Page 5 of Little Red and Her Creatures of Chaos
“We wait,” I answer. “She’s still not ready.”
“How do you know?” Bryce asks, his eyes seeking Radley out. “Didn’t you say she learned the truth today?”
I could feel her confusion and fear through the bond this morning. I tapped into it and saw her Grandma telling her about the wolf shifters. “She did, but that doesn’t mean she believes it.”
“She’s just so…” Bryce sighs and leans back in the booth, “gorgeous.”
“She is,” Nash answers, putting his hand on Bryce’s thigh. “But we can’t push her.”
“Did you see her eyes?” Bryce responds. “They’re so big and green.”
Bryce is the smallest of our three-man pack. Most people think packs are made up of families, and in a sense, they are. But we find our packs through friendships, which is how Nash, Bryce, and I became a pack at eight. It was the exact same time Radley started having her dreams. Nash is the biggest in his human form and the protector. Nash and I were born alphas, but it was more natural for me to take the leader position, which Nash was completely fine with. Bryce is our beta and ours to protect.
“I think we need to teach that girl a lesson,” Nash says, eyeing the other server with disgust. “She needs to leave Radley alone.” I shrug, more than happy with this plan.
“Oh! Can we do it like the last time?” Bryce asks excitedly, and I can’t help but smile.
The last time we scared someone for Radley, it was her piece of shit ex. She broke up with him, and he kept showing up at her apartment every day for a week. By that weekend, we were fucking sick of it. So, Nash and I chased him into the woods behind her apartment building, where Bryce was waiting in wolf form. He might be smaller than us, but he’s no less intimidating. We gave him a warning to leave her alone, or we were sending our “pet” wolf after him. The dude promptly pissed himself and agreed. We haven’t seen him since.
“Yeah,” I answer. “We can do it after she leaves work. I’ll lure her out there.”
Light Point, Virginia, our hometown, has always had legends about us. Most of them aren’t accurate, but some people, like Radley’s grandma, have all of our true history that was recorded and passed down from generation to generation. Movies, shows, and fictional books get it mostly wrong, but the times that we do see true information, we think it might be someone who read the lore or were born shifters.
I take a bite of my burger and feel Radley before I ever see a flash of her bright red hair. Without trying to hide it, I stare at her, taking in her pale face, bright freckles, and perfect fucking lips. She looks tired tonight, and I don’t fucking like it. I know this job pays her shit, but until she agrees to be our mate, I can’t step in and take care of her like she deserves.
“Hey, creepy man,” Bryce cuts into my thoughts with a laugh. “Your wolf is showing.” I can control myself unless I’m around her. I have this constant animalistic need to claim her, mark her, and make her mine.
Radley turns to face me like she knows I’m watching her. She licks her lips nervously, and I track the movement greedily, wanting nothing more than to feel her lips on mine. Maybe it is time to step this up and quit hanging out in the background. Radley needs to be ours.
The guys and I finish eating, and I slide a hundred-dollar bill under my plate with the check. We leave without waiting for change, and I watch through the window as that bitch takes Radley’s money. I check my watch and see that she’s only got a little over an hour before her shift ends, so we slide into my truck to wait.
Two hours later, we watch Radley climb into her car and head home. Nash and Bryce slide out of my truck, disappearing into the woods. When the other server walks out, I climb frommy truck and lean against the hood, crossing my arms over my chest. Her eyes immediately find me and flare with appreciation.
“Hey,” I call out, trying not to snarl when she walks up.
“Hey.” She flips her hair over her shoulder in what I’m assuming was supposed to be a sexy way. “I’m Rebecca.”I finally have a name for her.
“Mason.”
Rebecca lays her hand on my arm and squeezes my bicep. Bile rises in my throat, but I push it down. “Were you waiting for me?”
Not for the reason you think.“Yeah. I was wondering if you wanted to go somewhere.”
She smiles and moves her hand to my chest. “Your house or mine?”
I stand up and control the shudder of repulsion that runs through me when her hand slides down my abs. “Let’s go behind the building.”
Rebecca laughs. “Are you that desperate for me, Baby?”
“Yeah. Sure. Come on.” I walk off without waiting for her because I know she’ll follow me. I’m turning the corner when she catches up.
“Where are you going?”
“Further into the woods for privacy.”
We get about three feet behind the trees when I turn around and back her into one. Her eyes flare with excitement when her back hits it. Her hands land on my chest, her breathing erratic. “You’re so fucking sexy,” she says, running her hands over my pecs.
I smile, but it’s not friendly. “I want you to leave Radley the fuck alone.”
