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

out, his face flushed with

the pent-up frustration, the hours of biting my

my pride—it all comes rushing to the surface

That’s it.

with barely contained fury. I shoot one last look toward

to realize that she’s gone. Where

now met with nothing but a

deep, ragged breath, I throw my apron down onto

more to myself than anyone else, and storm out of the

the alley, my chest heaving. The cold night air stings my face,

it,

fill the gaping void inside

What the

ap—it’s all for her. For Abby. Because

all, I want her back in my

I stare up at the

reminder of how confined I feel, boxed in by my

free, to tell John to shove it, to tell Abby that this is too much

it galls me to admit it, I know that this is my last

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

back against the cold, unforgiving wall of the alley, still wrestling

growl resonates from within, not from my human

shares my consciousness.

I murmur under my breath, trying to soothe the restless

a ss, Karl,” my wolf’s voice echoes in my head, clear as day.

pushing your buttons on purpose. You just have to

know, I know,” I reply silently, a conversation taking place entirely within the confines

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

know you do. It’ll just

“It

asking myself ever since I walked

out, be the bigger man and tolerate John for Abby’s sake. But where does

trying, really trying, to be

will see,” my wolf reassures me, as if reading my thoughts. “She’ll realize you’re making

that you’re putting her needs

way into my mind despite my wolf’s

see past my old mistakes? What if I’m

who broke her heart?