Page 6 of Pack’s Pledge

“She’sworking, Adrian. Leave her alone.”

I didn’t need any pheremones to see that the beta was hurt by his statement: her nose tilted up into the air a fraction, and she pushed her chest out against her boring black apron. God, I wanted to see her without her bartender’s uniform, to see her spread out on my bed in just her bra and panties. Less than that. I wanted to taste her–no omega sweetness, no alpha musk, just woman, justher–

I reeled myself back in.

I had thought, when Adrian pitched the idea of a beta, that it could be fun.

Uncomplicated.

I looked up at my alpha once again, at his closed-off face.

Uncomplicatedwasn’t the word that came to mind.

CHAPTERFIVE

Britt

To saywe knew each other was an understatement.

I’d known it even as I said it, as I explained further. We’d known each other in high school.

Wehadknown each other. As well as any two people can know each other when they’re just kids, full of ideas and dreams and romantic ideas and absolutely no life experience. We’d never talked about the way we felt about each other, I’d never told him about the future I imagined, with him at my side, the desperate way he made me feel, as close to love as you can get at seventeen.

I’d been thankful that I hadn’t, when he had missed that week of school senior year and I’d realized what had happened.

Conall wasn’tmyConall any more. He’d never bemyConall again.

And I was right. We’d spent the rest of the school year drifting apart, still friends, and then we’d gone to separate colleges, still friendly, and then… then nothing.

Now that Conall,myConall, was someone I used to know in high school.

The man in front of me was analpha.

“You’re right, of course,” the other alpha–Adrian–said, “I forgot. Man, it’s been a long time since this guy graduated high school. What, ten years?”

“Eleven,” Conall said. “Eleven years.” A muscle in his jaw twitched, and I stared at it, not meeting his eyes as I nodded. A shadow of scruff made the line of his jaw stand out; that hadn’t been there when we’d known each other. His shoulders were broader, too, and I knew under his suit jacket he’d be as built as Adrian. I’d thought he wascute, back then, fantasized about him kissing me at a school dance, or at a football game in the bleachers, or wherever high schoolers kiss, but now, he washot, all alpha, in a way that I thought I had gotten used to, working here, until tonight. Until Adrian showed up with his charming smile and his rolled-up sleeves, and then blown my mind when he introduced his packmates.

“Well, you’re working now, Britt, but you two should get lunch some time. Coffee. Catch up. Don’t let him tell you he’s too busy.” I smiled, but I wasn’t so sure. If Conall told me he was busy, he probably was. Too busy for me, at least. A beta. Someone he used to know. He had a pack now, a job. No, acareer.If he wanted to see me, he knew where I worked. He could always come find me again. “And if he doesn’t want to take you out,” Adrian continued, “I will. What are you doing later tonight? We could always check out those back rooms…”

He winked at me, and the flutter low in my stomach was back. I was half-tempted to take him up on it, but then… Conall was there, looming, a slight frown on his face, brows pulled together.

“Hey, not cool, A. I thought you were pulling this beta formybenefit,” Beau interjected, a sultry smile curving his lips. “Unless you want to share?”

I glanced between the men. I had assumed that this was a pack thing, but were they… I looked over them, as if it would be written on their shirts or something. Were they not actually mated? Or were they just… in an open relationship? I couldn’t tell—and I didn’t know what it meant for me, either.Nothing, probably,I thought.

“No,” Conall said, and my heart stopped. Conall was staring right at me, his eyes burning holes into my soul. “No, Adrian. You aren’t taking her out without me.”

“Sure thing, alpha,” Adrian said, laughing. It was only because I was already looking at Conall that I saw his nearly imperceptible flinch. “So, Britt,” he said. “If you’re not willing to divulge the location of the back rooms, let us take you out after. A late dinner. Drinks, if you want a real one.”

Could I?I froze, mouth open, caught halfway between throwing caution to the wind and saying yes to Adrian and Beau and saying no and never seeing Conall again.

At first, I thought the knocking was my heart beating against my ribs.

“Bartender.Hey, beta,” I blinked and jumped, looking for the source of the request. A man at the far end of the bar knocked on the bartop again, then gestured to me. Another alpha, another charcoal grey suit, but this one held no appeal to me, not like… I made a split second decision.

“My shift ends at midnight,” I said, looking from Adrian to Beau, and finally, at Conall.

I turned and fled, busying myself with the other alpha’s drinks so I didn’t have to watch Conall and his pack walk away.