Tauvie huffed in exasperation.  “You know nothing John Mcintiver” she muttered to herself with a little smirk. John Mcintiver was the manager at the pharmacy she worked for. Or, well, did work for, before her nature got the better of her as usual. Tauvie could be what some might call… abrasive… But she couldn’t help it! Sometimes other people just made her blood boil so hot she couldn’t behave herself.

It was not her fault that the customer had been eyeing her since he walked in the store. It was not her fault that he had asked her a ridiculous number of inane questions. And it was most certainly NOT HER FAULT that he had tapped her ass on purpose as he walked past her stocking one of the aisles.

It had only been natural that Tauvie had responded with a resounding slap to the man’s face. She could admit that she had maybe gone a tad too hard with the slap. Her hand was still stinging and everyone within earshot and eyesight had almost given themselves whiplash trying to turn and look at what had caused the sound. The man, Tauvie couldn’t help but notice as she had taken in his surprised expression, could only be described as devilishly handsome. As she had stood there, breath coming rapidly in the heat of her fury, he had done the oddest thing. He had kept his striking grey brown eyes locked on hers as his right hand lifted to rub his jaw. And then the cocky bastard had lifted one perfect thick brow, shrugged, flashed her a brilliant grin and winked!!

The absolute unabashed nature of him, even after being slapped, had floored her. In addition to the slap, she may have told him where he could go shove it and in what manner he would find his balls if he ever touched her again.

Her manager, John, who had already been on his way over and whom she could see out of the corner of her eye, suddenly put on an extra burst of speed. He had stepped in between them, his “the customer is always right” powers activated to level ten. Apologizing for her behavior profusely and offering coupons galore, he had led the man away to do further damage control. The man had followed beside her manager amiably enough, but not before turning back to shoot her ANOTHER wink.

Fuming, Tauvie had gone back to stocking until John had returned 15 minutes later. He hadn’t even taken her into the tiny, cramped back office. He had simply taken the bottle of hair shampoo she had been about to shelve and asked her to leave. When she asked hopefully if she was just suspended for the day, he had shot her a comically surprised (almost aghast) look before letting her know she was not suspended and in fact fired.

“Closed mouths don’t get fed” Tauvie thought wryly. While she hadn’t actually believed she wouldn’t be fired after that, she had still held onto a sliver of hope. Tauvie sighed heavily as she slid into her driver’s seat. Reaching around to her backseat, she pulled her blanket up to the front and covered herself generously in its softness. She and her trusty blanket had been through thick and thin in the last 15 months. She blew into her hands to warm them as she thought about her circumstances. Tauvie left home 15 months ago. She was 21 and had had enough of her abusive mother, Tatianna and her boyfriend, Mathas. Tauvie’s mother had been more interested in blaming her daughter for her boyfriends’ interest in her than in protecting her from that interest.

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While the last 15 months were the hardest she’d ever experienced, they had also been the freest. Tauvie continued to be both terrified and exhilarated. She had been living out of her car and couch surfing for much of the time since she’d left home. The uncertainty and inconsistency saddened her at times, but she had also experienced an incredible sense of self and adventure as she settled into this season of her life. Tauvie was determined to continue to grow into and be who she really was. Even if that meant she got fired a lot, she thought with a grimace and a shrug.

“Seems like you’ll catch a cold if you snuggle up in there with the car still off in this 25 degree weather.”

Tauvie started violently out of her reverie, her eyes bugging and heart pounding as she searched for where the voice had come from. She already knew this voice; and it set her teeth grinding.

Out of the passenger side window, hauntingly beautiful grey brown eyes bore straight into hers. Him. What the fuck is he doing here?

A rumble snapped Tauvie out of her ire and she realized he was chuckling as she all but bared her teeth at him.

“What do you want?!”

“You.”

The gall of this man.

“Well tough luck sugar foot but that slap wasn’t just for show. Your attentions are neither wanted nor welcome. So if you could kindly fuck off…”

Tauvie trailed off as the man with the dusky, almond colored skin kept eye contact with her as he walked around the car to the driver’s side. His step was measured, sure. His hands casually resting in the pockets of his on trend dark green trench coat. She shrunk back just a bit as he kneeled, bringing his almost 7ft frame down until he was eye to eye with her again. A shiver touched the back of Tuavie’s neck and traveled down her spine.

“Your Amber eyes are mesmerizing.”

“Im not going to ask you again. What do you want!?”

“You.”

“Still. Not. Interested. Now go away. What the fuck is your problem?”

The man doesn’t say anything and doesn’t break his increasingly creepy eye contact. His eyes feel like they are beginning to bore into Tauvie’s soul. But she refuses to back down by being the first one to break their intense stare off. The mans mouth begins to slowly twitch up again at the corners and his tongue slowly swipes across his lips.

“Good. Very good. You’ll do nicely. Beautiful. Passionate. Fiery. The fierceness that befits the mate of an Alpha.”

“The what of a what…” Tauvie had no idea what the guy was talking about. But despite his looks and demeanor he was definitely a pyscho and it was time to go.

Finally breaking the uncomfortable eye contact. Tauvie took the loss and cranked her key, which was already in the ignition of her old, rusted green Honda accord. While he was not the prettiest vehicle one might ever see, he was the most faithful. The man leaped back as she hastily reversed out of the pharmacy parking lot. She put the car in drive and resolved to put the man out of her mind. But she couldn’t help sneaking a peek in her rearview mirror at him as she pulled onto the street. He was waving at her. His other hand on his stomach as he laughed.