A/N: Hello everyone!
This story is book 2 in my 'Moon Cave' werewolf series but can be read as a standalone.
The first book in the series 'Omega's Broken Soul' can be found on my wattpad account @LavenderLoverXOX, along with the spin-off, 'Switch Love' and the character oneshot book 'Moon Cave'.
Follow me on instagram, @lavenderloverxox for illustrations of the characters and more!
This book does include sensitive content with a deaf MC and a mute MC. It is strictly 18+.
We are currently up to chapter 17 on Wattpad and chapters on Tapas will be updated every 3 days until we catch up! Happy reading everyone! :)
MIKA ▪︎ POV
Hello mister ice-cream man. Do you use sign language? That's great! Can I please have...
Hi mister ice-cream man. Do you use sign language? No? Here is my notepad, I can write my order down...
Hey mister ice-cream man. Do you use... cries and runs away.
Good afternoon mister ice-cream man. Goodbye mister ice-cream man.
I was sweating like a baked potato in a microwave, and I wiped my eyebrows with a trembling hand. My knees were knocking together and my throat felt dry despite the soda I'd drank just moments earlier. The queue up to the ice-cream counter was getting shorter and shorter and my impending conversation with the ice-cream clerk was getting closer and closer.
I clutched my pen and my notepad to my chest for dear life, as though it could simply open its mouth and do all the talking for me - save us all the embarrassment of an awkward conversation. But that was obviously a fantasy and not going to save me in this dire situation. All I had to do was repeat the order papa gave me. That's all.
I-I was a grown up! An eighteen year old omega with the world in the palm of my small hands! I'd survived being bitten by a cat and trampled by nine siblings my whole life! I can do this! Easy-peasy!
"Easy-queasy! I'm gonna puke!" Robyn, my wolf announced unceremoniously before gagging and I began to panic. Abort mission! Abort mission! Oh god! My stomach lurched and I gripped it uselessly in an effort to squeeze away the lurching feeling, but it only got worse when I realised that I was up to order.
The ice-cream clerk was a walking juxtaposition if that was even possible. He wore a pink cotton candy striped shirt with a baby blue name tag that read 'Steve'. Despite his fun cotton-candy shirt, Steve looked as though someone had held a gun to his head and forced him to work in what should've been an exciting establishment. Steve looked like he was about to gut me with his spoon and the impatient glare he gave me made me freeze on the spot.
I began gaping up at him, my mouth opening and closing uselessly like a drowning fish. Why was I here again? Ah... Ice cream. Now, it was most definitely naive to think that this random human owed me kindness and reassurance. He'd probably been working for hours and was simply tired. Of course he'd rather be anywhere else rather than serving me right now, but the way he venomously looked at me, made me recoil into myself and the tiny shred of confidence I'd clung to, wafted away with the non-existent breeze.
"Do you use sign language?! Do you use sign language?!" Robyn whisper-yelled desperately and I swallowed thickly, trying to get my hands to work. How could I ask him if he used sign language if my arms were too terrified to do said sign language?!
"What do you want? I don't have all day," Steve snapped impatiently and I physically startled, my eyes widening to saucers. I was going to faint. Abort mission!
"Can't abort! Pups need ice cream! Papa's counting on us!" Robyn cried, forcing me into action, but it was too late. I began to sign an apology, when Steve shook his head impatiently, shooing me out of the way with his hand clutching his ice-cream scoop.
"Jesus, I don't have time for this, next customer!"
My mouth fell open, and I was momentarily stunned. But the person behind me cut in front, already spouting off their order. I quickly moved to the side as I felt my eyes begin to swell with tears. Mission failed. Oh god. My watery eyes found the booth in the far corner where Papa sat with my younger siblings, eight year old Kori, fourteen year old Rumi and thirteen year old Kamri. I'd been helping him watch the younger pups and I'd promised to be a reliable care-taker. I'd failed.
Turning quickly, I rushed for the bathrooms, closing myself inside a stall and letting the tears run down my face uncontrollably in the privacy of the tight, square space. I wiped at them uselessly, using my sleeves to clean up my cheeks. My chest ached as I sniffled and I tried to tell myself that it was okay, that this was... expected.
I couldn't talk.
My brain wouldn't send the right messages to the muscles in my mouth, causing my speech to come out well... completely incoherent and muddled spectacularly. I could be thinking 'cat' and everyone else would hear slurred gibberish. Therefore, I'd used sign language as my main form of communication and so, interacting with other humans and werewolves outside of my immediate family had always been... daunting.
But I was eighteen now and I wanted to be more confident and independent, just like my other siblings. I didn't want to be afraid of how people judged me anymore. But incidents with people like Steve kept on happening and forced me deeper into an insecure shell. Hiding behind my parents and my siblings gave me the safety shield I valued to protect me against impatient ice-cream clerks and the kids at school who never wanted to play with me. I was... used to it.
"P-Practise makes perfect," Robyn told me gently, trying to comfort me the best he could. "We'll get it right next time, we just need to tweak our script, that's all." I tried to nod along and remain optimistic but it was hard. I'd always been sensitive and little hiccups always felt like severe drowning to me.
I grabbed a few tissues, dabbing at my face, though I knew it wouldn't help. My body always seemed to flash every emotion I felt like a neon sign and I could never hide it when I'd been crying. My eyes were puffy and pink and my cheeks were probably splotchy and damp. I took a deep breath and readied myself to face Papa. I was more worried about him being disappointed than anything else.
My papa was also an omega, which should have been great but... sometimes it wasn't. My papa wasn't just an average omega. He was like a magnificent creature among lesser beings. Papa could fight, was confident, tall for omega standards and well... everything I was not. That being, I failed to live up to his standards most of the time and well... it was painful even if he never had anything to say about it. He loved me and I loved him but I could never be him and that reminder always hurt.
Leaving the bathroom, I began walking through the strategically placed tables to find the booth, when a commotion from the counter caught my attention. The smell of sickly-sweet cookie dough and vanilla beans wafted up my nose, making my stomach gurgle happily. It was my favourite flavour and I wondered wistfully if they'd just made a new batch.
"Another one? For god's sake, you and that kid need a damn helper or something! I don't know sign language! Next customer!"
My spine stiffened and I craned my neck, trying to see what was going on through the bustling queue of customers. Being short was by far my most annoying flaw. My eyes found the counter and Steve who was trying to ignore a very, very large man. An abnormally large man with broad shoulders and thick, well... everything! He was like a really big oak tree, with muscles, wearing a tight dark blue shirt and grey cargo shorts. His hair from behind was midnight black and curly, fading to short at the sides and closer towards his neck. His very, very thick neck.
"He smells gooood," Robyn drooled and I quickly shook my head. That wasn't the point. The point was.... I don't know what the point was but all thoughts evaporated from my mind when said good-smelling-man reached one, brown, buff arm across the counter, grabbed Steve by his cotton candy coloured shirt and slammed his face down against the countertop with a resounding smack.
Steve screamed as blood began squirting like ketchup from his now crooked nose and people began to yell and gasp, rushing to get away from the big guy. But he didn't seem to notice or perhaps he simply didn't care. I moved closer, while everyone else scurried back, unable to stop myself. The giant dropped Steve's now red and pink polka dot shirt and my mouth fell open when he signed 'fucking dick' with his hands.
Suddenly, he turned around.
It was only then that I got a good look at his face since he'd spun in my direction. I'd been loitering half way between the counter and the shop door. The world came to an absolute stand still the moment he noticed me and we made intense eye contact.
Only three thoughts passed through my star-struck mind. One, his eyes were outlandishly gorgeous. Two, he smelt like an alpha baked in cookie dough with a dollop of vanilla ice-cream and three...
"Mate!" Robyn screamed like a maniac.
Oh holy shit balls.
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