Page 21 of Alpha's Runaway Mate

“You’re gonna pay for that, bitch!” He charged at me, fangs bared.

Meanwhile, Dominic was trying to fend off the three men coming at him. It was near-impossible to evade all of the blows they were throwing in his direction, but he somehow managed it. The rest of the patrons gathered around, watching the fight unfold. It was pure madness, and just when I thought it couldn’t get any worse, Mr. Randolf stormed in, bellowing.

“Not in my diner, you halfwits!” He grabbed the tall guy by his collar. “What did I tell you about starting a fight in my diner again?”

The man opened his mouth to protest, but Mr. Randolf cut him off. “Get out. Take your goons and get the hell out of here. And if I see your faces again, you’ll be facing my wrath.”

He gestured to his guys and they scrambled out of the diner. Mr. Randolf then turned to Dominic. “I know you’re one of the good guys, Dom, but you should know better than to start a fight in my diner”

“I didn’t start the fight. Those guys were harassing Lyra,” he retorted.

“Either way, Dom, I think you should head home already. We’ve seen enough of you for one night.”

Dominic grunted, grabbed his jacket and stormed out.

Finally, Mr. Randolf faced me, his face tight in a frown. “Lyra, my office. Now!”

Once I stepped into Mr. Randolf’s office, I expected him to yell, scold or even scream at me for fueling a fight when I knew too well that he prided himself in making the diner a safe space for everyone. Instead, Mr. Randolf stood, leaned against the wall, rubbing his temple as though he was conflicted about what to say.

I seized this moment to tender an apology. “I’m really sorry about the fight, Mr. Randolf. There’s no excuse for what happened, and I take full responsibility.”

His expression was grim. Pushing off the wall, he circled back to his desk and took a seat while I stood across from him. “Look, Lyra,” he began. “There’s talk going on about you—talk about you being the Alpha’s favorite, and evading the consequences of the laws you flaunt.”

I blinked, taken aback.What on earth was he talking about?

“Your presence is upsetting customers,” he continued. ”This isn’tthe first time someone’s gotten riled up about you. Just the other day, Mr. Mason complained to me about you, asking why I hired you. When you go around engaging in fights and disrupting the peace of the diner, it makes it hard to defend you.” He glanced away, seemingly searching for the right words to what he was about to say next. “It’s not just the customers, Lyra. Even Isolde has suggested that…maybe your presence here isn’t really helping the business.”

The words knocked the wind out of me. There was simply no right way to frame a statement like that. It basically meant that my best friend didn’t want me around and was saying things to get me out of the only job I could secure. It felt like a betrayal.

Mr. Randolf sighed, turning back to look at me. This time, his expression was stern. “I can’t have this kind of drama here, Lyra. So I’m warning you—keep your head down and stay out of trouble, or I’m going to have to let you go.”

I was speechless. In fact, the air in the office felt suffocating. Numbly, I nodded in understanding and left his office in a daze. Needing to clear my head before heading back inside to complete the rest of my shift, I went through the back door leading to an alley to get some fresh air. Only when I opened the door and stepped out did I spot Isolde in the corner, having a smoke. She regarded me for a second, then glanced away as she puffed out smoke.

I didn’t intend to confront her, but since that opportunity had presented itself…

“How could you?” I demanded, marching towards her. “You told him to fire me?”

Isolde removed the cigarette from her mouth, turning her gaze toward me, her expression hard. “I didn’t tell him anything, Lyra. I just pointed out the truth.”

“What truth?” I said incredulously. “That I’m bad for business? That I’m a problem?”

Her jaw tightened, and I thought she was going to respond. Instead, she dropped the cigarette, and stomped it till it was out before turning away.

I caught her by the arm, and her eyes widened in shock. “Let me go, Lyra!”

“Why are you being like this, Isolde? You’re my best friend. Why are you acting like that has changed?”

“That has changed, Lyra!” she snapped. “You can’t just waltz back into town and expect things to be the way they were. It’s been six years. Everything has changed.”

I stared at her, my eyes burning with unshed tears as I struggled to understand. “We’re friends, Isolde. That doesn’t have to change.”

“Oh my goodness!” She yanked her arm away from grip, exhaling in frustration and annoyance. “That’s exactly your problem, Lyra. You’re so arrogant. You think because you’re you, everyone has to like you and bend over backward for you.”

Her words hit me like a force and I stumbled back a few steps, tears brimming in my eyes. It hurt hearing this from my best friend.

Isolde wasn’t finished. “You’ve been gone for six years, and in that time, things moved on. I moved on. You should too.”

She spun around and went inside, leaving me in the dark alley reeling with shock.

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