Page 4 of Alpha's Hidden Gem

With that, he turns on his heel and strides out of the truck, leaving a heavy silence in his wake.

I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding, my shoulders sagging. Sophie puts a hand on my arm, giving it a gentle squeeze.

"Don't listen to him," she says softly. "He's just trying to get under your skin."

I nod, but the knot in my stomach doesn't ease.

Gio's right. I am going to need luck.

But more than that, I'm going to need hard work and determination. I'm going to need to fight for my dream, tooth and nail.

And that's exactly what I intend to do.

By the time we close, I’m exhausted. My muscles ache from the constant motion, but my mind is racing with thoughts about how to fix the fridge, how to get everything labeled, how to prevent Mr. Anderson from shutting us down.

Seven days. Seven days to save my business.

Sophie leans against the counter, wiping her forehead with the back of her hand.

"Okay, that was intense. But hey, we made it through without any disasters." She grins. "And we labeled everything in sight, so that’s one less thing to worry about."

"Yeah." I nod, leaning back against the sink. "But there’s still so much to do. The fridge... I’m really worried about that."

"We've got this under control," Sophie assures me with conviction. "Listen, why don't we get a quote on repairing it? Those never cost anything. If the price is too steep, I'll do some digging and see if anyone's got an extra we could use temporarily. You'd be amazed at the stuff people have tucked away somewhere."

I smile, though the worry still gnaws at the back of my mind. Sophie always has a way of making things seem less dire than they really are. I want to believe her, but the weight of the violations sits heavy on my chest.

As we finish cleaning up, Sophie gives me a nudge. "So... this Axel Anderson guy. Was he as much of a hardass as he sounds?”

I roll my eyes, a hint of a blush creeping up my neck. "He was... intense. Very by-the-book. All business."

Sophie raises an eyebrow, smirking. "Uh-huh. And the fact that he's drop-dead gorgeous has nothing to do with the blush you're sporting right now?"

I groan, shaking my head. "Sophie, seriously. He could shut us down. This is not the time to be admiring his... his looks."

She laughs, giving me a playful shove. "Hey, a girl can appreciate a fine specimen even in times of crisis. Besides, maybe your feminine wiles could work in our favor for any follow-up inspection."

I swat her arm, unable to suppress a chuckle. "Absolutely not. We're going to pass this inspection fair and square, thank you very much."

"Fine. He’s attractive, I guess. But that doesn’t change the fact that he handed me a list of violations that could destroy everything."

Sophie waves her hand dismissively. "Whatever. You’ll fix it, we’ll get through this, and you’ll never have to deal with Mr. Blue Eyes again. Or, who knows, maybe you’ll charm him with your culinary prowess and he’ll come back just to taste your special pizza sauce."

"Sophie!" I swat at her, but she dodges, laughing as she heads toward the door.

As I'm leaving, I spot Axel across the street, deep in conversation with a group of intense-looking individuals.

I pull out my phone, my thumb hovering over the call button next to Mom's name. I know she and Dad would want to know about the inspection, about the risk to the business they've helped me build. But I hesitate. They've already done so muchfor me, believed in me when no one else did. I don't want to worry them unnecessarily. No, I'll handle this myself. I'll make them proud.

One of them points in my direction, and Axel's head snaps up, his eyes meeting mine. The look on his face sends a shiver through me. How did I end up in this situation?

Chapter 2

Forbidden Attraction

Axel

"I'm telling you, there was a shifter's scent in that food truck," I insisted, my brow furrowed. "But the owner, Lila - she's human. I would have known right away if she was a wolf."