Chapter 2
The grill hissed as Osiris flipped a burger, the scent of seared meat filling the kitchen of The Amber Howl.
“Two more minutes,” he called out, reaching for the next order on the printer.
Marco, his line cook, snorted. “You say that all the time, even if it’s more than two minutes.”
“Nah, your watch is wrong.”
Marco shook the basket of fries in the oil with a good-natured snort.
Sigh added two big patties to the grill for the next order, then slid his spatula under the finished one and set it carefully on the bottom bun. He topped it with the bun smeared with mayo and slid the plate over to Marco for fries.
“It’s a thing of beauty,” he said.
“The burger?” Marco asked.
“Hell yes.” The Blue Monster had both of his favorite cheeses – blue and muenster – together on a thick patty, all melty and delicious. He loved coming up with creative burgers and fun names for them. This week’s Burger of the Week was his favorite so far.
Marco set the plate on the pass and called for Tara, their main server, to grab it.
He let the burgers on the grill cook and picked up his phone to check The Amber Howl’s social media account.
He posted the burger of the week on Monday afternoon, and had regulars who would come in every Monday night for the special.
He made other burgers from their small, five-burger menu that included the choice of fresh cut regular or sweet potato fries.
He was always happy to see people pick the burger of the week.
The post about the burger had a lot of likes. He hoped that translated into lots of customers. He liked things busy. He was a ‘food is love’ kind of guy, and feeding people – especially his pack – was one of his favorite things.
While it was just the three of them – his brothers Darrin and Patrick – who also worked at The Howl, someday he’d be cooking for his mate, and he couldn’t wait.
His wolf was restless and wanted to find her and get on with the next chapter of their lives. Sometimes it was hard as hell having a wolf in his head, but he loved shifting and running through the woods surrounding their homes that were just behind the tavern.
Trick was the bouncer, and Dare – the oldest – was the alpha and bartender.
They’d left their pack a few years ago and built The Amber Howl on the Pine Run River, across the bridge from the entirely human town of Mill Creek.
He tucked his phone into his pocket and turned his attention to the grill, flipping the burgers, then prepping the plates, focusing on the job at hand. He settled into the rhythm of the job – flip, plate, repeat – as the hum of the kitchen and the main room outside wrapped around him.
But even though he was comfortable with a spatula in hand, he could admit that he’d been feeling a little off all day. He wasn’t sure why, but ever since he’d posted about the Blue Monster, his wolf had been grumbling in his head.
It wasn’t close to the full moon, so his wolf wasn’t antsy about shifting.
And they weren’t in any danger.
They’d separated from their pack over a difference of opinion with their old alpha. He was happy with Trick as alpha, and he loved King Lake.
He’d just love it more once he found his truemate.
Wherever she was.
He reached for the basket of fries as the timer beeped, shaking the oil from them before dumping them into a metal bowl. He salted them with a practiced flick of his wrist. “I’ll run these to Dare,” he said to Marco.
“That was not nearly enough salt.”
“You’re a salt fiend, that was the perfect amount of salt.”
“Salt is flavor.”
“Good gravy man, there are other flavors out there!”
Marco made a face.
Sigh pushed through the swinging door and stepped into the main room. The Amber Howl was filling up, and he was excited to see so many people ordering the Blue Monster.
He stepped through the pass behind the long counter where Dare was filling drink orders and set the fries on the back counter. “Brought you fries.”
“Hey, thanks. I’m starving.”
“It’s what I do.”
He watched Dare pour a beer and set it in front of a patron, then turn and reach for a few fries.
Sigh lingered for a moment, his gaze scanning the main room.
A few females walked into the tavern past Trick, who manned the door.
He watched as Trick flashed them an easy grin and said something that made the females giggle.
One of them said something low and Trick shook his head, and they moved away.
Sigh bet she asked him to join them.
But Trick wouldn’t unless the female happened to be his mate. He was a friendly guy and females tended to take it as flirting, but he wasn’t necessarily looking for a fling. None of them were, really. They all wanted to find their truemates, but who the hell knew when that would happen?
“You okay?” Dare asked as he turned back to the counter and filled another drink order.
“My wolf’s restless.”
“Restless how? It’s not the full moon.”
“I don’t know, it’s not about that. It’s just… like something is coming maybe.”
Dare studied him quietly. “Well, you let me know if you figure out if the something coming is good or bad, okay?”
“I will.”
As Dare filled the drink order, Sigh glanced around the room again, then headed back to the kitchen, rubbing the space over his heart. He couldn’t quite place what was up with his wolf, but something was going on. Maybe he needed to shift and run around the woods after work.
Or maybe he just needed to be patient and see what the night brought.
Stepping back into the kitchen, he picked up a spatula, checked the tickets, and got to work, losing himself in the methodical work of making the best damn burgers around.
He plated the burgers, slid them to the pass for Marco, pondered creating Blue Monster fries as a new side dish, and reached for the next ticket. Usually he was content with the rhythm of the work, but not tonight. His wolf was grumbling, insistent and alert. Not for food or a run in the woods.
For something more.
Sigh didn’t know what, but he had the strangest feeling that he wouldn’t be waiting much longer.