The Alpha’s Fated Choice (Alpha's Fated Encounter Trilogy #1)

I don’t like him touching me. I don’t like anyone touching me.

When I look down at him, he’s watching me intently.

“I’m in town for a couple of weeks. Do you mind showing me around?”

I blink at him. “It’s a very small town. What do you want me to show you?”

He stares at me, and then a sheepish laugh escapes his mouth. He releases my hand. “Never mind.”

“I’m serious,” I protest. “Do you want to see something in particular? Because I don’t know what there is to show you.”

He laughs even harder now, waving his hand at me. “You can go back to work. I’ll figure out another way.”

Another way to do what?

Wondering if he’s losing his mind, I make my way back to the bar.

Ever since Noah dealt with him, I haven’t seen Freddy around. I haven’t even seen his friends around. I do know that Freddy’s father really is on probation; I had to drop off some documents for Elsa at Town Hall, and I saw Freddy’s mother. She had circles under her eyes and looked haggard. I didn’t feel any pity for her. I wish I could ask Noah to get justice for Drew, but that’s not my place.

I have to say that the presence of the Alpha Successor has had a positive impact on Oakrest. The pack security team was treating this place as if they run it, but with Noah here, that doesn’t seem to be the case any longer. They don’t dare flaunt their authority now.

I get to work, mixing and serving drinks, stepping in to wait on tables when the servers get too busy. At the back of my mind, I’m contemplating Alex’s offer. I’m also thinking about my mother and what I’ve just learned from Noah. As a result, I’m quite distracted and making plenty of mistakes, but for some reason, nobody says anything to me about it. I wonder why that is.

When I stop by Elsa’s office to drop off the new delivery forms, she looks a little stressed.

“You good, Elsa?”

She looks up at me, and I can see the desire in her eyes to say something. But then, she shakes her head. “It’s nothing.”

Elsa and I aren’t very close, but she’s been good to me ever since I met her, and when things are going wrong in my life, she always helps me out. So, it bothers me that she’s upset about something and I can’t do anything for her.

I head into the kitchen to hand the signed form to Jack for the meat delivery tonight.

Jack and Elsa are old friends, so I ask, “Have you noticed that Elsa seems a little off today?”

Jack shrugs. “She’s fine. She just got a letter from her daughter.”

I knew Elsa had a daughter, but she never talks about her. I don’t even know her name.

“Her daughter? Everything okay with her?”

Jack shrugs. “Beats me, kid. I don’t know. She must be fine because Elsa is still here. Then again, Tina always was a wild child, so maybe she’s gone and done something again.”

I look in the direction of the office and consider going back and sticking my nose in something that’s not my business, but I don’t think my boss would appreciate it.

So, I choose to just get back to work.

My shift ends at three in the morning, and by around two, the number of customers has dwindled. It’s a weekday, so I don’t really expect too many people to be here. There are only two drunks left in the bar. One is sprawled across his seat, his hand still gripping his beer bottle. The other is staring into his phone, his cheek resting against his palm, his expression morose.

I start wiping down the bar. The kitchen is already closed, and Jack and everybody else have gone home. Even Elsa left early for once, so locking up is my responsibility tonight. I’ve already flipped the empty chairs onto the tables and prepared the mop water. I’m just putting away the freshly washed glasses when I hear the door open. Looking up, I see Noah enter.

I glance at the wall clock to make sure I have the time right. Why is he out at two in the morning?

“We’re about to close. Do you need something?” I ask him.

He approaches me, a small box in his hand. “Do you think you can take the day off tomorrow?”

“Actually, I don’t think I’m on the schedule for tomorrow. Why?”