“I can’t even begin to guess. Edemas was the strongest of all his family, all the way back to the beginning. He was drunk with power, crazy with it. Son, I don’t want to scare you, but that blood is in Maddy. Even if it is diluted, her wolf will be incredibly strong. Now that it’s been recognized by its mate, it’s probably fighting for dominance. It’s like a caged animal gnashing its teeth to be free. A caged dog will tear its mouth to bloody shreds trying to rip its way out of a prison. Who the hell knows what will happen whenever that creature is finally set loose.”
Dad’s words echoed across my mind. The warning from Javi was still crystal-clear. He’d warned me things would get out of hand. That I had no idea what I was getting into.
I wondered if there was some truth to what he’d said.
MADDY
When I woke up the next morning, I felt more rested than I had in days. The wolf was still there, a murmur beneath the surface. Almost like being in a room where a TV was on but the volume was so low, you couldn’t make out what it was saying. It was still weird, but it made me much more functional. I was probably pushing things, but before lunch, I’d started to get the itch. I wanted to go back to work. I’d always been a workaholic, especially once I’d built up my own business. The bar had been closed for a week, and I was dying to get back there.
Nico had come home for lunch and was making us both sandwiches. I decided it was a good time to bring it up. He was opening a bag of chips when I walked in and leaned on the counter.
He glanced over at me and grinned at me. “You look like you want to ask a question.”
“How did you know?”
“No clue, but I can tell. What’s up?”
I tapped my fingers on the counter, watching as he put a pile of potato chips on each plate. “What would you think about me opening the bar back up? Going back to work?”
Nico didn’t even hesitate. “I think it’s a great idea. I know you love that place. I’ll still make sure you have a guard, though.”
I blinked in surprise. I’d really thought it would take a lot more to get him to say yes. “Uh…wow, okay. Yeah, that’s fine. I probably wouldn’t be comfortable without someone there to watch out for me.”
Suddenly, I was giddy. Other than Abi, I hadn’t seen any of my team since that last night at the bar. I missed them. It was weird since I was technically their boss, but it was true.
Nico handed me my plate and a bottle of water. “As long as you are comfortable, I’m cool with it. When did you want to open back up? Next weekend?”
“Umm…well, I kinda wanted to do it tonight.”
Nico froze, the sandwich halfway to his mouth. “Tonight?” He looked surprised.
I nodded and took my first bite. Through a mouth full of food, I said, “I was gonna text Abi and see if she could check with everyone.”
“Crap, okay. Felipe is free. I’ll see if he can take you over tonight.”
“Sweet.” I put my sandwich down and pulled out my phone. My thumbs flew over the screen as I texted Abi, who responded almost immediately.
Me:Hey! How do you feel about getting back to work tonight? I want to open the bar.
Abi: uuuuuuuuhhhhhhh what?
Me:You read that right. Do you think everyone else might be free?
Abi:I think so, actually. I can start calling them. Are you serious about this? Are you sure you are up to it?
Me:Totally. I’ll put the announcement on my social media and the media pages for the bar. Do you think you and everyone else can do the same?
Abi:On it. I’ll start getting a hold of the guys and gals. We’ll need to go in early. I bet that place is dusty as shit after being closed a week.
I closed my messaging app and immediately started posting about the reopening. With each passing second, I felt happier. It took fifteen minutes before I even tried to start eating my lunch again. I usually wasn’t this impulsive. Most of the time, I tried to think things through and plan them out a little better. I was sure the wolf had something to do with it, but I didn’t care.
Nico walked back over and put his dish in the sink. “Felipe said he was down for tonight.”
“Awesome. Can he come over in…” I glanced at the clock on the microwave. It was just past twelve-thirty. “Like thirty minutes?”
Nico’s eyes bulged in surprise. “You’re going to go in that early?”
“I know, but the place will be a disaster. We’ll have to rewash and polish all the glasses, dust the counters and floors. If we want to open at five like usual, it’ll take a little extra work.”
Nico chuckled and shook his head. “Let me call him back.”
Felipe was free, and we got there just after one. Abi and two of the bartenders arrived twenty minutes later. The staff actually seemed excited to be back at work. I hoped they would want to, but I’d been worried they might be a little pissed that I’d closed the place to begin with. Thankfully, none of them seemed the least bit put out by the closure. It made things feel like old times, and before I even realized it, we were open.
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