Page 7 of Knot Your Average Beta

Probably not. It’s probably more like meeting rooms, where boring business men go to do boring business things. They can’t be rooms to have sex, right? That’s like… not legal or something.

“Sadie Marie.” Sylvie shouts at me, digging in her heels, and yanking back on her arm so I’m forced to stop and face her. “Tell me what that is about!”

I take a moment to look at my friend. One of the best I’ve ever had, one of the only I’ve ever had, If I’m honest, along with Sorrel. She looks stubborn and fiery and I’m once again struck by how much better she seems, not just in terms of her health, but mentally. In the past, she would have just let me drag her wherever I wanted to go. Sighing, I lace my fingers with hers and squeeze. “Let’s get a drink first.”

She lets me pull her through the club to the back, where I can just make out another hulking figure standing at the base of a set of stairs. I’m gambling that it’s the VIP area, so I beeline for it and, just like I’d hoped, he lets us up with hardly a glance at the shimmery bracelets on our wrists.

Upstairs the music is still loud, but decidedly less so from the scene downstairs. We’ll be able to have a conversation up here for sure. The lighting is dark, only small lamps on the tables and behind the bar offer any illumination. But I can make out some low couches with tables between them and then some high top tables.

There’s a railing that overlooks the rest of the club, the writhing mass of bodies below.

I’m itching to get down there, to grind on some strangers, to get sweaty. To lose myself to the music and just fucking let go. The urge is skittering over my skin, but I need to be a good friend first.

Sylvie has had to deal with more bullshit in her life than most, and it’s important that she knows I’m here for her.

With that thought in mind, I pull my attention away from the surroundings and move to the bar, pulling my friend along behind me.

A pretty beta with silky dark gray hair and shimmering blue eyes comes up right away, giving us her best customer service smile. “What can I get ya?”

“Unblended Margarita,” I say, feeling like this is a tequila night.

“Paloma,” Sylvie orders with a tight smile. I can already tell she’s planning to have just the one drink and that won’t do. Whether or not she wants to admit it, she needs this as much as I do. She needs to let everything fucking go for a few hours. She so rarely does it. Usually only after I push her to it, and she always thanks me after, leaning into my side as she smiles drunkenly up at me.

“Oh!” I say, like it just occurred to me. “Let’s each do a shot of tequila, too.”

Before Vee can argue, the shots are in front of us, along with a salt shaker and slices of lime. She shakes her head, but I’m already picking up her hand, licking the skin between her thumb and pointer finger, and then doing the same to mine.

“You’re not going to overthink this, Vee,” I say, sprinkling a liberal amount of salt over the wet spot on her hand and then mine. “You’re going to take this shot, and then we’ll take our drinks down the bar and talk, just like you want to.” I flutter my lashes at her, in the way that makes most men do whatever I want. “Pretty please?”

She folds with a rueful look. “Fine.”

“Cheers.”

“Sláinte.” I keep my eyes on her as she licks the salt and throws back the drink before I do the same.

“Atta girl.”

“Here you go.” The bartender slides our drinks over to us. “My name is Glory. If you ladies need anything else, just let me know, okay?”

“Thank you so much.” I say, grabbing my drink and heading down the bar, commandeering two stools and then taking a surreptitious look around, hoping for a glimpse of pale hair and gold eyes. No such luck, but I do find two gazes locked on me from a low couch across the way.

My mouth goes dry at the sight of the two men cuddled up together. They’re sitting so I can’t tell how tall they are, but from the long legs splayed in front of them and the broad shoulders, I can tell they’re big. Alphas? One is bigger than the other. Their dark clothes blend in with the dark lighting, and I can’t really see much of them, the lamp on their table making their faces all shadows. But I can feel their intent perusal of my body. I can see the corner of one of their mouths tip up, while the other’s tongue darts out salaciously, dragging along his lower lip.

The big one slides his hand onto the other’s thigh and then farther up, while the smaller one leans up to say something in his ear, lips brushing against in a way that has my pussy clenching and I couldn’t even tell you why.

A shiver runs down my spine that ends with my panties being soaked. Just as easily as that.

Sylvie joins me after tipping the bartender, and I have to drag my gaze away from their heated stares and focus on my friend. I take a sip of my drink and then slide it onto the bar, painfully aware of the angles of my body, wanting to display it to the best of my ability for the men whose gazes I can still feel on my body.

“Okay,” I say, keeping my eyes on Vee. “I’m ready. Tell me everything.”

She arches her brows at me and glances around. “I’m more interested in why we’re here, when you promised me a quiet dinner where we could talk. I mean, really? How the hell did you pull this off? VIP section? Free booze?”

I sigh and lean forward. “Okay, full disclosure. I totally intended to take you to dinner, just like I promised. But then I was at that coffee shop that you like-”

“Bonheur.”

“Eating the most delicious kouign-amann—which, by the way, I’m totally going to try making one of these days—and this guy comes up to me, slides that card across the table and tells me it’s a pass to free booze and the VIP section in the most exclusive club in the city. But it’s only good for one night. I figured my bestie needed gallons of booze, and if we don’t have to pay for it, all the better.”

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