Chasing His Kickass Luna Back by Jane Above Story

#Chapter 62: Too Much To Ask
The door to Abby’s office swings shut behind me, and my mind races as I walk back into the kitchen.

First, she asks me to make nice with Chloe, and now this? Apprenticing under John, of all people? A

guy I can’t even stand to be in the same room with?

“Karl, grab the veal from the fridge. Now.” John’s voice snaps me back to reality, jarring and grating as

ever.

I grab the veal and set it on the counter, taking a moment to steel myself. I’m doing this for Abby, I

remind myself. As if sensing my inner turmoil, Abby glances over at me from across the kitchen.

Our eyes meet for just a second, but it’s enough. I nod subtly. I can do this.

The dinner rush starts, and the kitchen turns into a whirlwind of flying knives and sizzling pans. John

wastes no time in laying into me.

“Come on, Karl, chop those onions faster! We don’t have all day!”

My knuckles whiten around the knife handle, but I force a smile. “Sure, John, whatever you say.”

Dinner service rushes on like a torrential river, and I’m just trying to keep my head above water. Each

critique from John feels like another weight pulling me down, but I keep reminding myself why I’m here,

who I’m here for.

The clock ticks past nine, and the last orders are finally up. John looks at me, a satisfied smirk

spreading across his face. “Not a complete disaster, I suppose.”

My jaw clenches, my fists curl, but I refuse to let the torrent out. Abby’s eyes catch mine again, her

gaze searching. I look away. I can’t let her see how much this is getting to me.

And that’s when it happens. One small, insignificant straw that breaks the proverbial camel’s back.

“Karl, you idiot! These steaks are overcooked! Do you even know what medium-rare looks like?” John

the words out, his face flushed

the pent-up frustration,

swallowing my pride—it all comes rushing to the surface like a

That’s it.

barely contained fury. I shoot

that she’s gone. Where her

I’m now met with nothing

throw my apron down onto the counter.

than anyone else, and

alley, my chest

out a cigarette and light it, drawing the smoke deep into my lungs as if

gaping void

reeling. What the hell am I doing? All of this, swallowing my

all for her. For Abby. Because despite the chaos,

frustration of it all, I

slowly as I stare up at the

I feel,

as I want to break free, to tell John to shove it, to tell Abby that

can’t. Because deep down, as much as it galls me to admit it, I know that this is my

right, to prove that I’m not the same guy I

unforgiving wall of the alley,

A deep growl resonates from within, not from my human side,

shares my consciousness.

is it now?” I murmur under my breath,

a ss, Karl,” my wolf’s voice echoes in my head, clear as day. “This John guy, he’s

on purpose. You just have to push through it for a

I know,” I reply silently, a conversation taking place entirely

this, to prove I can be part of her world.

you do. It’ll

I ask. “It feels like she’ll

question I’ve been asking myself ever since I walked out of Abby’s office earlier today.

my neck out, be the bigger man and tolerate John for Abby’s sake.

sees that I’m trying, really trying,

reassures me, as if reading my thoughts.

that you’re putting her

the doubt creeps in, worming its way into

past my old mistakes? What if I’m forever labeled the screw-up, the

who broke her heart?