Page 51 of Alpha Chase

A smile tugs at my lips as I narrow my eyes on him. “That sounds just as dangerous.”

“Just try it,” he chuckles as Miles approaches with two plastic cups. Levi plucks them from his hands, offering them to Nessa and me. “Trust me, you’ll love it.” He winks again, charming as ever, as I look down at the red liquid in the cup warily.

I lift my head to glance at Nessa, but she’s no longer beside me- she’s already taking a seat on the couch beside Cal, settling in as he tosses an arm over her shoulders. They look oddly comfortable together, but I have to file that observation away for later, because the next thing I know Levi’s hand is on the small of my back as he ushers me toward the opposite side of the sectional.

My skin prickles with goosebumps as I feel the heavy weight of Chase’s stare on me while I follow Levi’s lead around the coffee table. He sinks down onto the leather sofa, patting the spot next to him in invitation. I’m about to take a seat when I lift my gaze and my eyes collide with Chase’s dark ones, still silently observing me. He ticks his head subtly to the empty spot on the other side of Levi, between the two of them, and for a moment I’m frozen in indecision, clutching onto my plastic cup like a lifeline.

I know I’m flirting with disaster when I step around Levi’s knees to take the seat between him and Chase, especially when I settle in and catch the glance they exchange. Levi appears irritated with my choice, while Chase looks smug as fuck.Typical.

Levi’s rebound rate is impeccable, because just as quickly as the sour look appeared on his face, it dissolves, replaced by that bright, charming smile. He snakes an arm around me, leaning in close. “I like your dress,” he murmurs, his voice vibrating in my ear as a shiver skates up my spine.

“Thanks,” I reply, subconsciously tugging the hem down my thighs. I didn’t have a lot to choose from as far as clothes go, considering I only brought a duffel bag full to Nessa’s and haven’t been back home to dip into my closet, so I had to borrow something for tonight. And not from Nessa, either- but from her twelve-year-old sister, Elena. The curse of being so petite. Luckily, the girl has style, and a little black dress is a classic. The eyelash lace cap sleeves are a bit frilly for my taste, but my cleavage is on point courtesy of a push-up bra and my thigh-high black boots give the silk dress an edge.

Levi points to the cup in my hands. “Did you try the punch?”

I give a little shake of my head, bringing the rim of the cup to my lips and tipping it back. The cold liquid slides down my throat easily, fruit punch masking the taste of the alcohol. I take a couple of big sips, draining half of the cup before lowering it, licking a drop from the corner of my mouth. “You’re right, it’s delicious,” I smile, going in for another sip.

“Careful with that.” Chase’s low voice registers in my ears and hornets start buzzing around in my belly. I turn toward him as I swallow, lifting a brow in question. “It’s grain alcohol,” he says, nodding at my cup. “And you’re a lightweight.” He lifts his whiskey bottle and takes a pull.

I roll my eyes, licking the sweet residue of hunch punch from my lips. “Says the guy drinking straight whiskey?”

His eyes drop to my lips, lingering there for a moment before snapping back up to my own. Then he just shrugs a shoulder, so fucking nonchalant as if he wasn’t on his knees with his tongue between my thighs yesterday. “I’m twice your size.”

A biting comeback is on the tip of my tongue when I’m interrupted by a high-pitched voice.

“Alpha!” a blonde girl giggles, bouncing toward us with a freckled redhead hanging off her arm. “Come dance with us?”

The grip on my cup tightens as Chase assesses her, his tongue snaking out to wet his lips. “Maybe in a bit.”

The green monster inside of me rears its ugly head, jealousy prickling in my veins. As if he can sense it, Chase’s eyes flicker to mine, teeming with amusement when he sees the deep scowl on my face that I’m doing nothing to mask.Shit.I quickly steel my expression, lifting my cup and taking a big swig of punch.

“Aw, c’mon,Alpha,” Levi chuckles as the girls take a few steps away and start dancing on one another, continually casting glances in Chase’s direction. “A dance with you would make their night. Bet they’d be down for a three-way.”

I stiffen, draining the rest of the punch in my cup. I suddenly have a feeling I’m going to need a lot more punch to get through this night.

“Probably,” Chase shrugs.

Motherfucker. Does this guy really have the audacity to try to pull tail right in front of me after we just hooked up? What am I talking about,of coursehe does- it’sChase. Did I really expect to play with fire and not get burned?

“Need a refill already?” Levi asks. I blink up at him, lips set in a tight line as I nod my head. He grins, plucking the empty cup from my hands and rising to stand. “Be right back.”

My right side is suddenly cold from the spot Levi vacated, leaving me alone with Chase. He shifts a little closer to me and I can feel the heat radiating from his body, his thigh brushing mine as he readjusts his position on the couch. I wish my body didn’t react to Chase like it does- my heart’s suddenly pounding a hundred miles a minute, my palms clammy. He turns to me with a wicked smirk, looking at me like I’m a fox caught in a trap. “So you and Levi, huh?”

My head swims a little from the alcohol working its way through my system, lowering my inhibitions. “Does that bother you?” I ask, testing the waters.

He shrugs. “Nah. My boys and I share everything.” The way he says it, so cavalier, makes my skin crawl. His eyes dart away as he takes another pull of whiskey, watching the blonde and redhead rub up against one another as they dance.

It’s fine. I expected this. I can’t be mad at Chase for showing me exactly who he is. I knew how this would end, but it still leaves a bitter taste in my mouth.

“Here ya go,” Levi breathes, flopping down next to me and thrusting a full cup of hunch punch in my direction.

I hit him with a bright smile as I take the cup from his hands. Just what I need to cleanse my palette. “Thanks!”

Maybe I should give Levi a chance. He’s good looking, too, and at least he acts like he gives a shit, which is more than I can say for…

“Chase, you got a J?” he asks, looking past me to his friend. Chase nods, shoving a big hand into the front pocket of his hoodie and pulling out a joint and a lighter. His arm brushes mine as he hands them both over to Levi, my pulse quickening.

Levi lights up beside me, the pungent aroma of marijuana permeating the air as he puffs on the joint, the paper crackling with orange embers. He holds in the smoke for a few seconds, then blows out a cloud, offering the joint to me. “Want some?”

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