Page 62 of In Control

He rolls his eyes at me. “I’m not leaving Sophia to sit in the back while I sit in the front. And you know I hate sitting in the back on my own.”

Sophia giggles. “See, I knew it. You are a precious little omega.”

“He’s precious, yes,” I say, meeting her eye in the rear-view mirror as I pull out into the traffic.

Esra has a problem with this woman. She may be beautiful but looks can be deceiving. I don’t want her hurting our omega. Shit, I don’t want her hurting our pack.

Although, as I lean back in my seat and listen to them chattering away behind me, I find it hard to believe she could. She’s sharp-witted, causing Gabriel to cackle twice and snort once with her comedic observations, but she’s also sweet and clearly intelligent. I understand why Liam likes her too. As I pull up outside Riccardo’s, I’m even beginning to see why she’s got Esra all choked up.

I hand the car keys to the valet and open the back door of my car, holding out my hand to help Sophia out first. Her hand is warm in mine and up close I receive a whiff of her perfume. Usually, such an artificial scent, brewed in some factory somewhere, would have me gagging and holding my breath. But it smells good on Sophia’s soft-looking skin. It suits her.

“Thank you,” she says, releasing my hand and making room for Gabe.

As I bend down to help him out, he hangs on my shoulder and whispers in my ear.

“You’re going to like her.”

That frown creases my brow again. I’m not sure liking this woman will be a good thing, and yet, I can feel it happening, feel my eyes drawn her way, and my attention too.

The evening is still early and the restaurant only opened a half hour ago, only one other table occupied. Ric, the owner of the restaurant isn’t here, probably home with his own pack, but the manager finds us a table at the back, somewhere Gabe can’t be bothered by admirers.

“Last night Deep Slick, today Riccardo’s. I’ve never been to so many alpha haunts in such quick succession,” Sophia says, as she drums her painted nails on the table top and scans the menu.

“This is an alpha haunt?”

Gabe scoffs. “Ro, darling, can’t you smell that it is.”

I suppose he’s right. I’d never really considered it before.

“You alphas – and omegas,” Sophia observes, “like to hang around together.”

“Safety in numbers,” I mutter.

“Like you need safety.”

“There’s a sizable majority in every city who would like to run us out of town with pitch forks. They think we’re monsters.”

She leans forward on her elbow, meeting my eyes, hers dark in the dim light of the restaurant. “And are you? Monsters, I mean?”

I stare back at her, electricity seeming to skip between us.

“Sometimes they are, darling,” Gabe says darkly, “but then aren’t we all.”

“It’s funny,” she says, curling her hair behind the delicate shell of her ear. “When you’re young the books you read, the movies you watch, are full of scary-looking monsters. Then you grow up and you learn the monsters are just as likely to lurk inside the princes as the beasts.”

“You think Ro looks like a beast?” Gabe asks, resting his arm around the back of her chair. “I mean, his beard could do with a trim and his hair is looking especially wild today–”

I rub my fingertips across my chin.

“No, that’s the thing. Alphas always look like princes.” She looks like she might say more. She fiddles with the thin chain and pendant around her neck. Then whatever it was passes, and she smiles, twisting back to my omega. “And omegas too, of course.”

“And how about betas?” I ask, not prepared to lose her attention just yet.

“Betas?” Those pretty eyes return to me.

“Are they beasts or princes?”

“You already said it yourself, we’re the ones watching from the side lines, the bit parts, the side-kicks, the ensemble.”

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