The Maverick Pride Tales - Chapter 182: Chapter 182

Prologue 1
Love never came from nothing. It had to begin somewhere. As a spark. An ember. A tiny jolt of recognition. Yes, this was true. It was something Uzzi knew down to his bones.
“Love always starts somewhere, eh, liebling?” Uzzi whispered to his dearly departed Betty, though he knew she would not answer him in so many words.
Ghosts communicated with the living every single day, but their messages were easy to miss. Not for Uzzi, of course, who was a Witch and the owner and operator of Uncle Uzzi’s Magical Matchmaking Service. He had talents and gifts humans, or normals as supes regularly referred to them, did not possess.
But just like normals, sometimes Uzzi had to wait for clarification. It was gray outside, and the afternoon air was downright chilly. But that was typical for January in New Jersey. New year did not mean new weather. Luckily for Uzzi Stregovich, he was indoors, where it was warm and cozy.
Sitting in a semi-private corner booth, Uzzi waited patiently for the Fates to send him a sign. There was no rushing these things, he was an expert on that. The older, white-haired gentleman that he was, Uzzi smiled at the other patrons. It was mostly couples or groups of females having their own afternoon tea, though he had spied some men sitting at the bar with their own drinks and meals.
An ingenious idea, he mused, having a place of business that served most of their meals during the day, then sometime around six, it transitioned into a bar and roadhouse. Yes, very good idea, indeed.
Uzzi sighed and unbuttoned his suit jacket, waiting for his tea to arrive. The fact they offered a sublime afternoon tea service on Sundays was still on the hush hush, but it seemed some locals were already in the know. Uzzi had stumbled upon it quite by accident, and he couldn’t have been happier.
Uzzi simply loved a good tea, as did Richard, his housekeeper. He would be sure to make note of everything offered and relay it all to the man who’d been working for him for decades now. Richard was sure to get his knickers in a twist if Uzzi failed to regale him of everything he ate.
Soft rock played from a jukebox and the din of conversation was such as to create the perfect backdrop for Uzzi’s musings. His thoughts dwelled on his meeting with his most recent client, and he felt his magic dancing up and down his spine. Uzzi only hoped the blue sparks would be ignored by any normals in the crowd.
They tended to do that. Ignore the things they couldn’t explain. That trait worked out rather well for the supernatural world. Uzzi, for one, had no desire to be put in a lab and stuck under a microscope should humans learn of the existence of magic. Silly beings. They wouldn’t even understand that magic had come first.
Oh well. That was a problem to contemplate another day. Right then, he needed to be in the present. That much was clear. He inhaled a breath, smiling at the sumptuous fragrance of well-cooked food permeating the air. His stomach grumbled, and he grinned broadly at the approach of the waitress.
Serious Moonlight had a reputation as being a rough and tumble establishment with live music and excellent food. That they were Shifter run was also a secret, as was the entire supernatural world. Co-owned by the members of the Dire Wolf MC, whose Alpha was Derrick Rand, Uzzi was delighted to discover Serious Moonlight offered more than beer and burgers on the menu.
In fact, chef extraordinaire Brock Laurent was one of the Wolves who owned the place. Oh, Uzzi had eaten his fare before, and he was happy to try it again. Afternoon tea was simply a bonus.
“Here is your lavender gray, Mr. Stregovich,” the happy blonde waitress, Helga, said as she placed the ceramic pot along with a cup and saucer on the table.
“Thank you, my dear,” Uzzi replied with a gentle smile.
“Oh, it’s my pleasure, sir. I’ll be right back with the rest!”
His magic tingled, and he knew immediately she was not the client he was there for. That was the problem with powers such as those he relied on. Uzzi was a descendant of the goddess of love herself. His magic hinged on his ability to pair fated mates, but it wasn’t always as obvious as all that.
Sometimes he had visions of his clients before he even met them. More often than not, those visions were heavily shadowed. Which was what happened this time. Well, not entirely. See, Uzzi had been contracted by a client looking for her match. She’d recently moved to Blue Valley, and for some reason, he could not get Dire Wolves out of his head.
Not just Dire Wolves, but the Dire Wolf MC of Serious Moonlight. Of course, Uzzi was not in the habit of suggesting potential mates to his clients with nothing more than a hunch. So, he’d come to check things out for himself, and to see if his suspicions were correct about this place and his client, Megan Sudak.
“Here you are. Oh, and just so you know, this is our most popular Sunday tea service,” Helga said cheerily as she placed a four-tiered tower filled to the brim with delightful little finger sandwiches and Petit fours.
“Wunderbar! Danke,” he replied, helping himself to some exquisite looking cucumber sandwiches and raspberry lemon tarts.
“Well, Uncle Uzzi, is that really you?”
An enormous shadow covered his table, interrupting Uzzi’s delicious teatime, but the old Witch was only too happy to see the owner of said voice.
“Derrick Rand! Please sit, sit,” Uzzi said, gesturing to the chair opposite him.
“Of course, I can only stay a minute, though. I have to relieve my mate from baby duty,” the giant Alpha explained with a proud grin.
“Yes, I understand congratulations are in order. Triplets, I hear?”
“Thank you. We named them Eden, Astrid, and Selena. Three healthy, beautiful cubs, just like their mama,” Derrick replied, love ringing in his voice.
“Wunderbar, Derrick! I am so pleased for you.”
“So, what brings you to Blue Valley, Uncle Uzzi?” the Alpha asked.
“Ah, yes,” Uzzi replied, swallowing a bite of a rather delicious and crunchy chicken salad finger sandwich with cranberries, a slice of granny smith apple, and walnuts on top.
“The other day I was checking on a client, the Neta of the Maverick Pride⁠—”
“Hunter? Yes, I know him,” Derrick said.
“A fine male, and his mate, a superb female. But one of their own is having a bit of trouble in the Pride.”
“Is he?”
“She, actually. Megan Sudak. She-Tiger, twenty-seven years old, single.”
“I see,” Derrick said, eyebrow raised. “What are you really here for?”
“You always were a sly one, Derrick. Now, this lovely female came to me looking for my services, and the first thing that popped into my head was this place.”
“The roadhouse?”
“Yes, and no. I mean the town. Blue Valley, and then the roadhouse. You see, Megan is not meant for any of her Pride. I can see that clear as day. In fact, I am certain she belongs to someone here. Anyway, she said she was looking for a fresh start, and I was wondering if you knew of any single males here who I could maybe meet with? Then when she calls again, maybe I could give her a name. Set up a meeting or two. Thoughts, Derrick?”
“You know, Uncle Uzzi, there is one single member of my Pack who might be the guy you’re looking for,” Derrick replied, and his eyes were positively twinkling.
“Ah, wunderbar, my friend, yes,” Uzzi replied.
“Of course, he won’t be happy about this. Cole is pretty shut down when it comes to women.”
“Doesn’t want a mate, then?” Uzzi inquired.
“No. He certainly doesn’t. But his Wolf. Well, that’s always another story, isn’t it, Uncle Uzzi?”
“Yes, my friend. That is why the Fates intervene.”
“I propose we set up a meeting,” Derrick said,
“A date? For my client and your Wolf?”
“Yes. In fact, Uncle Uzzi, I would wager Cole Mingan is the very reason you felt compelled to come here today.”
“I see,” Uzzi replied, a grin stretching across his pleasantly weathered face. “Can you describe him for my notes?”
“Sure. Um, what can I say about Cole? He’s,” Derrick began, eyebrows raised as he searched for the words. “Well, he’s ki—no, maybe not kind. Handsome, I guess, but he doesn’t really smile, so I wouldn’t say he was easygoing. Um, he’s a good Wolf. A great mechanic.”
“I see,” Uzzi replied, trying not to laugh. “Tell me, Derrick, is this your first time playing matchmaker?”
“How did you guess?” the Alpha asked, grinning as he rubbed the back of his neck.
“Tell you what. Why don’t you order your Wolf to be here at seven o’clock Friday night? Will that work?”
“I can do that,” Derrick agreed.
“Perfect,” Uzzi replied and said his goodbyes to the enormous male.
He went back to drinking his tea, a small smile on his face. Something magical had happened when Derrick had mentioned Cole. Uzzi’s special instinct for matches flared to life, and he had a very clear image of Megan, smiling and content.
It seemed Blue Valley was the right place for Megan. Yes, indeed, everything was going to be purrfect.
Well, one way or another.