Juno leaned on the counter, tapping her pen absently against the corner of her sketchpad. The page in front of her was still mostly blank—just a few hesitant lines that refused to become anything. The store was quiet. Not the usual kind of quiet that came with the late shift, but something more hollow. Still.
It had been five days since Ren last walked through the door.
She hadn't expected it to matter. Not really. But now, with nothing but fluorescence and empty aisles to keep her company, she found herself listening for footsteps that never came.
He wasn't a constant, not really. But somehow, in all the quiet moments between shift changes and half-sketched pages, he'd settled into her rhythm. The sound of his boots across the tile. The low murmur of his voice when he said her name. The rare but unguarded way he smiled when something genuinely caught him off guard.
She hadn't realized how much space those moments had taken up—until they were gone.
Now the silence felt different.
Not peaceful.
Just empty.
The hum of the fridges filled the silence until the doors chimed and the smell of rain and city air drifted in.
Two people walked in—the blonde woman who had quizzed her about Ren before. 'Great' she thought sarcastically.
The last time she'd come in, she'd asked a few too many questions about Ren for it to seem casual. She hadn't offered her name and Juno didn't care to ask.
The man, on the other hand, was harder to forget. Towering, broad-shouldered, and currently in his man-wolf form that made him stand out like a sore thumb. He stood like an upright wolf, in a tight fitting shirt, fur pouring out of his sleeves, his tail following behind, his eyes a bit too bright. He looked halfway between something out of a horror movie and someone you'd want to curl up comfortably on a sofa and nap with.
Juno raised an eyebrow as they approached the counter. "Long time no see, Theo," she said, sliding her sketchpad behind the till.
He gave a sheepish grin, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah... been a while. I haven't had to work late in a while. The day shift guy hates me by the way."
She gestured at him and laughed. "I bet he does, you're shedding all over the store. Been a minute since I've seen this version of you."
Theo chuckled, voice low and gravelly. "Seasonal, can't help it."
The woman beside him scanned the store quickly, eyes sharp. Then she turned to Juno. "Hey. You wouldn't happen to know where Ren is, would you?"
Juno didn't miss a beat. "No, but I'm assuming he's off doing something emotionally repressed."
The woman's expression didn't change, but her eyes lingered on Juno for a second too long.
"...Right," she said. "He comes here a lot. I just figured he might have said something."
"Yeah, well," Juno replied, already moving to straighten some snacks near the counter, "Ren's good at keeping secrets. You know how it is."
The woman nodded slowly, like she was trying to decide if Juno was lying. Then, without another word, she turned and left, boots clacking as the door slid open and shut behind her.
Theo lingered.
Juno glanced at him. "She a friend of yours or something?"
He shrugged, baring his teeth along his long snout sheepishly, "we've worked together a few years. Her names Calla, she's actually pretty cool, she's just a bit standoffish. Vampire. You know how they can be."
"Blonde vampire huh? She's really trying to hide it huh?" Juno leaned on the counter.
Theo picked up a pack of jerky "Yeah she dyes it, thinks it makes her friendlier."
Jade snorted "A personality transplant would work better."
When the store was quiet again, Theo stepped closer, hands in his jeans pockets. "She's not actually interested in him, by the way."
Juno raised an eyebrow. "Could've fooled me."
"Nah," Theo said, watching the door thoughtfully. "We work together. She just likes the chase. She gets a guy and loses interest pretty quickly. Bit of a homewrecker."
Junos smirked faintly. "Well best of luck to her. Rens not an easy man to get close to.."
Theo leaned casually on the counter, letting out a slow breath. "Speaking of Ren... he mentioned your art."
That caught her slightly off guard. "Yeah?"
Theo leaned over the counter, claws tapping lightly against the laminate as he stared at her sketchpad. "Yeah. I always wondered why you never showed me. You any good?"
Juno gave a one-shouldered shrug. "You never asked."
He hummed. "Guess not."
There was a pause.
Theo smiled. "He brought up your story, said your protagonist reminded him of someone. Wouldn't say who though."
Something twisted in her chest.
You never mentioned that, she thought.
"Ren hangs out here a lot?"
Juno tilted her head. "I guess so." She looked at him, gauging his reaction. "Why, you doing a background check?"
He smiled. "Just curious. Calla—she thinks he's Zoe Harper's secret boyfriend or something. I think that just entices her more. She's playing with fire if he is"
Juno snorted. "She told me that too."
Theo shrugged. "Honestly? I think she's right. Zoe had the baby. Spitting image of him. Same hair color and everything."
She blinked. That... wasn't entirely surprising but was still hard to hear..
"Well," she said with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes, "I guess he'll find out when he gets back."
Theo gave her a curious glance. "You two got something going on?"
Juno raised her eyebrows. "Nah. We're just friends, he's easy going if you approach him the right way.."
Theo chuckled. "Yeah, I like the guy. Smarter than he lets on. But he's too secretive for his own good."
Juno tapped her fingers against the counter. "Tell me about it."
They shared a quiet moment, the low hum of the store filling the space between them.
"You ever date a werewolf?"
Juno raised an eyebrow. "Is that a setup or a genuine lifestyle inquiry?"
"Bit of both," Theo grinned. "Ren said you were single, so I figured I'd roll the dice. No pressure."
He leaned on the counter in front of her. "Well maybe sometime you'd let me take you out and you'd see how I dress when I'm not at work".
Juno blushed and couldn't catch her words, he was being persistent. Theo was a good looking guy, he'd always been kind to her but she didn't know him well enough for this to be a comfortable exchange. He picked up on it.
"Sorry didn't mean to put you on the spot." He grinned exposing his fangs, it wasn't aggressive, it was just an honest smile. "Think about it, no pressure."
She shifted awkwardly trying to regain her composure.
After a beat, Theo stood upright and stretched his arms, his shoulder popping audibly. "Well, I should get going. Take care, Juno."
"You too, wolfman," she said with a smile.
He gave her a mock salute and disappeared through the door. His tail waving behind him like he had won something.
Juno leaned back against the counter and let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding.
She hadn't expected that. Had Theo been fishing for information from Ren like Calla had been with her?
She hadn't expected it to sting—that being asked out would just make her miss someone else more. But it did. She didn't want Theo's attention. She wanted Ren's. And the worst part? She didn't even know if she had the right to want that.
She had thought about it—more than once. What it would be like if things between them ever shifted. If he reached for her the way she sometimes found herself wishing he would.
She liked him.
She really liked him.
And lately, it was getting harder to pretend otherwise. But it was stupid. He was clearly with Zoe—close enough, anyway, that everyone seemed to assume it. He had secrets she'd never be part of, pieces of himself she wasn't allowed to see. She wasn't about to chase after someone who wouldn't even meet her halfway. She wasn't a homewrecker. So she told herself being friends was enough. She could handle that.
Missing him forced her to look at feelings she'd been avoiding—and she hated what they revealed.