CHAPTER 01

Sunlight flooded the diner as I raised the blinds. The sweet aroma of my stew simmering in the kitchen filled the space. There was a soft piano melody playing on the speakers. Piano melodies were my go-to sound for work time. Most people said it was weird, but I classify most people as weird, soooooo…. I walked to the door, unlocked it, turned the CLOSED sign and ‘Big Bite’ was officially open for the day.

I walked to behind the counter, looked at the large clock over the front door and just as it struck 7am, Allen came walking across the front of the diner. He pushed the door open and walked in.

He was the sixteen year old only son of Alexander Simons, Alpha of the South Hartvale Pack. His dad was our alpha, but in here, I was the big wolf and Allen was my employee pup.

“Another boring day in Hartvale, Oregon, everybody!” the teen yelled as he walked in, pretending to cry.

“Get in here and do your job, boy,” I told him, laughing at his nonsense.

Allen was just a miniature of his father, brown hair, gray eyes, athletic build, tall. He was a good kid, did whatever his father said, took a job here to earn his own money and really looked after the pack like he was the alpha and not Alexander. He came behind the counter, tossed his bag under the shelf and put on his apron with the diner name on it.

“Welcome to manhood, Allen,” I told him as we shared a hi-five. “Mind the counter.”

I walked into the kitchen and hadn’t been in there too long before Allen yelled my name.

“Miss Mona?!” He called.

I came out and was not surprised to see three large men right outside the door.

“They’re here,” Allen murmured.

“Go into the kitchen, Allen,” I told him.

“But you might need help and….” He stared to argue but I cut him off.

“Do as I say and don’t argue with me, boy!” I snapped.

He looked hurt as he stomped into the kitchen. My tone had come off harsher than I’d intended.

The door opened and the three men walked in. They were biker dudes, leather jackets, beards, metal accessories; the works. None was less than 6ft in height, but I stood firm behind the counter and kept a straight face.

“Just get the money out, Mona,” one of them told me. He was the biggest and most rugged-looking; went by Big Todd.

“A bit too early in the day to be racketeering, don’t you think, Big Todd?” I asked him, reaching into my back pocket.

Big Todd just smiled. I took out some cash from my pocket and counted fifty dollars. I offered the fifty to him, but he just smiled down at me.

“It’s double now, Mona,” he said so calmly.

“You’re lucky you get fifty at all!” Allen snapped from the kitchen door. He stomped out and came to stand by my side, shooting a frown up at Big Todd.

It took all the strength in me to keep from slapping the lights out of that kid. He was just trying to protect me, but he was just a kid.

“This one’s Alex’s little runt, aint he?” Todd asked, grinning at Allen.

“He’s just a kid, Big Todd,” I replied. I took out the extra fifty dollars and offered it to him. “That’s the double. Just take it.”

Big Todd ignored me and that was when I knew this was probably gonna escalate fast. Allen held Big Todd’s stare and the big man wasn’t gonna like that. I grabbed the back of the boy’s head and forced his face down.

“Forget the kid and take the money, Big Todd. C’mon, business before all else, right?” I tried to talk the big man down.

Big Todd was not smiling anymore and his friends didn’t seem too happy either.

“They can’t just do whatever they like with us, Miss Mona!” Allen snapped.

“Boy, be silent!” I warned him.

“What, you a bigger man than your father now, little alpha?” Big Todd asked the boy.

“Pay him no mind, Big Todd,” I tried to defuse the matter.

“I swear when I become alpha, I’ll destroy the North Hartvale Pack!” Allen shot.

This boy was gonna be the death of me. There was no way I could hold my own against these three and Big Todd was an enforcer, those were nasty wolves to take on. Also, I did not want to mess up my diner.

“Shut up, Allen!” I snapped at the boy. “You don’t know what you’re saying, You’re just a kid!”

Surprisingly, Allen actually stayed shut. I looked at Big Todd again. “I’m sorry for his…”

“Five hundred,” he said, cutting me off.

“What?” I asked.

“Five hundred is what I’ll take to let you keep this rat-house open since you can’t control your staff.”

“I don’t have five hundred dollars, Big Todd. Please just let this one slide. I’ll talk to him.”

“He is the son of your alpha so his words will carry more meaning than you think,” Big Todd explained. “You can either pay the fine for his insults, or I shut you down and bring this matter to Kane.”

Oh I definitely didn’t want this coming to Kane, but I didn’t have five hundred dollars on me.

“Look, I got two hundred,” I said, taking out all the money left in my pockets and offering them to Big Todd. “Just take it and let’s forget this happened.”

Big Todd collected the money and I breathed a sigh of relief.

“Three hundred more, Mona,” he said and I just shut my eyes and bit my lower lip cos I’d kinda expected it.

“Okay, I’m sorry,” I heard Allen say.

I opened my eyes now. The boy was actually trying to settle the matter. I was so proud of him, but I doubted that was gonna get to Big Todd.

“We got a problem here, gentlemen?” came a voice from the door.

Big Todd turned around and I knew the owner of that voice too well.

“Marcus,” said Big Todd, turning to look at the person at the door.

Marcus Benson was the love of my life, my man, my ride-or-die and the enforcer for the South Hartvale Pack.

“Oh thank god,” I whispered under my breath.

Big Todd walked up to Marccus. He had the word ‘Big’ in his name for a reason. The man stood at 6ft 4”, three inches above my Marcus, but Marcus was a ferocious man who would never back down no matter what; it was part of what I loved about him. The South Hartvale Pack Enforcer versus his North Hartvale Pack counterpart.

“Now we’re talking,” I heard Allen murmur.

Stupid kid.