Read Online Claimed by the Wolf (BWWM Erotic Paranormal Romance) by Candi Jackson - Free Book Online Page A

blonde neighbor’s body flashed before my eyes. Clearly I hadn’t been the only one in the neighborhood he’d wanted to make happy.
    “Zenobia!” yelled John, making me jump. “Are you going to take this or not?” He shook his head. “No one wants to work these days,” he muttered.
    I stared at him. “How old are you, twelve?” How dare this little jackass barely out of diapers talk to me like that? What did he know of life? He couldn’t get any girls to pay attention to his greasy face? Oh, boo-hoo.
    “Sixteen, thank you very much,” he said, and jabbed a finger toward the fryer. “I still need that last order: large fry and Big Mac, hold the pickles. Seriously, Zenobia, don’t make me go to the manager about you.”
    As if in response, the car outside honked. My shoulders stiffened, but I counted to five, then forced myself to grab a bag of frozen French fries and dropped them into the fryer basket.
    “No salt on these,” John called. I nodded distractedly and ran to help the customer who approached my register.
    After I’d taken that order, I finished the burger for John, holding the pickles, and quickly wrapped it. The timer on the fries dinged, and I rushed to raise the basket out of the oil to drain. Then I scooped out enough for a large order and sprinkled salt on them before putting both the burger and the fries into a bag along with napkins and two ketchup packets.
    John peeked into the bag. “Zenobia! I. Said. No. Salt. What are you, deaf ?”
    That was it. I saw red, like someone had squeezed a case full of ketchup packets onto my eyes.
    It was stupid to be goaded by someone like this idiot. I knew it. I knew I should just keep my head down and scoop out more fries. I knew that, too.
    But I couldn’t take it anymore. I tore the stupid cap off my head and stomped over to the manager’s office. Gabriel glanced up from his desk. “Zenobia—?” he began.
    “I’m done,” I said, my voice quiet. “You tell that little pisser out there that he might want to learn some respect.”
    Gabriel held up his hands. “Zenobia, you can’t let him get to you. There are always going to be jerkoffs in the world. What, you’re going to let every one of them get under your skin?”
    I dropped my hat on the desk in front of him. “I’m done,” I repeated. “I’ll be back to drop off my uniform and collect my last check.”
    Gabriel studied me for a minute, then let out a long sigh. “All right,” he said. “Your decision.”
    I pulled on my coat and hat and stalked out of there before I could let myself consider what I’d just done. But once outside, with the raw winter wind ripping at my cheeks, I wanted to kick myself. Hot tears ran down my cheeks, almost instantly chilling, and I swiped at them with clumsy, glove-covered fingers.
    This was all I had. What was I supposed to do now?
    I got in my car, holding my breath while waiting to see if it would start in the cold, and said a prayer of thanks when it did. Then, trying not to freak out, I drove home to my tiny room in Mrs. Basil’s basement.
    * * *
    I had five hundred dollars left to my name. Well, four hundred ninety-six dollars and seventy-two cents, to be exact. The television played in the background of my bedroom while I huddled in bed, hands curled around a microwaved cup of instant ramen. Instead of eating, I bit my lip and considered my options.
    I couldn’t count on Avon, obviously, which really sucked. I had let myself believe he wasn’t a player and really wanted to be with me. God, how stupid had I been? I couldn’t stop replaying the moment when he’d dropped to one knee and proposed to me in the Olive Garden, and how everyone had broken into applause when I’d foolishly said yes and let him slip the ring onto my finger. I’d grinned like a total fool, sure I’d met my soul mate.
    But then he’d gotten too tired to get with me in bed, or so he said. I should have known. . . . A man like that never got too tired for women.