Page 17 of Alpha's Hidden Gem

Danger,my wolf growls.Protect our mate.

"Axel?" Ethan calls out, approaching our table with the others in tow. "Fancy seeing you here."

I force a smile, my body coiled with tension. "Ethan, Finn, Elena, Kate. What brings you to this part of town?"

Elena's eyes dart between Lila and me, a knowing smirk on her face. "Just grabbing some coffee. Who's your friend?"

I can feel Lila's curiosity radiating off her. "This is Lila," I say, fighting to keep my voice neutral. "I'm helping her with some health code regulations for her food truck."

Finn raises an eyebrow, his tone laced with skepticism. "Really? Seems like an awful lot of attention for one food truck owner."

The implication in his tone makes my wolf bristle. I clench my fists under the table, struggling to maintain control. The last thing I need is for my pack to start questioning my judgment or my commitment to my duties as Alpha.

They challenge us,my wolf snarls.Show them our dominance.

Lila, oblivious to the undercurrents of tension, smiles warmly at my pack members. "It's nice to meet you all. Are you colleagues of Axel's?"

"You could say that," Ethan replies, his eyes never leaving my face. "We're like family, aren't we, Axel?"

The double meaning isn't lost on me. I nod stiffly, acutely aware of the growing tension. "That's right. We go way back."

Elena leans in, her voice low but loud enough for Lila to hear. "You know, Axel rarely takes such a personal interest in his cases. You must be special, Lila."

I see a blush creep up Lila's cheeks, and my protective instincts flare. I want to growl at Elena, to warn her off, but I know that would only raise more questions. "Oh, Axel's just been very helpful with all the regulations," Lila says.

"I'm sure he has," Finn says, his tone laced with skepticism. "Axel's always been... dedicated to his work."

"We should get back to our discussion," I say firmly, giving my pack members a pointed look. "Lila and I have a lot to cover."

They take the hint, but not before Ethan leans in close, his voice a low murmur that only I can hear. "We need to talk later, Axel. The pack is concerned."

As they walk away, I can feel their eyes on us, hear their whispered conversations. My muscles are taut with the effort of restraining my wolf, who wants nothing more than to assert our claim on Lila, to make it clear to everyone that she's under my protection.

"Are you okay, Axel?" Lila asks, concern evident in her voice. "You seem tense. Is everything alright between you and your friends?"

I force myself to relax, offering her a smile that doesn't quite reach my eyes. "We're fine. Just some family stress. Nothing for you to worry about."

Lila doesn't look entirely convinced, but she doesn't press the issue. Instead, she steers our conversation back to the food truck plans, and I'm grateful for the distraction. "You were saying about moving the prep station?"

As we wrap up our discussion, I notice a shift in Lila’s expression, her brow furrowing slightly.

“Axel,” she begins, hesitating, “I’ve been getting some... unwanted attention from Gio. He keeps stopping by the food truck and making comments that make me uncomfortable.”

My instincts flare, a low growl rumbling in my throat. “I know. I’ve seen him hanging around. That’s one reason I asked you to meet me for coffee.”

Her eyes widen in surprise. “You have?”

“I’m looking out for you,” I reply, my voice low and firm. “If he’s bothering you, I want to help you put a stop to it.”

“Help how?” she asks, a mix of curiosity and concern written on her face.

“I can talk to him,” I offer, feeling the tension coiling in my muscles. “Make it clear that he needs to back off.”

Lila bites her lip, weighing my suggestion. “But I don’t want to escalate things. I don’t want to cause problems for you. What if…”

“Too late for that,” I say firmly, needing her to understand. “He’s crossing a line, and I won’t stand for it. I have already filed a report against him with the food poisoning I found at his truck the other day.”

She studies my face, her gaze searching for sincerity. “Oh, you did. Alright.”

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