Harper spotted a bowl of pretzels on the bar that did interest her and since no one was sitting there, she went to get them. She was starving. Sidney hadn’t let her eat before they left the house. She squeezed between the stools to reach for the bowl when she turned back long muscled arms had her caged.
Chapter 2
“Don’t eat those. Everyone’s hands have been in there. Let me buy you some real food.” His deep dark voice soothed over her nerves. Alpha. Harper nibbled her bottom lip and looked up into the darkest most delicious eyes ever. They were liquid dark chocolate pools and she immediately got lost in their wicked twinkle. She stuck a pretzel in her mouth and chewed. Alpha or not, she was starving. He lifted a hand and called the bartender over to them.
“Get you something?” A man behind the bar asked. He was older, short, and balding. He had to be O’Malley.
“Yeah, get this sweet thing a burger and fries, medium?” He gazed into her eyes and she nodded. “Medium, and another draft for me.” O’Malley filled a mug and handed it to the Alpha who threw a twenty onto the bar.
“Be right out.” The man said and went in the other direction toward the window that looked into the kitchen.
“What’s your name sweetheart?” That voice did something to her core. Long forgotten muscles deep in her belly clenched springing to life. She’d almost forgotten they were down there.
“Harper.” His brows twitched. Could he scent her arousal that quickly? Crap. No matter what Sidney said, Harper had serious reservations about getting laid tonight. She couldn’t do that. She needed to know someone she decided. She’d only ever been with Bronson and even though she hadn’t been with him in a long time, she still didn’t think that she could have sex with just anyone. Even an Alpha would have to wait until she was ready.
“That a first or last name?” He lifted her by the hips and put her on a stool. His hands stayed on her but it didn’t unnerve her as it may have when she was younger.
“First name. What’s yours?” She grabbed another pretzel and he slid the bowl from her reach.
“Ryder. Your burger will be right out. That bowl is full of DNA. I used to work in a bar, never eat anything they put out. They don’t change the bowls and whatever it is, they are trying to get rid of it so it’s probably stale sweetheart. I know you can’t catch anything but still.” He crinkled his nose. Harper crammed the rest of her pretzel in her mouth anyway. What did she care about germs? She was wolf with an almost instant healing rate. She didn’t get sick. “That’s a really cute skirt you have on sweetheart. It makes me wonder about what’s under it.” Harper smiled softly feeling her cheeks burn. She’d bet he’d like what was under it a lot more than she liked it. The vinyl on the stool where she was perched was cold and a little sticky.
“Hey Harper, is this guy bothering you?” Jake crowded in on them with a few of the pack behind him.
“No, he’s buying me dinner.” Her eyes were still lost in his liquid brown ones.
“He’s not pack Harper and Bronson is barely in the ground. You aren’t done mourning him yet.”
“Oh I am done.” She gave Jake her full attention now. “I will not mourn Bronson Thibodaux and you don’t tell me what to do.” She hopped off the stool and was pointing her finger at his chest now, she would’ve aimed for his face but he towered over her like most everyone in the pack towered over her, for a wolf, she was small. He grabbed her finger and held it away from his chest and Ryder growled deeply.
“You buried him a week ago, show some respect.” Jake’s eyes flashed. The vein in his forehead was pulsing and he was losing control. She didn’t care. He should mind his own business like his pregnant mate.
“Let me tell you something Jake and this goes for the rest of you too. You all knew what he was doing and who he was doing it with. You all know that I worked two jobs to keep him in his drugs and porn and you know that he hadn’t shown me any respect for the past five years. I am done with all of that and if you don’t like it, you can suck it.” She very nearly screamed at him. Sidney was crossing the dance floor weaving her way through the dancing couples.
“You will give him respect in public whether you like it or not. I don’t give a shit what you do in private but out here you will respect him like you should and you will mourn him for a year as it should be little girl.” Jake jerked her forward almost making her fall off her high heels. “And you look like a whore.” He hissed. The growling behind her had deepened and grown louder. When the word ‘whore’ left his mouth, Jake never saw the fist coming that filled it. Blood splattered like paint across his face and Jake went down in a big heap. An arm came around her and lifted her back onto the stool.