Moving out the back to the kitchen, I asked Marcus if he needed any help and started cutting up fruit and vegetables for him.
After about twenty minutes, Zoe came out to the kitchen and asked me to clean up some tables on my way out. I grabbed a glass and filled it with water before reaching into my pocket. I popped two of the painkillers in my mouth before quickly swallowing them down with a mouthful of water. When I turned around, I walked straight into Alpha Reid.
"You can't be back here, sir," I stuttered nervously. He stared down at me, making me feel tiny next to his tall, muscular frame, before pulling me to his chest. He wrapped his arm around my waist, causing me to wince in pain from the pressure on my ribs. Using his other hand, he reached into my back pocket and pulled out the small sheet of pain pills which only had two left in them. He then let me go before reading the little Packet.
"Codeine. What are you taking these for?" he asks, raising an eyebrow.
Snatching them out of his hand, I quickly placed them back in my pocket before talking.
"That's none of your business. Now please, you can't be back here," I said now annoyed. He turned and walked back out and sat back in one of the booths. Watching him walk away, my pounding heart started to slow down. Zoe walked out with a glass of water in her hand, and she placed it in front of me on the counter.
"Here, drink this. Are you sure you're okay? If you need the day off, it's ok, Ari. I can manage on my own with Marcus,," she said, placing her hand on my neck. She rubbed her thumb over the bruise on my jaw worriedly, and I saw she had tears in her eyes.
"Really I'm fine, Zoe. I'm just tired," I told her. I drank the glass of water down, soothing my dry throat before walking out with a tray to clear the tables.
Alpha Reid stayed all day watching me. Doesn't he have work to do? Why is he hanging around the diner? Does he know what I am? Is he waiting for me to leave so he can slaughter me? My brain was working overtime, trying to figure out what his sudden interest in me was. When it came time to get Lily, I quickly took off my apron before walking out the door, towards the school.
When I was out of sight of the diner, a pair of hands clamped down on my arms. I knew instantly it was Alpha Reid by the sparks that ran all over my body. He pushed me against the brick wall of the building, pressing his chest against mine. He leaned in, breathing in my scent. My heart was pounding so hard I could hear it. I froze, waiting for him to kill me. Only he did not; instead, his hand moved underneath my blouse where my dressing was. He ran his nose along the top of my shoulder before lifting my blouse, revealing the bloodied dressing. He ran his fingers over it, letting out a menacing growl that paralysed me on the spot. "Who did this?" His voice was deep and menacing.
"No one," I stuttered, my voice so low it was nearly a whisper. I tried to move to escape, but he growled warning me not to, so I stood there not daring to move an inch. Running his nose to the crook of my neck, he inhaled deeply. I could feel his canines protruding, pressing against my skin. They were sharp. I inhaled deeply, not realising I had been holding my breath.
"Why do you smell of wolfsbane? Is that why you're not healing?" His voice was dangerously low. Frightened, I tried to push him back, but he did not budge.
"Please, I have to get Lily," I cry out. Stepping back, he let me pass. I quickly took off in the direction of the school.
After I picked up Lily, we went back to the diner where Reid was waiting next to the door. Reid stepped right into my path, blocking us from moving further into the diner.
"Hello Lily," he says, passing her a giant choc chip cookie. Lily took the cookie, smiling up at the Alpha.
"You can help with my homework if you want, Mr. Reid," Lily told him excitedly, but before he could answer, Zoe saved me from telling her no and stepped forward, wrapping Lily in a hug and forcing the Alpha to move out of the way. Lily walked off to her usual booth, and I pushed past the Alpha before going into the kitchen to put my apron on. Reid never left. When my shift was about to end, I walked out the back to retrieve my bag and grab Lily, who was sleeping in the back part of the store where Zoe's little studio was.
When I was bending down, grabbing our clothes out of the dryer and placing them in the duffle bag, I felt familiar hands brush my sides. I knew it was Reid, his tantalizing scent hit my nose just as he touched me. Sparks stretching throughout my body. Why does he have this effect on me? Thinking to myself, I spun around only for him to push me back so my ass was pressed against the washer and dryer. I watched him lean in, breathing in my scent. His other hand reached up into my hair pulling my head back, forcing me to look up and meet his gaze. Just as I was about to tell him he couldn't be back in this part of the diner.
He smashed his lips hungrily into mine, catching me completely off guard, but the most surprising part was my own body's reaction to him. An involuntary moan escaped my lips, and I felt my core tighten. His tongue traced my bottom lip, wanting access which I granted before he deepened the kiss, pressing his body into mine. Just as fast as he kissed me, he pulled away, I heard him chuckle to himself, "Now that's the reaction I have been wanting."
Confused, I was about to ask him what he meant when Zoe walked in. I felt my face flush with embarrassment as I stepped out of the laundry. Grabbing Lily, I quickly collected our things and ran out the door, not even bothering to say goodbye. I walked home as quickly as possible, and after an hour of walking, I finally reached the driveway.