Page 30 of Knot Your Average Beta

My cheeks heat as I smile at Swift. “Everything you made sounds delicious. Though for breakfast, I usually prefer something sweet.” I prefer sweet things all the time, but I can’t live off of donuts and gummy candies, so I try to limit my intake.

He beams at me. “Pancakes?”

“Sound perfect.”

I can practically feel Maddox next to me needing to say something, and he finally breaks as Swift slides a plate full of fluffy flapjacks doused in strawberries and chocolate sauce with a dollop of whipped cream on top. “Give her something with protein, too.”

I arch a brow at his commanding tone, wanting to tell him to go fuck himself, but my logical side knows that he’s right. I need protein for energy. Swift scowls at him, and I can tell it on the tip of his tongue to argue, but I reach across the island and lay my hand over his. “Bacon?”

He beams at me and a moment later, I have a plate filled with more bacon that I could ever hope to eat. If I’m honest, I probably won’t finish the pancakes either, but I’m sure going to try.

Luca and Ethan head to the coffee pot pouring out mugs of the dark brew and then turning to regard me, like they want to say something, but they don’t they just watch me as I eat. Which is really fucking weird, but I ignore them as best I can. Even when Luca nudges our bond, like he wants me to open it for him.

Swift settles onto the stool on my other side, his own plate filled with a mishmash of everything he made. He pauses when I cut into the pancake and lift the first bite to my lips, watching as I chew and swallow. His gold eyes are almost as dark as they were last night.

A drop of the chocolate sauce lingers on my bottom lip and when I lick it away with the tip of my tongue, all the males in the room groan.

I’ve heard of this happening… or rather, I’ve read about it in those smut books Vee got me addicted to. So I know if I say something like ‘what?’ one of them will tell me it’s criminal for me to make noises like that while I eat. So instead of saying anything, I just focus on the food. The faster I do, the sooner I can get out of here and get a break.

I really fucking need that break. Even if, technically, I won’t be alone. Logan will be with me.

I’m not used to having so much testosterone around me. Certainly not so many alpharomones. And my newly minted omega is desperate for more. I refuse to be that kind of omega. You know, the one that whimpers and whines over every alpha in the room, preens and presents for them.

My phone vibrates in my purse and I suck a smear of chocolate off my thumb before I reach for the device. Only as soon as I’ve unlocked it, the asshole next to me—Maddox, not Swift—snatches it out of my hand.

“Hey! You can’t do that!” He ignores me predictably and I watch as he types out a message and hits send before handing the phone back to me.

“Who’s Vee?” he asks like he has a right to know.

Frowning, I look at the text chain with Vee.

Vee:

Lost track of you last night.

If you’re alive and well and still in town, you wanna meet for brunch?

Me:

I am still in town, but I can’t meet you.

Something came up.

I’m sorry.

I roll my eyes at the stilted message Maddox sent to my best friend. “Jesus, that’s what you came up with? She’s definitely going to be worried now.”

“It’s a perfectly fine message,” the prime alpha defends. “Who the fuck is Vee?”

“Sylvie Kinsella,” Ethan answers, meeting my glare. I never told them her last name. Which means he looked her up. Used his hacking skills to check into her. Probably Sorrel too. I make sure he sees how much I fucking hate that. “As in the Alver City Kinsellas.”

I scowl at him as the prime alpha next to me curses under his breath. “Why are you texting with a Kinsella?”

I scowl down at my phone as three dots appear. “She’s my best friend, Maddox. And she’s going to wonder why I suddenly sound like a freaking auto bot.”

And sure enough, Vee’s message conveys just how much that didn’t sound like me.

Vee:

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