She waved a credit card, already prepared. "Tab. You never know how long a girl will want to linger."
Zaden drifted to my side, picking up a rag and polishing the taps, which didn’t need polishing. He stood a foot from her, back rigid, jaw tight, and didn’t say a word.
Vivienne took a careful sip, then set the glass down. "Delicious. Where’s Bryce tonight? Not at Nathan’s, I presume. It’s the first Friday in a month I haven’t seen him with a wolf entourage."
"That’s none of your business," Zaden said, loud enough to freeze the music for a fraction of a second. "He’s not your concern, Vivienne."
She turned to him, her smile fixing, but her eyes flashed, bright and hard. "I only ask because I care. He’s a remarkable boy."
Zaden leaned in, dropping his pretense at civility. "If you really care, you’ll keep your distance."
Vivienne’s hand shook, just a twitch, but she covered it by stirring her drink. "I meant only to offer guidance."
He didn’t let up. "Well, we’re declining the offer. Kindly finish your drink and leave. You’re not welcome here."
A hush descended over the bar. Kenneth shot me a look, asking should he intervene? I gave him a tiny shake of the head.
Vivienne set her drink down, untouched except for that one careful sip. "It’s a public establishment, Zaden."
"It’smyestablishment," he said. "And I’m telling you to go."
For a moment, I thought she’d fight back. But something in Zaden’s face, or maybe the air itself, which suddenly felt electrified and dangerous, made her reconsider. She lifted her glass, drained it in one smooth motion, then placed it back on the bar with a practiced clink.
She stood, straightened her jacket, and met my eyes. "If you ever want to talk, you know how to reach me."
I nodded, numb, and watched as she glided out, every step measured and sharp. The silence held until the door swung shut behind her.
Zaden exhaled, chest heaving, then turned to me. "You okay?"
I wiped the bar with a towel, needing to do something with my hands. "Was that really necessary?"
He looked at me, eyes fierce but open. "I don’t trust her. Every instinct I have says she’s playing a game. And I don’t want you or Bryce caught in it."
I thought about the way Vivienne had looked at us, hungry, almost possessive. For the first time, I let myself believe it wasn’t just my own insecurity. Maybe Zaden and his dragon had a point.
"I just don’t want trouble," I said.
He put his hand over mine. The mate bond flickered between us, electric and grounding at the same time. "We won’t get trouble. Not if we stay ahead of it."
I nodded, a slow surrender to his certainty.
Kenneth whistled softly. "Drama tonight," he muttered, then slid a soda down the bar to a waiting customer.
As the night wore on, the tension slowly bled away, replaced by the hum of conversation and the clatter of pint glasses. But I kept one eye on the door, and so did Zaden.
We didn’t talk about Vivienne again that night. There was no need.
But when closing came, and Zaden locked the door behind the last guest, he came around the bar and pulled me in, holding tight until the worry left my muscles and I could breathe again.
"Thanks," I whispered, face buried in his neck.
He laughed, low and private. "For what?"
"For taking my side."
He pulled back, holding my face in both hands. "Always."
We finished the cleanup in silence, side by side, sweeping and stacking and locking up. When the lights went off, the place felt safe, fortified by the simple act of choosing each other.
