Page 3 of Ginger Omega
She flipped me off. Not a surprise. “Bullcrap. You knew I’d be up, and who is this?”
“This is Katie. Her truck broke down off the 362. Darryl towed the truck, and she needs a room. You’re not booked up, are you?”
Marla put her hands on her hips. “You’re full of shit tonight. Come on in, honey. I’ve got the perfect room for you. Go on in and get some of my freshly baked chocolate chip cookies from the counter. They’re still warm.”
Katie nodded and went inside, turning to look at me over her shoulder. “Thank you, Sheriff.”
“Please, call me Holt.”
Katie waved. “Thank you, Holt.”
The screen door shut behind her, and Marla turned to me. “I’ll take care of her. Go on home now.”
I hesitated. My wolf demanded I shift and sleep at the entrance of the inn and make sure no monsters came after our female.
“I can be here in ten minutes if you need me. If she…”
“I’ve got it. I’ve got her. Go on, now.” Marla clapped me on the shoulder.
At home, I struggled with the question of whether to tell my pack about her. Katie’s scent called to me. My head was clear, now that I wasn’t overwhelmed with her sweet smell.
I needed to learn more. The last thing I wanted to do was get my pack all excited, only to let them down.
Chapter Three
Karissa
I paid for the motel in cash. As I had for everything so far on this flight. Crumpled bills hidden in a hollowed-out book, saved at every opportunity from childhood on. It hadn’t added up to much, but life had become unbearable enough that I had left, hoping to get far away before I had to stop and earn more.
Pleasant, the small town outside my motel window, was not nearly far enough. I showered and put on a clean shirt and jeans, running a comb through my tangled long, red hair before facing what the day held. The truck would have to be fixed if I was going to put more miles between the pack and my final location. I hadn’t had one specifically set. Just a vague idea of as much distance as possible.
I’d never be able to mate, but past experience had taught me that attempts to do so were painful and emotionally wrenching. Each one left me feeling violated and yet relieved that they hadn’t worked out. Spending the rest of my life with any of these males would not have been good. They were all cookie-cutter alphas: bossy and sure females were only there to serve them. In bed and out.
Until meeting the sheriff last night, I’d never encountered any alpha I’d have willingly spent more than a few minutes with. From the moment he showed up, he’d demonstrated a concern for the safety of those he served and even strangers like me. It made me feel warm and protected.
Not that it mattered. I’d never see him again. Get the truck fixed and get going.
Determined, I poured a cup of complimentary coffee in the motel lobby and marched down the road to the mechanic’s shop. Maybe it was just a hose? My brother said it cost around fifteendollars at the parts store. Surely installing it wouldn’t be that much more.
When I entered through the wide, open garage door, I found the truck up in the air and Darryl the mechanic looking at the underside and shaking his head. Joining him, I tilted my head back and stared into a lot of rusty metal and frayed wires, everything smeared with dark grease. “This isn’t a fifteen-dollar job, is it?” I asked.
The mechanic’s snort was far less than I deserved. His silence after it scared me.
“Okay. Bad joke. It’s something big, I take it?”
“I’d like to take the whole thing apart and rebuild it. Engine, suspension, everything. This model is a classic and to see it so poorly maintained makes me want to punch someone.”
I stepped back, waving my hands. “Don’t look at me. I never even drove it until the other day. It belonged to my pack.”
“They are probably too far away to punch. Anyway, I can do what is necessary to get it back on the road, but I’ll have to order parts.” He picked up a clipboard from a standing toolbox and passed it to me. “Here’s the damage.”
I read it, rubbed my eyes, and swallowed over the lump in my throat. “Oh.” There was no way I could come up with the figure. “Is there anything you can do to make it less? I mean, I am sure you’re fair, but I just…I…”
“Don’t have it.”
“I just don’t. Can any of it be skipped?”
“Not and keep you safely on the road. Your tires are bald, your radiator leaks, and well, it’s all listed there. I tried to keep it to only necessary repairs.”
