Page 22 of Alpha Jax

“Still in no rush,” I say, setting my empty beer bottle down on the table and reaching for one of the fresh beers that the waitress delivered. “With the way things are heating up with the shadow pack, I’m exactly where I need to be right now.”

The guys all nod solemnly, and part of me immediately regrets bringing up the shadow pack. Mention of the biggest threat to our very existence has an uncanny way of spoiling a good mood.

I glance over toward the bar- because let’s face it, I’ve been sneaking glances in Quinn’s direction ever since she walked in with her friends tonight- and for the first time, she’s looking my way, too. Our eyes meet for a moment and my heartbeat stutters. Then I remember who I’m seated beside, and I look away. While my eyes have been drifting to Quinn all night, thankfully, the conversation hasn’t. I still feel awkward as fuck in front of Theo whenever she’s mentioned, guilty that I’m keeping a secret from him.

I still feel like the universe is playing some kind of sick joke on me with the whole Quinn thing. I’ve obsessed over this girl- fantasized about her for weeks- and it turns out she’s the one girl I can’t have? It sure feels like a cruel, cruel joke.

“Look who I found!” Brooke exclaims, approaching our table with Quinn in tow.

Fuck, she’s a total knockout. Quinn looked good from across the bar but seeing her up close is a damn privilege. She’s wearing this tight yellow tank dress that leaves little to the imagination, along with a pair of strappy yellow satin heels, the color an exquisite compliment to her tan skin and dark hair.

Quinn gives us a little wave, flashing a smile. “Hey, guys.”

Reid jumps up, retrieving an empty barstool from the table next to us and dragging it over. “Here, take a load off,” he says, offering the stool to Quinn.

She grins at Reid in gratitude, sliding onto the stool beside him. I wish I’d thought of grabbing a chair for her, damnit.

“So Quinn gets the royal treatment, huh?” Brooke teases, stepping over to Theo. He scoops an arm around her waist and pulls her onto his lap, positioning her to sit sideways as she was before she and Fallon went to check in on their friends. Her arms immediately loop around Theo’s neck and she leans into his chest.

Theo and Brooke are the picture of a happy couple these days, and I’ve gotta say, it’s strange to see Theo so settled. He was the wildest of all of us before Brooke tamed him- I never thought I’d see the day where he wifed up and fell in love. It’s good for him, though. I’ve never seen him so content.

“Hey, I’m just trying to be polite,” Reid chuckles. “And I’m not about to step on your mate’s toes by catering to you.”

“Damn right,” Theo growls, nuzzling into Brooke’s neck. “You’ve already got a seat, babe. Here with me.”

Brooke beams at Theo, planting a little kiss on the tip of his nose.

Damn those two are sickeningly cute together.

“How are the new digs working out?” Gray asks, referring to the new double room in the squad barracks that Theo and Brooke moved into a few days ago. All of the rooms in the squad dorms are of equal size, but Theo got some of the guys to knock a wall out between two rooms so he and Brooke could have a double.

“Great!” Brooke chirps. “It’s more space than we need, really.”

“Since I’m the only other squad leader that lives at the complex full time, I think I should get a double room too,” I say, looking around to the others as I bring my beer bottle to my lips.

“You can have one, Jax,” Gray says, smiling at Fallon as she approaches and slides onto his lap. “Once you find a mate to share it with.”

I groan, rolling my eyes as I take a big swig of my beer.

“Yeah, what happened to your mystery girl anyways?” Theo asks, turning to me. “You haven’t mentioned her in a while.”

I choke on my beer- it burns as some of it comes out of my nose, my eyes watering as I launch into a coughing fit.

“Jesus, man, you alright?” Brock asks, reaching over to slap me on the back.

I’m still wheezing, trying to catch my breath, and internally panicking in response to Theo bringing up my mystery girl in front of… well,the mystery girl herself.

“Yeah,” I sputter hoarsely, blinking the tears from my eyes and drawing a deep breath. “Wrong pipe.”

I’m not fooling Quinn, though. She’s sitting across from me at the table, a smug little smirk tugging at her lips. “Mystery girl?” she asks, arching a brow.

“Yeah,” Theo laughs, clapping me on the shoulder and giving it a rough squeeze. “Jax has been on the hunt for weeks trying to find some girl he met in Stillwater, isn’t that right, Romeo?”

If it was possible to die of embarrassment, I’d perish on the spot. My face heats as I slowly raise my gaze to meet Quinn’s, seeing a flash of recognition cross her face. Of course, she’s put two and two together that she’s the mystery girl- it’s not exactly a big leap to reach that conclusion. And I’m…mortified.

“What’s wrong, are we embarrassing you in front of the girls?” Theo teases. “Look at how red his face is right now!”

“Shut up, dude,” I groan, twisting sideways to deliver a jab to his bicep.

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