Chapter 262

Chapter 262
Elle's POV

Brad Rayne stood in the center, his commanding presence immediately recognizable. To his left was Lester Harrison. And to his right was Roy Bailey.

"How the hell would them know about this place?" Sophia whispered, her voice tight with disbelief.

I stared at her in stunned silence, my mind screaming the same question. How the fuck would I know why he's here?

Marcus, our date, looked like he was about to hyperventilate with excitement. "Oh God, oh God! That's Brad Rayne, isn't it?"

I let out a soft sigh, already sensing disaster approaching. "Well, this date is probably fucked."

Sophia shrugged, seemingly unbothered by the potential failure of her revenge plan.

Meanwhile, I could feel Brad's gaze locked onto me like a heat-seeking missile. Even from across the restaurant, I could sense his displeasure at finding me here.

Lester looked like he wanted to murder someone—probably everyone in this restaurant. His jaw was clenched so tight I was surprised his teeth hadn't cracked. Clearly, he was less than thrilled to discover that Sophia had come to a date.

Roy, on the other hand, seemed to be enjoying himself immensely. That perpetual smirk of his had only gotten wider since spotting us, like he'd just discovered the most entertaining drama of the year.

"Well, hello there, Elle! Sophia!" Roy called out cheerfully, his voice carrying across the restaurant with that practiced charm. "What a delightful coincidence!"

Coincidence my ass, I thought bitterly, but managed to paste on a polite smile. "Yes, what a... surprise to see you all here."

Brad's eyes swept over me with that cold intensity that made my skin prickle. Without a word, he guided Lester and Roy toward a table near ours. The three Alphas settling into their seats was like watching apex predators claim territory—every other patron in the restaurant seemed to shrink back instinctively.

Alex immediately appeared with several other assistants, moving swiftly to intercept the phones that had started emerging from pockets around the restaurant.

"I'm sorry, " Alex announced politely but firmly. "Unless you're prepared to face legal action from the Moonshade Bay Council, I'd suggest putting those devices away."

The phones disappeared faster than snow in summer.

Roy kept shooting me amused glances, his eyes twinkling with barely contained laughter.
I sighed and turned to Marcus. "I'm really sorry, but I don't think we can continue this evening. Maybe we could exchange contact information and try again another time?"

But Sophia had other plans. She stood abruptly, her expression ice-cold. "Actually, no. We don't need to reschedule. Marcus, I suddenly find myself disliking the atmosphere here. Would you care to join me somewhere else for drinks?"

She moved around the table and placed a firm hand on my shoulder. "Do you remember the way home? Take a cab back later—you're being way too much of a third wheel right now. Don't follow us."

Sophia linked her arm through Marcus's and practically dragged him toward the exit. But just before leaving, she leaned down and whispered urgently in my ear: "Keep Lester here. Don't let him ruin this for me."

The moment Sophia and Marcus disappeared through the door, Lester shot to his feet like a man possessed.

I moved faster than I'd ever moved in my life, positioning myself directly in his path to the exit.

"You..." Lester stared at me in shock, clearly not expecting a human woman to physically block his way.

If this had been anyone else, Lester probably would have simply moved me aside without a second thought. But I was Brad's mate, and even an enraged Alpha wasn't stupid enough to lay hands on another Alpha's claimed partner—especially not when that Alpha was Brad Rayne.

I smiled up at him with malicious satisfaction. "Now you know exactly how I felt when you stopped me and let Mira walk away with Brad, don't you? And this is just the beginning."

Roy burst into laughter, the sound rich with genuine amusement. Even Brad's perpetual scowl seemed to lighten slightly at my words.

I crossed my arms and announced loudly enough for the entire restaurant to hear: "Sorry, but none of you are leaving this restaurant tonight. Since you decided to crash our evening, you might as well settle in and enjoy a proper dinner."

"What about me?" Roy asked with mock innocence. "I can't leave either?"

"Nope." I turned to face Brad directly, my chin lifting in challenge. "Nobody leaves."

Brad leaned back in his chair, arms crossed, clearly enjoying watching me handle his ally.

Roy finally took pity on his fellow Alpha and grabbed Lester's arm. "Alright, alright, we surrender! Let's all sit down and have a civilized dinner, shall we?"

But just as I was savoring my victory, I remembered that Brad and I were supposed to be in the middle of a cold war. I immediately turned to leave.

Brad appeared in front of me so fast it was like he'd teleported. Alpha reflexes were truly unfair.

"Where's all that courage from thirty seconds ago?" he asked, his voice low and amused.

I looked up at his impossibly handsome face, mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. Being this close to him always made my brain short-circuit.

"All you have to do is sit quietly and have dinner with us," Brad continued, his voice dropping to that sinful whisper that always made my heart race. "In exchange, I guarantee Lester won't go anywhere near Sophia tonight. Deal?"

His lips brushed against my ear again, sending electricity shooting through my entire body. I stumbled backward, face flaming.

"You..." I couldn't form a coherent sentence.

After weighing my options and realizing I was thoroughly outmaneuvered, I stomped back to the table and threw myself into a chair with as much dignity as I could muster.

Brad followed, looking insufferably pleased with himself as he settled beside me.

"I have to admit, I didn't expect you to be such a loyal friend," Roy said with genuine admiration. "That was quite the performance."

I shot him a sweet smile. "Well, Yara's pretty loyal to Mira too, isn't she?"

Roy's grin widened. "Touché."

Brad caught Alex's eye and nodded once. Within minutes, Alex was moving through the restaurant with a briefcase full of cash, politely asking the other diners to accept compensation for the inconvenience and find somewhere else to eat tonight.

The humans took the money and practically sprinted for the exits. Nobody argued with the Rayne family when they wanted privacy.

Soon, the massive restaurant was empty except for the four of us and the staff, who discretely withdrew to give us space.

Finally, we could speak freely without human ears listening in.