Page 39 of Pack’s Pledge

The two alphas turned to look, clocking her instantly as a beta, staff, and instantly, some of the pressure eased off of the base of my skull. I nearly laughed out loud at the sight of her in her work uniform, ready to take down two alphas with just a blandly-reasoned argument.

God damn, but that girl was a real fucking professional.

CHAPTERTWENTY-NINE

Britt

“Excuse me, sirs,”I called out, and the alphas turned to look at me. I was, honestly, a little surprised.

I’d only made it halfway down the hallway when I realized something was wrong. Beau was there, and I almost called out to him, before I saw that we weren’t alone: there were two alphas in the shadows between him and me.

And they hadn’t beenhisalphas. Conall and Adrian were nowhere in sight.

I recognized in his posture the confrontation at the bar: fists clenched at his sides, shoulders tense. I recognized on his face the expression I wore after a long shift: tired, forced, neutral but pleasant.

It was only because I was so used to wearing it–and because I knew Beau–that I could see between the cracks in his facade: his back, pressed flat against the cold wall as his knees grew weak. Sweat beginning to glisten at his hairline. A wildness in his flashing eyes I’d never seen before, not even at the bar that first night…

Where were Conall and Adrian?

Then again, if they weren’t here, it meant Beau hadn’t sent his signal yet. It meant he was okay. I should stay out of it.He hates being coddled.

But this was Ardor. This was myjob.What was I supposed to do? I knew the protocol–call a manager–but I’d left my panic button, my beeper in my apron pocket in the staff room as I snuck to the bathroom to meet Beau.

I was frozen to the spot, transfixed by indecision. And then the alpha took a step forward, and I was propelled forward almost without choice.

“Omega, alphas,” I nodded respectfully. “There’s a dance floor for this type of negotiation,” I smiled pleasantly even as bile rose in my throat, my words tasting sour.

“I don’t think this one needs a dance first,” the taller alpha said, jerking his head at Beau.MyBeau. “He needs one of those back rooms. You’re staff, right?” I nodded, still smiling. Of course I was. I was a beta at Ardor. What else would I be doing here?

“Unfortunately, we don’t have back rooms here, contrary to popular belief,” I said, spreading my hands wide, palms up.Sorry. “But if you’d like, I can call you a cab for the Heat Center.”

My stomach roiled at the thought of Beau going anywhere with these men–I just had to hope that he understood what I was trying to do: buy him some time. I tried, my heart pounding and my teeth clenched tight, to send the alphas a signal of my own.Please, please, Conall, please come, come to me, to us, and I’ll never leave the bar without my beeper again, I’ll leave Beau and you in peace and never trouble you again–

And they were there, Conall and Adrian both, fists clenched and furious, and I shrank back in fear as Conall landed a punch on the temple of the alpha moving closer to Beau and the man staggered back before launching himself forward to grapple.

Someone screamed–it was me–and then Adrian’s hands grasped me by the shoulders, his face very close to mine. “Get security,” he barked, and I nodded unthinking–an alpha’s command–then shook my head.

“Wait,” I said, “Take Beau,” I fumbled with my ID badge, passing it over. “Last door on the left, the sign says Custodial–swipe in, go straight back until you see a door on the right marked staff only, swipe there–follow the signs to the–”

“Holy fucking shit,” Adrian said, and despite the situation, he grinned, manic. “Thereareback rooms at Club Heat–”

“Go!” I cried, pressing the card to his hand, and he nodded. I fled.

* * *

The fight was over alreadyby the time I returned in the shadow of an alpha, massive even by their standards. Ardor security.

Conall was apologizing, handing over his business card, and the stranger was laughing, apologizing for intruding on Conall’s territory.

“I didn’t know he was claimed, bro,” he said, “you understand.” I thought of the alpha at the bar that first night:I told you it was an omega,he’d said, like Beau wasn’t standing right there, like he didn’t haveears, let alone desires and feelings and rights of his own.

But Conall just nodded, his shoulders stiff as security took down his name and Adrian’s, the other alphas’. Mine, with a disapproving frown that I knew meant a meeting with my manager.

I met his eyes only reluctantly, my veins still filled with adrenaline and my stomach filled with dead butterflies and hot with shame and fear. This was my fault. Beau would never have come here if it weren’t for me. “I’m sorry, Conall,” I said, but he shook his head.

“I’m sorry, too, Britt,” he said, “but we can’t do this right now.”

The lump in my throat made it impossible to speak, but I nodded. I understood: Beau had been endangered by my actions. I’d lose my jobandmy boyfriend–or my friend with benefits, orwhatever–and Adrian, and Conall…Conall…Tears blurred my vision. I wanted Conall to comfort me, but Conall had his pack to think of. His omega.

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