Emmaline
"Someone is having a crush on our future Alphaaaaa..." says Mila as she walks with a new tray of strawberry tarts towards me.
"But girl...I AM mated, and I can't deny the beautiful view" she laughs as she starts placing the tarts in a row inside the cakes display.
I roll my eyes and pretend to arrange the row of ice cream containers before closing the display. Mila was the daughter of the Bakery Boss, Joe. And she is my one and only friend.
"Don't even start, Mila" I say looking at the door as a new costumer enters the coffeeshop.
Mila had this glowy dark skin with an equally dark shiny and flowing hair to her shoulders. She is your typical beautiful omega, but somehow in her own way inequal to any other Omega I know. Or maybe I'm biased because I happen to love her dearly!
Mila was very easy going, with a gold heart that attracted all people in a positive way. Proof to the stream of regulars who come every day to taste her amazing creations, but especially to exchange jokes and small talks with her. She was mated just last year when she turned 20 to the Head of Selsas, the first warrior of the pack, who happens to be 10 years older than her. The poor guy was waiting for his destined mate this whole time while she was a kid playing with dough in her father's kitchen. Well, to be logical let's just say that when he turned 20 and had his mating awakening, she was busy watching sponge bob...I guess someone we all know likes to play tricks on us Lycans, and she was really testing the Selsa's patience I see.
When Mila turned 20, their bond formed instantly and the next moment, you saw a wild eyed beautiful woman running breathless towards the warriors' practice field, trying to find an equally crazy eyed Benson, who by the way, was shoving fully grown Lycan warriors like paper dolls left and right to get to his mate. I can't blame the guy; I think after all those years of waiting he gave up ever meeting his mate. So, Mila was this shining bright light that finally made sense why he existed in the first place, or so he said one time when he was drunk and glued to Mila like a new born koala.
The thing about Lycan Bonds, once destined mates are in a close radius after they turn 20, they can literally see the bond tread that links them. They can even smell their mate from miles away. Mila and Benson were in the same pack for years, so it was easy for their wolves to feel and spot each other, they were just waiting apparently for Mila to be of wolf age to mate.
Mila says that it's the best feeling in the world finding your destined mate. The "bestest" according to her, is being accepted as an Omega mate by the most feared warrior in all Lycan lands. But who blames him, Mila is the best Omega I know, and she represents the best of our kind. The moment their eyes met; the man was a goner. A mountain of a man wrapped in seconds around the smallest girl you could ever see, kissing her all over like a starved man. He never let go ever since, baby koala I told you! the kissing part still persists until now every time they meet. I usually ghost them when they start that stuff!
The mighty worrier who scared the shit out of all wolves, including myself, was putty at the hands of a little baker. The irony. The man was a very big Alpha warrior with very few words, I could never bring myself to look directly into his eyes. But when he was at the presence of his little mouthy Mate, he turned into this big "fluffy bear". I have shivers down my arms whenever she described him as such.
But to be true, Mila was so...Mila.
She inherited her easy-going personality, wit, and baking talents from her father, but her personality was the strongest and the most righteous of all. Fit to be the mate of a warrior if you ask me. What a coincidence! But to me, her best attribute of all was her kindness. Their kindness. Her and Joe embraced me from day one without prejudice. They showed me the ropes of the business and even encouraged me to pitch in my ideas without being Judgmental, mistrusting, or just plain mean like I was usually treated by my previous part-time employers. They even made me a full-time employee after just one month!
But what makes Mila, MILA...is her righteous self. The principals of equality to all, and that everyone should be respected and treated fairly no matter who they are, where they come from or who they love. She was especially kinder to me than anyone else. Not out of pity, but because she was trying in her own way to accumulate all the hate, all the ignorance and mistreatment that others might direct towards me, transform it then double it in kindness and send it my way. Which brings us to the argument she is trying to start right about now...
"Pssh, come on Emm, live a little. There is no harm in fantasizing about that fine man being your mate someday. I'm sure all unmated females, young and old, under the Raven Moon have a crush on Alpha Levi" She closes the display glass door and turns to look at me. Here we go...
"Emm, you are not breaking the law if you look at him directly once. Hell! You even still run the other way every time we cross paths with Alpha Damion or his family on the street" She puts her hands on both her hips, that's when I know I'm up for a long lecture that I need to nip in the bud if I don't want my ears to bleed.
"Mila please, not again..." I try to go past her through the kitchen door where I find myself face to face with Joe, cross checking something on today's delivery list.
I plead with my eyes to Joe to save me and deal with his "Live your life a little" daughter. He smiles knowingly and asks.
"Emm, would you care to tell me why my daughter is hot on your heels with her signature hands on the hips attitude?" He arches a brow towards his daughter even if his question was directed at me.
Mila puts her fists down her sides and huffs in exasperation "I was telling her to hold her head high, like, the millionth time. She doesn't need to avoid Alpha's eyes or submit to a beta's order. Or accept any shit from anyone just because..." She stops immediately when Joe hardens his gaze at his daughter.
I know from the bottom of my heart that Mila only wants what's best for me, and she means well, even when we both know how that sentence ends. One time we were baking late into the night together, she said she would turn everyone who disrespects me into a frog if she was a witch and enjoy stomping on them like little slimes. Alas, she was a pure-blooded werewolf and not a witch- thank you Goddess for that, or we would have had a murderer taking into account her fiery temper.
She learned "who I exactly was" in the pack from her father after my first month working here, when he wanted me to work for him full time. He was afraid she would feel uncomfortable or treat me like other pack members. This kindness treat sounds familiar right? Anyway, I never blamed him for sitting us at a table and talking to her about me when I was right beside her, it was the right thing to do. She was destined to inherit the bakery and work with me directly, and she was his only daughter, so she is always his priority. But instead, she turned to me, looked right into my eyes for a couple of minutes, and hugged me so tight I couldn't breathe. She then whispered in my ear "Emmaline Amoria, you let me know if someone says something or disrespects you or your wolf someday. I can deal with them...I have my ways". That was the moment me and Zafi fell in love with this petite girl who packed an equally big heart and bigger personality. We were 18 at the time. That's when Me and my wolf knew we had our first friend and our only ally in this lifetime.
"What brought this on this time?" Joe asks me on a long exhale this time, like he is asking me to be patient in his stead with his daughter.
"I served two scoops for the Future Alpha Levi, but I didn't look straight at his eyes?" I mused with a shy smile to Joe.
"And keep your head high and what nots emerged again? Mila dear I think you should lay off Emm, not everyone is a democracy and equality case that you need to defend. Maybe Emm just doesn't like looking directly at the Alpha, a lot of Omegas are like that by nature!" Joe turns around leaving his daughter, hot on HIS heals this time around, and go through the kitchen checking on the two bakers who were now working the baguettes dough in long ropes.
"He is always extra nice to her, Daddy. He always smiles at her, and she doesn't even spare him a look, let alone smile back! How could she ever find a mate if she can't look people in the eyes?" Joe goes around checking the baking orders, and she follows him all throughout the kitchen. I can see the two head bakers smirking at her usual bantering with Joe as they secretly listen on the conversation.
I lean on the kitchen entryway. I'm grateful to Joe who took pity on me and redirected his daughter's attention and non-stop stream of words towards him. He turns to face her now and Mila stops abruptly before knocking into her father.
"And you think Alpha Levi would be her destined mate if she looks at him, or maybe smiles back at him? He is not even 20 yet Mila for Goddess's sake...". I go stiff at his statement. Even as a joke, that was like a cold shower to me, I straighten my back. Someone like me would never even entertain the idea of...
"Why not?" Mila scoffs at her father.
Oh Goddess...what in Goddess's name is she even saying...
"Do you think the Goddess chooses mates based on paychecks? Race? What now, gender? Hell, both our Alphas are MALE ALPHAS! and we are long past fraction discrimination since the Lycan wars, decades ago Dad! DECADES! this is about Emm not even accepting having a crush on ANYONE..."
My Goddess, this is going to be a very long monologue from Mila. I needed to stop this asap.
"You don't dictate to Emm or anyone what and how they act or feel Mila, it's not right. This is not how you were raised..." Joe starts raising his voice out of frustration now.
"Don't bring the "how you were raised" argument now, it's not valid in this situation..." and NOW they started both raising their voices, I've got to handle Mila the EMM WAY right this second. I called with a loud voice.
"Mila!"
They were up in each other's face now, so when I called her loud enough, they sheepishly turned to look my way. They gave each other space, but they both crossed their arms and looked down. I can tell they felt guilty arguing about me in front of the others in that small kitchen. I step to Mila and hold her shoulders. I try looking deep into her eyes as she raises her head to look at me. This was my special way to deal with this frustrated version of Mila and make her relax and listen to me. I needed to end this futile argument so everyone can go back doing their job. I can already sense people Lining up at the counter outside...
"Mila honey, you know you're my best friend, my only friend ...but I don't have a crush on Alpha Levi..."
"But..." She starts but I cut her off quickly.
"I don't, and I won't ever. Neither him, nor another man. Maybe my mate if we ever find each other and he accepts me..." I smile at her, and she rolls her eyes at me.
"Why the hell wouldn't he..."
"But even then, Mila, I will take it step by step" She frowns at this, but I proceed quickly before she starts her ranting again.
"Mila! I avoid the Alpha family because I simply have nothing in common with them. Or even know what to say if I'm ever in their presence. So better have me comfortable in my own space rather than you have me feel bad & uncomfortable in any kind of situation, right?"
The frown softens this time a little on her kind beautiful face. She gives me a small nod; that she understood and respects my thoughts. I'm sure she wants to argue more, but she usually stops if I ask her to respect my feelings every time. Zafira smiles at the back of my mind...
Lani is apologizing too, and I quote, "for her troublemaker obnoxious, should put her foot in her mouth" owner- Zafi gives a small chuckle after she mentally delivers the message.
If my Zafi was shy and calm, Mila's wolf was nothing but...a spanky wolf for a spankier owner.
I smile again at her and shake her shoulders lightly to get her response.
She crosses her arms and looks straight in my eyes now. She is trying to detect if I was bluffing to shut her up, or if what I said was for real. I look straight into her eyes to reassure her that I meant it, with a small confident smile and nod. And I meant every word. I knew deep down that I have no chance in the seven hells to cross paths with the Alpha family, let alone be the mate of their precious first born. The goddess might be playful, mysterious in her decisions with us sometimes, but surely, she was not stupid. Or cruel...I think by now she has had enough playful torture sent my way for the remaining days of my life.
Mila exhales a long breath, then drops her hands at her sides. She hugs me instantly and I hug her back. I love my girl. I thank the goddess every night for making me cross this beautiful family's path, but if I can avoid her patriotism toward "Justice for Emma Case" today, I will.
"How do you do that?" Joe laughs and shakes his head at us. We separate and we both look at him.
"Do what?" I muse questionably.
"That. Make her docile and calm and all the nice things that I can't make her do since she was a pup. How do you do it?" I smile at Joe when I understand. Me and Mila look at each other and laugh.
"Daddy, that's the friends for life bond, you won't understand" Mila bumps his side playfully and they laugh it out as if they weren't arguing just a minute ago.
"Hey, I have friends..." He argues back.
"Tv and Baking books are not friends..." Mila gives him the side eyes while she teases. She picks a cup and fills it with cold water from the fridge, no doubt to lubricate her vocal cords for another argument with her father. I don't think he took the bait this time as he frowns at her and turns to me. The frown immediately turns into kind eyes and a soft smile while he shakes his head.
"You sure about staying friends with this type of Lycan kiddo?" he points at her with his thumb just to tease his daughter. She gives him the evil eye behind his back.
This version of teasing arguments? I like. Just don't focus on me please...
"No, but seriously, Emm, you make this space very calm." Marco, one of the bakers' shims from the side, laughing as he loads the baguettes tray in the resting racks. "I think it's something to explore since I don't want to slap Greg's head with a spatula every day whenever I'm working here!"
"I'm pretty sure it was Joe's warning last year when you had that fight in the kitchen about the last piece of chicken at lunch?" I reminded him laughing at how they both shuddered when I mentioned that happening, surely remembering how Joe went berserk on them both when he found them fighting on the kitchen table, and the whole afternoon bread batches were knocked to the ground.
"Hey, let's be grateful I don't put flour down your pants anymore. But if you would like to try it for old times' sake..." Greg mutters from the other side. Our two bakers are into the joke now.
"Okey, okey let's all settle down." Joe puts his hands up and starts.
"Mila, back to the counter. I think we have a line of 5 people already waiting now and the two-part timers are up to their noses serving the tables. And you both..." he points his finger at the bakers.
"Don't make me babysit you again, you 5-year-olds. Load the baguettes, and let's start on the cinnamon rolls next. The pack house will be waiting for their order at 6- sharp"
"Aye aye boss man..." Greg playfully smiles, as he eyes a flour bag next to Marco. The later holds a spatula while narrowing his eyes at Greg.
"The Pack House residents are having a gathering with the Elders this evening at the hall, so I think they will be waiting on that order starting 4 Joe" I say to divert the two bakers' attention from the glaring contest they are having with each other now.
Right away after my statement, they start moving with purpose and getting what was needed for the order. Spatula and flour down someone's pants forgotten.
I smile at what just happened right now in this small kitchen, downtown the Lycan pack.
I might not have a family, or a home. I might be the lowest of the low in this pack, with no honor, title, or importance. But for now...for now I have my forever companion wolf, Zafira. For now, I have Mila who will defend me at any cost, sometimes against others and often against my own demons. I have Joe, a great boss who looked beyond my origins and upbringings and gave me and my humble talents a chance. I have two nice old bakers who are not so very nice to each other.
You know you always got me kiddo...you and me both until the fading! Zafira adds with a smile to her voice inside my head.
I know Zafi...I've got you! Always! I smile fondly at my wolf.
Today I smiled from my heart. Today, I'm content with my Existence.