Page 78 of Wanted Beta

He doesn’t push me, and I like that.

“Are we almost …” I start to ask, cutting myself off when I see the sign above the door to the bar we’re headed toward.

The Terrace.

What are the chances?

“We’re here,” he tells me, with a smile.

The bar looks busy, so, clearly, it’s a popular place.

My stomach churns when I remember how close I was standing to Jack outside the restaurant, how much I wanted him to kiss me, just a couple of hours ago. Then, the realization that he has a pack kicked in …

Now I’m headed out on a date with someone else and we’ve landed right where Jack is.

This is definitely one Saturday night where I should have stayed at home alone.

My dating life has been a mess since I moved out here.

I guess some things never change.

If only Gio had brought me to literally any other bar.

Why did it have to be this one?

I don’t get too much time to think about the answer to that question, because Gio’s already moving toward the entrance, where a security guy is controlling the line.

Wait. Yeah, there’s a line. For a bar.

Cressidan City is pretty much bustling with people looking to unwind on weekend nights.

The bars are crammed, and the nightclubs have crazy-long lines, practically up until they close. At least this place has a more casual dress code than the clubs.

There’s just one thing I don’t really want to have to walk around with once we’re inside.

I open my purse and stuff my hedgehog into it, leaving its snout sticking out of one side as I close it over. It’s too big to completely hide but now at least it looks like it might just be the fluffy topper of a pen.

When I look back up, Gio’s giving me an amused smile.

“All set?” he asks, with an odd twinkle in his dark eyes.

“Seems like it,” I answer, feeling my cheeks start to burn as Gio nods at me.

It feels like I’m going in here to make sure Jack knows I’m taken, or something.

He should know better than to flirt with strange women when he’s already found his forever mates, but I have no desire to parade an attractive Alpha in front of him as if I’m trying to make him jealous. It’s a trash-can fire of a situation and I can’t seem to think of the words to extract myself.

Gio’s already headed straight toward the entrance, where the security guy is standing.

It’s roped off, and I’m about to tap Gio’s shoulder to show him there’s a line, when the security guy greets him with a welcome smile.

“Hey, G,” he says, nodding as he unclips the rope and steps aside.

“How’s life treating you, Alex?” Gio asks.

“Not so bad,” Alex replies. “I’m up a couple hundred thanks to that hot tip you gave me last week.”

Hot tip? I raise an eyebrow at Gio before I remember, he’s a gambler.

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