Page 56 of Wanted Beta

I take his hand, shaking it briefly and politely, while trying to ignore the fluttery feelings in my stomach. I feel dumb for thinking he was asking me out. Inviting me to see his band doesn’t mean anything. He probably hands out free tickets to everyone he meets.

“It’s nice to meet you, Jack. I’m Beth. I live kind of nearby and my sister brought home a pizza from this place last night which is what made me want to come back. I didn’t know you guys were closed.”

“Oh, right. You came here to eat, and you already tried the food and liked it. That’s great! Enzo will be happy to hear it. We’ve been kind of quiet. That’s why we’ve been closing early, like tonight.”

“Well, it is kind of easy to walk by this place without even realizing it’s a restaurant.”

He glances back at the building. “Huh.”

“It looks closed, and it also looks like it might be an office building.”

“Shit,” he murmurs.

“You didn’t realize?”

“I’m just a waiter while I’m still in school,” he admits. “I don’t know much about running a restaurant. That would be G’s department.”

“G?” I ask.

“Our other Alpha. He’s … out right now.”

He has two Alphas. Of course. Because this pack wasn’t already sexy enough.

What the hell am I even still doing standing here talking to him?

He’s clearly happily mated.

At least, he should be.

Those guys back there are thoroughly lick-worthy.

Yet he’s standing here looking at me as if I’m the one who could use a good tongue bath.

If this guy is even thinking about messing his mates around to get with me, he’s fucking crazy, and I’m way beyond done with guys who have batshit for brains.

Even the supremely hot ones.

I clear my throat. “I should get going.”

“Oh. Um … but you must be hungry.”

He sounds so desperate, stretching for a reason to keep me here.

I wasn’t imagining it. He’s attracted to me, the same way I’m attracted to him.

Flattering, but I really don’t want to earn myself a reputation as a pack-wrecker.

“I’m sure I can find somewhere else to go eat,” I tell him, talking a step back.

God, we’re standing so close to each other right now.

It feels like he could lean in and kiss me without any trouble.

I have to get out of here before I make a horrible decision.

“Wait! Don’t go,” he pleads, so earnestly that I actually hesitate.

Then, I snap out of it and take another step back, only to bump into someone.

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