My Beta My Protector

Autumn leaves decorate the ground yellow and red as if making a red carpet for me as I walked the familiar pathway to the cemetery. Crows screeching along to the rustling of October trees that fall from the branches in an Autumn shower of color, greet me on my trek to my haven. Finally, I am at my resting place, where my family is buried.

Placing my bag down on the ground near my brother’s tombstone, I put a white rose on both of my parent’s tombstone before putting a paper Crane on my brother’s. “Hey guys, sorry I’m late… kind of overslept.” I apologize before sitting on the ground.

Looking up to the sky I took a big breath and let it out slow. “Wow, it’s been almost six years already? Time sure flies, it feels only yesterday that you left me out in the world to fend for myself while you guys all party in the afterlife.” I laughed lightly and lend back on my elbows.

Rolling my neck, I let out a groan. “I’m kidding… you had no choice, but I wish you guys took me with you. I hate it here. I’m like the annoying kid that was invited over but overstayed their welcome and it’s too awkward to tell them to leave.”

I fell backwards resting my head on my gym bag and looking up towards darkening sky. “God, I miss you miss you guys. Its pure hell in my life. I am an outcast with no living relatives. Yet I at least have a few friends that has been there for me and that I can rely on. Though I would not really call Kass a friend, just… you know, living in her house. She thinks were extreme BFF’s because I do not kiss her ass but… I do not know. Sometimes it seems like were friends but she’s self centered and the world revolves around her. She’s nice, in a way, I really don’t have a choice in anything she says when her parents are around. One time she asked me could I take her turn to do the dishes because she had to do her paper. I was tired from the like TEN jobs I had, so I declined and the look the Luna and Alpha gave me pretty much summed up ‘ WE let YOU live in OUR house and you can’t cater to our daughters every whelm?!’. And if you think I’m lying dad, guess what the alpha, mind you the ALPHA said to me.”

“Why not Leia? You’re not busy, it wouldn’t hurt to do something for someone else for a change. Kasandra just graduated, we don’t won’t her 25 and still in her first year of community.’ And they all laughed like it was the funniest joke he ever told, while I was stuck with the dishes for the rest of the week and I didn’t even eat a single crumb.”

Tears were rolling down my eyes as I wiped angrily. “Cinderella my ass! As soon as I shift and complete my mandatory one year of community college, I’m out of here. I already have a ton saved up so I can move anywhere. The only problem is, I can’t leave without you guys. I know that cliché saying ‘we’re in your heart and everywhere you go’ blah blah blah, but who’s going to clean your tombstones or give you flowers? I don’t know if anyone knows how to make Peanut’s favorite Crane origami? Its trivial, I KNOW but even dead, you guys are all I have… its sad really.”

My watch beeped signaling the time, “ Job number three for today is calling, better hurry up. A la prochaine, je t’aime”. I gave my dead relatives a farewell before jogging out the cemetery and to my beat up car. It took a couple tries but it cranked, with a little shake I was on my way to one of the most fanciest posh restaurant in town.

After parking my yellow bug, that has seen better days, near the other cars of the other employees, I headed inside through the alley entrance and was met by the asshole sous chef. “You’re late.” He sneered before heading to the kitchen. I looked at my clock it said 5:31, rolling my eyes in annoyance I headed to the locker room to change into my uniform.

“Hey kid, how’s it going?”, asked the high pitched voice of one of the line chefs, April. Her long raven hair was pinned in a bun so that it goes into her hat easily. She’s super nice and is unofficially the mother of the kitchen, if you needed a shoulder hers is there to cry on.

I hummed and stuffed my bag into my locker a little too rough and squashed my finger. With a yelp I started swearing before slamming my locker shut. April ran over and inspected my hand. “Girl be careful! Who cracked your corn flakes?”

“The carrot.” I mumbled, and she snorted with laughter.

“Awe, he’s just mad that chef denied his dish, who the hell wants to eat cold pasta with a grouper sauce. Like ew. But its not broken just watch yourself and don’t let him get to you.” She winked at me before leaving out.

I pulled my long curly hair into a high bun on top of my head. Once I was finished, I rolled myself from head to toe with my lent roller before heading out to the meeting that included the kitchen staff, waiters, and bust boys. I stood beside the kitchen Porter Tina because I was the lowest of the totem pole aka the dishwasher. It’s a lot of work but the atmosphere is amazing plus seeing the fire blazing under the pans as the chefs sautéed, fried, and cooked the food. The mouthwatering aroma was pure heaven. The chefs let me taste literally everything they send out, and when the waiters get the order wrong guess who’s there to scarf down the delicious food they failed to eat.

The sous chef, a balding man in his forties with an Austria accent and a terrible attitude with only five feet to his name, was standing in the front of the kitchen. We nicknamed him ’the carrot because he gets bad tans that make him orange and when he gets made he gets even more orange.

“Good evening staff, we have a punctuality problem. Our dearest ‘Bunny’ was late today, this is the first and last warning to be here on time! Next time you’re late Bunny we’ll get a new dishwasher! Do I make myself clear?!”, the carrot yelled at me using the nickname I was given by the kitchen staff because I was supposedly cute and quiet like a bunny. Which I am far from cute and quiet, once I get worked up its game over and my sarcasm is out of this world.

Before I could say anything the head chef clapped his hands twice before telling everyone to go on their way in French. “Bunny, its fine don’t worry about him. You weren’t late, I saw you when you came in so just run along and forget everything that idiot just said.” He patted my shoulder before talking to the fry chef.

The head chef Jake was a very attractive guy in his early thirties, he so happen to be a werewolf like me. He’s part of the pack but he doesn’t live with the pack since he’s always traveling. April is actually his mate but no one knows but a few employees that work at the restaurant that are also packmates. Jake helped me get this job when I was still in high school but since we’re packmates he convinced the owner to hire me.

“Hey Bunny! Damn girl what did you do to carrot top because he is out to get you.” Asked Jeremy the Roundsman, he’s dating Fred, the Pantry chef.

Donna, the Grill chef, threw her arm around my shoulders. “Whatever you did, do it every night. I love to see him worked up. He’s like an angry Oompa Loompa.” Her skin was a shade darker than mine and she had a beautiful thick afro that circled around her head and made her dark ebony skin glow. While she is in the kitchen she keeps her hair braided in a protective style.

“He’s just nick picking, you know how he is. when he doesn’t have his way her picks on the first person he sees and tries to make their life a living hell. But we got your back Bun Bun, he won’t mess with you.” April said pinching my cheeks.

“All right to your stations, its time to get this show on the road!” yelled the head chef. Everyone scurried to their areas and soon the kitchen was filled with laughter, food sizzling in the pans, and that delicious aroma of exotic foods.

I was washing my life away for an hour and stopped every now and then to taste something amazing. It wasn’t until another hour that I got a shock of my life. While I was laughing at something April said, the head chef came into the kitchen and called out to me. Drying my hands I went over to him with my head bowed as I twiddled my thumbs nervously