Tilly
ItwasThursdaynight, and I had one more day before I told Sandy my decision, and for two days I’d pushed Jackson and Luca away.
They didn’t like it one bit, but I could never be their omega, with Cruz being in their pack. I didn’t trust him. I believed Jackson and Luca were telling me the truth about them not being in the gang, but they were in a pack with an alpha that was.
It was safer to walk away from them now.
And it didn’t escape me that Sandy was very vague with what she told me. I should have pushed it, but knowing that man tried to take me had unnerved me. Then Sandy turning all snarly and demanding. All I wanted was to get away from her.
I no longer knew who to trust. I no longer knew what I should do.
Luckily, after talking to Isla about my problems, she persuaded me to forget my troubles with dancing and, as my arms swayed in the air at the heavy hump of the bass. I was glad she did.
We swayed to the beat of the music on the packed dancefloor, as the vodka in my veins warmed and soothed my body.
Isla ran her hands down my black dress. “You’re riding high there,” she said, running her hand over my arse.
I laughed. “It’s a bit of a leg. This is the only time I let myself go,” I said, grabbing the hem of my mini dress with my fingers and pulling it so I showed less leg.
“Yeah, but that bit of leg was almost a bit of vag,” she said and winked. “We don’t want any secret alphas smelling you tonight, or have you taken extra suppressants?”
“No, don’t worry. There’ll be no flashing tonight and luckily for us, it’s the first night of the Omega Ball, so no extra suppressants needed.” I hadn’t told Isla I stopped taking them for a few days, but now I was taking them as regularly as before.
“Yeah,” Isla whooped, punching her fist in the air. “Time to let loose.”
Isla grinned as she grooved beside me. She found this club, from a friend of a friend. And it was the best beta-only nightclub and the best thing about it—no alphas—usually. Alphas went to a higher class of establishment, and others preferred the BDSM clubs in the centre of the city.
Alphas came into this club, but they were dominant and seeking sex, and there was always a beta willing to oblige the aggressive alpha.
Me—never.
Until Jackson turned up that night.
Isla, she was the same as me. We were both using suppressants to hide who we were. But with a rule, to never discuss them in the open. I couldn’t. My suppressants were black market and not permitted by alphas. The only suppressants they permitted were heat blockers, which protected an omega in her most vulnerable state.
I slapped a man’s hand from my ass. “This place is full of jerks tonight,” I said. Normally, jerks weren’t a problem for me. They didn’t want to leave a phone number and certainly didn’t want yours.
“Yeah, let’s find somewhere to sit. I want to talk to you about something,” Isla said. Her lips curled into a smile as I led us off the dance floor, tilting her head to one side.
“I forgot to tell you to be careful in here. That guy I liked at the bar last time we were in... well, I never told you, but he was an alpha.”
“In here?” she whispered, but loud enough for me to hear over the music. “Wait, how do you know?”
I sighed, my head dipping backward on the headrest. “Because...”
“You fucked him?”
“No,” I said.
“Oh shit, Tilly. You don’t want an alpha anywhere near you if you want to hide yourself.”
“Too late.”
She raised her eyebrows. “What did you do?”
I blinked hard and shook my head. “I thought he was a beta and only realised he wasn’t when I was—” My eyes widened as I shrugged my shoulders.
“No.” Isla snorted, shaking her head at me like I was a naughty child. She smiled as she clapped a hand on my shoulder. “Was he big?”
“Massive.” I grinned, not a cheery grin, a maniacal one. “He is also my new boss, and he likes me.”
“Likes you?” Isla’s eyes opened wide as she stared at me. “You’re screwed.”
“Tell me about it.”
She shook her head. “You know if an alpha has his eye on you, he will not adhere to normal rules.”
“Rules?”
“Yes. They are controlling, they ignore boundaries, but they will shower you with love, and that can be overbearing. They become obsessed.”
I nodded my head in agreement. “There’s three of them. All the same. And I might have had sex with one of them.”
“Which means you did.” Isla reared her head and burst out laughing. “You know, that’s it for you. They won’t stop now.” She leaned into my ear. “Did you take his knot?”
I shook my head. “It was too big and I think the suppressants stopped me from getting slick enough.”
“Too big.” Isla’s eyes popped open. “Oh, my god. Now I want an alpha.”
I reared my head and burst out laughing. But before we got to our seats, I heard my name called.
I stopped and smiled.
Isla took my hand. Something we did with each other. We pretended we were a couple, and if we had to, we kissed each other to make unwanted admirers disappear when we needed.
I lifted Isla’s hand to my mouth and kissed her knuckles. She leaned her shoulder against mine and looked up to me and smiled, but I could see the look of uncertainty as it swathed across her face.
“It’s okay Isla,” I said.
“Are you dancing Tilly?” he asked. “That’s your name, isn’t it?” The man in front studied me with fervent interest, but his stare was unnerving.
My eyes flitted over his face as I tried to place him. His face wasn’t familiar, and I knew I had never given him my name. I racked my brain trying to work out how he knew me. Finally, I shook my head.
“I’ve only come for chat and a drink with my friend,” I said, trying to keep my voice even and calm, but inside I was shaking. His lip snarled. This was why I was needing self-defence classes.
“Another time?” he said, arching an eyebrow. “Your number? My name... my number? Do you remember me?” He hesitated, as though he was waiting for me to acknowledge his existence.
“I don’t know you and as I’m on a girl’s night out. No men allowed,” I said.