Page 12 of Alpha Jax

I start panicking.Does Theo know? That’s stupid-howcould heknow? We didn’t even exchange names and I haven’t seen the guy since. But then who is he to Theo? Is he one of ‘the guys’?What the hell have I gotten myself into?

We’re almost upon sexy stranger and the cluster of dudes around him when he looks up, his eyes meeting mine. Within a few seconds, it’s like a host of emotions passes through his eyes- first, recognition, then amusement, and then, when his eyes flit between Theo and I, dread. I wonder if I’ve got the same look of absolute panic in my eyes as he does.

He quickly averts his eyes and I’ve got a few seconds to take in the people around him- I recognize Alpha Gray and Alpha Reid, as they’ve been to the packhouse for council meetings before. The twins are standing with them, who I went to high school with- Fallon is mated to Alpha Gray, while Brooke is mated to my brother. This must mean the other two guys, my sexy stranger and the dude next to him who looks like Jason Momoa, they must be…

No fucking way. I’ll bet they’re the sons of the other six-pack alphas. Theo’s best friends.Holy shit.

I feel bile rise in my throat.What are the odds?

“Quinn!” Brooke squeals, breaking away from the little group and giving me a big hug in greeting. “I’m so glad you’re here!”

My throat feels like sandpaper. “Glad to be here,” I say hoarsely, forcing a smile. I’m still trying to process this whole situation.

Theo slides his arm around my shoulders again. “Guys, this is my little sister, Quinn.”

All of them give me warm smiles- except sexy stranger. He’s still avoiding eye contact.Is he freaking the fuck out as much as I am?

“Quinn, this is Gray, Brock, Reid, and Jax,” Theo continues, pointing out each guy.

Theo slips his arm off of my shoulders and moves beside Jax, tossing it over his shoulders instead. “You’re gonna get to know this guy real well,” he chuckles. “He’s one of my best friends but he’ll be your worst enemy for the next month. He’s gonna be heading up recruit training so be prepared for him to work you over.”

I nearly choke.Oh, he’s worked me over alright…

Sexy stranger- err,Jax- looks up at me, offering me a faint smile. “Quinn,” he repeats, like he’s trying out how my name feels on his tongue.

I’ve gotta get my shit together before Theo picks up on this weirdness between us. I put all thoughts of that night out of my head, straightening and plastering on a fake smile. I stick out my arm confidently, offering him a handshake. “Nice to meet you, Jax. Is that short for something?”

“Jaxon,” he says as he takes my hand in his. I swear I feel a zing of electricity when he touches me- like there’s a lingering spark between us.

I nod. The name suits him. “Jaxon… I like that,” I say, unable to hold back the hint of a smirk as I pull my hand away. He still looks profoundly uncomfortable- he’s not playing this off as well as I am. We’re still just staring at each other.

“It’s just Jax,” Theo corrects, and I’m reminded that he’s right here and how fucked this situation is. Jax can’t be my sexy stranger anymore, not when there’s so much at stake here- his friendship with Theo, my relationship with my brother. Theo would probably kill Jax if he found out what we did. I don’t really know the guy, but I’d prefer him breathing.

“We can probably go ahead and get started,” Gray suggests, looking to the other guys.

There’s my cue. “For sure, you guys… do your thing,” I say, backing away. “I’m just gonna blend in with the other recruits.”

Jax’s eyes are still fixed on me, and his gaze is so goddamn heavy. I feel like I’m being crushed under the weight of it. Dude needs to play it way cooler if we’re going to get away with keeping our secret.

I spin around, taking a few steps away to lose myself in the crowd. I still feel his eyes on me, though.

“Quinn!” Kyla greets, rushing up to me with Tony in tow. “Oh my gosh, this is wild, isn’t it?!” She looks around, gesturing.

“Yeah,” I laugh. “I’msoglad to see you, girl. There’s…”

“Holy shit,” Kyla interrupts, peering over my shoulder. “Is that…?!”

“Shhh!” I hiss, grabbing her by the wrist and pulling her closer. “Don’t say a word.”

Kyla wrinkles her nose in confusion. “What?Why?Isn’t that…?”

“Yes,” I whisper harshly. “And he’s a friend of my brother’s.”

Understanding washes over Kyla’s features, followed quickly by amusement when she realizes how fucked I am.

“Got it,” she chirps, smirking as she drags her fingers across her lips to imitate a zipper. After a beat, she looks back to Jax, then at me again, arching a brow. “Does he…?”

“Yeah,” I grind out. “He knows who I am.”

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