Damian's Wolf - 10. The Elf's Departure

They walked to work the next day, Damian not wanting to risk the biscuits on the motorcycle. Jordan was sure they would be dried out by now, but Damian assured him that as long as they kept the small towel over the pastries they would be fine.

The neko was more concerned about the secondhand shirt they had bought with the extra two coppers left after buying the material for the biscuits.

“I feel like it was too expensive…”

“Look, if Miss Reyla gets upset at the clothing, I’ll take full responsibility for it,” Jordan promised.

They entered the bookstore, Damian still hiding in his hood. Halor was wiping a window and he frowned as he looked up.

“He’s back?” the elf grumbled. “You know there’s a rule against fraternising with the customers.”

“He’s not a customer,” Jordan shrugged.

Halor scoffed as Jordan led Damian into the back of the store.

“Okay, Miss Reyla should be here in an hour or less. You can put the biscuits here and they should be fine, just keep them covered,” Jordan said.

Damian did as he was told, before removing his sweatshirt to reveal a loose red shirt and his ears.

“See? You look more professional now,” Jordan smiled.

“I still think this is a bad idea,” Damian frowned.

“I got your back. You know that, right?”

Damian nodded slowly. Jordan patted his back with a smile.

“Well, let’s get started.”

Jordan grabbed a box of books from the corner of the room.

“Why don’t you get these shelved while I start sweeping?” he suggested.

Damian lifted the box from Jordan’s hands and carried it out to the store. Jordan picked up the broom, following the cat with only two glances at his ass. It was a start.

“What is Blanche thinking, hiring a neko employee? She can’t even afford to give us hours,” Halor grumbled as he passed Jordan to wipe another window.

“She’s the owner. She can do what she wants,” Jordan shrugged.

Halor swiped at the window a couple of times before moving on with a low growl. Jordan let out a sigh as he swept up what little Halor had knocked off. He would have to wipe off the window again. Preferably before Miss Reyla arrived.

Chasing after the elf, Jordan stopped him.

“Here, why don’t you sweep while I clean the windows?”

“But I’m almost done with them,” Halor frowned.

“Humour me,” Jordan said, taking the spray bottle and the rag from him.

The werewolf walked back to the door and began wiping it down again, noticing several streak marks on the glass. It took him a couple of minutes but he got them cleaned up.

Moving on to the next window, Jordan noticed Halor staring at Damian as the neko shelved a book.

“That doesn’t go there,” the elf scowled. “Put it with the Human History books.”

“But it’s neko history…” Damian whispered.

“No, it’s human history. General Aithin was a man, not a cat.”

Shaking his head, Jordan focused on the window, getting rid of another streak. General Aithin was a human involved in the Neko Rebellion of the 12th century, nearly 150 years ago. The book likely belonged in the Human section of the store, but he understood how Damian could make that mistake.

“Why don’t you take a break Halor?” Jordan suggested, moving to the next window.

Without comment, the elf vanished into the back room.

“Damian, set that book aside and we’ll deal with it later,” Jordan continued, reaching up to get some dust Halor had missed.

He let out a quiet sigh. Today looked like it was going to be a long day.

A young elf entered the store as Jordan set his bottle down behind the counter. He swore she had been there the day before, but he shrugged. More repeat business was a good thing.

“Good afternoon,” the werewolf smiled.

“Good afternoon. I’m looking for a book on bikes,” the elf said with a sly smile.

Jordan took it in stride, leading the elf toward their small reference section. He pointed out a few books that might interest the elf before retreating back to the counter as Halor came back out of the back room.

Damian approached the werewolf, the empty box in his hands.

“Here, just set this back here,” Jordan said, taking the contentious book on General Aithin as he motioned behind him.

Glancing at the back of the book, Jordan read the short blurb on the book, surprised to see it mentioned only the Neko Rebellion and none of the General’s other accomplishments.

“Huh. You were right Damian. How’d you know?” he asked.

“I had to read that in school two years ago,” the neko replied, his ears perking up at the news.

“Is that a cat?!” the browsing elf spluttered suddenly, staring at Damian’s ears.

The neko’s ears folded instantly at the words. Jordan watched helplessly as the elf set the book in her hands back on a random shelf and hurried out of the shop.

“Don’t worry Damian, that wasn’t your fault,” Jordan said quietly, moving around the counter so he could comfort the neko.

“That was totally his fault,” Halor smirked as Blanche entered the store.

“What was whose fault?” she asked, placing a book on the counter. “And why are the cleaning supplies behind the counter?”

“Jordan’s friend just scared away a customer,” Halor said smugly.

“And the supplies are my fault. I haven’t put them away yet,” Jordan added.

“Halor, take care of the supplies, please. Damian, what happened?”

“An elf was in here looking for a book, but when she realized I was a neko, she ran out of the store,” Damian said quietly.

“Oh. She nearly ran me over,” Blanche frowned. “I wondered what her hurry was. I’m sorry you had to deal with that.”

She walked past the two, entering the back room.

“It was not your fault,” Jordan insisted quietly.

“I know. But that doesn’t make it feel any better,” Damian shrugged.

“But you don’t have hours for me?!” Halor said loudly from the back room.

“Shit,” Jordan muttered as the elf stormed out of the back room.

“I can’t believe this!” Halor snarled. “You chose him for promotion over me, then give his pet hours instead of me! You know what? I know when I’m not wanted! I quit!”

Blanche sighed, stepping behind the counter. She began counting out silvers, placing them in a small bag before handing it to the elf.

“There’s your final pay,” she said.

Halor grabbed the bag and hurried toward the door. Right before he left the building, he turned back for a parting shot.

“Oh, by the way, your star employee is a werewolf.”