"Mornings suck," Ella told her companion, who sat on her foot and woofed at her. Ella couldn't help the laugh, even as she gingerly extracted her foot from the massive wolf's weight. She had never met a danged dog who's head reached her hip, as she was well over six feet tall, but well, the wolf she had rescued two nights ago definitely did that. Ella had half a suspicion that the wolf was actually a Shifter and was just messing with her. Or maybe just too injured to shift back, the poor thing had clearly been in a fight, looking half dead, chewed on, and with a broken leg. The vet she had taken him to had been one of those non-believers, that despite the Supernatural community .. was it almost forty years ago now? Coming forward with their existence. And so the vet had reset the bone, and wrapped it in a cast. The sedation must have worked, or maybe the wolf had just been too injured to protest the helping. Already after three days he was already up and walking around, if limping due to his casted back leg.
He was clingy though, following her into the bathroom and watching her intently as she tended to her morning absolutions each day, massive pink tongue lolling out as if laughing at her. Lightly, Ella flicked his nose, grinning as he promptly licked it in offense before she headed towards the kitchen. She wasn't exactly ultra-feminine like the others, preferring just jeans and the company shirt with the cafe's logo printed on the side. Sliding her feet into her beat up converse, Ella tossed a steak, raw of course, at her new companion. He snapped it up with one bite, then sat there and licked his chops, as if asking for another. Ella snorted, but dug out another steak, thankful she had set two to thaw in the fridge last night. "Only because you are still healing." The wolf woofed at her again, and Ella just laughed and ruffled the fur on that massive head. "Time for work buddy. You ready to go?"
Rising to his paws in answer, the wolf moved to the front door and waited patiently. Ella lived within walking distance of the cafe, and often did such. Though lately, others from her college had taken to harassing her, especially after dark when she was done with her second job. What hell.. some people never grew up from high school. Ella was nearly thirty years old, not some scared fifteen year old. They really needed to grow up, she thought for a moment before she heard the low rumble of the most deadly sounding growl ever. The hell? Did that sound come from her wolf?
Glancing up, Ella realized they had arrived at the cafe. "Got a new pet loser?" Ella snorted at the insult, reaching out to gently pat the wolf's head. She really did need to name him if she was going to keep him. "Easy buddy, this one is a friend. He's been on vacation or I would have introduced you earlier." As if he understood her, the hint of teeth the wolf had been showing disappeared and he sat down firmly on her foot, as if to claim his Human. Ella grimaced, reminded herself to be more careful, luckily the wolf hadn't stepped on her yet in anything more tender than her chest, but he did have a bad habit of drooling on her when he placed his head on her lap. Pure solid muscle, even if he looked underweight and still injured, the damn thing had to be closer to two hundred pounds. And with the size of ears and paws, he was probably only half grown. It would be interesting to see how large he would grow to be, or how tall.
Realizing she had gotten distracted in her thoughts, Ella belatedly answered, "More like he found me. But yes." Her coworker, the prettiest thing she'd ever had the pleasure of meeting, and the most adorable thing in existence, narrowed his gaze at the wolf before letting out a low whistle. "That's a Shuuheran War Wolf," He told her, the admiration clear in his voice. "They are super rare, and very carefully bred. He looks young though, if I had to hazard a guess, I'd say maybe sixteen or seventeen. They don't stop growing until they hit about fifty years old" he added as an aside. Ella blinked. She knew the Shifters had long lives, but to hit full grown at fifty was impressive. Before she could comment, the little thing was still talking. "How did you find one? They are supposed to be Guardians of the Alphas, his protectors.
"Jaines! Kietos! Get your asses in here before I fire you!" Ella grinned, unpeturbed by the threat, and reached out, tugging on one white blonde curl. "Come on little fairy, you heard Boss." Lief rolled his eyes, but he headed inside the cafe shop anyway after her. Business would pick up soon as the store officially opened at five thirty am and wouldn't slow down until close to closing time. They were a morning only cafe, open from five thirty to one pm, serving coffee, tea, and the most amazing pastries that absolutely melted in your mouth. Ella had been working at the cafe since she was sixteen, back when she was still James Jaines.. her parents were strange. Thinking of her parents gave her a slight twinge, and Ella pushed it firmly aside to focus on tying her apron around her waist and heading towards the door where already a line had formed, as usual it did most days.
"Where hell did that kid go now?" Ella muttered to herself, grumbling as she retied her apron on after a quick ten minute break that ended up being closer to three as she was incapable of telling the customers she was off the clock and had ended up helping them for a couple minutes. Spying her friend, she strode over, about to give him a piece of her mind. Only to realize he was leaning on the table, blatantly flirting with the prettiest man Ella was certain she had ever met. Eyes the color of midnight lifted to meet hers, that stunning rich purple-black, ringed with a lighter shade of purple, that milk-pale skin where blue veins could easily be seen and traced, and a waterfall of perfectly blank tendrils tied loosely at the nape of his neck and braided neatly until she would guess about midback. Something held her spellbound, an eerie sense of danger, broken only by Lief realizing she was nearby and cheerfully waving to her. When he rose to greet her, Ella realized abruptly he was tall, easily close to half past six feet, with a lean swimmer's build. His accent, when he spoke, was unfamiliar, but somehow vaguely French, if seeming much older than that. When the absolutely gorgeous stranger turned his attention to Lief, who was tugging on a cashmere sweater that probably cost more than Ella's year of rent, that look of gentle patience took her breath away. So this was Christofer, the man that Lief talked about endlessly. The man that Lief absolutely refused to admit he was completely in love with, and really, Ella was certain they were both blind, but any fool with eyes could see the man clearly loved the little fairy. So this was what a Leirth looked, Ella realized after a moment, spying the deadly looking fangs when he spoke gently to Lief, that subtle flashing of pure white. She had never seen one before outside of magazines or television, they tended to be very insolated people.
Before Ella could come over and fuss at Lief for abandoning his post as cashier, the Leirth gently brushed back a platinium blonde curl, a soft scold in his voice in whatever language that was. Lief huffed, a pout on his pretty face, but he turned to face Ella, mumbling, "Sorry bout that." As he moved past her, a pat on her arm as Lief was naturally touchy-feely
