The Rogue Alpha and His Stubborn Mate

05 No Boundaries

Nala

The dangerous stranger kept his eyes on me, and soon his friends—colleagues or whatever they were—were looking at me too. The dark-haired guy was slightly taller than the other two, though the difference was barely noticeable. They could easily grace the cover of a Bad Boy magazine, and those issues would sell out in a flash.

There was something particularly alluring about the dark-haired one. My senses were drawn to him, perhaps because he was more handsome, or maybe it was because we were locked in a staring contest.

My eyes began to water as I fought the urge to blink.

Damn, the guy was good. Too good.

I wondered how many people he had tamed with a staring contest. Well, I refused to be added to that list.

He began to walk toward me, his eyes fixed on mine.

"s**t, s**t, s**t, Nala. Look the f**k away and get out of this place," my wolf screamed, but I ignored her. She retreated, leaving me to deal with the men alone.

As they moved away from the entrance, I noticed patrons leaving, and I suspected that would be the wise thing to do. But in this situation, I was definitely unwise. The beer I wanted to serve was still in front of me, but I refused to look away.

The man reached where I was, sat on the high stool in front of me, and grabbed the beer. His actions made me look away, and I knew it was deliberate. It felt like cheating, but I kept quiet. Being smart-mouthed with this guy could end badly. I doubted men like him had boundaries, so staying silent was a wise choice.

"We'll have what he's having," the brown-haired guy said, and I nodded.

As long as they weren't asking me to do anything outside my job description, I would comply. I was the Bartender, after all.

I served them beer and gave them complimentary peanuts on the house. One thing I noticed was the patrons paying their tabs and leaving. I knew they were leaving out of fear because some hadn't touched their food, and others had only eaten or drunk halfway. I didn't need anyone to tell me these three men were dangerous. At that moment, I wished I were a patron, too. I'd just up and leave. I glanced towards the manager's door, hoping she would come out, but she remained in her office.

"Where are you from?" The dark-haired guy asked.

"I beg your pardon?" I responded, trying not to be rude but maintaining boundaries.

"You heard me the first time," He said without looking at me.

"I don't see how that is any of your business," I said, and the blond-haired smirked at me.

"At least we know you are new. Only a newbie would speak to us like that," he said, and there was something unkind about his tone.

"Stand down!" the dark-haired man said, and I knew the command wasn't for me but for the Blondie.

Was he going to beat me up? The nerve.

"I must tell you I am a very well-trained Gamma wolf, and I will not hesitate to defend myself. So I would advise you three to maintain your boundaries," I said and looked at the one in the middle.

"Since you are the one in charge, is there anything else you need? If not, I will bring you your bill," I said, and the brown-haired guy laughed as if I were a clown—as if I had told a joke, and it was funny. What were they on?

I didn't say anything and just stood there. They drank their beer, ate the peanuts, and then stood up.

"What do you think you are doing?' I asked. The dark-haired man looked at me and chucked a little.

"You don't scare me one bit. Pay up, mister!" I said, and I realised we were alone in that place.

"Fiesty," Brownie said playfully.

"This one will be a handful, Xander," he said, and the black-haired man looked at me. He studied me intently, and I didn't like the way his eyes lingered. He scrutinised my face and the rest of me, which was visible from behind the counter.

"I guess so," he said. His voice was really alluring, and I was so glad I wasn't an easily swooned woman.

"Look, I just started work here and don't want trouble. Just pay up and leave," I said so I wouldn't lose the money.

I wasn't a fool to think I could take out an alpha, let alone three. I'd be dead.

I didn't run away from Willow Bridge only to wound up dead in Ravenclaw. I was willing to bow out of the challenge.

The dark-haired guy, now known as Xander, circled the bar and joined me at the back of the counter, which was off-limits to patrons. The sign was clearly there, but it seemed this man had no respect for boundaries. He was acting as if he owned the place, which I knew he didn't, but I had bigger issues right now. I needed to find a way to leave because there were no barriers between us right now.