Chapter 3: His help

Penelope

"What..." I covered my body, my breasts, my belly.

"Damn," he snapped, his hands clenched into fists. He seemed close to transforming into his wolf, and I was terrified. His hair was disheveled as if he had run his hands through it several times, and his eyes were wild as he looked at me. I had no escape. He was a monster and I was trapped with him in here.

"You… It is you.  What happened to your clothes? Why do you look like that?" he asked angrily. What was he doing here?

I didn't know what to do. I could hear him breathing heavily. He was going to attack me, I was sure of it. He wanted vengeance. He wanted to hurt me. And as my back hit the wall, I knew I was doomed. He looked tense, like he was trying to suppress something. I had no doubt it was hatred and disgust. Or his murderous instincts. I knew my brothers would never hurt me, nor my father. But this wolf…

“Answer me…” he demanded. I lost my breath as I saw him approach me, leaning in. Nate moved closer and closer, resting his hands on the wall and bringing his face near my neck, so close. He sniffs my neck, my hair, like a predator.

I thought he was going to whisper something, maybe something cruel, but no words came out. Instead, I could hear his frantic breathing, like he was struggling with something. My scent? Or was he trying to decide where to tear my skin? It would be so easy for him.

I tried to move away, but he gripped my arms, furious.

"Were you planning to go out like this? Naked?"

"I was changing...this is a women…"

“Are you insane?” he asked me. I saw his gaze drop to my bra, and then to my stomach. For heaven’s sake, this was a nightmare. What was he going to do? laugh at me? That would be the best-case scenario. His hands were shaking as he held me, his eyes lost on my body. The same body he used to mock. Maybe he just wanted to confirm that I was still the chubby girl, the joke of Moonstone.

"You didn’t have this uniform before. Why did you change? You can’t go out like that. Impossible. No way," he said firmly, and I was lost. Had he noticed what I was wearing before? What the hell was going on?

“I…this is new. I must change.”

“Did you hear me?” Without answering, he took off his fancy jacket and then unbuttoned his shirt. My breath hitched as I saw his tattoos, his perfectly tanned skin, the few scars on his body. And damn... he was perfect. He had grown into an incredibly attractive man.

"What are you doing…?" I asked, confused by his unexpected behavior.

His arms were veined and muscular, his tattoos—wolves and other intricate figures, glorious. He was tall, and his bare chest was right in front of me.

Sweet Moon Goddess. I could say with certainty that he was the most beautiful and sexy man I had ever seen.

"Take off your stupid uniform," he demanded.

"Excuse me?" I replied. What the hell?

"I won’t say it again. Take. Off. Your. Clothes. Do as I told" he said in an authoritative voice. Did he want me to strip? Naked? In front of him? Was he going to laugh at me?

"I won’t..." I stammered, startled.

"You’re not going out like that. Over my dead body. No one is going to see you like that. I can see your underwear from here… is white" he growled. What the fuck!

"You have no right to…"

"The fuck I do! Watch me!" he snarled. What the hell is wrong with this man? Suddenly, his hands moved to my shirt. I pushed at him, but in one swift motion, he tore the fabric apart, sending buttons flying across the room.

"What are you doing?!" I yelled, my face burning with humiliation. I quickly crossed my arms over my breasts, feeling completely exposed. I had never been naked in front of a man before, never. And of all people, it had to be him. Him! I could cry. This was a nightmare.

"How dare you...?" I stammered, looking up at him.

He didn’t answer. Instead, he removed his shirt and grabbed my arms, helping me slip into it while I desperately tried to cover myself. It seemed like he was staring, as if he wanted to see more of me, more of my curves. Although that idea was ridiculous… wasn’t it? Maybe he just wanted to humiliate me. Hell no!

I tried to resist, but he was stronger. I could feel the heat radiating from his body and a scent I couldn’t describe. It was… intoxicating. He buttoned the shirt, his fingers trembling, his eyes never leaving mine, until the last button, as if making sure I was fully covered. He was… helping me?

His shirt was huge on me, like a dress, covering me. I have to accept it was a better option than… well to go out there naked. And as if that wasn’t enough, he reached for my skirt.

Moon Goddess!

I panicked. He was crossing a line I didn’t want him to cross.

"Let go of me!" I shouted.

He looked at me, surprised, but reached for my skirt again. This time, I slapped his hands away.

"Don't. Move” He swallowed hard, as if he wanted to say more but couldn't find the words. It wasn´t a suggestion. It was an alpha order.

"Who do you think you are?!" I yelled back. He seemed annoyed but determined. He held me in place as he unzipped my skirt slightly, his hands tugging at my shirt. His body was so close, his scent, his amazing chest and abs.

I struggled against him, feeling his hands on my hips, my legs, even my ass, he ws touching me slightly. Until he finally put the skirt back on. His shirt did help, but even so, after holding me down and touching me, I felt exposed.

"This is a women's bathroom… and only for employees! Get out!" I demanded, but he didn’t move. He didn´t respond. “You have no shame!” As soon as I had the chance, I slipped past him and rushed toward the door. I could finally breathe again as I stepped out, putting distance between us.

“I fucking hate him,” I murmured. And he hated me… so why would he do that? I walked back and forth, delivering things to tables for a while, but I couldn’t shake the feeling of his hands on my body, his scent lingering in my mind.

"Waitress… yeah, you, the fat one," I heard. It was the Crimson Fangs, and Nate was with them. He had his jacket on and a poker face. I should have listened to my father and taken the day off.

"We need better wine, fatty. Do you know what I’m talking about, or do you need more details?" Marco sneered.

“I’ll ask…”

“Don’t. You’ll take too long. Such a weak human, you can´t even walk” he added. I proceeded to set the glasses down. Nathaniel helped me, his fingers occasionally brushing against mine. I never imagined he would touch me like that, I thought he would be disgusted.

"Do you need help?" a single, tough-looking alpha asked, but my anxiety kept me from answering. I thought the incidents were over, but soon Marco brazenly threw some wines on the floor.

"This wine sucks! I asked for a better one!" he shouted, and I heard some grunts.

I knelt down and carefully picked up the shattered pieces. As I reached for one, I cut my knee. When I stood up, I saw Nate’s face twisted with anger. Maybe he thought I was embarrassing his pack. But I wasn’t part of Moonstone.

But neither Nate nor anyone else had done anything to stop it.

Other alphas yelled, causing chaos. Jack was running everywhere, and Andrew, the bartender, barely had a moment to breathe. The alphas demanded better service, better everything as if this town and this diner were nothing.

"Did you see the chubby one? She looks worse than before. Gross!" a malicious voice sneered while I was attending another table.

"Awful! It’s a good thing she’s no longer among the wolves! She would ruin our reputation!" another laughed.

"I guess she moved here..." I heard Nate's voice, low and growling.

"We must not interfere with humans. They are doing their best work," said another Alpha, his voice rough. It sounded like the one with the big tattoos.

"Was it just me… or does it smell like the fatty? Like his awful scent is here, between us" Marco asked, but no one responded. Soon, they were talking about rogues and their problems instead. I sighed. They would forget about me soon.

I was exhausted and terrified by the end of the night. That’s when I realized I still had Nate’s shirt. It smelled incredible.

On my way home, I was looking for my brothers to talk about what happened, and to have a nice dinner together. When I heard a voice.

"We need to talk"

Nathaniel was there. He seems… waiting for me. He was alone, his half-open jacket revealed his bare chest. His eyes were on me. I tried to not panic. Again, we were alone, near the forest, the best place to murder an innocent, stupid woman.

And I was no longer as afraid of the rogues, as I was of the alpha standing in front of me.