“Both of you, knock it off. Leave my son out of this. You’d better stop right now,” I said, shutting down their argument.
“I apologize, Carrie. Didn’t mean to upset you,” Jax’s tone softened genuinely. “I just really like kids.”
“How about we calm down and enjoy some dessert?” Wesley jumped in, cutting through the tension. “Tell me, Firecracker, what dessert would you like? Tiramisu with hot sauce?” he winked at Ruby.
“Watch how familiar you’re getting. She has a name,” Ryan snapped.
“It’s the familiarity of someone who’s known Firecracker since she was in pigtails, my friend,” Wesley replied smoothly.
“You know me so well, Wes!” Ruby seized the opportunity. “I’ll take tiramisu with hot sauce and extra espresso,” she concluded, giving Wesley a sweet smile that made Ryan visibly tense.
“And what about you, gorgeous?” Dominic asked Eleanor in a seductive tone.
“She prefers strawberry cheesecake with fresh berries. And she’s also quite fond of her mate, who wouldn’t appreciate how she’s spending her lunch break,” Draven answered before Eleanor could speak.
“Your turn, Carrie. What’s your favorite dessert?” Jax asked me with a charming smile.
Before I could answer, a waiter placed a slice of rich chocolate cake in front of me. Draven reached across, grabbed a piece with his fork, and brought it to my lips, leaving me little choice but to accept it or make an even bigger scene.
“My mate loves chocolate cake,” Draven told Jax with a triumphant smile before taking a piece for himself. “We always share dessert,” he added before offering me another bite.
Jax kept smiling, but his eyes went cold. Meanwhile, Draven was putting on a show, sharing his cake with me, obviously trying to make it look like we were a thing.
“Remember the first time we shared chocolate cake?” Draven whispered, his lips brushing my ear as he offered me the last bite.
“Oh yeah, I remember perfectly. The same fucking couch where you screwed that fake bitch, right after telling me you loved me,” I spat out, my voice tight with hurt and rage. “Girls, I think we’re done with lunch.”
Eleanor and Ruby stood immediately, recognizing my need to escape before I lost control completely.
“Gentlemen, thank you so much for lunch,” Eleanor said with perfect poise. “Please forgive our hasty departure, but our Alpha is right here and might not appreciate us being late,” she added with delicious irony.
“The pleasure was all ours,” Dominic replied.”It was wonderful sharing a meal with such lovely company.”
“Jax, thank you so much for meeting us,” I said,grateful for their help with our plan despite how it had evolved.
“I should be thanking you, Carrie,” Jax replied, standing to bid us farewell. “We can walk you ladies back to the office. It’ll just take a moment to settle the bill.”
“They’re already running late. They can’t wait,” Joseph interjected with obvious displeasure.
As we left, I heard Jax telling Draven he’d really messed things up.
Once outside and a safe distance away, the three of us burst into laughter, the tension finally breaking.
“Oh my goddess, did you see Joseph’s face? He looked ready to shift right there in the restaurant!” Eleanor was laughing so hard tears streamed down her cheeks.
“Even worse was Ryan, watching Ruby like she might disappear if he blinked!” I added, laughing despite the emotional exhaustion I felt.
“I was worried about my brother though,” Ruby admitted. “I thought Alpha Draven was going to challenge him right there over the table!” Her comment made us laugh even harder. “Carrie, I hope you’re not upset that I mentioned Liam to Jax.”
“Not at all, Ruby. I don’t hide my son; he’s the best part of my life,” I assured her with a smile.
“Jax really does love kids,” Ruby said thoughtfully. “His dream is to have cubs of his own someday. But from what I gathered, Draven seems to have a special bond with Liam, right?”
“He does,” I admitted, looking at the ground as Rory whined softly inside me. “I don’t even understand how they became so attached to each other so quickly. And now that Draven and I are… well, whatever we are… I don’t know what to do about Liam because Draven keeps showing up at our house to see him, and Liam asks about him constantly.”
“Try not to worry about that now,” Eleanor advised. “Hey, since you and Draven are on the outs, and Ruby and I are unattached, why don’t we plan a night out with Jax and his friends? It could be fun!” she suggested enthusiastically.
“Wait, can Kyle and I come too?” Eleanor asked, eyebrows raised.
“Of course! Theo and Paul would love it!” Ruby laughed.
“So what’s the deal between you and Wesley?” I asked Ruby curiously.
“We grew up together. After I turned sixteen, he started seeing me differently, not just as his friend’s baby sister. But I don’t feel any sparks, even though he’s hot and super protective,” Ruby explained.
“But now you’re with hottie Ryan…” Melissa teased with a smirk.
“Yeah, and I wanted to scratch that bitch’s eyes out for sitting in his lap,” Ruby growled. “I knew we were done, but damn, that man is fine!”
We all cracked up. Back at the office, we got back to work, feeling pretty smug about how we played Joseph, Draven, and Ryan.
Jax’s POV
There I was, wiping down glasses at Moon & Whiskey, my mind stuck on that lunch with Caroline. These girls were gorgeous, smart, and fun as hell. Hanging with those three was a blast.All in all, it was one killer lunch.But Caroline… man, she was something special.
That night, I was hanging out with Ruby at the bar entrance, waiting for her friends to show. The second Caroline stepped out of the car, I couldn’t take my eyes off her.
She was breathtaking. Tall and graceful, she moved with a confidence that drew every eye without effort. Her blonde hair shimmered like spun gold under the lights, highlighting a face that could stop traffic. But those green eyes… they held a secret, clear and bright, hinting at a strength she kept carefully hidden, a mystery that set my wolf, Blaze, on edge.
Weirdly, I couldn’t catch her scent. But honestly? I didn’t give a damn. She was drop-dead gorgeous, the kind of beautiful that could bring a man to his knees. Like some sort of angel sent down to drive guys crazy. And hell, I was ready to lose my mind over her.
“Still thinking about that blonde from lunch?” Dominic asked, interrupting my thoughts as he strolled behind the bar. As my head bartender and close friend, he had an annoying habit of reading me like an open book.
“That obvious, huh?” I admitted, setting down the spotless glass.
“You are practically drooling,” Dominic laughed, his eyes twinkling. “I haven’t seen Blaze this worked up over a female since… well, ever.”
Blaze rumbled in agreement inside me.
Dominic came up behind the bar, clapping my shoulder. “Bro, I gotta warn you. Remember what Ruby said? She’s got a thing with Alpha Draven.”
“Alpha Draven Thorne,” I muttered, the name tasting bitter on my tongue. “Storm Valley Pack’s mighty leader.”
Everyone in Harbor Bay knew of him. Alpha of the largest wolf pack in the region, CEO of Thorne Enterprises, and multi-billionaire businessman. His violet eyes were as legendary as his ruthless business tactics.
And what was I? The heir to a small, financially struggling border pack, running a modestly successful bar while my sister worked at Puma Global to help make ends meet. The contrast couldn’t be more stark.
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