AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Her presence here is like dangling a piece of meat in front of a shark and expecting it not to attack, but I'm not looking for trouble.
Sometimes, my alpha impulses are a little difficult to control, especially since I’ve gone so long without finding an omega to bond with, but this is one line I don’t plan to cross.
At least if she sits somewhere on the opposite side of the dining room, the other customers will block her from my view. I won’t have to stare at her the entire time, admiring her delicate, angelic features, and I can pretend to be unbothered.
Pretend, because as it stands, I’m already bothered. Unnerved. Curious. Things I’ve never felt for anyone who’s walked through the restaurant doors in all our years of business.
Just when I think my luck can't get any worse, she turns and heads directly toward the bar, and the only seat available is directly in front of me.
Fuck.
Looks like I'm not going to get away so easily, but at least she isn’t an omega.
I’d be in deep fucking trouble then.
Still, even as a beta, she drowns out everyone else in the room, turning conversations to white noise and the women sprinkled around the dining area to colorful blurs. For a moment, I don’t see anything but her, and I think I’ve lost my mind.
I probably have after all the years of bartending, but that’s beside the point.
Maybe she'll eat and be gone quickly.
Or maybe I can take my lunch break and let Damon run the bar.
That’s probably my best bet, even though he’s never covered for me during lunch rush. He might struggle a bit, but I think he’ll be okay. Much better than me as I try and fail to drag my eyes away from the drop-dead gorgeous woman approaching the bar.
I don’t even have time to signal for the front-of-house manager before she sits down across from me, and I can see for the first time how weary she is. Her eyes are soft, saddened, and the corners of her mouth sag into a frown. It might only be lunch, but I can tell she's already had one hell of a day, and my bartender muscle memory kicks in.
If people come in having a shitty day, it’s my job to make them feel better, regardless of how much distance I want to put between us. Calling Damon suddenly doesn’t seem so urgent.For now.
Maybe, if I’m lucky, I can survive this interaction without gawking like an idiot.
“Something strong,” she says.
I laugh, caught off guard by her odd request. Most pretty ladies who come in here order something fruity or frozen, and I can’t help but wonder if she’s ever drank before at all.
“Like a margarita?” I ask, trying to maintain a straight face.
Her eyes narrow on me, her mouth hardening into a line. I hate how much I enjoy her obvious fire. As if I needed another reason to keep my distance.
“I saidstrong,” she says, running her tongue across her top teeth. “Or do you just assume I can't handle my liquor?”
Speechless. For the first time today, I'm speechless, and it wasn't one of the older gentlemen making crude comments about politics or the waitresses that’s done it. It’s this tiny little spitfire who thinks she's more grown than she really is that has me at a loss for words.
Does she not know who I am?
She has to.
Even as a beta, my alpha scentmustbe obvious. Am I losing it as I get older? Is that something that ever completely goes away?
No.I know the answers to my questions, but that doesn't stop me from doubting everything for a split second.
She knows I'm an alpha. She just doesn't give a fuck, and for some unknown reason, it only flames the fire burning in my chest.
Who would have thought I’d be so attracted to defiance? Yet, here I am, swooning over her smart-ass remark.
Maybe she'd change her tune if I fucked the attitude out of her.
"What's your definition of strong then,babydoll?" I entertain her, already knowing I can whip up something that’ll knock her out until tomorrow night. Something about her attitude tempts me to do it, but I refrain.
