Page 24

AVERY

“ S tay here,” Cole said as he slid out of the booth.

His voice was low and gravelly as he fought against letting his wolf’s growl escape his throat.

He sounded dangerous and somewhat terrifying.

His rigid posture and the broad expanse of his squared shoulders gave him an immense and intimidating look.

It shouldn’t have turned me on, but I’d have been lying if I denied that a warm tingle snaked its way between my legs.

I shook those thoughts away and glanced at the door. Kyle was inside, but still wearing sunglasses. Even then, I could sense his beady eyes on me. If Cole intimidated him as he strode forward, Kyle gave no indication of it. His whole demeanor made my skin crawl.

Cole was almost to Kyle when Ashton stepped out of the restroom.

He froze. The entire restaurant had gone silent.

The tension in the building had escalated quickly, everyone noticing the strange encounter.

Not only that, but Cole was well-known in town, and seeing him angry would always garner attention.

“Mom? What’s going on?” Ashton asked.

“Stay there, sweetie,” I said, though I wasn’t sure what was happening, either.

Ashton glanced at Kyle, and to my surprise, gave a snarling growl of his own. That was the first time I’d heard it. His change really was coming soon. His was almost a mimic of Cole’s—low, rumbling, and dangerous. It drew Cole’s attention away from Kyle.

Ashton pointed at Kyle. “Cole, this dude’s bad news.”

Kyle smirked and nodded to Ashton. “Boy’s senses are getting stronger.”

The fact that Kyle didn’t argue or deny Ashton’s assertion made me uneasy.

Even if someone was there with ill intent, usually they’d downplay it and act like they were there for a meal or simple conversation.

Kyle was practically admitting that he was there to cause trouble. That didn’t sit well with me.

“You don’t talk to him,” Cole snarled. “You talk to me .”

Kyle laughed. “That’s exactly what I’m here for. I came to speak to the new alpha, and here you are.”

Cole gave a small shake of the head. “I’m not the alpha. Not yet.”

Kyle removed his sunglasses and rolled his eyes. “Yeah, yeah, sure. Just because you all haven’t had a little ceremony doesn’t mean I don’t know the truth. You’re the alpha, and that means you get to deal with the alpha’s problems.”

Around the restaurant, people sat, transfixed by the strange interaction. Even the cooks and servers in the kitchen were watching through the service window.

Cole pointed at the door. “We can talk outside.”

Ignoring him, Kyle raised his voice to be heard across the diner. “The previous Harbor Mills pack alpha, and the pack by association, owes me over a hundred thousand dollars. I’m only trying to get what’s owed to me.”

“ What ?” The word slipped from my lips before I could stop it.

I wasn’t a shifter, but when Cole and I were together, I’d learned a bit about pack finances.

Most packs, and the Harbor Mills pack in particular, had large quantities of generational wealth—money taken in over decades that was used to finance pack operations, as well as for the betterment of pack members and pack businesses.

If I’d have to guess, Cole’s father had inherited a pack bank account of over a couple million dollars when he’d taken over from Cole’s grandfather.

Farrah and Cole had been well off when we were kids. The Garrett family was known as one of the richest in the area. How could the pack have burned through that much—and more—in only a couple decades?

Cole only nodded at Kyle’s pronunciation. “I know about my father’s debts.”

This seemed to finally knock Kyle off-balance. He frowned at Cole, obviously upset that his announcement hadn’t blindsided him. Around the room, muttered and whispered conversations broke out among the customers.

Kyle twisted his face like he’d just sucked on a lemon. “Let me guess. That little prick Dallas clued you in?”

“Doesn’t matter who told me,” Cole said.

The mention of Dallas gave me pause. When was the last time I’d even thought of Cole’s half-brother?

Over a decade at least. I’d been one of the only people outside the immediate family to know about Alpha Garrett’s illegitimate son.

Cole and Farrah had tried to bring him into the family a bit, but Dallas had shunned them, even at a young age, instead choosing to remain hidden away with his mother. What did he have to do with all this?

“I think it does matter,” Kyle said in a threatening tone.

“I haven’t talked to my brother in years,” Cole said. “I found the loan documents myself. Leave him out of it. You’ll get your fucking money, but you need to stay out of Harbor Mills and stay away from my pack. Understand?”

Kyle glanced in my direction and grinned slyly. “Is that little hottie part of your pack? Because, if not, I’d love to make her part of mine.”

Cole and Ashton both snarled at the man. Ashton even took a step toward him, but Cole held up a hand, gesturing to him to stay back.

Kyle’s grin widened, showing off his crooked, yellow teeth. “You two are awfully uptight. I’m only joking. Calm down. I can sense she’s already spoken for.”

I frowned in confusion.

“A fated mate connection is strong,” Kyle added.

My jaw fell open at the comment. Fated mate? There was no way I was still Cole’s fated mate. After all these years? That connection should have faded away after all the years apart. Plus, Cole had left me. Wouldn’t that have severed the bond like an outright rejection?

Rather than argue against the accusation, Cole took another step toward Kyle. “You need to remember that,” he hissed. “You and I both know what happens when an alpha’s mate is threatened.”

My head was spinning. Was Cole agreeing that I was still his fated mate? How could that be possible?

Kyle smoothed the sleeves of his jacket and chuckled, looking away from Cole to adjust the cufflinks of his dress shirt.

“Indeed I do,” Kyle said, still smiling.

“As every shifter knows. But…” He held up a finger and locked his eyes on Cole again.

“That free ticket to violence is only allowed if the mate has been claimed.” Kyle sniffed the air, sucking air in through his nostrils in a loud and obnoxious way.

“Doesn’t smell like she’s been claimed to me. Seems like she’s free game.”

My skin crawled with revulsion, knowing he was talking about me, knowing he’d pulled my scent into his nose. The thought of even microscopic portions of me being inside him made my throat burn with bile.

“What did you say?” Cole snarled as he shoved Kyle back. “Say it again, motherfucker. Say it! I fucking dare you.”

Kyle’s eyes narrowed dangerously as he stumbled backward, but righted himself before he could fall.

“Cole, no,” I said, the words leaping from my throat. “He’s not worth it.”

From the corner of my eye, I noticed another form sprinting from the parking lot toward the door. Terror and panic burst through my chest. Was it some enforcer Kyle had who was rushing in to protect his boss?

But then Trent burst through the door. Cole and Ashton froze at his arrival. Kyle, still smiling that crocodile smile of his, appraised the new arrival speculatively.

“Well, who do we have here?” Kyle said with a wink. “Trenton Monroe, I believe? Is that right? Cole’s right-hand man?”

Trent threw a look of disgust at the man and hurried across to Cole. “You said you’d be here,” he said, then leaned in close to whisper to Cole, keeping his voice low.

“Now, now,” Kyle said, gesturing around to confused patrons. “Speak up, so the whole class can hear.”

Whatever Trent said to Cole calmed him down. The burning rage on his face faded to a simmering anger.

Kyle waved a hand at both of them, as if shooing a fly. “I’m bored of this. Cole, you’ve got thirty days to get me my money. After that?” He made a gun with his hand and aimed it at Cole. “I start taking things you value.” He turned and winked at me.

Ashton, Trent, and Cole all let loose low, threatening growls as the man slipped out the door of the diner.

For a moment, everyone remained silent, but after a few seconds, whispered conversations began again.

I blew out a breath, allowing my shoulders to relax.

They’d grown taut as steel cables during the confrontation.

“Trent, take Ashton home. I need to talk to Avery,” Cole said.

“Wait a minute,” I said. “Why can’t Ashton come with us?”

“Mom, I’ll be fine,” Ashton said. “It’s cool.”

I glanced from him to Trent, then to Cole, and back at my son again. “Are you sure?”

Ashton nodded. “It’ll be fine. Don’t worry.”

“I’ll get him home safe and sound,” Trent said.

“Thank you,” Cole said.

The two of them departed. Cole was still visibly enraged. I tried to remain calm and not pepper him with the hundred questions that were bubbling up in my mind. Instead, I asked one simple question that encompassed all of them.

“Cole, what’s going on?”

He took my arm and led me toward the door, his fingers strong and insistent but gentle.

“Let’s get out of here.” He cleared his throat and, in what was his best attempt at confident good nature, called out to the restaurant. “Sorry for the trouble, everyone. My apologies.”

“Is everything all right, Cole?” a man I recognized from my youth as Al Junior asked from behind the register.

“All good, Al.” Cole winced in disappointment, as though remembering something important he’d forgotten. “Hey, Al, I know you don’t deliver, but do you think you could take a double bacon cheeseburger and fries to the old Carlisle house?”

Al frowned for a moment, as though thrown off, then shrugged and said, “For you? Sure. I can have it there in fifteen or twenty minutes.”

“Great. Throw some jalapenos and grilled onions on it as well.”

“You got it,” Al said, and went into the kitchen.