Page 8 of An Anomaly of Sunlight

“Will I see you in the morning?” With a playful smirk I answer, “Eight a.m. sharp. Don’t be late.” I wink at her as I begrudgingly turn to Draeven. “Oh, and wear a black polo if you have it!” I call over my shoulder.

How the tides turned for me. What I thought was a completely shit day turned out to be one of the best days of my life. I’ll have to thank Olyver and his runny nose next time I see him.

Five

Skyler

The rest of the evening goes by in a blur. Naturally, Sage stuck around during my interaction with Amethyst, then proceeded to hammer me with questions about her after she left. During the conversation, Wren looked like she could snap our necks. I don’t know what her fucking problem is, but I made a mental note not to schedule her and Amethyst together.

Draeven brought in a huge shipment of synthetic blood, including some new flavors like strawberry cream and dreamy orange. I envy vampires in that way. Living life with a smoothie for every meal. Once word of the new flavors got out, close to every vampire in town came in to buy a bottle. Not that I’m complaining; I could use the sales boost. At some point during the rush, Sage left. No doubt dealing with something foolish.

As I made my way through the store cleaning and straightening the shelves, I found it increasingly harder to ignore the wolfish part of me. I knew my eyes glowed most of the night, and I could feel my bones trying to shift.

I just had a little longer to fight it. There’s no way I’d be getting any sleep tonight before shifting and taking a run. Perhaps Amethyst was my mate. I have certainly never reacted in such a way to anyone. There will surely be several long nights ahead of me until I figure it out.

Wren didn’t call me to the front for the rest of the night. I think she knew to leave me be after the long day I’d had. My gratitude toward her evaporated when she leaned too close for comfort, brushing her hand across mine while counting the register down.

I gave her an extra task to do while I finished up the nightly paperwork.

My mind is everywhere except where it needs to be.

I haven’t been interested in romance for a very long time. Too many strings and too much heartache. Too much time spent remembering the look on my ex’s face when I came home just a little too early. When I saw another man fucking her in the dress I’d bought for her. Told her to put on and be ready for a date.

A date where I’d planned to propose.

That was ten years ago and still the betrayal cut deep. Carrying that pain coupled with threats from my father had kept me well away from relationships. If I’m honest with myself, those were just excuses. I hadn’t even had a single hook-up in the last ten years. No one has so much as caught my eye. Perhaps I knew deep down I was waiting for her.

Amethyst.

Fuck, what was I thinking? I have a hard rule not to involve myself with employees. We’re here for a paycheck, no need to get too personal. That’s what therapists are for. Yet I just broke my self-proclaimed rule by hiring her. I’ll never be able to stay away.

I’m already fighting the urge to follow that delectable scent and fall at her feet. Beg her for anything she’ll give me.

“Skyler, what the hell are you doing up there?” Wren snaps, dragging me back to reality. “It’s fifteen till eleven,” she drags out the last syllable like an angry teen. Still, my eyes go wide at her words. “Shit!” I’m always out by fifteen after.

I’m in serious fucking trouble. Amethyst is a honey-eyed, vanilla distraction. A welcomed one, but a distraction, nonetheless.

I prop the door open to the office, “You can head home. Sorry, Wren.” She raises an eyebrow, clearly intrigued to catch me slipping at work. “Whatever,” she clicks her tongue, “see you tomorrow.” She flips her now unbraided mahogany hair over her shoulder as she steps out the door. Locking it behind her, I watch as she sprouts leathery wings and takes to the night sky.

Fucking demons.

I put up a mental shield to block out all thoughts that don’t pertain to closing this fucking store down. Around eleven, I print the last report. That’s extremely embarrassing. Thankfully, I open in the morning as well. No one will see that time stamp.

With a few quick taps, the alarm is set, and I’m out the door.

I light up a cigarette. My nerves could use one before I head home. While I’m sitting on the pallet of pet food, I click my key fob twice, starting up the Challenger. The black paint is barely visible until the white halos illuminate the parking lot, bringing a grin to my face.

I worked a lot of hours to afford this car — probably too many. But it dulled my heartache at the time and became something special to me.

While debating which playlist to put on for the drive home, I regret not asking for Amethyst’s number. Getting it off her application was too much of an overstep. Not that I’d know what to do with it. I’m going to have to really tone down the obsession at work tomorrow. I don’t want to push her away by being overwhelming, but I desperately want to get to know her.

It’s why I didn’t hesitate to hire her. What better way to learn someone than by spending eight to twelve hours a day with them?

Around halfway home, I notice I’m going a hell of a lot over the speed limit. Sage would have my ass if I got a speeding ticket. I set the cruise for the rest of the way. Normally I wouldn’t at night in case of deer crossing the road, but in this case, it’s for the best.

As soon as my tires hit the gravel of my driveway, I can feel my wolf stir beneath my skin. Damn near drifting into my parking spot, I let the feral side take over. Bones reshape and muscles expand, allowing my body to morph.

When two legs become four, I bow down in a stretch. It’s been too long since I last shifted. Shaking out my fur, I release a howl into the crisp night air. A crescent moon reflects off the lake giving me a sliver of light for my run.