Page 24 of Alpha Reid

“Sure, thanks Soph,” I nod, grabbing the last few empties off of the table and handing them to her so she doesn’t have to lean over me to retrieve them. She flashes me a smile, hustling away as I turn back to the guys.

“What were we talking about?” I ask, lifting a hand to rub my temple. All the beer I’ve consumed is making me a little fuzzy.

“How you’re gonna get some shadow pack intel from that mystery mate of yours,” Theo supplies, smirking.

I blow out a breath. “Yeah. We’ll see. Like I said, I wanna be careful with her. She’s fragile. Innocent.”

“Uh, Reid?” Jax mumbles, eyes wide.

“Hm?”

He points a finger, his eyes focused in the direction of the bar. I turn to follow his gaze, seeing a bunch of commotion around it.

Jax clears his throat. “That fragile, innocent mate of yours is climbing up on the bar…”

I see a flash of red hair as Serena tosses it back from her seated position on the bar, grinning as she twists sideways and starts to lean back.

What the fuck is she doing?

I shoot to my feet, stalking in her direction. I’m pretty sure my wolf is steering this ship, not me- I’m not forming a single coherent thought as I push through the crowd. So much for thinking first and reacting second.

Serena starts to lie back on top of the bar, propped up on her elbows, and when the bartender comes over with a liquor bottle and she pulls up her shirt to expose her stomach, I suddenly realize exactly what’s happening- this girl is about to let someone do a body shot off of her like she’s at a goddamn frat party. Then when I put together which one of these idiot guys put her up to it, it’s a miracle I don’t lose my shit on the spot. Alpha Vaughn’s son Chase is right beside Serena, egging her on and grinning like a fool.

I push closer as the bartender hands Serena a lime and she just stares at it for a moment, her throat working as she swallows hard. She’s still holding it in her hand hesitantly when the bartender starts to tip the tequila bottle, the first few drops splashing Serena’s belly as I step forward and the crowd hushes. The bartender looks up and freezes, her wide eyes coming to mine. I shake my head and she immediately yanks the bottle of Patron into her chest and starts to back away.

Time moves slow as I stare down at Serena and she turns her head toward me. Her eyes collide with mine and she draws a short gasp.

My knuckles crack as I ball my fists at my sides, going to great lengths to maintain my composure. “Up. Now.”

She sits up quickly, her mouth hanging open. Clearly at a loss for words. I take a step closer, bringing a hand to her waist and leaning in, speaking through gritted teeth. “What the hell are you doing?”

“Hey, what’s it to you, man?” Chase protests, stepping up beside me. The fucking kid is pissed that I’m ruining his fun. I whip my head sideways to shoot him a warning glare.

“She’s my mate,” I snap.

I watch as the realization washes over Chase, his jaw going slack. He holds his hands up, eyes wide. “Hey, I had no idea, I swear…”

“Leave.” I turn away from Chase and his buddies as they scramble to clear out, because honestly, though I believe him, I don’t give a shit what anyone other than Serena has to say right now. Yesterday she was blushing under the stare of a few people at the pizza place, and today she’s offering body shots in a crowded bar? Nothing adds up. It’s like the more I get to know her, the more questions I have- and maybe it’s time I actually start asking them before this girl makes me lose my damn mind.

Serena swings her legs over the edge of the bar, moving to hop down. With one hand still on her waist, I bring my other hand to the opposite side and lift her down gently.

“Sorry,” she says with a sheepish smile as I set her on her feet. “I was just…”

Fuck, our bodies are so close. All I see are those blue eyes, those red lips. I flex my fingers around her narrow waist, drawing a deep breath in an effort to keep it together.

“Let’s go,” I growl, steering her away from the bar and toward the exit.

To my surprise, she doesn’t protest- she just looks embarrassed. Her cheeks are stained red as I lead her toward the door by an arm, the other patrons in the crowded bar staring inquisitively as we make a quick exit.

As I push the door open and step outside, the cool night air slams into me, a stark contrast to the thick, stagnant air inside the bar and the stifling heat resulting from packing so many bodies into one place. I feel Serena shiver beside me as the cold air hits her exposed skin, and as soon as the door swings closed behind us, she wrenches her arm free from my grasp. I let her- and when she takes a step back, putting space between our bodies, I let her do that, too, because it’s the only way my wolf and I will settle down.

“You gonna tell me what that was?” I ask calmly, folding my arms over my chest and staring at Serena, drawing deep breaths in an effort to keep my cool.

She looks up at me, defiance in her eyes. “You’ve never done a body shot?”

My temper flares, my wolf pushing forward- but by some miracle I rein us both in, drawing another breath and taking a beat.

“What the hell is going on with you?” I ask, narrowing my eyes. “This isn’t like you…”

---