Claimed By Her Alpha by J.E. Cluney

8

Everly.

* * *

Iducked back inside, slapping down a few notes as I took a whole bottle of wine from the rack. That’d cover the cost, and I’d get a new bottle on my next shift. Besides, I deserved it after Ben was a dick. Alex wouldn’t mind, he was fairly casual with these sorts of things.

Ethan had been quick to leave me alone with Dray, but I didn’t feel unsafe with the incredible man that had caught my attention.

He’d come to my rescue like a real knight in shining-fucking-armor.

I snorted at the thought as I headed back outside.

Dray had been furious with Ben, and to see a man caring that much for me, hell, I wasn’t sure if I should be afraid or flattered.

I was only a stranger to him really, but considering he was a man who hung with Ethan, I had a feeling that they shared the same morals. Ethan and his friends had always been respectful of women, and had stepped in a number of times to assist us in situations within the bar. I’d gotten a good feel for them, and Dray seemed just like them in that regard.

Besides, there was just something about him…

I smiled stupidly as I spied him leaning on the hood of his grey sedan, waiting patiently for my return.

“A whole bottle,” he noted with a click of his tongue before smirking.

“Hey, getting bitch-slapped has earned me a bottle,” I retorted, my smile faltering as anger and fury flickered through those dark eyes and his smirk fell.

“A man who lays a hand on a woman in that sense is no man,” he growled as I leaned against the hood of his car.

“Yeah, well, I figured out who he was a little too late,” I muttered as I eyed the cocktail he was holding for me. His bottle of beer was half empty already, and I arched a brow at him.

“So, you two were together for a while?” he asked as he cleared his throat and offered me the glass, although his tone was off, like he was none too happy about the entire thing.

I happily accepted the cocktail, sipping the sweet fruit tingle and sighing. I fought the urge to touch my cheek which was still aching. I imagined I’d end up with a faint bruise tomorrow from the force of it.

“Almost a year. Even had an apartment together. He showed his true colors once we were living together. Took me a few months to work up the nerve to bail. That was fun, trying to remove my name from the lease early and everything. April helped get me out. She understood it all as she got out of a bad situation some years back. She’s with an amazing guy now who loves her and her two kids. Her partner pulled a few strings to get my name off the lease, seems he knows people. They had me packed and out of the place while Ben was at work one day. Jimmy was also the one who found me my new place. His sister owns it and wanted to rent it out short-term until she decides if she’s selling it or not,” I said as I continued savoring my drink.

“Sounds like things worked out well at least,” Dray said after a quiet moment.

“Well, hopefully since you stomped on his ego, he might fuck off for a while,” I growled. “I certainly won’t miss him.”

“Did he just hide who he was at the beginning?” Dray asked carefully, although his voice was gruff.

“I guess so. He was charming and sweet, although there were red flags from the beginning, I just overlooked them. I won’t do that again. He started getting nasty over messages when I took too long to reply, despite being at work. He would then twist it, saying it was my fault for not giving him more attention and for not making him feel like he was the only guy for me,” I said before I downed the last of my cocktail and poured wine into my glass.

Dray just scoffed and shook his head. “Gaslighting at its finest,” he muttered. “Fucking prick.”

“Yep, and my dumbass believed him. We moved in together, and then things got worse. He’d lose his shit over small things, threaten to kill himself, break things, then cry about how I was the one making him do all of it,” I spat, seething with anger now.

He’d had me believing I was the problem for a while there too. Until April had helped me snap out of it.

I turned to Dray when he had no response, and frowned at how his jaw was clenched tight. He looked ready to run off after Ben and break his legs.

I stared at him, intrigued by him. He had a suddenly dangerous air about him, but it didn’t unnerve me. I knew it wasn’t intended for me, and strangely, it only made me more drawn to him.

Why was I telling him so much about me though? I was rarely this open with others. Something just made me feel safe with him.

“So, let’s not dwell on that shitshow. What about you? Girlfriend?” I asked, hoping I’d accomplished a casual tone and not an eager, interested one. My body had taken a few moments from checking him out thanks to Ben throwing a wrench in the works. But now I was back to feeling horribly turned on around him. There was just some wicked animal attraction thing going on, and I desperately needed to know if he was even an option. I prayed he was, but I was not about to become one of those women who steals another lady’s man. No matter how damn much I wanted to.

“No, haven’t met the right one yet,” he said after a moment, those dark eyes flicking and catching mine as he smirked.

I smiled softly, the rage in his gaze having simmered down as he just stared contentedly at me.

“Well, I’ll drink to that. Finding Mr Right,” I said with a wink as I downed the entire glass of wine.

A deep laugh rumbled through him, and my heart fluttered at the rich sound as he shook his head.

“You should be careful how much of that you drink,” he warned, still smiling widely at me.

“My ex just cornered me at work, and you came in all ‘knight in shining armor’ like. I will drink to that,” I giggled as I poured myself another glass. “Besides, if he really does stay away, it’s a cause to celebrate for sure.”

Dray didn’t say a word as he sipped his beer, instead gazing over to where April, Callum, and Jimmy were now exiting the closed bar and grill.

I gave them a smile and a wave, and April gave me a careful look, one where she was giving me the chance to alert her subtly if anything was wrong.

She was such a sweetheart.

I just waved at her with a nod to let her know all was well, and she waved back before climbing into her wagon.

Jimmy followed after her in his pickup truck with Callum, leaving only mine and Dray’s car in the parking lot.

“So, what’s Mrs. Right look like to you?” I asked as I hoisted myself onto the hood of his car. He didn’t seem to care considering he was perched on it as well now.

“Strong, beautiful, witty,” he stated, those dark eyes focused solely on me. “And Mr. Right?”

“Not an asshole. That’s the basic necessity now. Perhaps fine on the eyes too, but I’m flexible. Definitely funny,” I mused as I sipped my wine happily.

I’d not eaten for hours now, and it was already going to my head. Talk about being a lightweight. But I was happy for it right now, since the ache in my cheek was dulling down thanks to the alcohol.

“Funny huh?” Dray snorted as he leaned back to look at the sky. “Not sure if I’m funny,” he murmured softly.

I cocked my head at him, my face flushing at his soft words.

“So, you work with Ethan and the others, right?” I asked, wanting to find out more. Ethan was a regular, coming in the odd night here and there on his own. Then his weekly night with his workmates.

“Sort of. We all manage our own companies, and we like to come together to exchange thoughts and ideas,” Dray said after a brief pause as he gazed down at his beer bottle.

“Nice, not going to lie, you don’t really have the ‘Big Mean Boss’ energy going on. Definitely a boss, but just not a scary one,” I said quickly when he arched a brow at me. Wait. No. He’d been scary with Ben.

I just wasn’t scared of him. Which was weird.

“Well, I’m glad you don’t think I’m scary. Let me just dust off my ego there,” he smirked at me, and I giggled stupidly.

“I mean, you can be scary when you need to be. You were pretty scary with Ben, but you don’t really scare me. I’ve spent a number of nights chatting with Ethan and his friends, and if you’re like them, then I don’t think you’re a bad guy,” I said in an effort to save myself.

“Yeah, we’re all similar in a few ways. We have our heads on straight and follow a moral code,” he mused as he swirled his nearly empty bottle.

“If only all men could follow such a code,” I groaned.

He shifted uncomfortably for a moment, but I was too busy pouring myself another glass to take much notice.

I was just glad he’d inadvertently shuffled a little closer, and I could now smell his rich, woody cologne. I always did like a man who knew women loved nice smells, so her male would take extra effort to smell good.

I blinked stupidly at that random thought.

Dray was not my chosen male. I mean, yes, I was crushing on him like I was a teenager again.

I stared down at my glass of wine. Yep, the alcohol was definitely getting to my head. Maybe I’d decided to power down too many drinks.

Having Ben pop up like that had brought it on. I pulled my phone out of my purse, arching a brow at the latest notification. A text from Ben from a few minutes ago.

Curiosity won out, and I opened it up, ignoring the previous ranting texts and nasty words.

His latest one made me scoff.

‘I never want to see your face again. We’re done.’

Well, that was a new one. Maybe Dray had really given him a thorough fright and he was going to back off for good.

I didn’t bother to send a response, I just hoped to God that this truly was the end of my shitty chapter involving him.

“Everything okay?” Dray asked as he gazed at the stars overhead.

“Yep, looks like it,” I said as I stuffed my phone back in my purse. “So, just who are you exactly, Dray Ashford?”