Page 29 of Twice Bitten

“I’m fine.” I was no such thing. “Apologies. Let’s start over, okay? I’ll get it right this time.”

The girl’s brow furrowed, but she nodded, and I somehow fumbled my way through the order without leaping over the desk to bury the fangs I did not have in her neck.

When the group finished ordering, I took a step back from the register and hurried to the window. “G? Can you ask Addy if I can take a quick break?”

“Sure thing!” G lumbered away.

Addy poked her head out the door a moment later. “Alex?”

“Five minutes?” I begged.

A sharp nod. She came out and gave me a long look before jerking her head toward the door. “Go on. I’ll cover you.”

I hurried away and went into the bathroom, locking the door behind me. A glimpse in the mirror revealed a pale face and wide, frightened eyes, but nothing else out of the ordinary. No long fangs. No sprouted fur. Nothing but a semi-normal young woman.

A woman who could hear the blood rushing through a human’s veins.

A cold water splash did nothing to slow down my pounding heart. “What is wrong with me?” I whispered to myself. There was no one I could trust, no one I could go to and ask what was happening to me.

On the surface, everything about me seemed fine. The only one who’d questioned anything had been Addy. As a fae, my boss was more sensitive to magic than some of the other supernatural races. Maybe she had sensed something inside me that had changed after the attack?

A soft knock on the door came and then, “Alex, open up. It’s Addy.”

I hurriedly dried my face and opened the door. Addy squeezed in and locked it behind her. She leaned against the sink and crossed her arms over her chest.

“What happened?” she demanded.

I pasted a confused smile. “Just a little overwhelmed after being off for a week.”

Addy’s derisive snort told me she didn’t buy my excuse for a second. “Not today. When you were gone. Something isn’t rightwith you.” Her nose wrinkled. “You smell…off. Not your body. Your magic.”

I opened my mouth and shut it just as fast. How could I tell her?

Addy’s expression softened. “Alex.” A sigh escaped her. “We’ve worked together a while now. You always volunteer to stay late or pick up extra shifts. You’re not dating anyone, and you haven’t since I’ve known you. I don’t even think you have any friends.”

My chest tightened with hurt, even as I knew my lack of friends was no one’s fault but my own. Every time I wanted to take that first step, Mom’s warnings rang in my head, and I always backed away, ruining any chance at a future friendship. I was forever doomed to be the acquaintance girl.

“I’m not saying any of this to upset you, only to show you there are people out there you can confide in.”

I dashed an errant tear away from my cheek.

Addy straightened. “Does this have anything to do with that vampire? Beckett or something?”

My lower lip wobbled. A second later, the entire story spilled out. Addy listened, her eyes widening at certain parts of my tale. I kept quiet about my implant. It had nothing to do with the rest of the attack. Nor did I tell her I knew the identities of the others.

Telling her the Vampire Prime and the Shifter King had almost killed me might stretch the bands of credulity. I was doing a good enough job of that all on my own.

“There’s no trace of any injuries?” Addy asked, her brow wrinkling.

“Nothing. If I hadn’t gone through it, I wouldn’t believe me either.”

“And now you’re having headaches and odd cravings?”

I nodded. “Witches can’t turn. Right?”

Addy shook her head. “No.” Her lips pursed. “Areyou a witch, though?”

I blinked in surprise. “Of course I’m a witch,” I blurted. “My mother is.” That would make me half just on her side.