Page 57 of Shifted Fate (Broken Luna #1)

Chapter Fifty-Four

“T

hank you.” I smiled as we walked out of yet another store. I was exhausted, but we still had more stops to make. I looked at everything in my hands: my new sheets, blankets, pillows. Everything we threw away, we had replaced. Except for my bed. “I’m tired, my head hurts, and I’m-”

“Whining.” My mom finished. But she smiled. “We just need to get you a new mattress and get the old one hauled away.”

“Plus, finish the laundry and get the carpets cleaned.” I pointed out. She closed her eyes.

“I forgot.” She stretched out her back and tied her hair up. “Now, let’s finish this part up. I still need to fix dinner.”

“Why don’t we just order food? Morgan and Shannon will survive one day with take out.” My mom rolled her eyes and I watched as she bobbed her head back and forth. Then she decided.

“Fine. You’re right.” She gave a final nod. “We will grab pizza and they can just suck it up.”

“Yes!” I pumped my arm and pulled her into the mattress store.

I wanted this day finished so I could curl up in my fresh bed.

We walked around for exactly five seconds before a salesperson came up and within another twenty, we were walking out, with a delivery time of an hour.

“Werewolf businesses rock. If this was a human store, it would be days until I could get my new bed.”

“Yeah, well, they only help the neighbouring packs, so they have an easier time.” My mom pulled me toward the exit. “Let’s go grab the pizza. I still have that mountain for clothes to do.”

“Ugh. Don’t remind me.” I wilted thinking about those clothes.

I jumped into the driver’s seat and started my Jeep as my mom put everything in the back.

I waited until she got in before I handed her the card Vince gave us.

“I don’t want to use them. Mainly because Vince gave us their card, but I also want to wipe out my actual scent completely. ”

She grunted as she took the card and called as I drove.

“Hello. Yes, do you have availability today? One room. Yes, a bedroom. Alpha Vince gave us your card. Oh, you can. Perfect.” I listened to her as she set up everything.

Then she called in the pizza. I headed to the pizza place, but she pointed to a different parking lot.

“What?”

My mom touched her lips as she finished the order.

I pulled into the parking lot and waited for her to tell me what we were doing here.

She hit end on the phone and turned to me.

“The carpet guys tried to give me the runaround until I told them Vince gave us the card. Now, they will be at the house in an hour.”

“Okay?”

“The pizza will be ready in twenty minutes.” She opened the door, but I grabbed her.

“Okay, but why are we here?” I pointed to the strip mall.

“We need descenting spray.”

“Right…” I was apparently dumb because that didn’t seem like the answer to my question. I twirled my hand. “What does that have to do with the strip mall with a nail salon, a survival store, and what looks to be a tex-mex restaurant?”

“Amy…where do you think descenting spray comes from?”

“Same place where we get laundry stuff from. Walker’s.” Walker’s is the werewolf community’s version of a superstore. They had everything.

“No baby. Descenting spray is made for hunting parties and survivalists. It’s to stop rogues from smelling you.” She opened her door again and waved me out of the car. “Come meet Carl.” We walked to a store with blacked-out windows.

“Who the hell is Carl?”

She just laughed as she walked into the survival store, Wildwood Survival. “Hey Carl.”

“Luna Ainsley. Fancy seeing you here.” The giant of a man smiled from behind the counter. “And who have you brought to visit me?”

“This is Amy.” My mother pulled me beside her and wrapped her arm around my waist. “My daughter.”

“You brought your pup to meet me?” Carl raised his eyebrows and had a giant smile.

He looked at me. “You sure are a pretty little thing. But let’s see how strong you are.

” Carl slammed his aura out to clash with me, and he was staggeringly strong.

He just wasn’t as strong as I was. I gave a toothy grin and slammed my aura out to meet his.

His eyes widened as he hit his knees. “Holy Goddess.” I pulled my aura back in.

“Sorry.” I gave a sheepish look, but he laughed.

“Don’t be sorry. If I was going to choose anyone to follow, I have to make sure they are worth following.”

I turned to my mother, then back to him. “I won’t be the Luna of the Oakenfang pack.”

He lifted a brow. “Who said I was talking about that pack?”

That stopped me for a minute. I looked back at my mother and she smiled.

“Carl here, is what you would call a nomad. He was a part of my father’s pack, but followed me to your father’s, and then to here.

He refused to swear fealty to Vince. So he stays off pack lands.

He set up shop here, and since he is one of the few warriors skilled enough to make descenting spray, Vince tolerates him.

” My mother went over to Carl and kissed his cheek.

“Always a pleasure to see my Luna.”

“Oh, so he meant he follows you.” I bounced my finger between the two and my mom looked up at Carl, who also gave a tiny nod.

“Yes, and no. Carl here is also a shaman.”

“A what?”

“A shaman.” My mother held out her hand and I walked over to them. “Your father had his grandmother’s help with his pack.” She stared at me. “My father had Carl.” I could see it in her eyes. She was asking me to understand.

“Shamans are like grandmother?” I tilted my head and Carl laughed.

“Yes, and no.” This time it was him. “We are blessed by the Goddess, but our gifts are different. We connect to the land and the Goddess. But we mostly get these feelings.”

“Feelings?”

“Yes. Say, a wolf comes in, and he is sick. I might get the feeling of pain, or some kind of uncomfortable feeling. I can’t see a clear picture, but I know something is wrong.” He tried to explain, but laughed. “It’s not much of an explanation, but if you had it, you would understand.”

“Daddy? Who are you talking to?” A little girl came from the back room.

“Come here Carly.” He waved her over and picked her up from the ground. “I want you to meet someone very special.” The little girl was adorable, with bright blonde pigtails and chocolate brown eyes. Her mouth was smudged with what looked to be peanut butter and jam.

“Carl, you never told me.” My mom covered her mouth and I could see tears welling up in her eyes.

“You have had it rough, and I couldn’t risk it.” His eyes danced between us. “Vince would have tried to take her.”

My mother gasped, and I knew something was about to happen.

I walked back to the door and locked it, flipping over the open sign for good measure.

“I don’t know what’s happening, but I think this would be a good time to get away from prying eyes.

” I stared out of the door and searched the empty parking lot.

“What’s wrong?” My mom went to come over to me, but Carl grabbed her arm.

“Something is coming.” I turned back to Carl, and he nodded. “You knew?”

“Not exactly. But I brought my kid with me today when I’ve never done it before.” He hugged the little girl tighter.

“Why?”

“Because you needed to see there were people loyal to you.” His words were a whisper as his eyes clouded over. I looked back to the parking lot, and I saw Vince and Brandon walking over.

“Mom.”

“Yeah baby?”

“Take Carly, Carl, and hide.” My mom pulled Carl and the little girl into the back room and I turned back to the store.

I scanned the room quickly and saw a shelf of descenting spray.

I rushed to it, and grabbed a bottle before throwing it on to the ground and stepping on it, breaking the bottle and sending the liquid rushing out.

The smells from around the room disappeared and I went to the back room and grabbed a wet floor sign and the mop.

My mother’s wide eyes met mine, but I held my finger to my lips.

There was a knock on the door, and I could see the fear in little Carly’s face.

But my mom held her tightly as Carl just stared out with his blank eyes. It was like he wasn’t there anymore.

I walked back out. “Just a minute.” I called and put the wet floor sign out.

I stomped in the liquid, sending it splattering more on the floor.

The knock sounded again. “I said just a minute.” I put as much exasperation as I could and then opened the door with the mop in hand.

“Alpha Vince. Brandon.” I jumped back in surprise. “What are you two doing here?”

“We were fol-”

“We came by to see Carl and restock up on some essentials.” Vince cut Brandon off.

I nodded and wheeled my mop bucket back to the puddle. “Carl had to run out for some restock, but he should be back in a few hours.” I lied as I turned back to the two men. “Is there anything I could help you with?”

I turned back to the spill, picked up the broken plastic bottle, tossed it in the trash, and mopped up the spray. “You work here?” Brandon’s voice was incredulous.

“Not really. Carl is my mom’s friend. We came here for descenting spray. But Carl asked my mom about a contact back in her dad’s old pack and then they took off. Asking me to watch the store.” I smiled as I lied through my teeth.

“We didn’t see them leave.” Vince turned around and silenced Brandon with a look.

“Well…I didn’t realize you were watching.” I laughed as I stared at them and I saw Brandon’s wince. “They went out the back, since that’s where Carl’s truck is. My mom rode here with me, but Carl will give her a ride back here and we’ll go home.”

“Do you know where they went?” Vince shopped, and I made my way to the counter. I prayed I was going to be able to work the cash register.