CHAPTER 15: NOTHING AGAINST AN ALPHA’S STRENGTH

"I found some hair in my food." The alpha with the knock off shoes holds out a thin strand of black hair.

Ethan frowns down at the offending piece of DNA that definitely does not belong to him or his mother. They two betas have brown hair, and grey if you count the ones his mom has. He glances up at the alphas full head of black hair. Is he kidding?

"It obv-" Ethan frowns when his friend cuts him off. His jaw clenches as he glares at them.

"Honestly, the food wasn’t all that great either." The alpha sitting across the hair offender picks at the food on his plate. His nose wrinkles and he drops his eating utensil so it clatters loudly on the glass. Ethan winces, hoping nothing breaks or chips. "All those reviews we read about this place is right."

"I hope you don’t expect me to pay?" The one with the fake shoes scuffs his sole on the floor. "You’ve been rude the entire time. You called my shoes fake and you contaminate my food." He slams his palm against the table, making the dishes clink against the surface.

Really, please don’t break anything.

"I’m not spending a dime." The alpha scoffs and crosses his arms over his chest.

"Excuse me?" Ethan reaches up to scratch the side of his face. He grabs the hair the alpha still has pinched between his fingers and holds it up to his face. The alpha nearly goes cross eyed trying to look at it. "The hair is not even the right color." He lets it flutter back to the top of the alphas bed of hair, where it came from. "Second," He puts a palm on the table and leans down so he’s face to face with the two trouble causing alphas. "You were rude first. You’ve been obnoxious, and discourteous. If you won’t pay for your meals, I will call the police."

"Seriously?" The one with the shoes glares, his fingers curling into a fist. "First it’s the obsession with his momma’s restaurant, which her cooking is terrible. And now he’s become a snitch."

"It’s not surprising, he did it in the back alley too." His friend chuckles. Ethan straightens and pulls his phone out, full intending to call the authorities. All he wants is to close up the restaurant, unwind a little with a beer in the company of his mom, and go to bed. He glances back to the kitchen, where he can see the top of his mom’s head. She must be eaves dropping. As long as she stays in there, they shouldn’t harm her.

"Put the damn phone down. Now." One of them snaps. The other continues to laugh in amusement.

"Or what?" Ethan taunts. He pulls up the number pad and dials for the police. He faked it last time, but he may actually have to do it this time.

"Ethan?" His mom calls from the kitchen her head peeking out of the open window. She’s taken her hair net off, but he can still see the straps of her apron.

"Stay in there mom." Ethan frowns as he calls back to her. He doesn’t move his eyes off of the two, in case they have any funny thoughts and crowd him when he’s looking away. He wouldn’t put it past them. "I’ll handle these two."

"Oh dear." Her voice is faint and full of worry, "Be careful."

The two alphas laugh at them, the sound grating on Ethan’s nerves. The two must have come to get pay back for interrupting the beating they were giving Zander.

"You’re upsetting my mother." Ethan says, his voice firm and unwavering. "Please pay what you owe, and go."

The alpha stands up so quickly his chair falls back with a loud bang that echoes in the lobby. "I’m not paying for shit!"

When he tries to walk past him to leave, Ethan uses all his strength to push the alpha back. He barely wobbles. The alpha snickers and looks down at Ethan with a smug smirk. "Poor beta. You’ve got nothing against an alphas strength."

Ethan winces when he grabs him by the collar of his shirt, the fabric twisting into his fist. He can feel the man’s knuckles digging into his rib cage. Then he slaps Ethan’s phone out of his hand and it smacks against the floor. Ethan cringes, it’s broken now. It has to be. The alpha shoves Ethan back. He crashes into a table, the chairs clattering. His back flares when it hits the sharp edge.

"Oh honey-!" His mom gasps, her hands flying to her mouth. "You keep your hands off of him!"

"No!" Ethan shouts, "Just stay back there." If she comes out, she can become their target. He doesn’t think he can protect her against two big and burly alphas. He’d rather take the brunt of their violence than risk her getting an injury.

"Listen to your son, little old lady." One of them sneers at her direction. "Or else you’ll get hurt too."

Ethan clenches his fists and throws a wide swing at the alpha’s jaw. He grunts, his head barely moving at the punch. The only evidence of him being hit is the bright red mark on his cheek. Ethan’s fist strikes his torso, but it feels like punching the concrete floor outside. His knuckles crack with the force, and he yelps in pain. Jeez, these guys are built.

"Nothing but a scrawny and weak beta." He sneers. He grabs Ethan by the collar once more and hauls him up to the tips of his toes. Ethan grunts, his hand scratching and pulling at the alphas wrist to get him to let go, but the alpha just chuckles. "Can’t even protect his momma." He pulls his other hand back to punch Ethan in the face, but the chime from the front door rings.

Both alphas and Ethan turn to look who has come in, one fist still in the air, and Ethan at the mercy, or lack of it, of two alphas. Ethan’s eyebrows raise in surprise, his back and chest aching.

What is Zander doing here?