Page 33 of Alpha Rising (Secrets of the Northland Shifters)

“I saw you walk in with Reese earlier.” Kelsey’s whiskey-colored eyes sparkled with curiosity.

“Yep.” I smacked my lips together, then checked to make sure things weren’t too shiny.

“Josh said he thought you and Reese might even be, like,together-together,” Kelsey insinuated.

Well, that news traveled fast.I’d barely even spoken to Reese since the party started, leaving him to his hosting duties. I picked up my drink from the bathroom counter and finished it down.

“Well?” Abby pressed.

“I guess so.”

“Sheguessesso,” Kelsey said in a teasing tone.

“Amazing,” Lauren said on an exhale.

“Well?” Kelsey asked. “Give us the deets. Have you slept with him?”

“God, Kels,” Lauren reprimanded, but then she asked, “Have you?”

Abby said, “I bet he’s an animal in the sack.”

I turned my hip to the counter and faced them. My head was practicallyswimmingand with my inhibitions lowered, I wanted to tell them that Abby’s assumption was closer to the truth than they could ever imagine.

But I didn’t. I just raised my eyebrows and gave them a smile. They could make whatever they wanted out of that because, right then, I heard the first few beats of “Take My Breath.”

“Who wants to dance?” I shoved my lip gloss into my clutch and strode out of the ladies’ room, past the bar, and straight for the dance floor. Kelsey, Lauren, and Abby followed and soon we were joined by several others—arms up, hair tossed, hips gyrating.

I missed this. I’d loved to dance ever since I was little and my sister and I would turn up our music and dance on our beds—jumping around like crazy. I’d even had a stencil on my bedroom wall that said,Dance like nobody’s watching.

Well, there were plenty of people watching now, but I didn’t care.

In fact, as the music built and our girly dance circle grew larger, I let it all hang out. There was too much energy pent-up inside me, and it was about time I let off some of the pressure.

After the next song—a bass-pumping techno beat—Lauren yelled, “Shots!” and exited our circle, heading for the bar.

I felt heat behind me, and I leaned back to discover the warmth was coming off a male body. Solid muscle. I leaned into it, thinking it was Reese, but the body jerked away so suddenly I staggered.

I turned to see Sam, looking at me with his eyebrows raised.

“Hey, Sam! How you doing?”

He surveyed my face, then my unsteady feet. “Sarah, honey, you’re wasted.”

“Nope.” I wagged a finger at him. “That’s not one of my stages. I’d say I’m inching toward shitfaced.”

He shook his head and put his mouth close to my ear to be heard over the music. “I don’t mean to ruin your fun, but be mindful, okay?”

“What do you mean?”

“Reese. The energy rolling off him is getting pretty palpable.”

“What?You’re not suggesting he’dshiftin the middle of the party, are you?”

“No,” Sam assured me. “But signs of the animal can leak through when provoked. And Sarah… You’re provoking.”

I suddenly remembered the fishing opener. Reese had punched out his own client for giving me unwanted attention. And that had beenbeforeReese and I had slept together.

I’d thought for sure Charlie Horn would retaliate, but so far there’d been no blowback on the resort. It seemed, perhaps, Charlie had accepted that he got what he deserved.

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