Page 7 of Pack Owned
Is this what they talk about, the whole Alpha match thing? That can’t be right. Yet my body is going haywire, as though there’s this buzz under my skin. All of this is making my head spin, and none of this makes any sense. Nope, it must be whatever drug was slipped into my drink.
“Hey man, mind your fucking business,” Sleazebag snarls.
Without waiting, the Alpha snatches him up and throws him into the side of the dumpster, where a hollow thunk sounds. Mr. Ring guy lunges, but the Alpha is faster, punching him in the gut, then slamming an elbow into the side of his head.
The first guy roars, charging him, and is met with an uppercut that, even from here, the click of his jaw hitting his teeth sets mine on edge.
His gaze locks on mine, and his eyes catch the light of a passing car. Green. My pulse falters, skipping a beat.
“You okay?” He holds out his hand, and I stare at it. “Can I get you anything?” When he moves closer, his warm and sweetscent curls around me, and my hand fits into his like it was made to.
His sharp inhale of breath has his eyes widening, and he stares at me like I’m suddenly a forbidden piece of chocolate he wants to unwrap.
When he lifts me to my feet, I lurch forward, crashing into his hard, muscled chest.
“Steady.” He smooths a hand down my back in what I’m sure is a reassuring gesture, and my nipples pebble.
I jerk to a stop, a choked gasp flying from my lips. No underwear. Damn it. My thighs clamp shut—a vise that’s not letting go. Walking? That’s gonna be like threading a needle while riding a roller coaster. And my brain’s about as clear as mud after a rainstorm, and nausea’s doing the tango on my insides.
“Take this.” A pill appears in his hand, outstretched to me. “Under your tongue. It’ll kick whatever crap they slipped you.”
I squint at it, suspicion crawling up my spine. “How do I know this isn’t a trick?” I lift my chin, proud I can actually get words out past my swollen throat.
“You don’t.” His eyes are steady. “But you don’t have much choice, do you?” His voice isn’t unkind, just real.
Damn. He has a point.
His gaze doesn’t waver, those curls framing his face, promising softness in a world gone harsh. Yet I hold back, denying the temptation.
“If I wanted you harmed, I’d have taken my chance by now.”
I follow his gaze to my body pressed against his like I’m trying to fit inside his jeans with him.
Shit. I stumble backward too quickly, and the heel of my boot catches on a crack. My arms careen like I’m doing some weird dance, but before my ass hits the concrete, he grabs me, stopping my fall.
His sigh has me wondering what he’s thinking.
“You lost the pill, didn’t you?”
“Maybe.” It’s hard to think clearly with him this close to me again. “And why do you happen to carry around antidotes to club drugs?”
“Because clubs like this are a hive for lowlife predators like your friends.” He glances down at the men he’d tossed in the bin.
“Oh, they aren’t my— Shit, I gotta go.” I push against him even though my whole body wants to be glued to him. “My friends. I have to find them.”
“Take this.” He reaches into his shirt pocket, pulling out another pill. “Don’t drop it, and don’t swallow it.” Before I can protest, he gently pushes the medicine between my lips and under my tongue with his finger.
I moan, my sex clenching, my mind filling with images of us together. He slides his finger out slowly, and my knees feel like they’re about to buckle from the intensity of his gaze.
“Just give it a minute.” He smiles down at me as though he’s seeing right through me and knows the effect he’s having on me.
Ass.
Then he takes a step back, and the sudden absence of his touch leaves a shocking void, like a sudden drop in temperature. I fight not to grab him and bring him back to me.
But I’m not wobbling on my feet, so it’s a huge improvement. Still, it’s confusing, this tug-of-war between wanting to head back into the club and rejoin my friends and wanting to be wrapped up in his arms again. This is so not like me, craving some guy’s touch. It’s like my brain and body aren’t on the same page right now.
A sudden shrill alarm blasts through the night, and I jump back, my heart pounding.
