Against The Alpha's Rules

Chp 3

Willow POV

I’m in a bad mood and not the quiet kind I’m used to, not the numb, distant kind that settles in and stays. This one is loud and

annoying. My foot taps impatiently against the pavement, the rhythm is uneven, matching the irritation buzzing under my skin. My arms are crossed tightly over my chest, fingers digging into my sleeves as I glare at absolutely nothing or rather at someone.

“Unbelievable,” I mutter under my breath. “I know I did a mistake, I was distracted and my mind was somewhere else but they spoke!!, I really don't know what to say, I hope I never meet him again”, I said to myself

“Three stores,” I mimic under my breath, lowering my voice in a poor imitation of his tone. “Imported. Limited stock.”

I roll my eyes.

“Congratulations. You still got run over.”

A car passes. Cold air brushes against my face, but it does nothing to cool the irritation. If anything, it just makes it worse.

“Keep your money,” I add sarcastically, kicking a small pebble across the sidewalk. “Oh, don’t worry. I wasn’t planning on funding your… tragic Christmas party anyway.”

“Talking to yourself now?”, I freeze mid-rant after hearing the familiar voice so I slowly turn. Ethan stands a few feet away, one hand lifted in a lazy wave, a grin already spreading across his face like he’s been enjoying the show for a while.

“Since when did you get here?” I narrowed my eyes on him.

“Long enough to hear you insult some poor guy’s alcohol collection,” he says, walking over. “Should I be concerned?”

I huff, pushing off the wall. “He deserved it.”

“Mm,” Ethan hums, clearly unconvinced. “I’m sure he did.”

We step inside the coffee shop, warmth wrapping around us instantly, carrying the scent of freshly brewed coffee and something sweet, cinnamon maybe. Christmas decorations hang lazily across the windows, soft lights glowing against the glass, making everything feel… calmer than I do.

I shove my hands into my jacket pockets as we move toward the counter.

“So,” Ethan glances sideways at me, “what happened?”

I hesitated for a second, I didn't want to talk about what happened just thinking about it makes my blood boil. Not because I don’t want to tell him but because saying it out loud somehow makes it more real.

“I crashed into someone,” I admit finally.

He stops walking.

“Of course you did.”

I glare at him. “It wasn’t intentional.”

“Obviously.”

I exhale sharply. “He had these stupid glass bottles, those expensive ones. I forgot what the brand was because he kept grumbling about them and they broke.”

Ethan winces. “Ouch.”

“Yeah, ‘ouch,’” I mimic dryly. “He acted like I destroyed his entire life.”

“What exactly did you do?” he asks, raising a brow.

“I told him I’d pay for it.”

“That’s… reasonable.”

“And then I might’ve said it was a loss for the community.”

Ethan stares at me.

“…Willow.”

“What?” I shrug, completely unapologetic. “It slipped.” I added.

He lets out a short laugh, shaking his head as we reach the counter. “No, it didn’t. You said that on purpose.”

I don’t respond, which is enough to answer his questions. We place our order, two coffees and two bagels and we move to a small table near the window. Snow has started falling again, light and steady, dusting the outside world in white. For a moment, neither of us speaks and then Ethan leans back in his chair, studying me.

“You know it was your fault, right?”

I pause mid-sip.

“…Excuse me?”, my expression changes.

“You were on a bicycle,” he says simply. “Looking at your phone.”

I open my mouth and then close it.

“…He was walking weirdly,” I try to defend myself.

Ethan raises an eyebrow.

“…Okay, fine,” I mutter, looking away. “Maybe it was a little my fault.”

“A little?” he repeats.

“Mostly,” I correct reluctantly, taking another sip of my coffee like it personally offended me.

“Good,” he nods. “Growth.”

I glare at him over the rim of my cup.

He just smiles without saying anything, he knows very well how effective his words are even his expression!, without saying anything he can also make me understand, he is good at this!. The bagels arrive, warm and slightly toasted, and for a few minutes, the conversation fades into something quieter. Comfortable, even.

Then Ethan sighs, not in a dramatic kind, the kind that carries weight.

“I don’t want to go,” he says.

I glance up at him with curiosity waiting for him to finish his sentence.

“To the team,” he adds, running a hand through his hair. “I hate it, Will.”

There’s no humor in his voice now, no teasing, it was just frustration. He is not the kind to get frustrated so fast.

“My dad won’t drop it,” he continues. “You know how it is. In our clan, it’s not even a choice. If you’re a son, you play hockey. End of story.”

I nod slowly, I do know how his clan works and how strict his father is. Maybe not personally but I’ve seen enough to understand.

“But that’s not me,” he says, leaning forward slightly. “I don’t care about the game. I never did.”

“What do you care about?” I ask quietly.

His expression shifts, and it softens. “Will, you know very well, it's music.”The word comes out like it matters, like it’s the only thing that does.

“I’ve got a gig next week,” he adds, a small spark lighting up his eyes. “A real one. Not just messing around. If it goes well…”

He stops himself, exhaling and I smile seeing how much he is into something he loves so much. I love people when they do something for themselves, they do things that they love!.

“But I can’t do both,” he finishes. “And my dad’s not going to let hockey go.”

Silence settles between us again, heavier this time. I watched him for a moment, really watching him thinking what to do next. He loved music and I love hockey. So I got an idea where he can fulfill his wish and I can fulfill mine!

I take a deep breath before speaking, “Then…let me do it.”

He frowns. “What?”

“I’ll go,” I say, my voice steady. “In your place.”

He stares at me like I’ve lost my mind.

“Willow!!”, he says, I know that expression he thinks I am crazy.

“I’m serious,” I cut in. “You said it yourself. You don’t want this.”

“And you do?”

“Yes.”

I say it with no hesitation and no doubt, something flickers in his expression.

“You realize how insane this sounds, right?” he says.

“I’ve done worse.” I add

That makes him pause.

Then, slowly he leans back, studying me like he’s seeing something new.

“…You’d actually do it,” he murmurs.

I hold his gaze.

“I would.”

Outside, the snow continues to fall.

It's Soft and quiet and for the first time

It feels like something is finally about to change.