Beauty Is Scarred Deep
By
SupeSympathizer
Chapter Seven: Indifferent Dispositions
Alcide left, claiming some emergency.
Abby left, to meet up with her mother to discuss some family matters.
And Ludwig had long disappeared after exchanging information with Megan.
Jannalyn's treatment didn't need to be written down on the pad of paper Megan erroneously brought from Alcide's desk downstairs. It was all downloaded straight to her brain… with a single, mind numbing, electrocuting touch.
When Ludwig was done, Megan now knew more about two-natured anatomy and physiology than her mother and pack aunts ever dared to teach her. The information was vast; centuries of textbook styled medical data, treatments, and remedies.
For over two hours now, Megan kept her mouth shut as she followed Ludwig's 'regiment' with accurate precision. Megan knew everything she needed to know about the strange bottles, the proper dosages, and when to administer them.
Jannalyn required showers twice a day and on the way to the first, she almost face planted in the hall, two steps from the door. So Megan showered with Jannalyn, just in case she experienced another dizzy spell. After drying off, Megan removed the stitches from Jannalyn's elbow, applied ointments to the peeling skin, and dressed her patient in one of Abby's nightgowns designated for the Goodwill. Silently, she combed Jannalyn's hair then helped her back into bed.
But she couldn't hold it in any longer.
"A goblin? She's a frickin' goblin?!" Megan screeched, causing Jannalyn to grimace from the volume.
One chapter of information stood out from the plethora of text and repeated on a continuous loop- The Treatment of Bites - and Ludwig's rows of triangular teeth, height, and deep olive complexion were telling.
Megan never knew Goblins existed, never mind, the fact that Daemon, Faeries, and Elves existed too; along with a myriad of 'others'; rare and highly dangerous beings. She'd heard the saying 'ignorance is bliss' at least a dozen times and now she just wanted to be oblivious again.
Jannalyn knew the emotional mini-melt down was coming. Everyone processed jarring events at their own speed; Megan happened to be a little slower than others or was much more disciplined than Jannalyn gave her credit for.
"Technically, she's a Faerie/Goblin hybrid, but she leans more towards the Goblin side of her genes, as do her children." Jannalyn announced indifferently. She didn't care if Ludwig was purple and came from outer space, that woman was good to her; one of the very few who truly cares about her well-being.
Megan noticed how Jannalyn spoke in a permanent soft rasp and carried no southern accent; how she enunciated every consonant fluidly, like she'd practiced…Somehow, she knew Jannalyn had undergone speech therapy in the past, and one look at the older she-wolf's throat showed why. There was extensive damage from bites and Megan's mind concluded the vocal chords were once severed.
And this conclusion only sent Megan spiraling downwards; her brain absorbed medical information from Jannalyn, all on its own, and she couldn't make it stop.
"Seriously, though! Did she have to tazer me? I almost urinat- pissed myself!" Megan wrung her hands as she paced, trying to decide if she should be angry at being zapped or scared of the new vocabulary and extensive knowledge swimming around in her head.
"You should be honored. Her kind, rarely share what they know." Jannalyn spoke calmly and watched the young female carefully. Megan's heart galloped in her chest and her breaths were strained. She hoped the younger wolf wouldn't faint or hyperventilate.
"Honored? Are you kiddin' me?! Why me? I don't get it! I'm a kid- a nobody in the scheme a' things!"
"Are you about done?!" Jannalyn growled out, annoyed with Megan's ungrateful attitude and vocal self-depreciating rant. Megan's pacing halted mid-step, suddenly alert to her own behavior around a more dominant she-wolf. Jannalyn might be incapacitated now, but she wouldn't always be, and that was plenty reason for Megan to shut her mouth. "Sit, Megan." Jannalyn softly patted the mattress.
Megan was undecided, unsure of which response to trust, because Jannalyn looked relatively calm, despite the scary growl a few seconds ago.
"Sit, Megan" Jannalyn said a little more force.
"Okay," Megan whispered timidly as she sat on the bed.
"Take a few deep breaths with me. Get comfortable." Jannalyn waited until Megan was situated on the bed, until both were leaning back on the headboard; shoulder to shoulder, instead of face-to-face, something an old vampire taught Jannalyn about 'confrontational positioning.'
"First, I'll address the fuckery that just came out of your mouth. As one of the very few females in a very large pack, you cannot afford to be on the low end of the pecking order. So, stop devaluing yourself." Jannalyn paused to allow those words to sink in. "By no means, are you some random 'kid' or a 'nobody'. Ludwig normally writes down doctor's orders, so obviously, something special in you, stood out to an ancient Goblin. From what I've been told, she hasn't shared anything in that way, in over two hundred years."
"But," Megan opened her mouth to say something, but Jannalyn talked over her.
"Second, you need to calm down and stop complaining. One day, you'll save someone with what Ludwig gave you. Now… if you're done with losing your motherfucking mind, I'm tired… and I'm cold."
Megan couldn't help the smile pulling at the corners of her mouth. Jannalyn, a tough as nails she-wolf, handed Megan her own ass, without adding to her fears by yelling. An errant thought entered her head. She probably can't yell- Megan thought while eyeing her neck again. She also knew Jannalyn's admission of being cold was the cue to resume duties.
Jannalyn seemed to experience more dizziness and pain when her temperature crashed, a particularly worrisome piece of information. Megan placed a palm on Jannalyn's forehead then to her neck to gauge the temperature. Too low- Megan mentally tsked, as she climbed under the covers.
Albert Monroe sat on a bale of hay, growling at Cody after dismissing the rest of the adolescents. That boy broke formation twice and then went off on his own to explore. By the time Bert found him, he had already crossed over the thirty feet of neutral zone and stepped four feet into another pack's territory.
Old man Bert tore into him twice. The first time, Bert bit down a little too hard to pull Cody back across the boundary line; and once they were both on the correct side, the second time was a vicious bite and shake for messing up on his watch.
After witnessing how the old man laid down the law, the rest of the boys didn't step one paw out of line for the rest of the run. The last stretch was extended to two hours, just so a limping Cody could keep up, and everyone was exhausted by the time they returned to the barn, everyone but Bert.
The sound of slinging soil could be heard as Alcide pulled onto the dirt road leading to the barn. Bert met Alcide at the barn door to speak to him outside. This news needed to be broken lightly, an impossible feat as far as Bert was concerned. How do you tell the new Packmaster that an adolescent committed an act of war?
"He did WHAT?!" Alcide roared. With a wood splintering kick, the barn door swung open and there stood the pissed off Packmaster with eyes blazing brighter than the morning sun. "I swear to God boy, you must like getting your ass kicked!" Alcide closed the distance and snatched Cody up by the neck, his legs dangling a foot from the ground.
"What the fuck were you thinkin'?!" he yelled. Alcide smelled fresh blood and knew Bert wounded the younger wolf, so he threw Cody into a hay pile to take up pacing. There was a fine line between punishment and abuse, and Alcide made sure he didn't cross it; even though he really, really wanted to. "You do realize that when they discover your scent, we'll have to face off with a pack?"
"The Long Tooth and Blood Claws have been pretty respectful of the lines for the last thirty years. We may be able to just explain how green and undereducated our young ones are, when they come a howlin'. It was my run. I'll take responsibility, if they want blood." That statement coming from the old wolf made Alcide whip his head around.
"No way. When the Blood Claws call, I'll meet with 'em. Talk it out, if I can. This ain't on you, Bert. I should've separated the young ones for their first few runs." Alcide turned his attention back to the youngster. "Now explain to me, what the fuck were you thinkin'?"
"I don't know!" Cody's frustration finally reached an all-time high. "I smelled big cat, but it didn't smell like the wet mustiness of the panthers from Hotshot. I followed it and didn't realize I crossed over until Old Man Berty had his teeth sunk in my shoulder. Fuck… I'm sorry." Cody made eye contact with Alcide and with Bert, customary when apologizing like a true he-wolf. "I'm really sorry. I'll…fuck! What do I do to fix this?" Cody desperately asked with bloodshot eyes.
As soon as Julien Delacroix heard about this blunder, Cody could kiss any thoughts of dating Megan goodbye. He kept the other adolescents away with threats of bodily harm for almost a year now, patiently waiting until she turned eighteen to ask Julien for permission to court her properly…but now, there'd be no way Julien would approve.
To make matters worse, this mistake of epic proportions would follow him around for the rest of his days if war started behind it. He would be blamed for any deaths arising from this error and that alone, was grounds for banishment.
Following one measly scent may have cost him his pack and a chance at being with the girl he loves. He was fucked. Royally fucked.
"Shit." Alcide felt his anger dissipating at the torment written on Cody's face. Alcide ran a hand through his dark locks and let out a long sigh. "We'll figure it out. Let me call Delacroix, let him know what's going on." Cody muttered a 'shit' as Alcide scrolled through his cellphone contacts to look for the number Melinda inputted before leaving last night. "I hope you learned something from this, Cody."
Alcide, Julien, and Bert sat around the table in the old farmhouse kitchen with yellow walls, while Cody leaned against the kitchen counter, listening carefully to the conversation among his elders.
Their action plan seemed solid.
Julien and Alcide would alternate leading the nightly runs. Julien would schedule a total of seven wolves on patrol to keep several sets of eyes and ears out for when the Master of Blood Claws sounded off. Upon hearing the call, Alcide and the rest of the pack would meet in full force at the line, which meant everyone would be on high alert until Alcide could diffuse the situation. If war was inevitable, one of the two leaders would already be there with a few extras until reinforcements arrived.
The only problem were the women.
All were unanimous in their opinions. None wanted any of the women at the front lines. There were so few females in their pack now, due to Marcus chasing them away with his advances, the pack couldn't afford to lose any.
"Well, Alcide, you know how we feel, but the choice is yours." Julien hated the words as soon as they left his mouth. Losing Melinda would end him. He would continue to breathe for the kids they raised together, Kenneth and Megan, but living, actually living wasn't possible without her.
"We can't tell them to stay home. They wouldn't have it. There'd be hell to pay if we pull that sexist shit on 'em now. Do any know how to fight?" The dismal horror on the men's faces told Alcide the answer. "Maybe I should ask Jannalyn to help us out, give 'em some tips." Alcide pondered out loud.
"Mel and Meg said the lone female was covered in scars. That you initiated but didn't…" Julien tilted his head at seeing how tense Alcide had become. "Did I say something wrong?"
"No. It's just…"Alcide wanted Cody out of the room but figured to hell with it. "I need advice…about her. She's awake but she still smells so good, so good I can't think straight." Alcide let out a long breath at finally saying it out loud and getting it off of his chest. He could speak freely around men, so he did.
"I still wanna fuck the daylights out of her whenever I get close enough. Against every fuckin' wall if I could. But I know it's wrong. I've been fightin' it for days and I don't know how much more I can take."
"Wait a damn minute." Bert exclaimed. "Are you tellin' us you initiated healin' and walked away?" Alcide gave a miniscule nod that no one missed. "And she's awake and you still want her?" Another small nod. "When you ingested her blood, were you shifted or switched?"
"Shifted."
Bert put his hand over his mouth while he glared at the table for a hard minute. "Lemme go get our histories." His chair slid back and the old man disappeared out of the room.
"I don't get it. What's the big deal?" Cody asked.
"First of all Cody, males shouldn't deal with wounds unless a mate's life is on the line. It can make a male deathly ill, make him vomit for days." Julien answered.
"I knew that. What's all this 'you still want her' business? That's the part I don't get."
"Male bodies can't differentiate a wound from estrus. You do know what estrus is, right?" Alcide teased with a smirk, and Cody shut right on up. This was not a topic he would ever discuss in front of Megan's father. Fuck-to-the-no, he would not.
"While Berty's searching, I have some good news. Our son Kenneth, he's moving back into the area, now that Marcus is gone."
Alcide wondered about the Delacroix family dynamics. Julien is of creole descent, Melinda was the typical southern blonde, and Megan's strawberry blonde hair, blue eyes, and golden tan skin, wasn't inherited from Julien. But Alcide felt it was too rude to ask, so he didn't.
"That's good. I'll be happy to welcome him in, if he wants. Why'd he leave in the first place?"
"Marcus always had some snide comments that made him feel…out of place. Kenneth's biological mother was darker than me and he inherited her skin tone."
Bigotry was huge in the south among humans, still is in some parts. The thing is, among wolves, skin color and ethnicity doesn't mean a damn. Never has. So, for Marcus to make it an issue, well, Alcide wasn't surprised at his idiocy.
"So when did you and Melinda get together?"
"Mel's first mate died during the war with the Razorbacks, the Arkansas pack to the north of us. She had just given birth to Meg. A year prior, my wife died from complications after giving birth to Kenny. We were the only parents of babies at the time, so naturally, Mel and I leaned on each other. We had always been just friends, grieving for the ones we lost.
But about fifteen years ago, the elders were trying to set Mel up with some new blood that just joined. At that point we'd been raising our kids together for a little over a year. That's when I realized how I felt about her. I was jealous and angry, and when he touched her…" I almost lost my fuckin' mind – he thought.
"That shit wasn't happening. Mel and Meg had become an integral part of my daily life, Kenny's too. We made sense as a family and I didn't want to lose her to someone else.
I was already a vested wolf, so I used rank over the newcomer to get what I wanted. I asked her to be mine, in front of him, in front of the elders. She accepted immediately, which was a surprise. Up until then, I had no idea she felt the same for me. We marked each other the same night- been together since."
"You went against your elders?" Cody asked. He would have never thought the straight and narrow Julien Delacroix, was capable of such a thing.
Julien let out a deep chuckle. "I did. That one time. Of course, as punishment the elders had me running nightly patrol for two solid months. Later on, I found out the old sneaky bastards were just forcing my hand and they only punished me to save face. If they hadn't orchestrated the whole thing, Mel and I would probably still be friends."
"I found it!" Bert barged in excitedly, carrying a rather large book; a foot long, a foot wide, and three to four inches thick. There was no spine. The strings that bound the pages together could be seen. The top and bottom covers looked to be planks of cut wood, but wasn't. It was flattened and sanded Water Oak bark; a tree indigenous to the Shreveport area.
The old man carefully held it in one arm as he cleared the table with the other. When opened, the paper looked withered and worn. Alcide could tell it had been around a long time, maybe a couple hundred years. Out of curiosity, he wanted to go through the pages, but decided against risking it. The paper was fragile and Alcide didn't know his own strength sometimes.
Alcide looked over Bert's shoulder but didn't understand the squiggles and marks. He'd never seen anything like it before.
"This code protects us from exposure. This book, our history, has been handed down from historian to historian throughout the generations. I guess you could call it our own script. It is my duty to keep it, update it, and teach it to the next historian before the end of my days. I still haven't picked a new apprentice yet."
Bert carefully lifted each page, scanning the text with his failing eyes. "Cody, go get my reading glasses… at the desk in the living room." When Cody returned with the thick rimmed glasses, Bert quickly huffed on each lens, wiped it with his shirt, and put them on. "Aha! Here it is." His eyes quickly scanned the text a few times, over and over. "Alcide, whose idea was it, to begin healing? The man or wolf? Think real hard about where the instinct originated."
"That's easy-the wolf. He kept showing me pictures, mental pictures of what he wanted done."
"Like?"
"My wolf cleaning her wolf…standing over her to keep the males away. He was pissed when I hesitated, so he took over- did it himself."
"What color is her wolf?"
"Black." A luxurious jet black pelt that looked coarse and soft at the same time, contradictory, just like the owner.
"Did you have any strong feelings before you had any of her blood?" Bert asked and Alcide nodded again. "What kind of feelings?"
"To protect her…vengeance for every scar on her body." He remembered how he almost lost it in the truck, at the thought of wolves circling Jannalyn.
Bert raised an eyebrow at Alcide's low growls, then went back to reading. He quickly turned to another section of the book, read a few lines and closed his eyes. He pressed his lips together and crumpled both his brows. "I don't know how you're gonna feel about this…" he hedged.
"Well, spit it out!" Alcide was quickly losing patience, anxious to get to the bottom of this to go back home. Talking about her made it worse. He needed to see her now to make sure she was okay.
"I think your wolf has chosen a mate."
The entire kitchen stilled and all eyes went to Alcide. He'd stopped breathing for a second, as he absorbed the words, replaying them over and over in his head. The human part of two-natured individuals chose their mates, spouses, lovers…for the animal to choose is unheard of, but lately strange has been the norm.
"Explain" he breathed out, unable to form any other words.
"We are all taught the human in us is selfish. He wants the prettiest girl, the best house, the best education, the most money…All actions, all pursuits are to elevate and bring recognition to the individual.
We are also taught that the wolf wants what is best for the pack. He lives to serve the Whole, but just as we try to balance both wolf and man, we also need balance as individuals to better serve the Whole.
This is why some weres are promiscuous, because he or she feels incomplete and unfulfilled. They can't fill the void because they don't understand what they need. Their wolves haven't pointed them in the right direction. Yours has.
In your case, your wolf needs an equal among so many subordinates. The Long Tooth has always been a large pack and you need a strong, capable mate at your side. Right now, she's unfit for advances and your wolf recognizes her needs above his urges. If he didn't, she would be wearing an unwanted mark right now."
"You asked about the color of her wolf. Why?"
"In the history of our kind, it shows two Masters born of Alpha blood- like you- who ascended while unmated. Both times the Alphas chose mates. Both times, those she-wolves were true equals, capable of running the pack in his absence or illness. One black. One white. Both times. " Bert took his glasses off and looked his Packmaster in the eye. "I believe it has happened once more. You and this Jannalyn, shall be written in our histories as the Third pair, if she accepts you."
"What if she doesn't?"
"Trust your wolf, Alcide. All else will fall into place."
Alcide drove home on autopilot, as Cody stared at the leader from the corner of his eye.
Cody couldn't leave Alcide's side now, not until the situation with the other pack was settled. He wanted to complain at being babysat by the Packmaster, but being under Alcide's ass meant he could finally see Megan.
From the time of her induction, Cody observed and admired Megan from afar. He wouldn't speak to her because he was a blubbering idiot whenever he tried. His tongue seemed to tie itself and he was terrified of sounding stupid; so he stayed silent, often avoiding her completely to avoid any conversation whatsoever.
The wolves met Megan in the kitchen, who happened to be frying up a steak and banging the pan around like it pissed her off in some way.
"How is she?" Alcide asked quietly.
Megan turned from the stove and gave him a dirty look. She dumped the steak onto a plate and shoved it at Alcide. "Will you please take this to her? I have finals to study for." She stomped to the kitchen table where several textbooks and notebooks were piled. It was a mess. Books were opened and papers were everywhere.
"Hey." Alcide gently coaxed, as she plopped into a chair. "Why are you in a foul mood? What happened?"
"Abby happened. She showed up with a couple of bags and practically kicked me out of the room. Told me some bullshit about 'girl talk' like I lack a vagina or something. She's bossy and difficult and I don't know how to handle her right now. You better get her."
Alcide pressed his lips together to keep from laughing. He knew exactly how Megan felt. Abby could be extremely pushy when she wanted to be and gave no apologies.
He quickly schooled his facial expressions to look serious, determined to not be the insensitive asshole today. "Alright. Cody stay down here." He grabbed silverware and a knife to accompany the plate in his hands. "And keep your mouth shut, Cody."
Two steps at a time, Alcide ascended the stairs. Jannalyn stayed in the room they'd slept in and the thought pleased him. The door was closed but he could hear the two going back and forth.
"You shouldn't have bought all this."
"It wasn't any trouble. You need underwear."
"I do, but I can't wear bras for a couple more days and this... this is not underwear."
"EVERY woman has these. G-strings and thongs-"
Jannalyn scoffed, interrupting Abby. "I prefer modesty in my undergarments when I choose to wear them." As she studied the triangular shape, she couldn't understand the purpose of such tiny and transparent scraps of material. It covered nothing and it made more sense to wear nothing at all. "Clearly, we have different tastes."
"What exactly are you saying?" Abby was offended. What? Were these bras and panties below her or something?
"Other than this robe- thank you, but no thank you."
Abby gave a disapproving huff. "You're telling me you prefer granny panties?"
"Bikinis, boyshorts, and the like offer more coverage."
"But they're ugly."
"Solid, plain colors are not ugly. Besides, who would see them? I insist you return these things at once. "
"You know, it's rude to look a gift horse in the mouth."
"But it shouldn't be on it's way to the glue factory, either." Jannalyn deadpanned. Abby began to growl, but Jannalyn was undeterred. "I did not ask for this purchase and forcing your preferences on another is equally rude and pretentious. This isn't up for debate. I WILL NOT wear-"
That was his cue to interrupt. Abby was pushing too hard. With Jannalyn, it was the equivalent of poking a bear, repeatedly, while chanting 'nanny, nanny, boo-boo'. Alcide quickly tapped on the door and slowly opened it, allowing plenty of time for Jannalyn to cover herself if needed.
Jannalyn stood in the middle of the room wearing nothing but a silk robe. It had a hideous floral print, but she still looked great in it. It was tied high on the waist and it accentuated her hourglass figure. His eyes snapped up to Jannalyn's face and she looked genuinely relieved to see him.
Time slowed as the unthinkable happened. She licked her lips as she stared in his direction and his breath caught in his throat. He felt like a deer caught in headlights under her hungry gaze. She strolled over with lacy material in her hands, hanging from her fingers tips.
"I'm starved. Thank you."
Yeah, not you stupid, the plate-he had to blink a few times and take a few breaths. Oh, how he hated his inner horny bastard.
He quickly moved to give her the plate. She deposited the frilly lace undergarments in his empty hands, wanting nothing else to do with it. He lifted the scraps of fabric and his mouth dropped open at how tiny and thin they were. He was flabbergasted. Jannalyn was right- no modesty whatsoever. It was a Fredrick's of Bollywood kind of monstrosity that he'd rather not see Jannalyn wear. It was the same trashy shit Debbie use to buy. He grimaced at the thought.
"Reason with her. She's being ridiculous." Jannalyn advised seriously, her warning to Alcide to get the crazy pregnant lady off her back.
A howl of laughter sounded off from the corner of the room. Oh God- he forgot all about Abby. He rolled his eyes and gave Abby a harsh glare.
"Abby." It was a warning to watch herself but Abby's cackling continued.
"I wish I had a camera! Your face!" The pregnant she-wolf was doubled over, as much as her stomach would allow, laughing her ass off.
Jannalyn sat at the edge of the bed with the plate in her lap, but hadn't cut into her steak yet. Her left eye twitched in time with Abby's hoots of laughter.
"Abby, be mindful of her concussion. You're being too loud."
"That's it!" a yell heard from downstairs. Within seconds, Megan was in the room. "Get out, Abby." The words were spoken low and controlled, but absolutely furious. She dashed around the room, collecting the unmentionables and threw them back into the bags Abby brought in. "My patient needs sustenance, rest, and silence. Out. Now." The bags were held in the crook of a single finger, as she motioned towards the door.
Abby shoulders slumped and she looked properly scolded. "I'm sorry Jannalyn, if I made it worse." With that, she dejectedly left the room, not seeing Jannalyn nod in acceptance.
"Alcide, do you mind sticking around for a minute? I need to speak with Abby before she leaves and I'll be swamped with studies for finals."
"Go ahead. Don't mind at all."
The first rare bite of the steak had just gone into Jannalyn's mouth and his inner wolf was panting happily. The wolf loved seeing her eat, it meant she was regaining strength. When she finished, he felt the calmest he'd felt in days. He took her plate and placed it on the nightstand.
"Could you hand me that nightgown?" Alcide looked around the room and retrieved the white cotton fabric for her. "Could you?" Jannalyn gestured for him to turn around, so he did. He heard the fabric rustling and knew she was almost done with changing.
"You know, you shouldn't be ashamed of your scars."
"I'm not." She clipped defensively. She was not ashamed of her hard earned battle scars. "I just don't like the reactions of others."
"Am I okay to turn around?"
"Yeah. Sorry. I planned to sleep for a while, if you don't mind." She raised an eyebrow when Alcide made his way to the bed.
He laid on his back and patted at the space next to his large body. "C'mon. I know you're cold, so get on over here."
"You really don't mind?" she asked, sporting that cute confused look whenever Alcide was nice to her.
His only response was pulling the covers back, so she could climb underneath.
Sookie was having a hell of a time with controlling her gift. Anymore she couldn't really call it anything but a curse. The random thoughts leaking into her mind were annoying, and an annoyed Sookie was a brash Sookie; and it greatly affected her tips.
The giant bald headed man was back, seated at the bar again. His presence had her miffed, especially since he continued to studiously ignore her very existence.
His arrival was a spectacle. He rode in on a big noisy motorcycle, garnering the attention of several aficionados who went outside to admire it. When he walked in, he did the same as before; he looked around, took a lengthy yet discreet whiff, and made a beeline to the bar. He still hadn't taken off his sunglasses, which had Sookie rolling her eyes.
Holly had given her the 'you better not' look, something only a mother knew how to do properly. Sookie was amazed at how many messages that single look conveyed. It threatened an extensive piece of Holly's mind, whippins' with a switch, groundin' for life, and any other acts of punishment that may put a wrench in Sookie's day.
In this case, Holly would surely take too long in filling drink orders for Sookie and perhaps magic up a spell that would turn her skin green for a day or two.
Sam walked past Sookie near the front door, looking a little worse for wear. Sookie could tell how bad Luna and Sam's argument had affected him and it didn't help that her 'gift' was on the fritz.
Why isn't she answering her phone? Holy shit, it's busy as hell. What the…Sam's nose twitched and he went straight to the bald headed man at the bar. The stranger turned just in time to greet Sam, like he sensed Sam approaching.
"I'm Sam Merlotte, owner of this establishment." Sam didn't stick out his hand in the customary greeting, choosing to square his shoulders and cross his arms, instead. The behemouth stood to greet the shifter, unthreatened by the display. Jesus Christ, what a big sonofabitch.
"John Quinn" the man nodded politely, in a deep authoritative voice. "Pleased to meet you, Sam Merlotte."
A/N: Dun, dun, dun! Until next time!
