Page 2 of Knight With Benefits

Shifter.

He had to be. They were even larger than human alphas, and this dude had to be the biggest man I’d ever seen.

The hair along my arms rose as a chill swept through me, my nipples tightening under my shirt in a confused blend of anxiety and interest. I avoided alphas when I could so I wouldn’t have to deal with the inevitable questions, but I hadn’t had any alcohol at home, and the need to drown the memories brought on by the date had been too strong to let my aversion keep me home. And while I was an omega, I didn’t usually react as strongly to alphas as I had to the stranger looking at me with his full lips lifted in a lopsided grin.

“Weird isn’t a bad thing. If someone was actuallynormal, they would be the weirdest thing around.”

I couldn’t help the way my cheek twitched, but smiling would only encourage him, and that wasn’t something I wanted to do. I was done with alphas and being controlled. It was time for me to live my life my way.

Lifting my gaze from his mouth, I took in more of his features. He had a thick beard that reached his chest, the dark hairs shot through with streaks of grey, but his dancing green eyes were what stole my attention.

My core clenched, reminding me it had been a while.Morethan a while. My last heat had been close to a year prior to Anthony’s funeral, and that had been almost a year ago already.

Anthony.

I turned back to the counter, lifting my glass and draining it in another swig before letting it hit the counter. Tapping my fingertips beside the glass, I waited for another, debating telling David to just leave the bottle. I could get drunk faster if I gave up the pickle juice and drank the vodka straight, but I hated the burn of the cheap stuff that was all I could afford.

“Mind if I sit here?”

Mr. Hopeful reminded me he was still there, and I didn’t bother to hide my sigh.

“Whatever. Not like you’d listen if I told you to go away.”

I almost didn’t hear his soft snort over the noise behind us. I’d come in early, as soon as I’d given up working for the day, hoping to accomplish my goal and get back home before the bar got too busy. The Hangout was a favorite of the locals, and there was a biker club that came by regularly, but it was the only bar close enough to walk home afterward. Unfortunately, I’d nursed the first drink while letting David distract me, and now it was getting late, and I was still annoyingly sober.

“Probably not. I’ve found drinking alone tends to be more depressing than what made you drink to begin with.”

Air whooshed out of me, the truth in his words hitting closer to home than I liked. The loneliness was half of what had driven me to the bar.

My phone vibrating in my pocket reminded me I was trying to forget multiple things tonight, but it all came back to the anniversary I wished I could erase.

“Want to talk about it? I’m a good listener.”

The soft murmur was the last thing I’d expected him to say. Brows arching, I turned my head to meet his gaze. His expression was surprisingly earnest, and for a moment I wondered what secrets that big man carried on those broad shoulders.

“I’m here to forget, not reminisce.”

His lips flattened but he nodded as David plunked a beer bottle in front of him before reaching down to grab the pickle juice from beneath the counter for me. The first time I’d come in they hadn’t had any, and I’d been forced to settle for some fruity thing that left a thick taste in my mouth, but the next time there had been a jar with my name on it, and The Hangout had won my loyalty.

The alpha next to me took a drink from his beer as I gulped half my glass, but my attention was still on him. I wasn’t in the mood to be hit on, but it was still nice to have someone to talk to when David was busy with other customers.

“Care to share your name?”

I eyed him, debating over whether I should. Alphas seemed to only want one thing, and while he hadn’t given me a reason to mistrust him yet, experience said it was only a matter of time.

“I can always just call you Beautiful.”

A startled huff escaped, my lips twitching again. He was smooth, I had to give him that. And he seemed sincere. He didn’t give off the sleezy feeling most of the alphas who hit on me had.

“Gwyn.”

His smile stole my breath again, and I stared at his hand stupidly when he held it out toward me.

“Gwyn, I’m Carl.”

My name in his deep voice made my core clench again, and I squeezed my thighs together before gingerly placing my hand in his. His fingers were calloused and rough, his palm warm as he gently shook once before releasing.

I lifted my glass to my lips again, trying to ignore the way my skin tingled where we’d touched.

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