Hybrid Aria by Jessica Hall novel Chapter 3

Reid’s POV

Having just finished one meeting, my Beta Zane texted to tell me the next meeting I had has been moved to Joe’s diner. Apparently, it was on neutral territory; the Black Moon Alpha didn’t want to meet on my territory. Pussy, I thought, shoving my phone back in my pocket before adjusting my tie while walking to the elevator. I stepped in the elevator, hitting the button to the bottom floor when the elevator doors closed. I watched the buttons, watching the floors go down. When it got halfway down, it stopped, the doors opening. I growled, annoyed. Two women, one with red hair and the other a blonde both were quite attractive. One of them I recognised, the redhead. Michelle was a Pack member. The other was a human I didn’t know, and a short stumpy man from the tech floor walked in after them. They quickly stepped back, realising who I was. They dropped their heads looking at the floor. “Sorry Boss,” said the man. I’m fairly sure his name was Peter. I remember him coming up to my office to update the computers. I pushed the button for the doors to close. Listening, I heard them let out a breath just before the doors shut completely. I stared down at my Rolex watch, 2:30 PM. Shit! I was going to be late.

Once down at the foyer, my Beta was waiting with my keys in his hand. He tossed them to me. Catching them, I quickly threw them back at him. “You drive, I don’t know where this place is.” I walked out to my black Bentley getting into the passenger side and opening the window. We were driving to the south of my Pack's territory, and just as we left the border, I felt my wolf stir, trying to come forward.

“What’s gotten into you, Ryder?” I asked. He didn’t reply. I could feel that he was anxious. Maybe this meeting wasn’t a good idea, I thought to myself. Feeling him pressing beneath my skin, I knew my eyes must have changed when I let out a growl, warning him to stop.

My Beta pulled the car over to the curb. “You alright boss?” he asked. Hair was spreading across my arms, my wolf fighting for control.

That’s when it hit me, the most intoxicating scent. I looked around; we were pulled up out the front of a primary school. I couldn’t see anyone, so I stepped out of the car. My wolf instantly calmed down, happy that we stopped. I looked towards the primary school across the road then looked up the street. I couldn’t see anything except trees along the footpaths and a group of mothers waiting along the school gate, none of them standing out to my wolf and they were definitely human. As I was getting back in, the breeze shifted, and the intoxicating scent got stronger. It smelt like strawberries and citrus; it was making my mouth water.

My Beta got out staring at me questionably, and that’s when I noticed her. She was standing behind a tree next to the gate of the school. She had long dark hair that was pulled into a ponytail and an hourglass figure. I stared at her back, hoping she would turn around, she was dressed in jeans and a plain white blouse with long legs. I wanted to run my fingers through it. “MATE. MINE.” I growled. Ryder echoed the same thing in my mind.

Zane smiled, a knowing look on his face. I went to walk across the road when the bell rang, and the little girl jumped up into her arms. I stopped before crossing and growled. Turning my back on her, I quickly got back in the car.

“What are you doing?” asked Zane, staring at me in disbelief. “Go get her,”

“What do you expect me to do? She has a kid,” I said, pointing at her.

“First of all, you don’t know if she has a kid. Secondly, I don’t think she would be old enough to have a kid that is already in school,” he stated.

“Fine, cancel my appointments and follow her,” I snapped back. I watched Zane as he instantly sent a few messages before pulling out from the curb to follow her. My wolf wanted her. She was extremely attractive, but I am not one to separate a family. I watched her hips and arse move when she walked into the diner, feeling my pants becoming a little too tight. I adjusted them, stupid bloody wolf giving me dirty thoughts of what he wanted to do to her.

My eyes followed her through the window of the diner that I was supposed to be having a meeting at. The little girl ran to a woman that was seated in the booth. Zane and I watched her as she walked out the back before returning with an apron on and a glass jug with water and filled a glass up before handing it to the little girl. She must have felt me staring at her because she suddenly stood up, looking around cautiously.

“So, what do you want to do?”

“Drop me back to my office and come back to watch her for now. Try and find out which Pack she belongs to,” I ordered him. Zane nodded his head before driving me back to my office.

The entire drive back, my wolf wouldn’t settle down, trying to come forward, wanting me to go back and claim the girl. Stepping into the elevator, I hit the 20th floor where my office is. My wolf lurching forward, making me hit the elevator walls, trying to fight me for control.