Pack Challenge

Chapter Two

TOC

“So, what happened to your face?”

Sara grabbed Miki by her T-shirt and jeans before she could dive over the counter at the Asian girl they called Kelly.

Angelina leaned forward as Sara pulled Miki back to her, “You know what they say about curiosity? That it stabbed the annoying biker girl over and over and over again until she spit up blood.”

Oh, yeah. That was subtle. Sara pushed Angelina back too. Her friends had always been protective of her. It was sweet, in its own rabid-squirrel kind of way.

Sara looked at the woman. People rarely just came out and asked about her wounds. Not so directly. But there seemed to be no malice to her question. It was just a question. So, Sara gave her a very straightforward answer, “None of your business. So are you taking those shirts?”

Kelly looked down at the six T-shirts she was holding, “Uh… yeah. Sure.”

As Sara rung up the sale, Marrec and Casey returned. The tension seemed to have lessened a bit, but she could tell Marrec was still on edge as he walked around the counter, patting Sara on the shoulder. “Everything okay?”

“Yeah.” Sara muttered under her breath, “And they’re buying a ton of shit. I expect a bonus, old man.”

Marrec smiled, “Greedy, bitch.”

Casey stood in front of Sara, examining her closely. “Interesting scar.”

“Un-fucking-believable.” Sara heard Miki mutter angrily.

“Check this out,” Casey pulled her mane of hair from off her neck, and turned so that Sara had a clear view.

Angelina and Miki winced.

Sara stared at the healed over and raised rips across the woman’s neck. They ran from the back of her left ear, across and down her neck, disappearing under her coat. Sara sensed they went on well down her torso.

“Mountain lion.” Casey volunteered. “Eight years ago. Was a nasty fight.”

“You? You fought a mountain lion?” Clearly Miki wasn’t buying it.

“It was either him or me. And in the end it all comes down to survival.”

Sara thought about her father. He’d fought to protect her all those years ago and it cost him his life, but in the end she survived.

Julie, who seemed to be getting stronger and healthier by the minute, interrupted the moment with an announcement. “The males are here.”

Sara could see through the glass window as four more bikes pulled up outside the shop.

Miki turned to Casey, “Are these men men or chicks dressed as men?” Sara closed her eyes and Angelina sighed. Miki broke into a grin, “I’m just askin’.”

What walked through the shop door three minutes later, though, were clearly “men men.”