Excerpt from "Sage: Dance of the Marked" chapter 7

This is an excerpt from my book when Sage first meets two other werewolves from her partner's pack.  Why am I posting this excerpt over so many of my other scenes?  I love my book, as most writers really love their own work - or they wouldn't write it, but I'm going to have to make some tough decisions and cut a lot of material to bring my word count down.   Likely this scene will have to be cut.  :(  I really like this scene but it's probably one of those that isn't really needed to progress the story.

Excerpt from the beginning of chapter 7.

It’s been five days since I’ve come home and in that time I have managed to undo all my hard work over the last year.  I spent my first year away at college trying to create my own destiny and escape one that was almost predestined for me here in Julian.  Well, predestined for me until my family, my clan, gave up any hope of me showing any outward signs that I was carrying any werewolf genetic material in my DNA, and thus let me go away to school.  But within five days of being home, my recently discovered new life and new destiny have become a thing of my past and now I seem to be back on track with the life that was originally predestined for me.  I was thinking about how convoluted all this seems while getting ready for work.  I was scheduled for another day of training at the hardware store.  I reminded myself, any place where Brian is, is where I wanted to be. The connection we had was growing stronger with each day that we were together.  My attraction for him was more than a physical craving, being near him was no longer a choice; it was essential as breathing.

            Yesterday was fairly uneventful with Brian compared to the previous day at Tristan Klein’s office.  Yesterday Brian taught me how to run the register at work and how to inventory the nuts and bolts aisle.  Hmm, I guess even werewolves have to work.

            But last night was interesting, to say the least.  My mom sent me to the grocery store to do some shopping.  Even from the parking lot I caught their scent.  As I walked into the store, I could tell it wasn’t my Brian that I could smell, but two other werewolves.  One of the baggers looked up at me with those tell tale eyes, grinning flashing the teeth. 

I thought to him assuming that he would hear me, “You must be Keith.”  Keith Stubbe is the youngest of the pack. He is newly 16 and yet to finish high school.  Brian said Keith turned about eight months ago at the age of 15, younger than the rest of the pack when they individually changed.  From what I understood, Brian, Tristan, and Jason practically had to babysit Keith during the first few months before and after his change because his behavior was very unstable from his young teenage hormones and everyone was afraid he would wolf out in public. 

I stood in the vestibule of the grocery store staring at him, while he stared back.  Keith was barely taller than me, but not done growing yet at his age.  He had reddish brown hair, but flawless white skin, not all freckled up like most red heads.  He seemed to lack some self-control as he held his mouth slightly ajar; his bite elongated some.  He realized this and closed his mouth.  Finally he whispered, “You can’t hear my thoughts, can you?”

“Nope, but you hear me fine don’t you?”

“Excellent.”  Much too quickly he moved to stand next to me.  “Actually I don’t think any of us will hear you unless you are thinking something directly about us or to us,” he said this while trying to stare me down.  “So you can hear Brian’s thoughts?”  This was a statement more than a question.  Keith looked absolutely fascinated by this.

“Interesting.”  This was said from right behind me about a second after I realized that the other scent had intensified.  “You can’t hear the rest of us, but you can hear your mate and your brother,” Jason Butler, age 23 and werewolf said.

I jumped as I thought, “Ambushed.”

Jason sensed my knee jerk reaction - fear - before I ever thought it.  He pulled Keith back a little.  “Sorry, we didn’t mean to, um, intimidate you,” he said as he lowered his head respectfully.  “I definitely don’t want you to get the wrong impression and sic Brian after me,” he laughed quietly.

I thought that he was showing Brian respect by showing me some.  Jason was about 6 feet tall, with shoulder length brown hair.  Fairly unremarkable looking with the boy-next-door looks until you inspected his eyes.  He had darker green to hazel eyes, but they too seemed to glow, especially around the edges.

“We’ll have to get to know each other soon, because Trish is absolutely dying to get to know you and go on a double date,” he said with a kind smile. 

I smiled back and recalled that Brian had told me already that Trish is Jason’s partner.  That term partner doesn’t do the intense life bonding between some members of our clan justice, but it sufficed and regular humans didn’t take notice at its use.  “Yes, that would be nice.  Thank you.”  It was difficult to be anything but polite to someone who was being so courteous to me.

Jason went back into the storeroom, but Keith continued to stalk me around the store for a bit.  Oh why not?  On my second trip down aisle 5 to find the baked beans that were on my grocery list, I finally decided to use my silent voice to get help.  “Keith, where are the baked beans?”  I knew I needed to direct the question to him to have any hopes of him hearing me.

Keith, now back up by the register, looked at me and held up three fingers.  I nodded and thought to myself, “Well that was useful.”

As I went up the next aisle Keith was at the end, apparently still stalking me.  Clearly he had nothing better to do, but maybe he was just curious about me.  I noticed that he had a white crescent shaped scar on his lower leg.  I didn’t mean to pry, but I formed the thought before I could stop myself.  “Your scar looks like an animal bit you.”

Again, he was suddenly standing next to me, leaning close to my ear.  “Yeah, a dog by the name of Jason bit me,” he said so quietly that I was sure no one but me, and Jason clear across the store, heard him.

“Keith, may I see you in the employee lounge, now!”  Jason didn’t sound so polite anymore.  “Sage needs to be getting home before her mother gets worried.”