Asher
“Get to work immediately,” I say with a firm tone.
She stiffens at my words, her body going rigid before she slowly turns around. I know she recognizes my voice-even in her dreams, she would.
But right now, my expression remains cold, unreadable. I’m here for business, nothing more.
Yet, as my gaze sweeps over her, my resolve wavers.
She’s wearing a sleek black dress that hugs her body in all the right places, her curves accentuated with every movement.
Damn it, Ally is a walking temptation. My cock twitch in my pants reacts instantly, heat pooling in my gut, but I shove the feeling aside.
Her eyes burn with fire, the same fierce defiance she had the day she walked out of Redwood. I know she hates me. And honestly? I don’t blame her. But damn it, after all this time, I’d hoped she might have at least considered forgiveness.
“Excuse you?” she snaps, crossing her arms. “I should get back to work? And you’re telling me this as my what, exactly?”
I keep my hands tucked in my pockets, giving her a slow, deliberate once-over. I make sure she sees me looking, sees that I’m taking her in, seeing just how much she’s changed, yet how much she’s still the same.
“Stupid Alpha,” she mutters through our bond with a sharp, annoyed voice.
I didn’t react. I won’t give her the satisfaction.
“If you want to keep your job, I suggest you behave yourself,” I say coolly. “I won’t tolerate tardiness.”
She furrows her brows, clearly confused.
“I know you’re not dumb, Ms. Weaver,” I continued, watching her carefully. “So stop gawking at me with your mouth hanging open and get to work.”
Realization finally dawns on her, and she quickly shuts her mouth.
Satisfied, I didn’t wait for a response. I turn on my heel and head toward the counter, where Harvey is waiting.
But even as I walk away, I can feel her glare burning into my back.
I reach the counter where Harvey stands, watching me with an expression that’s half amusement, half concern.
“You sure about this?” he asks under his breath, handing me the inventory list.
I didn’t answer immediately. Instead, I glance back toward Ally. She’s still standing there, her jaw clenched, hands balled into fists at her sides. I know she’s furious. I can practically feel her rage rolling off her in waves.
She slowly turns her back to me, and my wolf, Kaidos, stirs with excitement at how close she is. It’s been so long since we’ve been near her, and he’s restless-pacing inside me like a caged beast.
I watch as she ties her apron around her waist, moving with the same quiet determination I remember so well. My eyes follow her every move, but I force myself to focus as I turn back to Harvey.
I noticed some discrepancies in the accounts. The numbers aren’t adding up, so I decided to drop by unannounced.
Harvey is watching me carefully. He knows I don’t usually handle things like this personally.
Truthfully, I hadn’t planned to come here myself-until I arrived and felt Kaido’s stir the moment I stepped inside.
The moment I saw her.
Ally.
She’s the only one who can make my wolf act like this. The only one who still has this hold over me, even after all this time.
I had watched her all through yesterday, unable to look away. She worked with such focus, moving gracefully from table to table and handling customers effortlessly. I could tell she felt someone watching her, but she couldn’t figure out who it was.
Then, when Harvey grabbed her wrist earlier, something in me snapped.
A low growl had rumbled from my chest before I could stop it-something I hadn’t done in months. Not since…
Not since Maya left.
I haven’t been myself since then. There’s been a strange emptiness inside me, a dull ache that never fully fades. It’s like my heart has been broken twice-once by Maya’s departure and again by the one person who could have saved me but chose to walk away.
Ally.
“When did she start working here?” I ask, tilting my head slightly in her direction as she pulls out a small notepad and pen to take a customer’s order.
“Yesterday, boss,” Harvey answers.
I nod, pushing down the urge to stay and watch her longer.
“Let’s go through the accounts,” I say instead. I need to handle this properly. If I stay out here, I’ll lose focus. I need the privacy of my office.
Without another glance at Ally, I turn on my heel and walk toward the office, expecting Harvey to follow.
Eat and Roll is one of my mother’s establishments. She left it in my care when she decided to travel the world with my father.
Right now, they’re settled in Cuba. I’m not entirely sure why, but maybe it’s because it’s an island country in the Caribbean-a place where they can finally slow down and enjoy life.
She had asked me to check in on the restaurant after noticing errors in the monthly remittances.
At the time, I thought it was just another routine business matter. I never imagined it would bring me face-to-face with my mate working here.
Harvey and I make our way to my office, sitting down to go over the accounts. I fire off a series of questions, and I can tell right away that he’s not giving me the full truth-not because he’s trying to hide something, but because he genuinely doesn’t know why the food stock keeps disappearing.
“It’s like someone is taking the food,” he mutters, frustration lacing his voice.
“Check the security cameras,” I say, already sensing that we’ll find something.
We move to the IT section, and sure enough, the footage reveals the culprit. A blonde guy-someone I recognize from yesterday.
I point at the screen. “That’s him. I saw him here yesterday.”
Beside me, Harvey stiffens, his expression darkening.
“Care to explain?” I ask, turning to face him fully.
“I… I don’t know, boss,” he stammers. “But I’ve seen this guy creepily watching Alethea. That’s why I called her over earlier-to warn her to be careful.”
The moment he says her name, Kaidos stirs, his ears perking up, instantly on edge. He’s always restless when it comes to Alethea.
I clench my jaw, staring at the screen. The guy isn’t just stealing-he’s been watching Ally.
I don’t like that.
“Keep an eye on him,” I ordered. “And I want proof. Catch him red-handed. Though this footage is enough evidence, I want him with stolen goods in his hands when we confront him.”
“Yes, boss,” Harvey says before quickly making his way out of my office.
As the door closes behind him, I exhale slowly, trying to keep my emotions in check.
Ally’s working here is unexpected. Is the guy watching her? That’s a problem.
And I don’t like problems when it comes to her.
I sigh, but my mind refuses to be at peace. Why was that guy watching Ally with such creepy eyes? Is she in trouble?
I try to refocus on my work, but no matter how hard I try, I can’t shake off the unease creeping up my spine.
I need to check things out for myself. The way everything is unfolding doesn’t sit right with me.
Leaving my office, I make my way to the front of the restaurant. The moment I step out, my eyes immediately find Alethea. She’s standing by the counter, jotting things down-probably balancing the accounts for the day.
But then, I noticed something else.
Harvey is too close to her.
The way he looks at her… there’s no need for a seer to tell me that he likes her. That he’s interested. That he would pursue something with her if given the chance.
Something dark stirs inside me, raw and possessive. My hands clenched into fists, my jaw tightening.
And then it happens.
A low, menacing growl rumbles from my chest before I can stop it, loud enough to startle the diner. Conversations halt, eyes widen, and an unsettling silence takes over the space.
But the worst part?
Ally turns to look at me, and the reaction on her face sends me completely on edge.