Crossing Moon Ch. 02

"Try the bell, Avvie," Carinelle suggested, pointing to a small cute press-me-for-service bell.

Aveline giggled but didn't say anything as she pushed the bell once. She looked around the cafe and despite of the homey feeling that the cafe had offered, there weren't many customers like she would have expected. The cafe was quiet, well, too quiet than the ordinary cafe that she was used to going back home. The only sound was a nice soft piano playing in the background. Comfortable and strangely homey, this was what Wolvern Cafe had offered and yet the people of Lexton didn't seem to mesh up with this uniqueness.

"Welcome to Wolfy! How can I help you?" a voice suddenly popped in cheerfully. Aveline and Carinelle looked back to the counter and smiled.

"Wolfy?" Carinelle asked, her left eyebrow rose high in amusement.

The man was tall and built. He wasn't young but he wasn't too old either, the girls guessed that he must be in his late thirties and probably in the same age group as their parents. He exuded that certain charm and his face, oh, the girls were amazed with his boyish youth. Carinelle had wanted to say 'beautiful' but found it rather girlish to call a man like that. The man seemed taken aback with them especially when he landed his beautiful eyes on Carinelle. His forehead creased and there was a hint of dislike and a sudden wash of pain but he was such a good actor that he had hidden those strange things away, either that, or the girls must have imagined too much.

"Yes, it's the cafe's nickname." The man said shortly, avoiding his gaze from her and entirely fixed his attention on Aveline.

"Um, oh, all right," Carinelle felt peeved. Somehow, she could sense that the man -- this strange unknown man didn't like her.

"So, how can I help you girls today?" the man said, a little gentle than he was earlier before. "If you'd like, I'd suggest our famous Vanilla Mocha Larvinge."

" Larvinge?" Aveline asked sceptically.

"Yes, it's very delicious. A mix of mocha, vanilla and old Grandma Adams' secret recipe." The man smiled faintly.

"Um, all right then. One cup of that and a cup of Origa Coffee," and then Aveline turned to Carinelle, "Hey Carrie, do you want anything?"

"Um, yeah, the one you ordered for you earlier, Avvie." Carinelle replied back, her eyes locked to the man who refused to meet gaze with her. She frowned. What was up with this old man? She wondered.

"Anything else?" He asked, jotting down the order on a small blank notepad. Then he put back the pencil on the curve of his ear.

Aveline shook her head, "That's all."

"That'd be $13.50 and your order will be done in a few minutes, so please take a seat." He smiled again.

Aveline gave him $14.00, "Keep the change, Mr...?"

"Adrian, just call me Adrian." He said, and then just before he turned to make the order, he gave Carinelle a quick look, one that was so fast that the girls hadn't noticed it.

***

The girl brought him pain, one that he had thought that he had forgotten and hidden away in the folds of his memory. How would he know that the sight of a familiar face would make his heart bleed?

Those human girls drew his attention but the one who had asked about "Wolfy" intrigued him the most. She strongly reminded him of Fiorelle, his beautiful Alpha Female. The one who made his heart danced to the beat. He thought that he had long forgotten the pain but he was proven wrong.

And yet at the same time, his heart bloomed with happiness when he saw that familiar face. That human girl didn't look exactly like Fiorelle but she had the same beautiful eyes and those wonderful smiles that melted his heart at the very moment when he came out to the counter and greeted them.

What was her name? Oh yes, Carrie and the other pretty one was Avvie.

He wondered how Fiorelle was doing after all of these years. Was she happy? Was she still in love with the Alpha? He gave a little smile to himself as he put the dried cups back to a rack on the wall.

"Adrian, are you all right? You're so quiet today," Yvainne Wilkinson piped in as she put a new blank notepad into her left pocket and a pencil into her right pocket. She gave her apron pockets a little tap and then poured a freshly brewed coffee into a cup and then a plate of fresh warm biscotti. She put in a few packets of milk, sugar and butter.

"I'm just tired," Adrian answered, shrugging his shoulders. He leaned his weight on the counter, his arms folded on the surface. "Now, how about you, Yvainne dear?"

"Me? What about me?" she asked back, turning down to the oven and took out a freshly baked cupcakes.

He looked at her, "Well, how's school?"

"School's great," she said shortly, "New semester's going to start in a week and I can hardly wait!"

"Study hard Yvainne, scholarships doesn't come by easy," Adrian added with a smile.

"Yeah, I mean, I'm thankful that you gave me a part-time job and all but without my scholarship, I don't think I could afford a school like Aliaxia."

"I wish Maxwell is as studious as you are, dear," he chuckled, "God knows, he hardly opens any books!"

"Aww, c'mon Dad! I'm not that lazy," Maxwell Jay Adams said suddenly as he poured himself a cup of coffee.

Yvainne laughed, "Well, Max, Adrian, I have to take this order to the customer," she said pointing to the tray. "But please, carry on."

The father and son watched her carried the tray to the customer sitting by the large glass-paned window. Maxwell broke the cupcake into two and dipped one half into his warm cup of coffee and ate it. Adrian's thoughts then went back to the beautiful young Carrie, the human who reminded him of his painful past.

He shouldn't feel drawn to the girl. She was a human and very young. She was probably the same age as his son!

And besides, didn't he have learnt his lesson regarding human-wolf relationship?

He should have known better than to tempt fate. He shouldn't have dared to test his own wolfy instincts that he, himself, knew full well that he couldn't control sometimes.

Maxwell looked at his father carefully, sensing the disturbance in his father's thoughts. He touched his father's left shoulder, looking at him, "Are you all right, Dad?"

"Yes son," Adrian said, lying perfectly well, "I'm all right."

But even then, Maxwell knew he was hiding something.

***

Looking back,
The ghost of a memory,
Clinging ever so tightly,
Refusing to let go,
Not letting me breathe,
And not letting me forget...

***

To Be Continued...

***