by Layla Heart
Zack
Spence smacks me in the arm as the waitress flees to the counter, her neck all red as she tries her hardest to keep her skirt from flaring up again. She’s wearing a very sexy red lace thong and nothing else, almost like she wants someone to see it. And that lucky guy is me, apparently. Very lucky, since she’s got a great ass, and the thong only made it better.
“Stop staring. You’re scaring the girl.” Spence smacks my arm again, harder this time. “I hope you didn’t do that on purpose.”
“Hey! I’m innocent!” I hold up my hands. “That was a hundred per cent not my fault. I had nothing to do with it.” For a change. “What are you taking me for?”
He sighs, shaking his head. “A monster. A monster who would do things like that just to annoy a girl, to get her attention.”
I stare his way. “Your point?” Yes, I’m a hydra shifter, which you could define as ‘monster’. But I’m not sure what that’s got anything to do with what just happened.
“Nothing.” He leans back, looking around the place appreciatively. “Just be nice to the waitresses. We don’t want to be barred from another cafe, especially one that has such good eye candy.” He smiles now, almost smirking.
“And where the desperate girls won’t think to look for us.” I grin at him.
He’s got a point. The last cafe we used to frequent got found out and suddenly all the local human girls went there, crowding out the regular customers.
And then there might have been an unfortunate incident with a blouse that was missing buttons and a bra that miraculously had come undone at the same time which resulted in a great pair of boobs being revealed in the middle of the cafe... It was fun at the time, but we were barred from the place after that.
I love the ladies, a lot, and they seem to love me too. But sometimes it’s nice to just hang out with Spence without a throng of giggling girls around. A bad boy reputation is fun, but also exhausting to keep up all the time.
The waitress comes over again, her face still red as she puts the cups of coffee down. “Here are your orders. Anything else?” Her voice is clipped and she holds her tray in front of her, like a shield, the position pushing her boobs up even more, as she looks anywhere but at us.
My cock is starting to really pay attention to her now. Damn... She looks good.
This girl is the other reason we’ve been coming here. I don’t know what it is, but I like looking at her, almost like I want to get to know her or something. She doesn’t smell like a shifter, so no chance of any unwanted consequences, but something keeps pulling my eyes to her. I want to stick my dick in her. I bet she’d be a great lay, but stupidly, it feels like I’d like to get to know her in other ways too. Which is new, but might just be because of the pressure from my parents to take a mate lately.
“What’s your name?” The waitresses don’t wear name tags here and since she’s been avoiding us all week, I’ve not had a chance to ask yet.
“Cyra.” The way she says it is almost lyrical. “Do you want to order anything else?”
“Cy~ra.” I try it out and she frowns at me, her hard gaze making my cock strain against my jeans. “No.” I shake my head. “I think we’re good. Since the other thing I’d like sadly enough seems to be missing from your menu.”
She rolls her eyes and then looks at Spence, who just nods, giving her his most innocent smile, and then she walks off, this time keeping the tray behind her so I can’t accidentally get another peek at her nice ass.
“Cy~ra.” I repeat again, slowly. It’s an unusual name, I’ve not heard it before. “Sounds like she’s named after a flower or something.”
Spence laughs and shakes his head. “Really... You. Are you now going after the girls who are definitely not interested in you, just to annoy your family even more?”
“Who says she’s not interested?” I look after Cyra as she’s doing something behind the counter. “She seems interested enough.”
“You think everyone is interested in you.” He turns the coffee cup in his hands, an unimpressed look on his face. “Anyone who steps within ten feet is supposedly interested in you.”
“And the flaw in my reasoning?” I raise my eyebrow at him.
“You’re forgetting that I’m always nearby and definitely not interested in what you’ve got in your pants.” He laughs, flashing me a quick grin.
“Pff. You don’t count. I’ve known you for too long. You’ve seen what’s in my pants plenty of times. If we’d been compatible, we’d have known by now. No, I’m not talking about you, I’m talking about other people.” I look down at the cup of coffee, not helping my own grin.
The coffee here is fine, and they don’t bother you if you stay here for a couple of hours without ordering something every thirty minutes or whatever weird rule they’ve got in some places. For a place where we can just hang out together, this is great.
I’ve known Spence since we were kids. His clan is next to ours. The hydras and griffins are pretty friendly, as long as nobody makes trouble. We basically grew up together, always in the same class, always in the same schools, always doing things together.
Some people have said it’s odd, especially now we’re ‘of mating age’. But, you know what, fuck them, who else would understand me than another Alpha from a similarly proud race? Some people just don’t understand what that’s like, to be like us, the pressure on us, or they’re just jealous.
Although, I have no idea how long we can keep this carefree lifestyle up. Our parents are getting more and more annoying and with the mating season coming up...
My Omega Mum was really preachy when she heard about me hanging out with human girls again last weekend. She doesn’t want me to hang out with them because they’re ‘below my status’ and that I should start looking for an ‘honourable mate’, no matter how not ready I am to settle down.
We’re only young once, why would we cut that short by settling down too soon? We’ve still got a couple of years of fun ahead of us before we’ll have to worry about family fortune, mates and a gaggle of little kids.
Yeah. Hell no, that I’m cutting that short.
The cafe is quiet, it’s getting dark outside, and I know they’re closing soon. The waitresses have been cleaning the other tables but they’ve not bothered us yet. Probably because they know who we are and our reputation. But I’m also sure that the cute waitress, Cyra, has been avoiding us on purpose.
I push myself up. “Right back.”
“Zack...” Spencer sighs. “Don’t do anything stupid.”
“Me? Stupid?” I grin. “When am I ever?” I grab my card and walk over to the counter.
Both girls look at me, but Cyra quickly glances back down at the glasses she’s polishing when she realises it’s me, her face falling.
“I’d like to pay, ladies. And thank you for the great view... I mean service, earlier. Thank you for the great service.”
Cyra goes bright red and nearly drops her glass as she quietly curses.
The other girl, Audrey, who’s served us before, looks between Cyra and me and taps on things on the computer. “You’re paying for the both of you?” She looks over to Spencer quickly, before her eyes go back to me, slowly sliding from my face down. Oh, yeah, she’s got no problem showing that’s she’s interested in me.
“Yes.” I hold out my card again.
“Okay.” She taps a few more things on the computer and then points me towards the terminal.
I hold my card against it and the payment goes through immediately. “Thank you, again, for the great service. We will definitely be coming back soon.”
I turn around, hands in my pockets, but I’m pretty sure I heard a grumble from Cyra. Something very much like ‘I wish you wouldn’t’ and I grin. Oh, yeah, we’re definitely coming back, she’s even cuter when she’s angry.
Spence gets up once I return to the table, narrowing his eyes at me. “What did you do?”
“I paid. What else did I have to do?” I wait for him to
get his jacket, but he won’t move, just looking at me.
“And you didn’t incidentally say something to upset the cute waitress?” He looks back to the counter. He definitely saw exactly what happened.
“I might have thanked her for the great... view.” I wink and then quickly get out of his reach before he can hit me again. The guy’s violent, I tell you.
“You’re such an asshole.” He sighs. “Do I have to go apologise to them now? So that we’re not going to be barred from this place too?”
“Do whatever you like.” I shrug. “I’m leaving, though.”
I walk out of the cafe, making sure to stay in the line of sight of the waitresses. I’m not playing with them, I’m not doing anything but having some fun. Mum can’t get upset with me over this, this is totally harmless.
And Spence can be such a goody-goody, it’s his charm. Next to me, the evil black prince, he always looks like a white knight, and he likes to act like that too. Even though he’s just as depraved as I am, he’s just not as honest about it, or better at hiding it.
The air outside is cold as I open the door. Winter is getting close, which means that mating season is going to be here soon. Normally, I don’t care about it too much, but I have a feeling that my parents aren’t going to be so relaxed about it this year. I have a feeling that they might get up to things, like choosing someone for me, if I don’t choose a mate this mating season, no matter how much I don’t want to.
My Alpha father was almost thirty when he mated my Omega mother, who was in her early twenties. And they’re both convinced it’s better if you mate young. That having a family is good for you. That it’s better for the family and the hydra clan.
I don’t know, I don’t see why it would. It would just mean less fun for me. My parents can wait a while longer with their wish for grandkids. I’m doing things on my own time, like I’ve always done.
Hydras do things their own way, it’s always been like that, so why are they surprised now?
3
Spence
I incline my head as I go over to the counter, holding out my hands in front of me in a peace offering and the waitresses seem a lot more relaxed when I come over, even though Cyra still doesn’t trust me. Which, well, yeah, I don’t blame her.
“I’m so sorry for how my friend behaved.” I look down and then look up, meeting Cyra’s eyes. “He’s an ass and doesn’t know how to act around cute girls.” I smile and her cheeks pinken, not of shame or anger, but of something else, something I like much more, flattery. And just that look, it pulls on something inside me, it makes me understand why Zack keeps teasing her.
Fuck. I’m no better than he is, really. It’s not like I didn’t take a peek myself when her skirt went up, and she definitely has a great ass.
I’m wondering if her bra is the same bright red as her lace thong and if she wears one of those lace bras where you can see the nipples through... Those are so sexy, almost as if the nipples are looking at you from behind a veil, hiding like they’re shy or something.
“It’s okay.” Cyra’s voice is quiet and I love listening to it. I’ve never heard a voice that’s both soft and clear at the same time. What would she sound like whispering dirty things during sex?
“I’ll try to keep him in check next time.” I wink and Cyra colours more, just like Audrey, neither unaffected by my charms. “Please. He’s just a dog sometimes, and a badly behaved one too, but he’s harmless, I promise.” I take a step back. “Have a good evening and weekend, ladies.”
“Good evening,” Audrey says and Cyra nods, nibbling on her lower lip a moment.
As I turn around, to catch up with Zack, I hear them both laugh softly. They laugh. They don’t giggle, they laugh, softly. A good thing, from my perspective.
I step outside and Zack is waiting a little while off, leaning against the wall of the cafe.
“Took you long enough.” He grins and starts walking to where we parked the car. “Did anything interesting happen?”
“I had to make sure that we’d actually be able to return, you know. This is a good place and it would be a shame if we’re not allowed to come back, or if they start spitting in our coffee or something.” I shiver but Zack laughs loudly.
“Hell, Cyra can spit in my coffee any day.” He shakes his head, his eyes sparking. “As long as she’ll let me eat her out after.”
I open my mouth, trying to come up with a good reply, but coming up empty. “Sometimes I wonder how any girl ever lets you get close to her, when you say things like that.”
“Because they don’t care what I say, just about what I can do with my mouth.” He looks out over the street. “Want to go somewhere tonight? I heard there’s a party at one of the nearby clans. Or we could go to a club or something. Your choice.”
“Nah.” I take a deep breath. “I’m spending tonight at home. You can go out on your own if you want to, but I’m staying in.”
He eyes me, narrowing his eyes. “What are you up to? You’re not taking this mating stuff serious, are you? You’re not going to look at marriage invitations, right?”
“Hell, no.” I laugh. Though I have been considering taking a look lately, just to keep my parents off my back for a while longer. “My sis is in town, with her whole family, and I’ve not seen them in a long time. I think I should probably spend some time with them.”
“Ah.” He laughs. “How long has it been since she got mated? Since she left?”
“Almost four years.” I shrug. “It’s rare for her to come back, we usually visit her. I think it’s because of the birthday of one of the kids of an old friend or something. Since her kid is now old enough to actually have an interest in parties. They’re staying at our parents’ for the weekend. And unlike you, I actually like spending time with my siblings.”
“Pff.” He shrugs. “Yours aren’t all whiney teenagers. Maybe if they’re older I would ‘appreciate’ them more. But right now they just reek from the hormones and cry even more than when they were babies. I have no idea how my parents aren’t going insane. The triplets are absolute monsters right now and the other one isn’t helping, he’s being an absolute shit to his professors at college.”
“Your parents are used to you. They can manage the rest after that.” I quickly step aside so he can’t hit me and we wrestle the last way to the car.
I can’t help but laugh at how annoyed he gets about his younger siblings. They’re quite a bit younger than him, but he really loves them, no matter how he acts. I know that he pretends to get upset with them because that’s what older brothers are supposed to be like, but also always helps them out with their homework if they don’t understand something. He just acts tough, but he’s a big softie on the inside.
I smile as I hear my sister’s laugh as soon as I open the door, followed by the high pitched giggles of a toddler. It’s always good when she’s back, makes our parents not look at me as closely. It’s just the two of us, no other siblings. My older sister is an Omega, and she got mated and married to some Alpha the same year she was supposed to graduate college. The Alpha is a good guy, and made sure she finished college, but he’s got a job that takes him all over the world. So they live in a city that’s closer to a big airport, unlike the small one we’ve got, and where the houses are even more ridiculously expensive than they are around here...
“I’m home,” I call out as I take my jacket off, loving the sound of a filled house. Sometimes I’m jealous of Zack and his big family, I wish I had a busy house like that. Being all on my own here with my parents definitely has its drawbacks.
“Uncle!” Star comes bumbling out of the living room, her arms wide open as she comes for me. She’s covered in chocolate and I wince while I pick her up. I’m going to have to put a clean shirt on before dinner, or Dad is going to get annoyed with me for not looking presentable.
“Hey, little girl. How was your trip?”
“Plane. So big.” She starts babbling about the journey here as I walk into the li
ving room.
My sister, Phoebe, comes over, giving me a hug. “Hey, little brother, out on the prowl with that hydra again?” She smiles, her words not mean, just teasing.
“I came home early to see my two favourite women in the whole world. With you two around, I won’t need anyone else.” I carefully put Star down. “Seems I’ve missed a party?” I look down at Star and Phoebe laughs.
“No, that’s just from two chocolate cookies...” She sighs. “Don’t ask. I don’t have a clue how she does it either. Must be toddler magic.”
“So, what’s up in your world?” I sit down on the couch as my Alpha mum comes into the living room from the kitchen. “Hey, got home early.”
“Good.” Mum smiles. “Did Phoebe tell you the good news yet? She’s got great news for you.”
“Mum!” Phoebe glares at her.
“What?” I look between them. What’s going on now?
Phoebe sighs. “I wasn’t going to mention this, since I didn’t want to influence you or anything.” She glares at
Mum. “And I thought this probably wouldn’t be the best time to bring this up. You know, right when you step in the door?”
“Just say it already.” Mum laughs. “He’ll find out anyway.”
I keep looking between the two as I pour myself a glass of water. “Still waiting here...”
“Well... Since you asked.” Phoebe is being dramatic as she sits down, taking something from her bag. “Here.” She holds out a folder and my stomach sinks as I already know what this is... A mate proposal. “A real pretty Omega just came of age in a clan nearby to where I live. I think you’d like her. She’s smart, kind, and good for your temper.”
“Just came of age?” That means she just turned eighteen... A mate nearly a decade younger than me... Not really what I’d been planning on, if I was going to take a mate.
“Yes. Her parents have been hiding her from the public, sent her away to boarding school and everything. And now I’ve seen her... I get why.” Phoebe winks. “Just... Take a look in your own time. But I think you’d like her.”
