31. Anna

31

Anna

With the other alphas arriving tomorrow, The Fanged Smile was the last thing I needed to focus on, but it was the only thing I could think about without panic rising.

Not to mention, it provided me with an interesting mystery first thing in the morning. I'd set up an application online through The Fanged Smile website that I'd created years ago. It wasn't anything fancy, mostly because I didn't have all that much experience with computers, but it had been easy to learn.

I figured no one would apply. To my surprise, there were over a hundred applicants.

"If you keep frowning like that, you're going to get frown lines," Finn said casually from the doorway. He threw me an easy smile, but it didn't quite meet his eyes. He'd been on edge all day. Probably because of the other packs arriving, but it was making me on edge. I was getting used to Finn's calming presence.

He was not giving off calming vibes at the moment.

"Half of these applicants are still in school," I muttered with a sigh. "They're only good for dinner shifts, and even then, I can't schedule them full-time. I know they don't need money.

This is a wealthy pack."

"You think they're curious about you?"

"Yes, but I think their parents are even more curious. Nothing will get this place shut down faster than if something happens, and I mean anything happens, while I have a juvenile working for me," I sighed. "Plus, they'll have an excuse to be in my face all the time. No applicants under the age of eighteen, and I'd really prefer no one under the age of twenty-one waiting tables or being in the kitchen."

"How do the rest of the applications look?"

"I haven't really had a chance to look them over. I've just sorted them by age. Jax said he'd look over the final selection of applicants to make sure there were no troublemakers, but I'd rather find out for myself."

This time, Finn's smile was genuine. "Good. Let them know that you can stand on your own two feet. Still, you don't want anyone dangerous working here."

"They're wolves, Finn. They're all dangerous."

The bell tinkled to the front door, and Finn immediately stiffened. The door was unlocked, at my insistence, because I was expecting some deliveries today and the back door didn't have any kind of alarm on it. That was why Finn was hovering around the office instead of making himself more useful elsewhere.

"Stay here," Finn muttered and turned. Rolling my eyes, I finished filtering out the applications and started reviewing the ones that were a little more promising.

"It's just someone to drop off an application," Finn said when he reappeared in the doorway. "I can just bring it to you."

"Drop off the application, like they printed it out and then filled it out?"

"I'm not one for computers," a sweet voice said from behind Finn. "I hope that isn't a problem."

From Finn's narrowed eyes, I knew immediately that whoever was behind him was trouble. That told me two things. The first was that Finn knew who it was and opted not to tell me.

The second was that she was powerful enough to ignore Finn's direction to stay in the dining room.

Curiosity got the best of me, and I nodded for him to let her through. Different scenarios raced through my mind. The most respectful thing for me to do was to stand and greet her, but that would imply that I felt I needed to rise to her level. Running a business was a little bit different when you were the alpha's hated mate.

"We might seem like a hole in the wall, but we do have a computer and a digital ordering system," I said evenly as she strutted by Finn. "Sounds like that might be a problem for you."

"I think you'll find that I'm very good and handling problems," she said with a flashy smile. "My name is Kenzi, but then, I suspect you already know who I am."

"Actually, I don't. I haven't really gotten around to meeting many of the pack members."

It wasn't a lie. I knew the name, but I hadn't known the face until now. Finn had a right to be on alert that she'd come by.

This was the woman everyone wished was me. The woman everyone wanted to be his mate.

Oh, her name got passed back and forth when I was near. Kitchen staff used to talk about how gorgeous she was, how good she looked with Jax. They wanted me to be jealous, but I didn't give a damn about being Jax's mate then.

Apparently I did now.

"It's nice to meet you, Kenzi. I'm Anna, although I've found that I need no introduction," I said with an easy smile as I reached out my hand to accept the application. It was a power gesture. We both knew she was never going to work for me. "If you have time, we can talk about the position since you're here. Just don't tell everyone. I don't really have time to do a bunch of interviews while the other packs are coming to visit."

The smile remained frozen on her face as she sat down. "I imagined Jax would have you working to get your restaurant back up while they're here."

"Part of me would love that. I'm not much for politics, but I'm learning." I glanced over her application. "Kenzi, this only has your name on it. I'm going to need a fully filled-out application before I can consider you. What position were you interested in?"

"Don't play dumb. We both know why I'm here."

Leaning back in the chair, I tossed her application aside while she leaned over the desk.

Finn tensed, but I held up my hand. "I really don't, so why don't you just tell me."

"He's your alpha, but I'm guessing that's not what you meant."

"Mine," she hissed. "I'm going to be the one standing next to him. I'm the one he trusts.

The one he's been grooming to be by his side. While you were hiding in this backwater little bar, I've been the one warming his bed, making him lose control."

Lie. Even if I hadn't heard the tinge of desperation in her voice, the tell-tale sign that she wanted her words to be true, I had Jax's confession. The one made out of fury and frustration in the cave, when he looked at me and thought I might belong to someone else.

He hadn't fucked anyone since becoming my mate three years ago. No one but me.

"The mating process can be difficult," I said, not unkindly. "You would not be the first person hurt when someone they want bonds with someone else. I'd sympathize with you, except we both know you just lied to me. He hasn't fucked you."

"He should be!" Kenzi snarled, and I saw the wolf in her eyes glow. Inside me, my own wolf snarled in challenge.

Interesting. She was the more dominant wolf. Everyone in this office knew it, but my wolf would challenge her anyway if I let it.

All to defend my bond with Jax.

A bond nobody wanted, least of all us.

"Probably," I said in a low voice. "But he's not, and you coming in here and trying to intimidate me isn't going to change that. I've heard your name attached to his. Kenzi and Jax. Cute. The whole pack wants you to be his, but it's not up to them. It's up to Jax.

Maybe he'll choose you. Maybe he won't. I don't have a lot of control over that, but I will point out your piss-poor timing. We are about to host the most powerful wolves on the mountain. You should be supporting Jax as your alpha, and instead, you're here throwing a temper tantrum."

Slowly, her face spread into a cold smile, and I nodded. "I see. Your timing isn't poor.

You're doing this on purpose. Stir up trouble in hopes that Jax will realize that I'm no good. I think, what he's going to see, is that you're willing to put your own interests first, rather than that of the pack. That's not really leadership material, is it?"

"I'm going to kill you," she snarled.

The bell rang in the dining room again, and Finn bared his teeth. "Hello," an unfamiliar voice called out. "I'm looking for Anna."

Kenzi straightened. "It's about time."

I arched an eyebrow. "Did you bring reinforcements?"

"Not at all. It won't take long for Jax to remember what you did. That's Parker's son waiting for you. He's going to want to know why you drove his father to suicide, and then he's going to demand an audience with Jax to find out why he allowed it."

Fuck me.