His Human Luna

Chapter 4

Tessa

“Are you heading home?” Dom asked, stepping closer.

I didn’t get why he suddenly cared. “Yeah,” I muttered, turning and walking faster to put some distance between us. But he caught up in seconds and fell into step beside me.

“Do you want me to walk with you?” he offered. “It’s dark and…”

“It’s not far, and this town is safe,” I said.

He stayed right there anyway. I stopped and looked at him. He actually seemed worried.

“About what happened earlier… it shouldn’t have gone down like that,” he said, taking another step toward me. I moved back. “The other Alphas were pretty rude.”

I shrugged. “It’s nothing new. That’s how werewolves always treated me back then, so I’m not surprised.”

He didn’t like that answer. I could tell. “Tessy, I—”

“Tessa,” I corrected him firmly.

I had no idea what he wanted, but he clearly didn’t get that I wanted nothing to do with him.

“Excuse me?” He looked confused.

“My name is Tessa.”

He wasn’t my friend. He wasn’t anyone I owed anything to. I noticed him glancing at my bag and suddenly realized what this was about.

“Oh, you want your shirt back, right?” I pulled it out and handed it over.

He stood there with his mouth slightly open as he took it.

“I wasn’t trying to keep it or anything,” I added. “I’m not a thief. I just planned to wash it and give it back in the morning.”

“No need…” he said, frowning. Then he reached for my hand, looking concerned. “Does that cut hurt? You should cover it… be careful. You don’t heal like we do and—”

“Yeah, I know,” I said, pulling my hand away. “I’m just a regular human, not a werewolf.”

He looked like he regretted saying it.

“Anything else?” I asked. “If not, I’m going home. I don’t have to serve you anymore. I’m not your waitress here—just a normal person.”

“I would never—”

“Just leave me alone.” I turned and kept walking. I heard him sigh and follow for a few steps before he finally stopped.

…

When I got inside, my brothers rushed over with big smiles. Then their expressions changed.

“Why do you smell like Alpha Dominic?” Brady asked.

“It’s a long story. I don’t want to talk about it right now.” I kissed both of them. “But I brought leftovers from the restaurant, so let’s eat well tonight. I’m gonna take a quick shower.”

After I got out, I noticed the twins acting weird. Brody kept glancing out the window.

“Everything okay?” I asked.

They brushed it off like nothing was wrong. I looked outside but saw nothing. Must be some werewolf thing, I thought.

The next morning I picked out a regular skirt and shirt, figuring Tom probably wouldn’t even notice I wasn’t in uniform. When I got to the restaurant, Mia greeted me with big news.

“Can you believe the mayor is throwing a big party for these CEOs? He wants to put our town on the map! Isn’t that great?”

I wanted to groan. Really?

The day dragged on like a nightmare. Alpha Caine found something to criticize about my work every chance he got, but I pushed through.

I overheard them talking about rogues being out of control and needing the Council to step in.

For some reason, I could feel Dom’s eyes on me the whole time.

“So… what are you wearing tonight?” Mia asked later, leaning on the bar with a dreamy look.

“Wearing for what?”

“The party, silly! It’s tonight!” she said excitedly.

“Oh no…” I muttered.

“If I were you, I’d wear that red dress we got together—the one with the nice neckline that makes you look like a mermaid.” She winked.

“I wasn’t even planning to go. My brothers are home, so I wanted to spend time with them.” Just then Tom walked by.

“Sorry girls, the mayor called. He needs extra hands at the party. I know you’ve been working hard, but the pay is really good for just a few days.” I felt like crawling into a hole.

…

Most of my coworkers had already headed over to the mayor’s building. Things were busy, so we were all pitching in.

I was alone in the restaurant for a moment when someone cornered me in the hallway. My heart jumped—it was Alpha Caine.

“Well, look who it is… the liar,” he sneered, trapping me against the wall. “How does it feel getting kicked out of one of the strongest packs around, only to end up cleaning tables like a nobody?”

“It’s honest work and I’m around decent people,” I said. “That’s more than I can say about before.”

He growled. “You humans have no survival instinct. You’re an ungrateful little bitch.” He pressed closer, his stare terrifying.

“Let me go…” I trembled.

He laughed and leaned in even more. “You’ve filled out nicely over the years. Werewolf women don’t have curves like this…” His hand slid onto my hip.

“Tessa, are you okay? I need you over here,” Tom called out. He’d clearly noticed what was happening.

“Yes, Tom,” I said quickly, slipping away. I could still hear Caine laughing behind me.

“Those men… I hope they leave soon,” Tom said afterward. “Be careful, Tessa. Keep an eye on the other girls too.”

“My God, they looked good before, but in formal clothes? They’re unreal!” Mia said later, blushing as she watched the muscular guys.

“Mia, promise me you won’t get mixed up with any of them,” I said, almost pleading.

“Why? What’s wrong?”

“Powerful men like that… they usually don’t care about regular people. Especially women.”

“You know something, don’t you?” She studied me. “Tell me.”

I couldn’t exactly say they were werewolves who hated humans and could snap someone in half. “My brothers worked with one of them and heard some weird stuff. That’s all.”

“Fine, you’re probably right. They’d just mess with small-town girls like us anyway.” She sighed. “Still… those guys really do seem like werewolves. You know, the sexy, wild Alpha types from the stories.”

I froze. “What?”

“You know those books—hot, dominant werewolves…” She bit her lip, a little embarrassed. “Some of them get pretty steamy. And if they were real, they’d look just like these CEOs. Especially that dark-haired one who keeps staring at you.” I rolled my eyes.

…

The party was in full swing and people seemed to be enjoying themselves. I stepped out back to take out the trash and felt someone following me. When I turned, it was Dom.

He wore a dark shirt that hugged his body and jeans that fit perfectly. He looked ridiculously good. The sexy teenager I remembered had turned into something even harder to ignore.

“What do you want?” I asked.

“Why do you smell like Caine?” he demanded. His Beta, Rick, hovered nearby like a shadow.

“None of your business.” I tried to go back inside, but he blocked the doorway.

“What are you doing?”

“You shouldn’t be around Alphas. Or any of them,” he said.

“You think I went looking for him?” I shot back. His expression shifted to worry.

“Did he do something to you? Did he hurt you?”

“It’s not your problem.”

“Just talk to me, Tessa. Please?” He grabbed my wrist and pulled me closer.

“Let go!” I tried to yank free, but his grip tightened.

“You’re not to go near any Alpha, understand?”

“Trust me, I already know none of you are good news. Now let go—you’re hurting me!”

He released me instantly, looking distressed. I rubbed my sore wrist and walked away. “Asshole,” I whispered, knowing he probably heard it anyway.

…

“Thanks, Tessa. You did great tonight,” Tomsaid as we wrapped up.

“Got any weekend plans?” Mia asked.

“Just hanging with my brothers. Oh, and I have a date tomorrow,” I added, smiling b

efore I could stop myself. I’d almost forgotten until Daniel texted.

“Yes! Get it, girl!” Mia cheered.

In the distance, I caught Dom staring at me with pure hatred.