Last Chance Diner

by Rowan Thalia

  'How the hell am I going to make him love me when he doesn't even want to know me? He only wants me out of instinct, and I want more than that.'

  'Leave it to me,' my wolf coos.

  Sometimes when you want something, you need to focus on something else. With my hormones banging all over the place, I leave the back room on a mission. My goal: focus on the others in the Not-a-Pack and make Ranger see me for more than a mate bond. Ty already seems to favor me, so I head toward the other Omega, Brandon. The thing about Omegas is they can't help but try to make others happy, even the Not-a-Pack, and I'm going to use that to my advantage.

  "Hey, Brandon. Since the diner is slow … need any help? I'll do anything. Help you stock or something to pass the time?" I ask innocently.

  He raises his arm, runs his hand through his brown hair, and nods. Smiling, I squat down and begin helping him pull the boxes and cans of food from the delivery crate and stacking them neatly on the supply shelves.

  "You know your pack is looking for you, right?" He whispers.

  "I figured they would. How do you know?" I sigh. A shiver of fear burns my spine, but I try my best not to react.

  "I heard it on the wire," he says then shrugs when I raise an eyebrow. "There is a backchannel all the Alphas use for communication on the web."

  "Do you think Ranger will rat me out," my breath catches, and I turn my body toward him. "I can't go back, Brandon. They'll cull me for my disobedience."

  Brandon lays a hand on mine, "He won't do that, Faith. We may not be a traditional pack, but we take care of each other here. I don't know what's got you two fighting, but you'll figure it out."

  "I hope he doesn't. I'm going to tell you like I told him. He may be my wolf's mate, but he's not mine yet. He's gonna have to work for my love," I grit out.

  "Trust in the Goddess and in the instincts of your wolf, Faith. I think you will find the answers you need soon."

  Brandon's eyes crinkle, and he shrugs. I can feel his Omega mojo washing over me, and I shake my head before going back to stocking the shelves. I can't quite figure Brandon out. He's a jokester at times, and then he throws down serious advice like that? There's nothing traditional about these wolves. Especially the fact that two Omegas have chosen to be in the same small pack, but I guess that's how things work with these guys. Conventions are thrown out the window here, the Not-a-Pack runs on its own set of rules.

  Brandon nudges me. I take in a breath and look over, expecting a lecture of some sort. "A ham sandwich walks into a bar and orders a beer. The bartender says, sorry, we don't serve food here."

  The joke is ridiculous, but it's the perfect thing to break the tension in the air. The muscles in my shoulders relax, and my mouth widens in a smile. Brandon's face lights up, he scoots a little closer and begins to stock the shelves. Our bodies are practically fused at the hip, and a low tingling surges through my veins. I don't usually like being close to others, but this is comfortable.

  We're both elbows deep into the box, laughing at another one of his jokes when Ranger storms out of his office. He spots us and freezes. His lip curls, and he takes a long, pointed look at Brandon with clenched fists. I make a point to widen my eyes and shuffle a bit so that our bodies part.

  "Do you need something, Ranger?" I say sweetly as I rise to my feet.

  "Not from you, Petit Louve. Brandon, get your ass in my office," Ranger demands.

  "Sure thing," Brandon sets down the cans in his hands, stands slowly, and walks toward the office. He looks over his shoulder and winks before disappearing behind the door. My heart aches a little when he's no longer in sight. I don't know what's gotten into me. Lately, my hormones are all over the map.

  I snap my attention back to Ranger, who's still standing in front of me. Instinct freezes me when I see that he's growing red around the neckline. I may be a sassy bitch at times, but self-preservation in a male-ruled society ingrains specific reactions. His mouth opens, then closes. I lean my head to the side, waiting for him to say something, but he doesn't. Instead, he closes the distance between us and sweeps me into a toe-curling kiss. Everything around me is a blur of movement. Our mouths fuse, and energy crackles between our bodies. Mate bond fucking magic is a killer. Every part of me wants to be dicked down right now by this wolf. It's like my mind leaves, and all that's left is lust. Before my control is completely crushed, I push him off and rush toward the dining room without looking back.

  Holy fuck. I can't think straight. Smoothing my skirt, I catch my breath and look up to see Erica standing near the register.

  "Hey, Erica, what can I do to help close?" I sigh as I look around at the empty diner. The twelve-hour shift has got me feeling like I was out running all night. Erica looks up from her spot at the register and points to Ty, "Can you help him? I hate helping with the grill."

  Ty waves me over, and I step up to the grill. The scents of grease and male wolf linger in the air. I can't help but take it in and sigh. With a smirk, he hands me some spray and points to the stainless-steel casing. Trying to act normal, I bend and spray it down before wiping with a cloth from the box of cleaning supplies. I don't mind working, there's nothing in my room besides silence to keep me company, which is why I offered to stay all day.

  "Would you want to come to dinner with us tonight, Faith?" Ty asks softly. "The guys and I always eat at my place on Mondays. We have food delivered since we cook all day at the diner."

  "Yes! I'd love to!" I blurt without thinking.

  "Great, you can ride with me when we finish. We all have our own cabins just behind the diner, but mine is the furthest one up, and you wear dangerous shoes," he looks pointedly at my black pumps.

  I laugh and kick him playfully in the shin. What can I say, I like sexy shoes? Cleaning the grill and all the stainless steel around it takes a hot minute, but I find I like working next to Ty. His aura is calming - hello Omega. It doesn't hurt that he's also quite attractive.

  "How are you liking Moon Bay?" Ty asks as he pulls the long, grease trap out.

  "So far, I guess I like it? I mean, I haven't really seen anything besides the diner," I skip ahead of him to hold open the door.

  "Well, tell you what, on your day off, I will personally show you around," he smiles as he ducks around the back of the building.

  Interested, I tag along. "Really? That would be nice," I wring my hands hoping Ranger doesn't go all Alpha and try to stop us. When I realize where my thoughts went, I growl and straighten my spine. Fuck that. I like Ty. And I'm my own woman.

  "What kind of things are there to do around here?" I ask as he dumps the grease into a large barrel.

  "Well, I could take you on my boat out on the ocean. Or we could walk on the beach. There's also hiking in the Redwoods or antique shopping if you like that sort of thing," he lists.

  "All of those things sound fun, but I am definitely leaning toward the boat idea. I've never been out on the ocean before," I answer thoughtfully.

  "Well, there ya go. I'll get her ready, and we can go in the next few days!"

  Ty nudges me on the side, and we head back into the diner. A smile is plastered to my face as I hold open the door and walk in behind him. It's refreshing to be able to talk to someone without worrying about protocol or mate hormones. I walk to the back and clock out. It only takes me a minute to change back into my own dress. The diner is dimly lit and quiet, which seems like it should be eerie, but it's not. I crumple the uniform and stuff it into my purse before leaving Ranger's office.

  "Ready to go?" Ty's leaning against a stack of boxes when I come out.

  "Yeah."

  "Everyone else already left, so come on," he waves me toward the back door.

  We step out, and then there's a jangle of keys as Ty locks up. The starry sky hangs over us like the backdrop of a planetarium, it feels so close here in the mountains. I sigh and lean my head back to take it in.

  Ty puts his hand on my elbow, I drag my gaze from the sky to him. His green eyes sparkle even in the dark.
With the tilt of his chin and pressure on my arm, he leads me to a beat-up white pickup. Like the gentle-wolf he is, Ty opens the door and waits for me to get seated before closing it and walking around to his side.

  The truck starts loudly, and we're off. The road behind the shack that I changed in to run, twists and winds upward. Ty creeps up slowly in the truck, scanning the landscape as if he's hunting. The forest gets thicker as we rise, and I can just make out the cabins of the others as we pass. The road ends in a driveway, and a small wooden cabin appears. The lights are all on, and I can see shadows of the other three guys through the front window.

  "Uh, did you tell them I was coming?" I ask as I open my door.

  "Nah, it'll be fine. You are part of the Not-A-Pack now," Ty uses my term as he shrugs and waves me toward the door.

  The ache in my gut tells me this is crazy, but here goes nothing. I follow up the three wooden steps and across the large porch to the door. Before he opens it, it swings wide, and Brandon greets us with a smile. The warmth oozing out of both him and Ty eases the lump in my stomach, I can't help but love the Omegas for that. We step into the living space, filled with comfy couches, a fireplace, and a long dining table. Lewis is placing plates of food down onto a large rustic table. Ranger is at the head of the table, staring me down.

  "Well, hey there, Petit Louve. Ty didn't tell us we were inviting guests to our family dinner," he arches a brow, shooting proverbial daggers at me with his dark eyes.

  "I can leave if you want," I offer, crossing my arms as if to shield my heart from his venom.

  "You're not leaving," Ty and Brandon talk over one another. Their Omega vibes fill the space around me like a cloud. I want to run to them and seek more comfort, but I don't. I stand firm. I'm calm, cool, and collected. I refuse to buckle under the weight of Ranger's stare.

  "Nah. Seeing how you're planning on sticking around for a bit, you might as well get to know the group," Ranger leans forward, one arm resting on the back of a chair and points to the seat next to him.

  Not expecting him to be kind, I relax my shoulders and look around the room. Ty is smiling like a goon while the other two are just trying not to make eye contact with Ranger. Figuring I might as well do as he says for once, I glide over to the chair and sit, tucking my feet under me.

  "Lewis, grab another place setting," Ranger places his plate in front of me and begins piling it with food. The aroma of baked chicken and potatoes has me salivating and staring at his hands as they work. The man has beautiful hands. A shiver of need passes through me, and my wolf perks up. As fast as I can, I push her back and turn my attention back to the room and away from Ranger.

  Lewis comes back through the swinging door to what I assume is the kitchen with a plate, handing it to Ranger. Once everyone's plate is piled with food, Ranger nods, and everyone starts to eat.

  "Where are you from, Faith?" Brandon asks.

  "Pensacola, Florida."

  "I've always wanted to go to Florida," Lewis mumbles with his mouth full.

  "It's a nice place to live," I sigh and lean back in my chair, suddenly missing my mama.

  Ty seems to sense my duress. He clears his throat and brushes my elbow with his fingers. "Could you pass the potatoes, please?"

  His touch is soothing. Grateful for the distraction, I turn and grab the massive bowl. Our skin connects again when he takes it from me, and I feel my cheeks flush. I'm used to trying to be invisible in my pack, so being the center of attention here has me a little confused. Lewis smirks from across the table, refilling my glass of wine. Ranger's eyes scan the room and the edge of his lip curls, but he makes no move to speak.

  The rest of the evening passes quickly, and I feel like I've known these four wolves my whole life. Shoveling the last bite of mashed potatoes in my mouth, I peek around at all the smiling faces, and another sharp pang of homesickness washes over me. Dropping my fork louder than I intended, I bow my head and swallow the bite.

  "You okay? Did Ty's favorite potatoes poison you?" Brandon half-teases.

  "Yeah. I'm sorry, I've never been away from my family before. Thank you for having me here, it means a lot," I lift my head and meet Ranger's gaze. His eyes soften, and he raises his glass to me.

  "To our new Not-a-Pack member, Faith," he states before taking a swig of beer.

  My eyes tear up, but I grab my glass and join the toast with the other guys. Maybe the Goddess knew what she was doing after all. I can see myself settling in here, building a new life. That is - as long as Brandon is right, and Ranger doesn't rat me out to my pack. It's hard to tell, sometimes it feels like he hates me and others… well, he'd fuck me into the ground.

  "How did you guys all come together?" I changed the subject.

  The guys all look to Ranger, who takes another drink and leans back in his chair slowly. "I lost my pack when I was a teen. A sickness destroyed all but my sister and me. She raised me. Sadly, I lost her when she and her baby both died in birth almost fifteen years ago. With nowhere to go and no one to turn to, I was running aimlessly when I ran into Ty here in Moon Bay."

  Ty nods. "I left my pack about a month before meeting Ranger. My parents wanted me to conform and become an enforcer. I just don't have the stuff it takes for that. Plus, as my parents are both Alpha, they never really accepted the fact that I was born lower-ranking," he shrugs. "We decided to bunk together in an apartment. We bought the diner shortly afterward."

  "Brandon and I came from the same pack a year later," Lewis adds. "There was a change in our pack leadership, and we were ousted. We bumped into these two jokers, and the rest is history."

  "So, you all formed instant friendships?" I raise an eyebrow knowing how cunty Ranger can be toward others.

  Ty barks out a laugh. "No, Brandon, Lewis, and Ranger fought the first time they ran into each other in Millie's forest. In fact, I think they fought the first month we were all in the same city. But - as you see, they worked it out."

  "He means HE worked it out. Ty is the Omega Glue around here," Ranger chuckles.

  That sounds more like it. I smile and look around the table, imagining what it must have been like when the guys were all just strangers. Noticing everyone is done, I stand and begin grabbing plates. The least I can do is help clean up.

  "You don't have to do that," Ty stands and grabs the last two.

  "I want to help. If I'm part of the Not-a-Pack, then I pull my weight - okay?"

  "Suit yourself. The kitchen's through there," Ty points with his elbow.

  The room is bright when I push through the door, and I squint a minute before heading to the sizeable farm-style sink. Over dinner, the boys said they built these cabins themselves, and I smile thinking about them working together in that way. Somehow in a couple of short days, I've learned so much about these wolves. I bet Ty is the one who does all the finishing touches. The dark blue curtains and the wolf insignia on the wall scream his name. With a smile, I turn on the water and begin to wash the dishes. Ty carefully adds his dishes and grabs a towel for drying.

  "Did you paint the wolf on the wall," I nudge my chin toward it.

  "Yeah, I tend to do all the little things when we have a project. Ranger is the planner; Lewis is the engineer. Brandon is the heavy lifter; he does all the hard stuff. We all tend to help through the process, but we also all have our niches," his lips widened.

  "I'm starting to see that," I chuckle and hand him a dish.

  "I'm glad you came tonight," Ty beams.

  "Thanks, me too," I look over and almost melt at the sparkle in his green eyes.

  The door slams open, and I jump. "Well, don't you two look cozy? Ty, I need your truck, I'm going out of town for a few days. If you want a ride home, Petit Louve, get your ass outside," Ranger barks.

  Ty trembles a bit at my side and tosses his keys to Ranger. I stare at the leather of his jacket a moment, before grumbling and handing the last plate to Ty. We exchange a look, and I take my time following Ranger outside.

  "Night, Ty
," I call from the doorway.

  "Night, Faith, see you tomorrow," he answers.

  "Night boys, thank you for having me," I wave as we pass the other two sitting around the living room drinking.

  "Night, Faith!" Brandon and Lewis chorus. I grin.

  The side-eye I get from Ranger is bone-chilling. The room stills as he looks me over, fists his hands, and marches out. He doesn't bother holding the door open. He's waiting in the truck, revving the engine when I slide in. His anger is palpable, but I refuse to remark on it. He doesn't own me. He can learn the hard way if he wants. Without a word, he lights a cigarette and backs the truck around until it's facing the road. His lip curls on the side, which seems to be his go-to expression. Alpha Asshole. With a grunt, he spins the wheels and takes off down the steep road like a crazy person. I hang on for dear life and hold back the growl aching to come out.

  "Did you have fun tonight," he mumbles. The truck slows as we enter the road behind the diner.

  "I did," I say curtly. I can't get my head wrapped around this man. He's so hot and cold with the way he treats me.

  We don't speak anymore; the cab of the truck is thick with emotion. My wolf keeps trying to rise, and eventually, I sigh and let her out a bit. Sniffing the air, she whines low in her throat. Ranger's eyes flash gold, and a rumble comes from his chest. His fists tighten on the wheel, he pulls into the hotel, parks, and shuts off the engine. I hold my breath and stare at him as he slowly turns toward me, teeth showing.

  "I don't like you flirting with the other guys," his voice low and gravelly.

  "I don't like you bossing me around. I'll make you a deal. You stop being a bully, and I'll refrain from flirting in your presence," I retort as I open the door and hop out.

  "I'm not a bully. What do you mean, in my presence! You are my True-mate," he growls.

  "You want me? Well, then earn me. Thank you for dinner. See you tomorrow, Ranger," I close the door with a smile plastered to my face. I refuse to clarify for him how mixed up I feel on the inside when I can't even figure it out for myself.