Omega. If August couldn’t tell by the hand shake that Sam had given him, then he sure could tell it from the way he had stared at his hand that this wolf was not used to any sort of friendly gesture. There was only one way that came to his mind of how a were could get that way and it was from being at the bottom of the totem pole in the pack. His jaw tightened as he watched Sam struggle with the confidence to speak. He couldn’t lie and say that there weren’t Omegas within his own pack – it was only natural that there would have to be someone at the bottom of the pecking order – but he had never advocated abusing them as some packs did. Yes, they were as much wolves as anything else, but they were just as much human, and no human with a conscience could stand to treat another that way.
A smirk rose to his face when Sam lowered his voice regarding the ‘supernatural’ parts of his explanation. It was likely that most of the staff at Sunny’s who knew August were also aware of the fact that he was a were, and if they didn’t, he had no qualms whatsoever in making it known. He wasn’t about to force Sam to do the same, not if it was something that was out of his comfort zone, but when he spoke again, he made no effort to match the other wolf’s lowered volume. “So you ‘heard’ about me, and wanted to find me.” August sat for a moment in silence, trying to figure out what it was exactly that Sam was getting at; he hadn’t exactly painted the most detailed of portraits for him.
The pause was long enough for the waitress to return and ask if they were ready to order. “I’ll have a burger with everything.” August tilted his head and leaned forward as if he could somehow catch Sam’s eyes. “Order whatever you like, it’s on me.” There was still every possibility that Sam was here for no good purpose; he really doubted that the stranger would cause harm on his own, but he could be bringing a message from another pack for all August knew. Despite that, it was hard for him to say no to a meal, especially when they were in his favorite diner.
He barely waited for the girl to turn and walk away before he continued their conversation. “So, I’m guessing that wherever you’re from, you’re not exactly the pick of the litter. Is that why you’re here?” August leaned back in his chair and fought the urge to cross his arms. It was difficult sometimes to negotiate between what behaviors came naturally to him as a human and those that came with being a wolf. There was no need to establish dominance over Sam and the last thing he wanted to do was intimidate him further. “Would it make you feel more comfortable if I told you that I’m not going to jump you? Not unless you’re here to threaten my family.” He offered a genuine laugh at the end of his statement to show that what he said was all in good humor.