Isabella
Walking into McDonald's in the company of a giant doesn't go unnoticed. The ladies immediately lock their eyes on Dane, brushing invisible dust from his suit after the car ride.
The hybrid bodyguard is even bigger than my brother, closing in on seven feet tall. It makes him intimidating enough to scare people with his glare. I feel like a tiny Smurf standing next to him.
The guests at McDonald's aren't paying any attention to me, though, even if I'm wearing bright red clothes. Most guests are werewolves, and the humans working behind the counter are too scared to even look up from their counters.
And with good reason. The Crescent pack arranged human executions for those wearing real wolf fur. It was rather dramatic, and now, every human in this city is afraid of the supernaturals.
Well...
The entire human population in the whole world is horrified since werewolves are pretty much taking over. I find it such a shame. I preferred living in secret, but now, my kind is killing innocent people.
And for the first time, I'm ashamed of being a werewolf.
Alpha Killian is a terrible person and leader, and I hope he loses in the upcoming war. Because there will be a terrible battle if our world keeps becoming crazier.
"You wanted nuggets, right?" Dane asks me.
"Yes," I beam up at him. "But I have my own money to pay with, Dane. You can go and take a seat."
He entirely ignores my last spoken words. "Sweet and sour cause, or something else?"
I laugh at him. "Dane, I'm not a kid. So let me repeat myself: I can order my own food, so why don't you take a seat?"
"I'm your bodyguard—from now on, I order your food. I will take you to school and pick you up. If I feel you need extra protection, I might even spend time with you outside of school. Anything to keep my master protected."
I glare up at him. Damn Dane and his insane height. I feel like a petulant child facing their parent, but I shove that image out through my head. Dane is too sexy to be a parent, although I would love to call him daddy in bed. He is super gorgeous.
"I can order nuggets," I argue. "It's not like the human cashier will decide to kidnap me. You can relax."
"I don't trust the cashier. They look suspicious."
Dane narrows his eyes at the little girl wearing a red McDonald's cap and swallows thickly. He is being unreasonable. The girl was obviously checking out Dane. Yet here he is, probably wondering where the little girl is hiding her gun.
"I will be fine," I sigh. "You're being overly protective."
Dane places a hand on my shoulder to keep me from walking ahead in the line. His eyes are determined, and there is an aura of both possessiveness and overprotectiveness to him.
"It's my job to protect you, Isabella. Let me order the food for you, then I will know that girl over there isn't plotting to murder you. You shouldn't underestimate anyone these days."
"Dude!" I meet his eyes. "That girl is like five feet tall!"
"And?" Dane asks. "She could easily be a serial killer. Height means nothing. In fact, it might work in her favor since you aren't even considering her as dangerous. What if she is a vampire spy, huh? Here to kidnap the former alpha's daughter."
"No one would kidnap me!"
"They would." Dane's tone is final. "You're more special than you think, Isabella. You come from a long line of white wolves, and the enemy wouldn't hesitate to use your fur. Some people believe wearing the fur of a white wolf will gift them with special powers."
I snort. "That's ridiculous!"
"But still the reason why I will make your order," Dane walks forward while keeping his big hand on my shoulder. "Hello, we would like to order two nuggets menus and a children's box with a toy in it."
I snarl at Dane. "I'm not a kid!"
He blinks down at me, entirely calm. There isn't a single emotion on his face, not even a slight smile. I had expected him to tease me like my evil brother, but Dane doesn't do that. He looks as peaceful as a mountain.
"The children's box is for me. This place got Pokémon toys, and I'm not passing up this chance to get one."
I almost choke. "You like Pokémon?"
"Yup." Dane lifts his eyebrows at me, still not smiling. "Do you have a problem with that? Can't grown men like cartoon characters?"
"That's not it. People can like whatever they want, but I assumed you didn't play any video games. Neither did I think you watched any cartoon series like Pokémon."
His eyes actually turn curious now. "And why is that?"
I shrug. "You don't seem like the type."
He breathes a laugh. "And what type do I seem to be?"
"The kind that spends every minute at the gym."
My honesty earns me a slight lip curl, but he doesn't say anything. He leads me to a table and fetches our order when it's ready.
I take a bite of my hamburger and study Dane's face. He is a puzzle I'm trying to crack, and I'm determined to get to know him. I still want us to turn into a lovey-dovey couple.
He still isn't showing a sign of human emotion. He is munching on fries, drinking from his cola, and opening the toy box. His fingers are working super fast to uncover a toy of some blue dog Pokémon standing on two legs, and shockingly, Dane smiles.
"This one reminds me of you," his red eyes seek mine. I experience butterflies, especially since he seems less hostile. “This Pokémon is named Lucario. While it looks nothing like you, I assume it's designed after a fierce wolf, such as yourself."
"You think I'm fierce?"
"You were as a kid, not that we interacted much, but your father talked about you a lot." Dane dips his fries in ketchup. He has poured pepper all over it and stirred it. "He called you stubborn most of the time, and from what I've gathered, you are the type that doesn't give up."
I smile. "You're a lot more talkative than when we met earlier."
Dane doesn't meet my eyes. He sighs and says. "I realize we have to get to know each other for you to trust me. I'm your bodyguard, and your father pays me rather well. Without him... I don't know what would happen to my sanity..."
"I didn't realize you needed money. You seem pretty loaded."
"I am loaded." Dane's eyes are distant. "Your father doesn't pay me in money."
I stare at him. "Oh..."
Dane says nothing else. He bites into his food, but I'm already aware of what he means. My father is paying Dane in blood, and since my father is the old alpha of our pack, it was probably easy for him to get volunteers to donate blood.
"Does it frighten you?" Dane suddenly asks. "That I'm a hybrid?"
I take a deep breath. "For a minute, I forgot what that means. But no, I'm not frightened by it. I know you can control your thirst for blood.”
His smile is wolfish. "Don't overestimate me, Isabella. I'm in less control than you think. That's why I'm no longer the beta of your pack."
My eyes widen to the size of saucers. "What do you mean? I thought you left your beta position by choice?"
"No," Dane says while staring down at the table. "I lost control of my bloodthirst and killed another pack member."