Page 84 of Wanted Beta

“You’d better actually tell him you’re not hungry.” Gio sounds amused. “Otherwise, he’ll go back to the restaurant and fire up the ovens.”

She laughs, and then looks at me.

“What kind of pizza would you like the most?” I ask, ready to lift Arrow to let him sit closer to her while I leave to get her something good to eat.

Her mouth drops open. “Oh, uh … I like all kinds, but, um … The food court might be awful, but I definitely ate more than enough for dinner.”

“You’re sure?” I ask, not entirely convinced.

She nods quickly. “Honestly, I’m all good. Not hungry.”

I don’t believe her, not completely, but Gio shakes his head and something about his expression makes me realize leaving would be unwise.

Beth almost decided to leave already.

If she made that decision while Gio was alone with Arrow, he would be stuck here protecting his existing mates while our new mate went out into the city at night alone.

That would be far worse than having a mate who is a little hungry.

I stay where I am.

And Arrow sits up straighter in his seat next to mine.

“They’re almost set up,” my Omega says, reminding me that we’re here for a reason.

Jack has been backstage for a while. He promised he would call me if he started to feel unwell while he’s out of our sight. I check my phone and put it back in my pocket.

He still feels good enough to perform.

The stage is far enough away that we’ll still be able to talk while the band play without disturbing anyone else who’s here to watch the gig. I can see Jack’s bandmates checking equipment on the stage now.

“What were you saying about Jack getting in a fight?” Gio asks, making me turn back to him.

I can feel Arrow’s gaze on me as he waits for me to break the news.

“After Beth … left the restaurant earlier, Jack got in a fist fight outside.”

Beth’s eyes are wide with horror when I look at her.

I don’t have to tell her who he fought with.

She can put two and two together on her own.

“Oh God,” she murmurs, sinking back in her seat.

The only one who’s going to be surprised about the rest of the story is Gio.

“What am I missing?” he asks, frowning at me.

“The man he fought is someone Beth used to know. We suspect he might have followed her to the restaurant.”

Gio blinks slowly before he slips out of the booth and stands up, his gaze clearly fixed on the stage, where Jack is setting up his microphone stand.

Beth closes her eyes and shakes her head slowly, cursing under her breath.

Arrow reaches across the table, catching her attention with the movement. “Jack’s okay.”

She looks at him, and we can both see she’s still upset. “Thank God.”

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