Page 11 of Beta and the Beast
"Who put their fucking shit in front of her store?" Romulus spins around, pinning the two contractors watching all this happen with a steely gaze. They both drop their heads as a third comes out of the bakery.
"What's going on?" the third asks, his hands going up to show Romulus he isn't a threat. He even tilts his head to the side for good measure.
"Your guys have been staking claims outside her shop," Romulus snarls, his nostrils flaring as he inhales deeply. He points at one of the guys, the one Hazel's been flirting with all day. "That one. He's marked the whole front of the building."
"Fuck me," the third says before grabbing the flirty alpha by the back of the neck and dragging him inside the bakery. He comes back a second late. "I'll handle it." Then he turns to look at me, his eyes flicking over me once. Not in a sleazy way, but like he's sizing me up, trying to figure me out. When he looks back at Romulus, he smiles. "You'll have to introduce me to your beta another time."
"I am not—"
"Enough," Romulus cuts me off, stepping to stand between me and the other alpha. "Handle your guys. Henry doesn't like me out. He thinks I'll scare the beta away."
I push Romulus's back like that's going to do anything. No, worse, he starts purring like I'm some omega who needs calming right now. Romulus looks at me over his shoulders, eyes narrowing.
"Wicked little beta," he murmurs before closing his eyes and letting Henry have control of their body again.
"Sorry about that," Henry says to no one in particular as he rubs the back of his neck. "Now then, about the filtration system."
I let out a strangled sound and slam the door in his face. Well, it doesn't slam so much, as it slowly closes since it's one of those doors that refuses to be slammed. Not that I've ever had a reason to slam it because I haven't. Not until alphas moved in next door. I turn my back on Henry, frowning at how Hazel is giggling behind her hands.
A knock on the glass has my lips pulling back in a snarl. When I turn to face him, Henry is smiling again.
"I'll need inside your apartment, too."
I don't dignify that statement with a response. No, I give him my back again, ignoring the rumble of his laugh as it spreads through my body and pools low in my belly. I also blatantly ignore Hazel's eyes because she'll think things that aren't true. Worse, she's going to ask follow-up questions that will make it seem like her assumptions are true.
"Who was that?" Hazel asks in a sing-songy voice, and my cheeks are already heating.
"That would be my brother's business partner," I say, trying and failing to keep some semblance of respect in my voice. "Whatever you're thinking, stop. He's the reason this business isfailing, and he doesn't even take me seriously. So, no to whatever you're trying to cook up in your scheming little brain."
"Not scheming," Hazel says, grabbing a spare towel from behind the counter and starting to help me with closing duties. "Just thinking. He seemed more than interested in you."
"His beast wants to stick his dick in me," I say on a huff. "That's the beginning, middle, and end of that story."
"Ah, and I'm sure that has nothing to do with why we're going out tonight?" Hazel asks. She's so good at making it sound like she's just curious instead of prying, but we both know she's prying right now.
"We're going out tonight because I need to get laid, that's it."
Hazel doesn't ask anything for a long time, but when I look up at her, she's looking outside. I bite back my groan because I'm pretty sure it'll be Henry out there again, and I don't know what he's going to say next. I don't think he has any interest in me. Sure, Romulus does, but that isn't flattering at all. Beasts want to fuck anything with a hole, and I'm more than just a hole.
"I think he likes you," Hazel teases me as we both watch Henry and the third alpha that came outside spray down the front of my shop with odor neutralizer. The wood-cutting saw has also been moved back in front of his building. Not to mention the two other alphas growling and grumbling near the work truck as they spray themselves down.
"He wants to keep me happy so my brothers don't kill him," I respond, my voice a little breathy as I watch Henry work.
He doesn't look at me. In fact, he tries his hardest not to look inside. It would irritate me more if I weren't thoroughly upset at myself for being thankful for his care. It's all so ridiculous.
"He wants you happy, alright." Hazel shakes her head but drops the subject. "So tonight, are we going to a bar or a club? I'm good either way. Just trying to figure out the vibe."
"I kind of want to go dancing," I say, shooting her a hopeful look. I don't need to, though. Hazel's always down for a good time, no matter where or what that looks like.
"Club it is," she whoops before wiping down another table. "We'll get you a drink, a hot beta, and hopefully make you forget that you're starting to come over to the dark side of alpha chasing."
"Hazel!" I squeal her name so loud it has a growl rumbling through the glass as Romulus takes over Henry's body and goes for the door. I glare at him, my right eye twitching a little as I do. "Don't you dare come in here, Romulus. I'm talking with my friend."
His lips pull back in a snarl as he looks at me through the glass door, his hand on the handle, arm prepped to push it open and stalk inside. He huffs before shaking his head, muttering something about me being wicked again, before Henry's back in control and spraying odor neutralizer on himself. I'm sure he coated everything they covered when Romulus came out.
"Yeah, nothing going on there at all." Hazel rolls her eyes before bumping my hip with hers. "I'm taking you out tonight, but if you try to come home with someone, there's a good chance that alpha will rip them apart."
"He won't," I assure her.
