Redeeming Her Cursed Alpha Mate

RACHEL'S POV

I placed the drinks I had brought down on the mahogany table, a professional smile plastered across my face as I maintained an air of professional decorum.

"Would that be all?"

The group of friends at the table glanced through the drinks before them, reaching out one after the other as they grabbed their drinks. However, I couldn't care less about their constant demands for more drinks.

I stood still, a mask of keen mindfulness plastered on my face as I stretched my ears to the table beside me. Listening keenly to the man who had been going on a long rant.

He was obviously drunk, and his voice was seriously slutty, but I wasn't one to dismiss the confessions of a drunk man. Everyone knows alcohol releases the unfiltered truth people try to hide.

The drunk, boastful man tapped his hands on the table.

"I'm telling you, man, I know everything that goes on in this town. Absolutely nothing goes by without my knowledge."

His friend chuckled, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"Yeah ! You know everything. That's why your wife was able to cheat on you for months."

"I'm talking about important things, information that can only be released with the right connections." The slurry man replied.

I approached the table,

"Would you guys be interested in another round of drinks?" They shook their heads in unison as they gestured 'No'.

I returned back to work, cleaning the mess of a newly vacant table while still gluing my eyes to the slurry man's table. He clearly had connections in this town.

He could help me learn about the anti-human factions. The factions that were rumored to frequent this bar were the monstrous creatures that pulled the strings of this town behind the scenes.

Inhumane beings that didn't value human life simply reared us as livestock and killed us whenever they saw fit. The very reason I took this job to begin with.

I don't know who these monsters think they are, but they messed with the wrong person this time around. They had killed the wrong person, my dad. And I was going to make sure they paid for it.

A beam of hope erupted in my heart as I saw the drunk man's friend leave the table and exit the bar. This was my chance, and I wasn't going to let it slip through my fingers.

I went to the bartender, informing him that I'd be going on my five-minute break. Before joining the man where he sat, he plastered a friendly smile on my face as I placed a plate of french fries between us.

"Mind if I join you for my lunch break?"

He shrugged his shoulders.

"No, not at all." I stretched out the French fries before him, offering him some to bridge the gap of awkwardness. He smiled and then accepted my offer.

"Thank you!"

I fidgetted my feet anxiously, eager to break the ice as quickly as possible.

"Sorry for being so straightforward, but I couldn't help but overhear your conversation with your friend earlier."

A blank expression was etched across his face. I gulped, realizing I was treading on thin ice but needing to preserve it anyway. I've been working here for months with no clue about those factions. Now that I finally have a clue, I wasn't going to lose it by beating about the bush.

I took a deep breath, mustering up the courage to go forward despite the weight of his piercing gaze.

"I heard you say you have deep connections in town; I need help with something."

The expression on his face softened up.

"I'll be happy to help, but I'll have to know what you want my help with first." I took a deep breath; this was it. An end to the relentless hours of work at this bar.

"I need to track down the anti-human factions in this city; it's of utmost importance." Disbelief etched across his face, and a moment of silence lingered between us as I waited for his reply.

He burst out laughing,

"You seriously believe there are monster factions in town?" I furrowed my brows in annoyance.

"Yes, they are." He continued laughing mockingly at me.

My temples pulsed with annoyance as I jerked up from the seat. I'm tired of people telling me these monsters don't exist, so I refused to be lied to.

His laughter doubled, now holding on to his sides.

"You are cracking me up. How dumb do you have to be to believe such childish stories?"

I walked out of the table, having had enough of his insults, as I returned to work. I'm done with people telling me these factions don't exist; I know they do.

They were lucky to not experience the wrath of such monsters, but to gaslight me about my own experience was a whole other thing.

All the time I spent here working at this bar, trying to get information about the factions, had been a waste. All my attempts were unsuccessful, all leading to dead ends. I was pulled out of my thoughts as I noticed Maria.

Maria approached me, a contagious smile spreading across her face as her eyes gleamed with excitement.

"Rach, this cute guy over there wants to have a drink with you."

I shifted my gaze, tracing my gaze to where she pointed. A ginger man sat, a friendly smile etched across his face as he waved towards me. I rolled my eyes, being in no mood to deal with the usual flirty attempts from the customers.

"I'm not in the mood, Maria."

Maria gripped my hands tightly.

"Why not? I thought you were still on your break." I sighed, returning my gaze to the man, who still had a glint of hope in his eyes that I would return.

"Fine!"

I made my way to his table, seated across from him.

"Hey!" The contented grin on his face grew as he poured me a glass of whiskey.

"I'm Edward; it's nice to finally get a chance to meet you."

I took a sip of the whiskey while maintaining eye contact with him.

"I'm Rachel; it's nice to meet you too." Time seemed dreadfully slow as we continued to have idle conversations, going down yet another bottle of whiskey.

The expression on my face remained stoic; having been avoiding the drink all evening, I was fully sober. He, on the other hand, wasn't; he laughed senseless as he brought up new conversation topics that didn't flow; no doubt, his mind was clouded by the alcohol.

I sprang up from my seat and said,

"I'll love to stay longer, Edward, but I'll have to return to work right now." Edward jerked up, immediately grabbing me tightly, stopping me in my tracks from walking away.

"You don't need to go; I already paid your manager, so you can take the evening off and be with me."

I tried to pull my hands out of his grip but it was too tight.

"I don't even know you." Edward came closer, closing the distance between us as he placed his hand on my waist.

"That's why I want us to spend more time together, so we can know ourselves."

I used my other hand to push out his hand, which was still placed on my waist.

"Get your hands off me." He wouldn't budge; he leaned in closer. His face is now inches away from mine, as his alcohol-stenched breath suffocates me.

I unsuccessfully tried to pull away from his grip, leaning away from the kiss he tried to plant on me.

"Leave me alone." His brows furrowed in anger.

"Don't ruin the mood; we were hitting it off great. Just relax; let go with the flow."

Someone stepped in, suddenly pulling us apart from each other as he stretched out his hands between us. The weight of his glare narrowed in on Edward,

"She said no!"

I tilted my head upwards to see his face; he was tall. His disheveled hair fell effortlessly across his face, a stern look in his deep brown eyes as his glare remained glued to Edward.

My heart raced as I felt a jolt surge within me, one I couldn't ignore. The air between us seemed charged, like a magnetic force that pulled me closer to him.

The proximity between us sent a wave of heat through my body, and he quickly turned his gaze towards mine. Our gaze locked for a moment that felt like forever; his deep brown eyes seemed to pull me in even further.

His chiseled jawline and soft lips crowned the look of perfection that he had. A look of concern etched across his face,

"Are you okay? Did he hurt you?"

I was dumbfounded as I struggled to recompose myself, still lost in the magnetic pull of his eyes. I tried to, but I couldn't get my words out; all I could do was nod my head.

A gleam of anger flashed through his eyes as he shifted his attention back to Edward. His fist wound tightly around Edward's neck. His voice laced with anger as he growled.

"You'll pay for laying your filthy hands on her."