Page 68 of Alpha Theo

We’re at a women’s clothing boutique in Goldenleaf and I wonder if we look as out of place here as I feel right now. The racks around us are overstuffed with clothes- an assortment of bright colors and soft textures. As I stand and look around the little shop, I feel completely… lost.

“Are you gonna tell me what we’re doing here?” Jax asks, raking a hand through his textured dark blonde hair.

I turn around to face him, my expression stoic. “Yeah…” I breathe. “But I need you to swear that it’ll stay between us.”

Jax arches a brow, his curiosity piqued. He brings a hand up to his chin, cradling it between his thumb and forefinger. “Alright…” he says tentatively, studying me. “What’s going on, man?”

I blow out a breath. “So I’ve been trying to talk this girl into going for a ride on my bike. She keeps saying no, but I figured that if I got her a jacket like mine, maybe that’d help her come around. And since you have sisters, I thought you could help me pick something that a chick would actually wear.”

Jax furrows his brow in confusion. “What? Hold on…” he holds his hands up in front of him, shaking his head. “First of all, I thought that chicks weren’tallowedon your bike. And second, have you actually beenseeingsomeone? What girl?”

I heave a sigh. I was afraid of this- I didn’t want to have to explain whatever the fuck this ‘friendship’ is with Brooke. But out of all my friends, Jax is the only one I feel comfortable confiding in right now. It’s not like I can tell Gray given who he’s mated to.

I pause, pressing my lips together in a tight line. “It’s Brooke.”

Jax’s eyes fly wide. “What?” He bursts out laughing. “Brooke Eastwick? Fallon’s sister?!” He scrubs a hand over his face, still chuckling. “Oh you’ve gotta be kidding me…”

My face burns.

Jax shakes his head, delivering a playful jab to my arm. “I mean, good for you, bro. She’shot. Not exactly who I’d pin down as your type, but if you’re gettin’ that…”

My wolf bristles at Jax’s suggestion, but I don’t correct him. I’d sound like a fucking pussy if I told him Brooke and I were ‘friends’ and I hadn’t even boned her yet.

I smirk. “Like I said, this has to stay between us, dude. Fallon already tried to cockblock me, I don’t want it getting back to Gray.”

Jax holds his hands up in front of him again. “Hey, man, I get it… I won’t say anything.” He pauses, scratching his head. “But seriously, Brooke Eastwick?” He chuckles to himself again.

I roll my eyes, shoving at his chest. “Would you fucking quit it?”

I turn away from him and look around the store, trying to identify where the hell to begin my search among the jungle of silk and lace and girly shit.

“Alright, so we’re looking for a jacket?” Jax asks after he’s collected himself.

I turn back to him and nod.

He claps me on the shoulder, stepping past me. “Looks like outerwear is back here.”

I’m tempted to chastise Jax for his use of the term ‘outerwear’, but the guy is here to help me- so instead I just keep my mouth shut and follow him to the back corner of the store. I post up against a clothing rack, watching him thumb through an upper rack on the wall.

Jax pulls down a hanger, holding up a red leather jacket with a studded collar. “Heh?” he asks, waggling his eyebrows.

I shake my head, folding my arms over my chest. Definitely not something I could see Brooke wearing.

Jax returns the coat to the rack, unruffled. Keeps thumbing through the others. He continues pulling options from the rack, showing them to me while I just grunt and shake my head.

“What are you looking for, bro?” he finally asks, sighing.

I don’t know why I’m being so fucking picky.

“A biker jacket like mine,” I grumble. I push past him, reaching up to start searching the rack myself. Jax moves aside, continuing his own search.

Just when I’m about to give up and leave the damn store, Jax pipes up again.

“How about this one?”

I turn to see him holding up a black leather moto jacket with a silver zipper. It’s fuckingperfect.

My lips spread into a grin. “That’s the one.”

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