The Alpha’s Surgeon

4

The moment everyone finally settled back into the booth, Remi and Del were already snickering.

Del wiped a tear. “Rae… baby… you got bodied by your own dog.”

Remi leaned in across the table. “And after all that smack-talking, too. You went down like a folding chair at a family reunion.”

Rae glared at them both. “Keep laughing. I will not only hack your phones—again—I’ll turn you pink this time. Hair, eyebrows, skin tone. Looking like two strawberry marshmallows.”

Del slapped a hand over her mouth.

Remi froze mid-sip.

Across the table, the boys stared—first at Rae, then at Remi and Del—like they were watching a particularly entertaining wildlife documentary.

Elijah raised his brows. “She… can do that?”

Will looked genuinely concerned. “Turn people pink?”

Trey slowly leaned back, studying Rae like she’d suddenly become ten times more interesting. “I know she said she worked in tech, but… damn.”

Rae shrugged, totally unbothered. “It’s not hard. Pink code is easy.”

That did nothing to clarify anything for the boys.

Finally, Rae blinked, realizing she’d been threatening strangers for the last thirty seconds. Her attention slid to each of them in turn—the tall, stoic one with warm eyes… the broad one with a half-smirk… the sharp, watchful one who didn’t miss a thing.

“So…” she said, resting her elbows on the table. “Who exactly are y’all?”

Trey’s lips curved first. “We were gonna ask you the same thing.”

Will nodded toward Remi. “But since Sass is sitting here, I’m guessing we’re all about to have an interesting conversation.”

Elijah just crossed his arms, expression unreadable. “Start with names.”

Rae raised a brow.

“Oh, this should be good,” Remi muttered.

And just like that, everything in the diner shifted again—Aspen chaos, pink threats, and spilled milkshakes fading as the Carter brothers finally stepped fully into the story.

She took her time looking them over—slow, assessing, unapologetically bold.

Then her lips curled.

“Oh. Oh.” She pointed at each of them in turn. “Lemme see if I got this right… Will ‘Emotionally Constipated’, Trey ‘Communication Problem’, and Elijah ‘Walks Like He Owns Every Room’ Carter.”

Del choked on air. Remi slapped a hand over her mouth.

The boys froze.

Rae wasn’t done.

“Mmhm,” she said, leaning back like she was settling into a recliner. “Thought so. I recognized the way the room got all dramatic when y’all walked in. And if any of you”—she jabbed a finger in their direction—“even think about hurting Remi again? You’re not dealing with her. You’re dealing with me.”

Will’s brows lifted, surprised—but not offended. If anything… impressed.

Trey blinked. “Uh—”

Elijah lifted both hands slowly. “We didn’t hurt—”

Rae cut him off. “Save it, GPS. I know the whole saga. Remi gives someone a second chance? Great. Good for her. But if any of you so much as make her sniffle, I will personally teach you what a digital meltdown looks like.”

Del finally found her voice and leaned forward, eyes glinting with wicked delight.

“Oh—and I’ll help. Your pack’s system is pitiful. I’ve seen church basements with better firewalls.”

Elijah actually sputtered. “Excuse me?!”

Trey’s jaw dropped. “Our system is not weak—”

Will looked mildly offended but mostly fascinated. “You hack pack systems?”

Remi groaned, dragging her hands down her face. “Please stop antagonizing them—”

Rae ignored her, brushing invisible dust off her shirt. “If it’s connected to a satellite, I can break it. If it’s not, I can probably still break it. Now—” she nodded toward the brothers with full Cajun auntie energy, “any questions?”

Will exchanged a look with Trey.

Trey exchanged a look with Elijah.

Elijah blinked twice, processing the threat levels.

Finally Will cleared his throat.

“So… you’re Rae.”

Rae smirked. “Oh, baby—I’ve been Rae.”

Del burst out laughing.

Remi buried her face in her hands.

The Carter brothers stood there looking like they’d just met a natural disaster with great hair.

And Rae?

She casually stole another fry while Aspen trotted back inside, proudly carrying half a squirrel tail—because of course he did.

Remi stood, giving a firm tug on Rae’s arm, while Del followed, her eyes still flashing with irritation. “Alright, Red, time to cool down and regroup,” Remi said, keeping a protective grip on her sister.

Rae muttered in Cajun under her breath, still glaring back at the table. “They better hope they never touch Remi again.”

Del crossed her arms and shot a pointed glance at the boys. “And if they do, their so-called pack security won’t save them. I know all the weak spots—try me.”

Will, Trey, and Elijah exchanged tense looks, all three understanding the weight behind that threat. Will raised a hand slightly, voice careful. “We get it. No one’s touching them, and we’re not here to mess with your sisters.”

Trey added, voice low but firm, “Consider that lesson learned.”

Elijah’s eyes softened slightly, though his posture remained strong. “We respect that. No harm comes to them on our watch.”

Rae, still fuming, finally let out a deep breath. Her gaze shifted from the boys to Remi and Del. “Who exactly are you three? I need to know who I’m dealing with.”

Remi gave her a small, satisfied smile, nodding toward Del. “Exactly who they are—and exactly why you need to keep that fire of yours in check. Let’s get out of here before we cause more trouble.”

The three of them left the diner, leaving the Carter brothers sitting there, a mix of relief and respect washing over them. They had been warned—and they would not forget it.