From the moment the girl stepped foot inside my diner, I knew she was in trouble. I could tell by the way she wore her long, strawberry hair down covering her face like a shroud, and she chose a booth in the back that had a view of the whole place. It also made for a quick exit out the back door. She slid into the booth, her keen green eyes kept scanning the joint but not making eye contact with a living soul in it. She flinched when the door opened, and I could smell the tang of her blood in the air as she chewed her thumbnail down to the quick. I could tell the girl was in trouble, because I had once been her.
She couldn’t be more than nineteen, which was another red flag of her being here all alone at this ungodly hour. My diner was on the backroads, the bypass to the highway, and these twisty lanes that curved around the mountain, were dangerous even when the sun was high in the sky. The only faces I usually saw at this time before dawn, were truckers after they’d dropped their trailers, townies who worked the graveyard shifts, or an occasional adventurous (or foolish) traveler tempting fate and taking the scenic route in a place where the streetlights didn’t reach. Out here, the shadows were vast, the darkness and trees were mostly unmolested, and nature still ruled the roost.
I knew these roads and the town below, and most of the folks in it, like the back of my hand. But I had never seen this girl before. That didn’t surprise me though, because she-wolfs were protected and often isolated by their packs. They were precious commodities, either revered and worshiped, or abused and treated like property, but all were heavily guarded. What surprised me was this she-wolf was all alone without a male wolf to watch over her. That was practically unheard of. I myself was an exception to this rule, though not by lack of aggressive betas and Alphas trying to claim me for their packs.
I smoothed down my apron and put on a welcoming smile as I made my way towards the girl with a pot of fresh coffee in hand. I had just topped off a regular’s cup moments before. Like he’d been doing for the last five years, Jim came in like clockwork every Wednesday morning after he dropped his lumber off at the pulp mill. He always sat at the counter, ordered the same thing too, an everything omelet, coffee with two creamers and four sugars, and a piece of apple pie to go. The only other patron in the diner, besides the girl and I, was a townie named Chris. Chris had just started third shift at the pulp mill last month. It was proving to be a hard adjustment and he often came in for coffee before work. Said I made it the best.
It hadn’t been lost on me the way the girl tensed when Chris had walked in and taken a corner table. Chris wasn’t intimidating in looks, hardly out of his teens, rather on the small side with a lean frame and barely skimming five and a half feet tall. Jim, though older and bigger, was more like a big old cuddly teddy bear. Though he was a burly mountain man, he had a boisterous laugh, ruddy cheeks, and wouldn’t hurt a fly. I knew the girl wasn’t scared of them. Something or someone else caused that fear in her eyes.
I stopped before her table and her eyes dragged up to briefly meet mine. I knew she didn’t see me as a threat either, though she knew I was also a wolf. She didn’t smell any male scents on me because I didn’t keep the company of wolves. Hell, I rarely even had human men in my bed, other than when my carnal needs grew too great and my toys just weren’t cutting it, the night before the full moon was always the worst. Men of any species often brought complications and headaches into my life and I’d rather avoid them for the most part.
“Good morning honey. You can call me Onie. What can I get ya?” I asked her cheerfully.
“Coffee will be fine, thanks.”
I turned over the mug on the saucer and filled it to the brim. The girl chewed on her bottom lip and fiddled with her sweatshirt sleeves. I slid a menu before her.
“This morning’s special is pancakes, two for the price of one. Would you like some time to look over the menu?”
“I’m not really hungry thanks anyway.”
“Okay, I’ll bring you some water then…Are you waiting on someone?”
She looked up at me and then nodded quickly. I bent over and poured a second cup for the table.
I couldn’t help but ask in a low tone that no one else would overhear, “Is it someone you want to see, honey?”
She stiffened for a moment, then a smile spread across her lips. It made her look younger and I knew it was genuine. The way it lit her eyes, couldn’t be forced or faked.
“Yes. Very much. He’ll be here soon.”
I felt a bit more at ease. But something still had this girl on edge. I needed to move along to service Chris, who I knew had about only an hour before his shift, but I was going to keep my eyes and ears open just in case. Perhaps the boy the young she-wolf waited on was from another rival pack, or maybe even human. Maybe their families and Alphas disapproved of their match. It wasn’t really my business anyway. But that had never stopped me before.
I returned her smile, “Let me know if I can get you anything else. Let me know if you need any help at all.”
“I will, thanks. He shouldn’t be too much longer now.”
I held her eyes for a few seconds more, then turned and went to greet Chris. We spent a few moments chit chatting before I went to the grill to fry up his eggs and bacon. But I kept my eye on the door, my nose in the air for smells other than greasy diner food. While tater tots deep fried, I cashed out Jim, and smiled to myself at the sight of a full till.
My stepfather had always said women had no business running things, that we were too emotional, and would only run whatever we touched into the ground. Well I’d been running this diner for the past three years, and the only thing that was in the ground was him, in an unmarked grave, about five miles into the forest from where I now stood. My mother, God rest her soul, was laid to rest in a lovely mausoleum, surrounded by wildflowers, and cherry blossoms, with the picturesque Cold Lake in the distance.
The founders of this town hadn’t been too creative. They’d named it Stonemountain and its second most famous landmark, Cold Lake. I couldn’t say much, as this diner was called Mountaintop Diner. It had been named that before my mother had bought it a decade ago and she hadn’t had the heart to change it. It wasn’t actually on the mountain top either, but nestled in the shadow of the mountain, and between the miles of forest country.
Lumber was the lifeblood of this town, and tourism was second, though many visitors now preferred the cozier inns and such across the state that boasted far more tourist attractions. Our mountain was beautiful, though too inhospitable for skiing, and our sleepy town didn’t have many twenty-four-hour restaurants and night clubs that catered to younger crowds. We had hiking that tempted some, fishing, and views that lured in an older crowd who preferred a slower pace and some rest and relaxation. That was just the way I liked it, keeping out the partying riffraff for the most part.
Peace and solitude, well as much as could be found in the land between two rival wolf packs. The town itself, and my diner was located in neutral territory. The packs had no claims or jurisdictions on this ground. But to the west was Timberland Pack territory, and to the east belonged to the Stonemountain Pack. Occasionally their feuds, spilled over into Stonemountain itself, but their alphas usually had their packs under control. I didn’t care about bullshit werewolf politics and petty fights, so long as they kept to their packlands and left me the hell alone. These days, it was mostly betas or alphas passing through whom attempted to make me one of their kept and suppressed females even though I wasn’t a pureblood. It hadn’t worked out to well for them. And it hadn’t worked out to well for my sadistic, bastard of a stepfather in the end either.
Chris’s order was up so I pulled my head out of the clouds and delivered it to his table. I was just about to go over and ask the girl if she was doing alright, when a scent floated in through the open window. I watched for the girl’s reaction to see if this wolf was a friend or foe to her. The way her body relaxed, and she smiled again, told me all I needed to know. A young beta with a mop of dark curls and a jawline straight enough to cut someone, breezed in through the front door. He let out a relieved breath and smiled so big, two dimples popped out in each cheek when he noticed the pretty, she-wolf awaiting him.
I leaned up against a booth and watched their reunion. The happy squeal she gave when she jumped up from the booth and ran into his arms. He lifted her clear off her feet, gave her a little spin, then a kiss that made me jealous of having never been kissed liked that in my whole twenty-four years of existence. That kiss, and the looks shared between them, made me believe that mates were more than just a wolf legend. I grew convinced in about three seconds flat, they were true mates.
My shriveled heart grew a bit at the sight. Mother had always called me a cynic, and I had teased she was a hopeless romantic, but look where it had gotten her. Melody White had always saw the good in people, and was the fixer, the second chancer. She’d been easy prey for sick fucks like Stone ShadowFang. He was a monster, even before he let his wolf out to terrorize us. My mother and I learned the hard way about the beasts that came out at night and lurked in the shadows.
I shook those dark thoughts off like a dog in the rain and waited for the love birds to finish their display of affection. Then I approached them with a killer smile and two glasses of iced water. From the way they were going at it, I wondered for a moment if I would need to pour the water on them to separate the mates. I tried to remember the last time I had been looked at like I hung the moon in the sky, and I deflated. Unless my old hound dog Tom counted, but his loyalty was easily bought with chicken and belly rubs. Tom certainly got more action than I did, half of the town’s mutts were his.I tried not to be offended that lover boy clearly didn’t see me as a threat while he sized me up. I might not have looked like much, all five- foot- two- and- three-quarter- inches of me, but I was a solid one hundred and thirty pounds of muscle and packed a mean right hook. But a mean right hook wasn’t all I packed, behind the counter I had a baseball bat and my shotgun, Old Faithful. The sho
“It’ll all be alright Lily. I won’t ever let anything happen to you, Moon as my witness. We’ll make him understand,” promised Rand.Poor Lily was shaking like a leaf. What a pretty name, I just hoped the Alpha didn’t pluck this pretty little redheaded flower. She-wolfs were usually protected at all costs. So, chances were, even if this was a rival Alpha, he’d try and beat the beta into submission and claim Lily for his own pack, best case scenario anyway. Worst case, he was a raging feral who couldn’t be reasoned with, tore Rand apart and then possibly did the same to Lily out of spite. That was where Old Faithful came in, to get him right with The Moon and to remind the bastard this was my land.Chris was semi-oblivious to the danger we were facing. He didn’t know what had the rest of us all so worked up. He tried to peer out the window, but the night was too dark and unforgiving to see much. Thick lines of trees also helped to hide most of the sins of the creatures of the night.
Things were about to get ugly. The beta had twice refused the command of his Alpha, and then to further add insult, he had thrown down a challenge. I feared the time for talking was done and they were about to settle things in the wolf way. With claws and teeth. By the anger rolling off the Alpha, Rand being his nephew, wasn’t going to save the beta’s hide.Fuck, they were going to tear my diner apart while they tried to do the same to each other. And I couldn’t afford another insurance claim, or my premiums would skyrocket. I didn’t know my own strength sometimes and accidents happened, both by the hand of nature and my own. Last New Year’s, I knocked some holes in the wall, screwed up some wiring, and caused a minor electrical fire when my semi-sober ass decided to use my stepfather’s picture as a dartboard. Luckily no one was injured except for the raccoon who had taken up residence in my wall. Also, a tree fell on the roof two years back, and a drunk, handsy college guy fell thr
To say I was a bit distracted was an understatement, but it was the reason I was the last wolf to realize we had company. Sure, I was vaguely aware of the cloying scent of cedar and sandalwood, the crunch of gravel outside, a howl carried on the wind, but I was still entranced by the Alpha before me and the things he was doing to my body. I hated myself for this weakness, for not being able to control the wetness spreading between my legs, the tautness of my nipples, the burn where his mouth touched against my skin. But it felt so damn good. And the bastard knew exactly the effects he was having on me alright. “Rand!” cried out Lily, increasing her grip on her mate. “Maybe we’ll have better luck making him understand,” soothed Rand as he stroked her cheek, “I’ll relinquish my place in the pack and my allegiance to my Alpha, Lil if that’s what it takes for us to be together.” “He has to understand! He’ll give you a place and protection among our pack,” the hope in Lily’s voice near
Perhaps I was going to be the death of these Alphas too. In the midst of fangs tearing into hide, my climax coated the air, causing the mateless wolves in the room into a frenzied state. Suddenly, I had two pairs of glowing eyes locked on me. I wondered if their animalistic need to mate would take control and override their need to fight. With their wolfs in control, which instinct would win? The wolf with fur of black, let out a growl of a different tone altogether, but it was Alpha Grey that prowled closer to me, his nostrils flared taking in large whiffs of my moist heat. He appeared to be the younger of the Alphas, perhaps also less experienced, and the most affected by my surge of come. His wolfskin showed more signs of injury, blood adorned his pelt, but he’d kept the older wolf from his neck and held his own so far into this wolf fight. However, the dark wolf wore a smile of blood coating his teeth and muzzle. His bites were calculated, vicious, swift, and his claws slashed t
The Alpha of Stonemountain Pack must have had a heart beneath that stone after all, and some deep down connection to his humanity while he wore his wolfskin. Though he had threatened to end his own nephew to keep the pack from dishonor, he did not stand for someone else threatening to kill his beta. A disgruntled, potent roar echoed through my diner and I nearly dropped my shotgun to cover my ears. But to do so, would not have ended well for me. While the dark wolf still wore his fur, he’d likely get his pound of flesh from me instead, and Old Faithful was likely the only thing standing in his way. Alpha Roam let go of the grey wolf, but he sure as fuck wasn’t happy about it. He snarled his fangs at me, blood dripping off his teeth, and menaced closer in my direction. I retrained the gun on him, and he knew I had no reservations about shooting him for a second time. The evidence of which he wore on his fur, now stained darker on his front leg. I didn’t dare take my eyes off the wolf
I set my trusty shotgun aside and leaned down to pick up what remained of my coffee pot. It was my lucky one, had been with me since I had taken over running this place. It had weathered a couple fights and survived a round of steamy counter sex I had indulged in with a sexy fireman from town. Man, that guy could light my fire, pun intended and had crossed a fantasy off my list. He had smelled like smoke and spice and his hose was thick, and long. But tonight, it seemed my luck had run out. Alpha Grey winced as he drug his torn up carcass to his feet. He refused Lily’s help to rise and I snorted. Males were all the same it seemed. I checked him out. I wasn’t a saint by any means, a naked hot man was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up. His body sang to mine even bloody and bruised. And I liked the song very much, it promised a crescendo that would leave me wanting an encore. He was so tight and perfect, and The Moon knew what it was doing when it created him. His huge cock was the thin
The young beta held the Alpha’s gaze briefly, before he downcast his eyes as a sign of respect. Rand was trying to get on his good side, and also following wolf etiquette. Lycans were taught from cubhood to show ultimate obedience and respect to their Alphas above all, and it could be a matter of death for those who never learned that lesson. Hotheaded Alphas had challenged their wolfkind for such offences as staring them in the eyes too long, among other tiny infractions they saw as disrespect. It was a shame they often let their females be treated with so little of that same respect they demanded. Hypocritical bullshit at its finest.But Alpha Grey seemed…different. Maybe it was just because Lily was his sister that he’d allowed her to address him without his proper title. He had treated me with more decency than Alpha Roam had. But it was far to early to tell the character of this Alpha. He was likely also a wolf in sheep’s clothing, just waiting for me to let my guard down to poun