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“You’re welcome to join us on the full moon and see the park if you like,” Graham continued finally.
“Would I have to join your pack?” Delilah asked.
Jude looked to Graham, who fought with himself for a second. Delilah was clearly searching for a no, but as protective as Graham was, Jude wasn’t sure he’d give her that.
“No…” Graham said, surprising Jude. Delilah nodded, forcing a smile. “If you just want to come with us to the park and check it out, that’s fine.”
Jude could see Delilah’s mind ticking away. She looked to be considering the offer.
“But if you want to join us and run under the full moon,” Graham continued, “it might be in your best interest. I don’t know if you know this, but it can be kind of dangerous for a shifter here.”
“Or anywhere really,” Jude added. This felt obvious to Jude, but some went their whole lives not knowing the risks. Also, in rare cases, newly turned shifters had no idea of the world and had been brought into it involuntarily.
“Well, yeah,” Delilah smiled ruefully. “That’s kind of day one stuff.”
Jude and Graham nodded. Miranda walked over to the table. The diner clock ticked seconds at a time, still resonating in the room even against the sounds of pouring rain.
“Bad news,” Miranda said. “Greg said we need to stay open. Rain’s expected to let up soon.”
“That’s fine,” Graham replied. “I think we were about done here anyway.”
Jude panicked. They still hadn’t gotten a solid answer out of Delilah, and Graham was just going to let the conversation die?
“Okay,” Delilah said, “I’ll meet you and see the park.” Jude felt a weight lift from his shoulders. “On one condition.”
Graham and Jude looked at Delilah expectantly. Miranda pretended to not be invested in the conversation, as she began walking back to the front counter. Just then, an elderly gentleman carrying a black umbrella and sporting a gray hat walked into the cafe.
“I want to know what her deal is,” Delilah said loudly enough for Miranda to hear.
Miranda stopped cold in her tracks. She was halfway between the table and the customer. Maybe Delilah would be forgiving and understand that the job came first.
Improvising quickly, Miranda moved close to the table and put a washrag down on an adjacent table to wipe it down. Jude noticed that the washrag she used wasn’t clean, and that she’d probably need to legitimately clean it later.
“We’ll be right with you, sir!” Miranda called out.
As she wiped, Miranda mumbled, “Take her to the back. I give you permission to tell her.”
She put the rag down, moved behind the counter to wash her hands and then greeted the customer at the door, guiding him to his seat. Jude and Graham looked knowingly at Delilah.
Graham stood up and began heading to the back followed by Jude. He wasn’t sure if Delilah was going to follow them but was glad when she did.
Jude realized, as he penetrated the barrier to the break room, that neither of them were technically supposed to be there. A small round table rested in the middle of the room, and the black and white diner tiles had shifted to wooden paneling, which looked much less well-maintained. Several cabinets covered the wall, leading to a black, old-looking fridge.
He also realized that Delilah was surprisingly okay with this change in circumstances. Despite moments ago not wanting to be out of Miranda’s eyesight, she now privately shared a room with the two of them. It was a sign of trust, no matter how small, and that was a step forward.
“This might not be too easy to hear, and I’d like you to be calm if possible,” Graham said as they sat down around the table. “But Miranda’s a shifter, too.”
Jude could see the feeling of betrayal in Delilah’s eyes.
“How?” Delilah asked, not hiding the outrage in her voice. “I smelled her! There’s no way she’s a shifter!”
Jude hushed Delilah, gesturing beyond the diner door. It was easy to lose yourself in the moment, but they didn’t need civilians overhearing them.
“She’s got a way of hiding her scent… I’m sure she’ll tell you later,” Graham said.
Delilah looked furious. “I trusted her!” she screamed in a hushed whisper.
“Look at it from her perspective,” Jude said, trying to help however he could. “She knows you’re a shifter, and she cares about you. She could tell you were scared out of your mind, freaked out beyond understanding when you showed up at the diner. Would it be kind of her to jeopardize your safety for the sake of honesty?”
