Kapitel 3

Tessa

Dom seemed agitated. His hair was disheveled, as if he'd been constantly running his fingers through it, and his eyes were wild as they fixed on me. I slowly backed away as he came closer.

I had no idea what to do. I heard his heavy breathing and was reminded again how dangerous werewolves could be. Fear flooded my body. As my back hit the sink, my heart pounded wildly. "What... what are you doing here?"

"What the hell are you wearing?" he snapped at me, sounding furious. He seemed tense, as if he were holding something back with all his might. I assumed it was pure hatred and disgust.

"I..." The words caught in my throat. I could barely breathe as he leaned towards me.

I wanted to run away – like those cartoon characters who leave a hole in the wall. But panic held me fast.

Dom came even closer, placed his hands on the sink on either side of me, and lowered his face to my neck. I thought he was going to whisper something cruel, but he remained silent. All I could hear was his ragged breathing. I raised my hands to protect myself, and as I turned away, he seemed to snap out of his trance.

"Answer me!" he demanded. "Why are you wearing that?"

"This is my uniform..."

He stared intently at me, his gaze slid to my chest. Then he exhaled deeply, as if he had made a decision. "You can't go out there like that. Absolutely not." His tone brooked no argument.

What he did next completely threw me off. He took off his jacket and began unbuttoning his shirt.

Everything felt like it was in slow motion.

None of it made sense. Why would this alpha male—who obviously couldn't stand me—undress in front of me in the bathroom? I saw his tattoos, his smooth, tanned skin, a few old scars…and damn, he was perfect. Veins bulged on his arms, his muscles were defined and strong, and the wolf designs on his skin looked incredible. He towered over me, his broad chest right in front of me. He was easily the most attractive man I had ever seen.

When he was finished, his shirt was hanging open over a thin tank top.

"Take off your shirt," he said tonelessly.

"Excuse me?" I blinked in disbelief.

"I said, take off your shirt." His voice was commanding.

Did he seriously want me to undress? Was this some kind of cruel joke?

“I…” I stammered.

"This shirt doesn't fit you," he growled. "You don't go out like that."

"This is my uniform, and I—" Before I could finish the sentence, his hands shot to the collar of my shirt.

I tried to push him away, but within seconds he ripped open the fabric. Buttons flew across the floor.

„Was zur Hölle?!“, rief ich, mein Gesicht brannte. Schnell verschränkte ich die Arme vor meiner Brust, um mich zu bedecken. Da stand ich, halbnackt im BH, fühlte mich entblößt und fror. Ich dachte, ich würde gleich anfangen zu weinen.

Er schaute nicht weg. Sein Blick wanderte über mich, während ich verzweifelt versuchte, meinen Körper zu verbergen.

„Wie konntest du nur?!“, brachte ich mit zittriger Stimme hervor und begegnete seinem Blick.

Er schwieg. Stattdessen zog er sein Hemd ganz aus und führte sanft meine Arme in die Ärmel. Ich versuchte weiterhin, mich zu bedecken, während er mit unsicheren Fingern das Hemd zuknöpfte – bis ganz oben, als wollte er keinen Zentimeter von mir sehen lassen.

Seine Körperwärme hüllte mich ein, zusammen mit einem Duft, den ich nicht genau einordnen konnte. Warum gab er mir seine Kleidung?

Das Hemd war riesig an mir – es reichte fast wie ein Kleid. Immer noch nicht zufrieden, griff er nach dem Reißverschluss meines Rocks.

Oh mein Gott. Panik schoss durch mich hindurch. Das ging zu weit.

„Lass los!“, schrie ich. Er wirkte überrascht, machte aber weiter. Ich schlug seine Hände weg.

„Ich versuche doch nur, dir zu helfen!“, sagte er, klang fast verletzt.

„Ich brauche deine Hilfe nicht!“, schoss ich zurück.

Er sah genervt aus, ließ aber nicht locker. Er hielt mich fest, öffnete den Rock ein Stück und steckte das übergroße Hemd ordentlich hinein. Seine Hände streiften meine Hüften und Beine, während er arbeitete. Irgendwie war ich am Ende wieder richtig angezogen. Sein Hemd bedeckte mich deutlich besser als meine alte Uniform.

„Warum bist du hier?“, fragte ich. Sein Mund öffnete sich, als wollte er etwas sagen, doch die Worte kamen nicht. Ich wollte einfach nur so weit wie möglich von ihm weg. Ich hatte schon genug damit zu tun, ihm und den anderen Alphas wie Königen zu servieren.

„Das ist die Damentoilette! Du solltest überhaupt nicht hier drin sein!“, sagte ich. Aber er rührte sich nicht. Es war, als wären seine Füße am Boden festgeklebt.

Sobald er einen Schritt zurücktrat, schlüpfte ich an ihm vorbei und eilte zur Tür. Endlich konnte ich wieder atmen.

Was zur Hölle war gerade passiert? Ich trug sein Hemd… Warum hatte er das getan?

Ich stürzte in die Küche, mein Herz raste immer noch, ich bekam kaum Luft.

„Tessy! Wir brauchen mehr Hände im Gastraum!“, rief Mia.

Ich riss mich zusammen und machte mich wieder an die Arbeit, trug Teller hin und her. Jedes Mal, wenn ich in die Nähe von Doms Tisch kam, fühlten sich meine Knie schwach an. Er saß dort in seiner Jacke, flankiert von Alpha Caine und den anderen. Ich versuchte, ruhig zu bleiben, aber die Szene im Badezimmer spielte sich ständig in meinem Kopf ab.

Sobald ich mich näherte, spannte sich die ganze Gruppe an und starrte mich an.

„Diese Menschen sind wertlos…“, hörte ich Caine murmeln. Meine Hände zitterten so sehr, dass Nates Teller laut klapperte, als ich ihn abstellte.

I was shocked when Dom's hand suddenly closed around my wrist and stabilized me. Maybe he didn't want to look bad in front of the others.

"Thank you," said a tough-looking alpha male with long hair. I was too nervous to reply.

Everyone in the restaurant seemed tense, but I was the only one who truly understood what they were – powerful, unpredictable, and deadly.

I thought the worst was over, but then Caine deliberately knocked some glasses off the table.

"Look at this clumsy human woman. So pathetic," he sneered. A few growls followed.

I got down on my knees and carefully gathered up the broken glass so no one would get hurt. I cut my finger on one of the shards. When I stood up, I saw Dom's expression—he almost seemed sorry. But as always, neither he nor anyone else intervened.

...

"That was strange," Mia sighed later, as we changed in the bathroom. "They look really good, but they're totally rude."

"Did they cause you any problems?" I asked, concerned.

"Just a few complaints about the service, but where else are they supposed to eat?" She smiled.

We said goodbye. As I gathered my things, I realized I was still wearing Dom's shirt.

I couldn't help myself – I held it to my nose. It smelled incredible. I had no idea what perfume it was, but it was addictive.

It was already late when I went out. I noticed that the Alphas had gone into one of the private rooms we sometimes used for events.

"I see you've encountered that stupid human woman who's ruined your pack," a spiteful voice chimed in. I froze.

“I guess she lives here now,” Dom replied.

"If she were in my pack, she would already be dead," growled someone named Marco.

“Each pack handles its affairs in its own way,” said another alpha – sounding like the one with the long hair.

There were a few dismissive snorts, then silence. But Caine persisted.

"Was it just me, or did that fat girl smell like you?"

“She… asked me for help. That’s why I smell to her,” Dom replied.

“She definitely needs help,” Caine said sarcastically. “But we have bigger problems – like the Rogue attacks and the…”

Council meeting. Right?”

I hurried towards the exit, was almost outside when I heard it.

“Tessa…”

I turned around. It was the cathedral.