Chapter Twenty- One
Willow
W: O - spent some time with your pup today. He’s going to take a while but he’s amazing.
O: OMG OMG can’t believe you found me a dog! I wish we could send pictures here.
R: NO PICTURES
W: WE KNOW
O: WE KNOW
O: And how are the Alphassss??? Give us all the details you can.
W: Still trying to figure them out. One—let’s call him C—broke into my house and scared the shit out of me.
O: WTF?
R: I’ll kill him. Why didn’t the agents kill him?
W: Not sure, I think they know each other.
R: Oh. Hell. No.
“Let’s go, Mr. Man.” I open the back door of my car to let Bruce out.
My good boy waits for me to grab his leash, then leaps out onto the curb.
Understanding the assignment, he guards my back, watching the street while I close and lock the vehicle.
Even though I’ve been trying to keep it out of my mind, that piano key has me spooked.
A "gift" so specific can’t be random. My damaged fingers tell that tale; they still ache when I do pretty much anything. And while I should tell Gavin or Calloway, I can’t bring myself to make the call.
There’s so much to lose.
Broken Ridge has started to feel comfortable. Not quite home, but my feet are firmly planted. Good friends, great job… and two Alphas that—shit, I can’t add that to the list.
Yes, you can. Knowing I have scent-matches is still so confusing, but one thing’s certain—I’m drawn to them. When we’re not near each other, I’m thinking about them.
I’m not sure what we are, or what we could be. It’s all too new to make any decisions, but I need to see where it goes.
Keeping my eyes peeled, I travel up the cobblestone road.
Everything about the little town of Broken Ridge is quaint and cute.
There are loads of fun little shops along Main Street—including Bert’s Dog Training, where I work.
As I get closer, the scent of coffee from Grind and Growl tickles my nose.
I’m a bit early, and the promise of caffeine is too decadent to be denied.
Making a last-minute decision, I detour into the café, nose twitching and eager for a latte.
It’s late in the day, but the shop is still hopping, so I take my place as last in line with Bruce by my side. As I glance at the board, I notice a new drink featuring caramel apple. There’s no way I’m passing that up.
The line moves quickly, and soon enough, I’m ready to give Cindy, the barista, my order.
“Hey, Willow!” She practically bounces. A beta with boundless energy and constant access to caffeine, I can’t help but like the woman.
If I weren’t trying so hard to minimize my number of connections, she’d make a lovely friend.
“What can I get you? I just pulled the pastries from the oven. They’re probably still warm. ”
My mouth waters.
“They all look so good. How about a caramel-apple latte and a croissant?” It’s been a long day, and I can feel the crash coming.
A little snack and caffeine might be just the thing to get me through tonight’s training class.
I absolutely love my job, but I’m not used to so much excitement, and it’s left me feeling a little droopy.
“You got it!” The place has now cleared out, and she pauses for a bit of chit-chat. “How’s your day going?”
“Not too bad!” Bruce nuzzles my hand, reminding me that he wants a pup cup. “How about you? And can I get a pup cup, too?”
“So busy! But that’s a good thing.” Cindy works efficiently behind the counter and turns to hand over my drink and snack when there’s a sudden presence at my back. Cindy’s face goes white, and her eyes round with fear.
What the…
Bruce drops the cute-pup act, leaping straight to violent-protector mode in a second.
He barks viciously, teeth flashing, and the person jumps back a step.
Twisting, I slip my hand into my pocket, reaching for my missing taser.
Shoot. I need to make Gy return that or buy a new one.
The strange man is wearing a leather vest that’s similar to Cujo and Lincoln’s, though his isn’t familiar.
Taking a deep breath, I try to read his scent, but it’s light.
Kind of moldy, yucky beta. Many betas smell nice to me, but this one in particular raises my guard.
His mouth draws tight, like he’s sucking on a lemon, annoyance rippling off him in waves. Fortunately, he doesn’t get closer.
“Bruce. Middle.” My dog moves between my legs, keeping his eyes trained on the man, his lip curled up in a snarl. “Sorry,” I mutter, not wanting to give him my back as I pay Cindy.
The atmosphere is unsettling, but there’s no obvious threat, so as much as I want Bruce to bite this man just for scaring our kind, chatty barista, that’s overkill.
Probably. Instead, I walk over to one of the nearby tables, placing my drink, snack, and Bruce’s pup cup on it.
I was planning to bring it to Bert’s, but now there’s no way I’m leaving.
“I’ll take a large. Black.” The biker glances at me and Bruce before turning to stare at Cindy’s ass, deliberately undressing her with his eyes in a manner that makes my skin crawl.
The back of his vest has a skull in the center with the name Black Plague embroidered over it.
It’s different from the three-headed dog on the Hellbent Hounds cuts, and I make note of it. Friend? Enemy?
Should I text Cujo?
Don’t be ridiculous, Willow. You and Bruce can handle this. No big, strong Alpha needed.
Cindy passes him the cup, visibly shaking, when the biker beta’s hand darts out, snatching her wrist in a tight hold. “I’ve missed you, Cindy,” he says, but it sounds more like a threat than a worried friend. She stills, resembling a deer in headlights. “It’s time to come home.”
Her face screws up, wincing in discomfort when his fingers tighten. Nope. Not gonna happen. He’s trouble—and not the good kind.
“Speak,” I whisper to Bruce, and he detonates. Barking like a psycho, loud enough to make the biker jump. With my dog at my side, I advance on the counter. Seeing us coming, the oversized beta lets go of her.
“Oh gosh. I’m so sorry. The coffee spilled. Can I get some napkins?” I try to de-escalate the situation with niceties, but my hand is on my knife, ready if needed, while Bruce continues his crazy-dog routine.
“Jeez, lady. Control that mutt.” The biker hops backward when Bruce lunges at him. The move creates more space between the threat and Cindy. Good boy.
“He loves to bite. Might want to get out of here before my arms grow tired.” I stare at the man. Even a beta hates being challenged by an omega. His body stiffens, lip coming up in an angry snarl, yet he still gives in.
The Black Plague member walks backward, heading for the door, but his eyes roam over us once more. “Be seeing you soon, Cindy.” The promise hits its intended target before he glances my way. “And, omega, I won’t forget this.”
The door slams, a thunderclap behind his disappearing back. Great, another enemy I didn’t need.
“Are you okay?” I pat Bruce, letting him know it’s time to quiet down. Grabbing his pup cup from the table, I let him have the treat as a reward. He sticks his snout into it eagerly, lapping loudly at the whipped cream. Still alert, but calm.
“Yeah, he’s an ex, goes by the name Cray. I left him behind a long time ago in another life. He shouldn’t be here.” She lets out a nervous sigh, and I wish I could do more for her, but it’s not like I’m the safest person to be around.
“Should we call the cops? Do you have a restraining order against him?” Her eyes widen, and she shakes her head violently.
“No, I don’t need anything like that. He’s bad news, but I’ll be fine.
Cray just surprised me.” She grabs a rag and wipes down the already gleaming countertop, and I can tell she’s done talking about it.
The whole encounter has frazzled my nerves.
Not my business. Bending down, I pick up the demolished pup cup and toss it in the trash before taking my coffee and croissant.
“If you need anything, I’ll be next door at Bert’s Dog Training. I teach there.” She bites her lip.
“Dog training, huh? I’ve been thinking about getting one.” Her eyes drift to Bruce. “That might be perfect. Did you see how fast he jumped out of Bruce’s way?”
“He was definitely terrified of those chompers,” I agree, and she lifts her hand to her mouth to smother a giggle. It’s nice to see color back in her face, and I quickly tell her about the shelter before leaving.
“That sounds amazing. I’ll stop by. Maybe there’s a pup just waiting for me.
” After a quick goodbye, I leave, realizing I’ll be late if I linger much longer.
When I step outside, the fresh air invigorates me, but as I walk into the training center, I can’t escape the feeling of eyes boring into my back.
Shake it off. Time for work.