CHAPTER 08

The next morning, Allen and the other staff came in early and we were getting the diner set for the breakfast rush. I was wiping down the counter and Allen was wiping tables with another staff member.

“I hope the bread for toast have been brought in?!” I yelled.

“Bread, eggs, jam and mayo have all been received and logged, boss!” someone yelled from the kitchen.

I loved how efficient my staff were.

“I didn’t see you at the howling last night, Miss Mona,” one of my staff said from the window that looked into the kitchen from behind the counter.

I looked back and sure enough it was Tyler. He was this nineteen year old kid who just loved to gossip. He was a lot of fun though cos he always had all the juicy details. Also, he was a really hardworking dude.

“There was a howling last night?” I asked him.

Tyler was leaning on the windowsill. He had a rag in his left hand and his face just showed his desperation to spill the deets.

“Well, since you asked, yes there was a howling and it was the most powerful and emotional thing I have ever experienced. I’m glad I got to be part of one in my lifetime.”

“So that’s what all that noise last night was about,” Allen spoke. He had come to the counter now. Probably to hear the gist; I was just surrounded by little gossip-mongers.

“So the pack have bonded with the new alpha,” I murmured. “Good for Dom.”

“I love the new alpha,” said Tyler excitedly. “He’s so cool.”

“I think your new alpha is dumb,” Allen told him.

“That’s not a nice thing to say, Allen,” I told him.

“I don’t care,” he mumbled then walked off.

“He’s your alpha too, Allen!” Tyler called after him.

“Okay, you get back to work now,” I ordered him.

He put both hands up. “He started it.”

“Get!” I snapped and he returned to whatever he’d been doing in the kitchen before the little gossip break.

I returned to cleaning the counter and heard the bell as the door opened. Looking up, it was no surprise to see Big Todd and one of his lackey walking in.

Allen gave the big man a threatening look, but Big Todd just winked at the kid.

“Eyes on your duty, Allen!” I ordered and fortunately, he looked away from Big Todd.

“Good morning, little Miss Mona,” said Big Todd.

“Morning, Big Todd,” I replied, reaching into my back pocket.

I took out two hundred dollars. “I just wanna settle up for the week, so you guys won’t have to keep stressing yourselves coming down here every day for lil’ old me,” I told him as I offered the money.

“And if I said there’s been an increase in the rates?” he asked as he took the money.

“C’mon, Big Todd. We’re friends,” I told him. “Cut a small scale business owner some slack, okay?”

“Only cos you asked so nicely, Mona.” He put the money away and I expected him to turn to leave, but he just crossed his arms and grinned down at me.

“Anything else, Big Todd?” I asked.

“I heard Alex finally got thrown off the throne, that lazy dog,” he said and laughed.

I looked at Allen and the boy had stopped wiping tables. He was standing straight, but he wasn’t looking at Big Todd. I knew he’d heard the man.

“Hey, kid?” Big Todd called to him.

“C’mon, Big Todd, you don’t need to bring the kid in on this.” I didn’t want this to get out of hand.

“Hey, fallen prince, I’m talking to you” Big Todd kept taunting the boy.

“STOP IT, TODD!” I snapped.

Big Todd looked at me with such fury, but I was past the point of really caring how he felt.

“You can’t talk to my staff that way,” I went on in a calmer voice now. “We paid you for the week so please just leave.”

I heard the door open and close as Dom walked into the diner. He came up to the counter and sat on one of the stools.

“Morning, everyone,” he greeted. “Morning, Moans. Can I have a cup of cocoa while someone fixes me a tuna toast?”

Everyone was staring at him now. All my staff had come out when I yelled at Big Todd.

“And who pray tell are you, pretty man?” Big Todd asked, referring to Dom.

“Oh I’m just a shepherd, big man,” Dom replied with a smile. “Anyone on the hot cocoa?” He asked the staff.

With the players involved I knew stuff was gonna go down, but I never expected it to start the way it did.

Allen rushed at Big Todd’s partner and gave the man a jump-kick to the chest, sending the man down on the floor.

Big Todd quickly swung a blow at Allen, but Dom grabbed the big man’s wrist stopping him halfway.

“What the?!” Big Todd exclaimed, shocked by Dom’s action.

“Why’d you do that, Allen?” Dom asked.

“This loudmouth walks in here and starts trash-talking my dad so I had to get even somehow,” Allen replied.

“Then why hit his friend and not him?” Dom asked. “That’s transferred aggression. It’s unhealthy behavior.”

“The kick might not have dropped Big Todd, but I got just as much joy out of dropping his minion.”

Big Todd freed his hand from Dom’s grip. He was shocked at what was playing out before him, but not more shocked than me. I was scared.

“Let’s all just calm down….” I started to speak.

“Shut up, woman!” Big Todd snapped, sending a backhanded slap my way.

The slap never got to me though because Dom rose up, punched that arm down, grabbed Big Todd’s head and slammed it down on the counter.

Big Todd fell hard to the floor and everybody was shocked now. Allen rushed forward and gave Big Todd one good kick to the gut while he was down.

Dom looked at the other man who’d come in with Big Todd and I was suddenly hit with this heavy presence. It was Dom’s Alpha aura. He had suppressed it before so the North Hartvale members would not know who he was. His aura was so heavy. The best way to describe it would be that feeling you got when someone behind you was looking at something you were doing with your hands from over your shoulder. Dom’s aura was like feeling a hundred close family members looking over your shoulder at something embarrassing you were doing on your phone; it was so powerful.

“This aura,” said Big Todd’s accomplice. “You’re the new alpha.”

Big Todd rose to his feet and rushed at Dom, but my alpha just pushed his punch aside, dealt him two sharp ones to the stomach then sent him back down to the floor with a clean low sweeping kick.

I’d never seen Big Todd so angry in my life. His face was red with rage and probably embarrassment.

“Get lost before I get angry,” Dom told him.

“Come on, Big Todd, let’s get out of here,” Big Todd’s accomplice told him. “We can’t take an alpha on our own. This guy’s aura is insane.”

Big Todd reluctantly allowed his friend pull him to his feet. He gave Dom a death stare.

“My alpha said leave, idiots,” Allen told the two men, crossing his arms and grinning.

Had the kid just said ‘MY’ alpha? As in ‘HIS’ alpha?

“Oh you lot just started something you won’t like, mutt,” the accomplice told Allen.

Big Todd turned and stomped out of the diner. His friend went with him and the entire diner erupted with cheers.

Dom grinned at me as he took his seat at the counter again. His imposing alpha aura was gone. I couldn’t help returning his smile.

“I got you,” he mouthed.