Chapter 5

I slipped out after emptying out the sink of the dishes. Heading out back, I grabbed the box off the electrical box with the lighter and headed out. Lighting one, I leaned against the building and smoked. It was cool but my skin was already covered in goose bumps. A jacket covered my front and I looked up to see Douglas, smoking his own pack.

“You looking for a fuck, big boy?”

He chuckled. “Not from you, little one.”

Shrugging, I took another drag. “Your loss. I’m willing.”

We both knew I was joking. Douglas had a crush on Heather but she would never give Douglas a glance. He was an OG townsfolk, just like Evan. Heather wanted to get out of this shithole like most of us. So it was never going to work.

Douglas also didn’t flaunt that he was rich, neither did he want to leave. His family owned a huge ranch south of here that he worked during the day. At night he made extra money here. I think he did it more for watching the girls than the actual money though.

“What are you doing out here? You don’t normally need to step out this early.”

I bit my lip. “That Alpha in there is my mate.”

Douglas coughed and looked at me, wide-eyed. “You’re mate? You kidding? Why the hell aren’t you climbing him like a damn tree and getting the fuck out of here?”

Laughing, I shook my head. “I know Alphas, Douglas. I know these assholes. They will try to offer you the world. Then they leave you cold and alone in bed the next day. Promises broken. Heart broken. If you still have one.” I chuckled. “I sure don’t. I’m too fucked up.”

“Riley, that’s not true.”

Snorting, I raised my eyebrow out him. “I got another week on my rent where I sleep on the floor by letting the landlord fuck me in the ass. I’ve got nothing to offer anyone other than my asshole and that’s already been used by more than the entire popular in this town.”

Douglas was frowning as I knocked the ash onto the floor. “Kiddo, you’re too hard on yourself. You’ve done what you have had to in order to survive. That’s not…”

Dropping the cigarette on the ground, I ground my shoes on it. “Dougie, darling, I don’t want to survive. I want to die. I don’t want to be here anymore. I’m just too weak to off myself.”

Before he could say anything else, I opened up the door, setting the box of cigarettes back and heading behind the bar. Farris took his break and I jumped into making drinks. I could feel the Alpha’s stare on me and the scent was more pungent before. Still, I continued to ignore it. The entire time I worked, I didn’t look up and ignored them completely.

Then, the whole group all got up and left. Looking at the time, it was one in the morning. It seemed a bit early but they may have been coming from the conference. Cherry came over, slipping a note to me.

“This is yours, courtesy of the Alpha. The rest of us got a huge fucking bonus and tip.”

Taking it, I burst out laughing. He’d left his number saying, ‘Call me when you get off - we need to speak’. Jokes on him, I didn’t have a phone. Cell phone or otherwise. I could barely afford food and I wasn’t going to waste money on a phone. Whatever. He’d be gone in the morning and I wouldn’t need to deal with him. Shoving it in my back pocket, the only pocket in these pants, I continued the night.

-

“Riley!”

I hummed, looking up from the glasses I was drying. It had to four in the morning. Evan was rubbing his eyebrows. He really shouldn’t. They were already getting thin as it was. Nearly as bad as the top of his head.

“Get out of here.”

My eyebrow rose. “I thought I was in for a double shift?”

“Yeah, well. Douglas said no. Told me I needed to let you go.”

Sighing, I shook my head. “Fine. I’m not going to go in to Dolores. She’d have me start in an hour.”

Heading into the back dressing area, I pulled off my “uniform” and threw on an oversized T-shirt that had more holes in it than Swiss cheese and some old jeans. Walking out the back, I was glad not to be harassed this early in the morning.

Walking into the apartment building, there were the early risers taking a shower and mulling about their apartments. I threw my bag into my place and headed up the stairs to the roof. I needed another smoke.

The entire damn night I was smelling lavender and I had such a headache now I wanted to hammer a nail in my head. Leaning against the brick, I took in a few deep breaths to clear my lungs and my head. I was exhausted in a completely different way from normal, like my soul was hurting and tired.

“Riley!” My brow furrowed and I turned to see the fat lard himself storm over to me. “Where the fuck have you been?”

“Working. Where else would I be?”

He grabbed me by the back of neck and slammed my chest onto the bricks that made up the railing around the roof. I hadn’t even gotten out my cigarette to smoke yet. My pants fell and I winced as he forced himself on me.

Looking out over the town, I wondered if that Alpha was staying at the motel. Or if he and the kids had moved on already. It took a shorter amount of time for Paul to finish and when he did, he grabbed my hair. Pulling me back, I didn’t even wince.

“Come back on time. You are my to use brat, unless you want to get kicked out.”

“I have work. Evan asked me to work a double.” I tried to look back at him. “You gonna add on another week?”

Paul laughed but it wasn’t funny. “No.”

He threw me against the edge of the brick, walking away and slamming the door behind him. Absolutely fucking asshole. His wife probably threw him out for something. I pulled up my pants and grabbed the cigarette. Lighting it, I continued to stare out at the view. This sucked. He got a free fuck. If he did it again, I might have to bite his balls off.

When I finished my cigarette, I lit another one and felt a little bold. Looking down over the brick, I scrunched my nose. Getting up onto the ledge, I felt the breeze of the morning against my skin. Would four stories do it? Or would being a wolf make me survive the fall? I continued to smoke, the holes in my shoes picking up wind as they barely hung off the edge of the building.

“Riley.”

I didn’t need to turn. I’d smelled the fucking lavender. His voice like the damn velvet rubbing over my skin. There was an edge in his voice this time though. Cackling, I shook my head.

“Don’t worry. If I had the balls to throw myself off this damn building, I’d done it years ago.”

Sitting down on the edge, I let my feet dangle off. “You shouldn’t be up here though. If Paul catches you, you’d have to stand there, smell his stench, and watch his fucking spit fly everywhere as he yelled at you.”

The Alpha stepped closer, tentatively, until he was right next to me. He leaned forward, his arms leaning against the wall I was sitting on.

“You didn’t call.”

I shrugged. “I don’t own a phone. Plus, I just got off. Got kicked off my double shift. Probably because of you.”

He sighed, sounding ridiculously tired. My curiosity was piqued and I looked at him. Tired didn’t really seem the word to cover it. Even exhausted seemed like too little for what he was feeling. His eyes roamed over the view.

“From up here, it doesn’t seem too bad.”

Snorting, I nodded. “You would think. But the only thing good about this town is the road leading out of it.”

“Come with me.”

I rolled my eyes. “I’ve head that before. ‘Come meet me at the edge of the city’. ‘Stay here till I come back’. ‘Wait up for me’. ‘I’ll be right back’. ‘Don’t worry, I’ll get you out’.” Shaking my head, I moved onto a third cigarette. “I don’t believe in that shit anymore. It’s all a bunch of lies. Bullshit that they think will help me spread my legs for them. Jokes on them, they just need to pay me. Hell, buy me a meal. I’ll let them fuck me behind the diner.”

The Alpha next to me growled. “You shouldn’t talk like that.”

“Or what, Alpha? You gonna spank me? Please. I’m not a child.”

“Zayle.”

I cocked my head to the side. “What?”

“My name is Zayle.”