’ve heard of you. Good to meet you.”
“I’m heading into work,” Richie said, pointing toward the store and the restaurant with the flashlight he had yet to turn on, “you’re welcome to come inside, or you can go back to sleep right here if you want to.”
Remi nodded. “Yeah, thanks. I’ll come in, if I won’t be in the way.”
“Nope. Just the usual morning activities. Why don’t you pull up over at the store? We’ll get the day started and get some coffee on.”
“Thanks, appreciate it.”
“See you over there,” Richie said, turning and walking off in the direction of the store without another word.
Remi sat his seat up and took a minute to rub his eyes before he started his car, double checked behind himself in the mirror to make sure no one was coming, looked over at the house to see if it looked like anyone was stirring yet, then put his car in gear and drove carefully up to the store. He parked in a space near the walkway connecting the two buildings, then got out slowly, taking a minute to stretch his legs, bend his back and roll his shoulders. He stretched his arms over his head and rolled his neck a time or two before he started around the building toward the front door of the store.
Richie opened the back door and called to him. “This way.”
Remi changed direction and was soon stepping into what he thought was the storage room of the store. Instead he found himself in a small seating area of four booths, and a set of bathrooms — according to the emblems on the doors. Taking advantage of the men’s room, he stopped in and used the facilities, then quickly and gratefully washed his hands and his face, using his fingers to run through his always neatly trimmed beard and mustache. Drying his hands, face, and patting his beard dry on the folded paper towels stacked neatly in a basket, he looked around the bathroom and noticed how clean and accommodating it was. There was anything you could have in your personal bathroom here and available for use to anyone who needed it. There were even tiny bottles of mouth wash. He picked one up and removed the plastic on it, then cracked open the top and poured it into his mouth, gratefully swishing it around before gargling with it, spitting it into the sink and throwing away the empty bottle. He rinsed the sink, used another paper towel to dry the water he’d splashed on the side of the sink, then walked out of the bathroom on his way to find Richie.
As Remi reached the front of the store, an older lady and an older gentleman were busy readying the store to open. “Good morning,” he said.
“Good morning!” the woman answered warmly.
“How are you this fine day?” the older gentleman asked, smiling brightly at him.
“I’m doing okay.”
“Mom, Moe, this is Remi. He’s from Kaid’s shifter clan in Louisiana. You remember Daniel and Avaleigh?”
“Yes, I do,” Constance said.
“Sure do. Good people,” Moe said.
“Remi is their son. He’s going to be spending some time with us,” Richie said.
“Remi, this is my mother, Mrs. Constance, and my stepfather, Moe.”
