Page 15 of Seduced By Two Alphas

Chapter Five

Jackson

All day I’d been busting my ass in the kitchen like I had ten arms and three heads, every part swinging in a different direction. It was Sunday, and Casey’s Café was crowded, especially after church let out. Orders kept coming in like the rolling tide of a stormy ocean, and I hadn’t had a break since the place opened up at the ass-crack of dawn.

Now the dinner crowd was starting, and I was throwing baskets of chicken into the fryer, slicing meatloaf, whipping up fresh batches of mashed potatoes, and damn, Ken was right. We needed more help. Adding two new servers would have freed up my brother to help me. Both Casey and Ken helped in the kitchen when they could, but they were in the front of the house trying to kindly, but firmly, get the people who were just lounging after their meal to get going.

The café wasn’t that big to begin with, and people were seated by the door waiting for a table to open up. I’d only known that from the few times I’d stuck my head out the kitchen door and told someone to get a move on it and gather the orders that were beginning to pile up.

“Got two more orders for your meatloaf,” Casey yelled when he came into the kitchen and handed over the tickets.

It seemed never ending. But I was in my element because I loved to cook. Had had a passion for it since as far back as I could remember. I loved trying new recipes, perfecting the ones I already had, and changing up the menu every month so things wouldn’t get stale and predictable. The main dishes remained the same, but I’d always toss in two or three new choices to pick from.

It wasn’t until nearly nine at night before things started to slow down. When there was finally a lull, I decided my break was way overdue. My muscles and sore back agreed.

After tossing my apron over a hook, I stepped outside and stretched my aching muscles, enjoying the fresh air. Hungry was hot this time of year, but the air felt cooler outside than in the kitchen. I’d ended up putting a bandana on at one point to catch the sweat that had been dripping off of me from the temperature inside.

It was amazing how hot it could get in there from simply cooking.

Thankfully, one more hour and the place would be closed. The café always stayed open later on the weekends. Our main rush time when half the town decided they hadn't wanted to cook at home and stopped by.

I’d seen some familiar faces from the past six months, some people who waved my way when I’d stuck my head out, others who actually called out my name just so they could say hi.

I had to be honest. When Ken and I first arrived in Hungry, we’d just been passing through on our way to Mardi Gras, but clearly, we’d never made it there. Even so, I took one look at the town and thought to myself that I couldn’t get out of there fast enough.

That was, until Casey had approached us with an offer we couldn't refuse.

But Hungry had a way of growing on a person. The residents weren’t too keen on newcomers, even though Ken and I were no longer new, but there were some who didn’t care how long someone had been there and treated them with a friendly smile and a conversation. Treated you as if you’d been their neighbor for generations.

As I wiped the sweat off my forehead, a prickling feeling itched at my skin. The hairs on my nape stood on end as I looked around, trying to figure out what was making me feel that way. There wasn’t even a breeze blowing through the Spanish moss that clung to the trees. Everything was quiet, except for the noise of the café.

Then I was rushed and slammed against the wall. The air was knocked out of me, making me stumble for a moment before I got my bearings. That was when I saw his face. “Albert?”

“You two think you’re such bigshots,” Albert snarled as he took up a fighting stance.

It would have been comical, seeing such a skinny guy trying to act badass, but there was something different about him, something I sensed. Albert, in the past six months, had never shown signs of aggression. He was a jerk, a slimeball, and an all-around pain in the ass, but he’d always backed down and hurried from the café when confronted. He’d always been all talk and fluff with no show of muscles.

Now he was trying to take me down? That just didn’t add up. “What’s gotten into you?”

He came at me again, but this time, I was ready. When he charged me, I sidestepped him then grabbed the back of his shirt and shoved him into the wall next to the entrance to the kitchen. He bounced off of it as if the wall was made of rubber and landed on his ass, his hair disheveled and his shirt yanked halfway out of his skinny jeans.

But was back on his feet in seconds.

“You want to know what’s gotten into me?” His laugh was off-kilter and a bit hysterical. “Casey is mine. You two are trying to come between us!”

I held up my hands, trying my best not to get pissed off. If I did, I was going to do some damage because Albert was only human. He had no idea what he was up against. “This is your only warning, Albert. Back down or I’m going to hurt you.”

“He’s going to win,” Albert taunted as he held up his fists like an amateur fighter. “He’s going to get his breeders, and when he does, he’ll destroy you two.”

I froze in place at his words as a chill swept down my spine.

Nezat.

I hadn't learned about the demon until Lucas and Mikhia York had come to us for help. At the time, the brothers hadn't been too sure who they were up against. Nezat had been a myth, a demon who sucked the souls out of people.

Not just people. Chosen ones.

We’d found out that Nezat was indeed a demon, but the truth was, he wanted to procreate with the chosen ones. The human males who could conceive. I’d been shocked as hell to find out that Casey was a chosen one.

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