But as I looked at her determined, unyielding posture, I realized something else. She wasn't complaining. She was simply stating a fact of her reality.
"Cancel the shift," I commanded quietly, my alpha authority slipping into my tone before I could stop it. "I can easily credit your account with the equivalent of…"
"No," Lyra said, her gray eyes locking onto mine with an unyielding, steady defiance that instantly shut down my command. "I do not accept charity, Jakes. And I do not default on my commitments. The diner is short-staffed tonight. I will be there."
I stared down at her, my jaw clenching as my wolf gave a frustrated, stubborn harrumph inside my chest. She was infuriatingly stubborn, completely immune to the power dynamics that ruled the rest of the ridge.
"Wait," Benny spoke
