Maybe, though...maybe this is just another sign that I’m really not meant to be here. I mean, Meredith made it clear she doesn’t want me. The town has been overwhelmingly mean and negative when it comes to interacting with me. Maybe this is just another way that fate is trying to push me away. There are other cities where doctors can work, after all. It’s not like Claw Valley is my only option. It might not even be the best option.
I step forward to place my order. The barista stares at me, blinking.
“Hello?” I say. I mean, is she okay?
“What do you want?” She growls. Her eyes narrow.
Great.
So that’s how it’s going to be.
No matter where I go, and no matter what I do, people are going to be rude and abrupt because they don’t know me.
More importantly, they don’t want to get to know me.
Nobody here is giving me any sort of chance.
“You know what,” I finally snap, shaking my head. “Forget it.”
“Finally,” the barista rolls her eyes, and somehow, that just makes me feel like I’m about two inches tall. I haven’t felt this bad since I was getting ready for my divorce. I don’t like this feeling at all.
Not even a little bit.
With a sigh, I turn around to leave the building. No one in the coffee shop seems to notice my anxiety, which is insane because my tension smells so strongly that it’s making me feel a little sick.
I push open the door and step outside, bumping into a short, squirrely-looking man as I do.
“I’m sorry,” I murmur, but the man doesn’t say anything. Strange he would turn up an opportunity to be snarky. I stop just outside of the coffee shop and look down at my phone. There really is a little piece of me that wants to message Meredith. There’s part of me that wants to beg her to give me another shot, but that really is pathetic.
On impulse, I open up Team Shifter and unmatch our relationship.
There.
Now I won’t be tempted to keep thinking about her.
I won’t do anything stupid, like call her tonight when I’m home and alone. I know what I have to do. Tomorrow, I’m going to meet her and the dragon at noon and we’re going to unmatch our relationship for real.
He’s going to take away my mating claim.
Suddenly, I sniff the air.
Anxiety.
Tension.
The sickly sweet scent of sweat fills my nostrils, but I realize that this isn’t my own anxiety that I’m scenting. I turn around and peer in the window of the coffee shop. Something is wrong.
The squirrely-looking guy who just passed me is at the register, but he’s not ordering a cup of coffee.
He’s trying to rob the shop.
The scent of fear is coming not only from him, but from all of the patrons in the shop. They’re all equally unhappy and anxious. Shit. From my vantage point, I can tell that he has some sort of weapon. Who in the world thinks robbing a café is a good choice? Fuck.
But I also know that I’m not letting this guy walk out of there. He might try to shoot me if I attack him, but failure isn’t an option.
He’s not getting out of there.
With a growl, I dial 9-1-1 on my cell phone.