The Alpha’s Surgeon

2

Rae tugged on my sleeve. “Which booth did you always sit at? Don’t lie—you had a ‘spot.’”

I smiled despite myself and pointed toward the far corner. “That one.”

We slid into the booth, Aspen curling up under the table as if he belonged there. A waitress about Mom’s age approached, setting down three menus. Her nametag read Brenda.

“Well, well,” she said, squinting at me. “If it isn’t little Remington. Or do you still go by Sass?”

“Still Sass sometimes,” I said, heat creeping into my cheeks.

Brenda’s smile widened. “And who are your pretty friends?”

“Delaney and Rae,” I introduced. “First time in town.”

“First time, huh?” Brenda winked. “Well, welcome to Moonlight Bayou. Best fries in three counties. What’ll it be?”

Orders went in quickly—burgers, shakes, fries, pie—and Brenda bustled off, leaving us in the warm hum of the diner.

That was when the bell over the door chimed again. Three local wolves strutted in, jeans and smug grins announcing their arrival before they even opened their mouths. They spotted us instantly and made a beeline.

“Well, look at this,” the tallest one drawled. “New faces in town.”

Del stiffened, Rae smirked.

“Mind if we join?” one asked, sliding too close.

“Actually, yeah, we do,” I said firmly.

The tall one leaned on the table, ignoring me. His eyes dragged over Rae like she was on display. “Relax, sweetheart. We’re just being friendly.”

Aspen growled low, ears flat.

Rae tilted her head, smiling—but it wasn’t friendly. “Friendly? That what you call it? Because from where I’m sitting, it looks more like three underwhelming idiots trying their luck for the hundredth time this week.”

The guy blinked, thrown. “What’d you just—”

“Oh, you heard me,” Rae went on, voice smooth but cutting. “You look like you’ve spent more time flexing in front of mirrors than actually talking to women. What’s wrong—couldn’t find anyone desperate enough at the bar last night, so you thought you’d bother tourists?”

Del pressed her lips together, clearly fighting laughter.

Rae didn’t stop. “Let me guess—you think you’re charming, you think your truck makes you irresistible, and you”—she pointed at the shortest of the three—“probably think cologne counts as a personality. Spoiler: none of it’s working. So why don’t you take your bruised egos and try again never?”

The tall wolf’s face flushed deep red. “You’ve got a smart mouth, Red—”

The bell over the door jingled again.

The shift was instant. The easy chatter of the diner dimmed as three men stepped inside—the three men who could silence a room just by existing.

William Carter. Trey Carter. Elijah Carter.

Older now. Broader. More dangerous-looking than memory ever allowed.

They paused just inside the door, their eyes landing squarely on us—and the wolves hovering at our table.

The tall one noticed them too. His shoulders stiffened, bravado flickering.

Rae didn’t even glance back; she could feel the weight of their stares like heat on her skin. “Guess even the locals know when to shut up,” she murmured, lifting her milkshake.

Del snorted. “Rae—”

But Rae didn’t hesitate. She dumped the strawberry milkshake right over the guy’s head. Thick pink syrup and melting ice cream dripped down his hair, down his neck, down his pride.

The diner froze.

“Oops,” Rae said sweetly. “Guess your pickup lines finally landed—just not the way you hoped. You should go clean up before your brain melts trying to figure out what went wrong.”

Under the table, Aspen barked sharply, teeth bared.

The three wolves stumbled back, humiliated, muttering as they slunk off toward the door.

Rae sat back, unbothered, brushing a strand of hair from her face. “And that is how you handle pests.”

Del clapped slowly, laughing. “You’re my hero.”

I didn’t laugh. Because across the room, the Carter brothers were still staring.

Trey’s mouth was twitching—somewhere between impressed and trying really hard not to laugh. His eyes stayed on Rae, a spark of interest that hadn’t been there before.

Will’s gaze was fixed on me—steady, unreadable, intense enough to make my pulse trip.

Elijah’s expression was sharp, watchful, as if he was already calculating the entire situation from the moment we’d walked in.

They didn’t step in. They didn’t need to. Their presence alone had been enough to end the threat before it started.

Still, that heat in Will’s eyes as he looked at me made my breath hitch—and I suddenly knew that my “fresh start” just got a whole lot more complicated than I ever planned.