Page 2 of Pack’s Pledge
“Sure,” he said, eyes never leaving mine, “if you’re in the market.” It was a ridiculous thing to say: all the alphas here were in the market for an omega, that was the reason they came.It’s not like they were here for the drinks.Then he smirked and leaned over the counter. “Is it true there are back rooms?” he asked, and I did roll my eyes, this time.
“All you alphas are the same, you know that? There’s only one thing on your minds…” I kept my voice light, but leaned over the bar, just a little. Just this side of flirtatious. We weren’t technically allowed to flirt with clients. Not that they were usually interested in flirting with us–not while there were so many delicious omega pheromones in this place that the state-of-the-art filtration system couldn’t even keep up some nights.
“That’s not a denial,” the man said, raising his eyebrows. He was grinning–not in the way some alphas did, all teeth, but in afriendlyway. His eyes twinkled, the green shimmering like sun-dappled leaves, and the faintest hint of laugh lines appeared in his otherwise perfect face. Who made him laugh so much? I suddenly wanted to know. My heart fluttered rapidly in my chest.Had Scott forgotten to change the pheromone filters again?Even still, I wasn’t often affected by alpha pheromones. It was part of the job, nothing more, and the reason Ardor only hired betas. I squashed down the uncomfortable fluttering feeling.Probably nothing.
“Maybe youaredifferent than the average alpha male,” I sassed. “I thought alphas were all brawn and muscles, but you appear to have a brain as well.” I was pushing the boundaries of both work-appropriate flirtation and alpha-beta hierarchy, but… something made me think this particular alpha could take a little teasing.
His grin grew broader. “Oh, I don’t know, I think my packmates would agree that it’s my brawn, not my brain, that is my best quality,” he said. He flexed his muscles subtly–or as subtly as one could flex when one was flexingthat many muscles–and I couldn’t help the way my gaze darted down to his chest, his arms, his abs.
By the time my eyes made it back to his face, his grin was of the shit-eating variety: he’d definitely noticed my ogling. “You really think my brain is better thanthis?”
“I never said that,” I mumbled, grabbing a crash towel and wiping up the clean bartop for something to do.How mortifying.“Just that you had one.”
“Sure,” he said. “Hey–”
“Your ice is melting,” I said, looking back up at him and raising an eyebrow. He needed to go before I did anything else to embarrass myself. “Whoever’s drink that is will be all watered-down.”
“Watered-down water,” he said, raising an eyebrow right back, and my blush deepened. So much for not embarrassing myself. “Can’t have that. But I can take a hint. I’ll leave you to it.” He pulled a twenty from his pocket–that was a good result, at least–and slipped it under a convenient coaster. He nodded, and turned away.
He hadn’t made it two steps before he turned back.
“Actually,” he said, still smiling, “I think these drinkswillbe watery, by the time I track down my pack. I’ll be back, and I’ll bring my packmates. If… that’s okay?”
I laughed aloud at the absurdity of it. Watered down water, and then, what, this god of an alpha wanted to spend his whole night flirting over the bartop? With a beta? Withme?
“Sure,” I said. My professional smile was back as he turned and walked away.
I’d never see him again.
But at least I was twenty bucks richer,I thought, picking up the tip he’d left for me. I unfolded it to slide into my apron pocket.
It was a fifty.
CHAPTERTWO
Conall
“Where the fuck is Adrian?”I grouched. The scent of so many alphas made my shoulders raise and my mouth dry out, and Adrian had been at the bar forever. They didn’t serve drinks at this place–he’d be returning with water, not the beer I was actually craving–but they didn’t need to. That wasn’t the appeal.
I couldn’t quite remember what the appeal was supposed to be.
Actually, I could: I scowled at another hopeful omega who glanced our way.Keep walking, lady.Not that she looked like much of a lady in her tight mini dress.
“Conall,relax,” Beau said from beside me. “You really need a tiny cocktail umbrella that bad?” He winked at the girl, and she blushed and scurried away, making my scowl deepen. Fucking omegas. “He’ll be back. In the meantime, enjoy the scenery.”
“Easy for you to say, asshole,” I griped, but the heat in my voice melted away when I turned to look at him, his hooded eyes, his flushed cheeks.
“Watch it, Conall, that’s a prize asshole you’re talking about.”
“Jesus, don’t remind me,” I groaned.
“Nope, not Jesus, just Beau. And I don’t think I need to remind you why we’re here–ifyoudon’t want to…”
Despite my best intentions, my cock twitched against my thigh, and he smiled smugly. I knew he could smell my arousal, just as I could smell his. I’d been rock hard since he’d slid into the booth beside me hours ago, bright-eyed and sweaty from dancing.
Andso, so, sweet.
I shook my head and fought the urge to roll my eyes.