attention back to the crowd. “You all know this is my omega!” The bar roared in approval. “And damned if she isn’t the hottest fucking omega in the pack!” More sounds of agreement. “And in less than a week, it’s going to be official. But I’m not waiting to start celebrating—I want you all to drink with me, right now!”
This, of course, was met with more sounds of approval. Chad reached down and grabbed Lexi’s hand, effortlessly pulling her to her feet. She wanted to squirm away, maybe even give him a slap for handling her so roughly. But she knew what Chad was like behind closed doors, and that he’d almost certainly exact some kind of punishment for behavior like that.
The bartenders went to feverish work, pouring drinks for the dozens of shifters in the bar. As they did, Chad turned to Lexi and spoke low into her ear.
“You look so fucking hot tonight, babe. Makes me want to take you to the bathroom and claim you right here and now.”
“That’s...romantic,” she said.
Chad grinned, apparently not picking up on the sarcasm. “I know, right? I want you so fucking bad I don’t even give a shit about the wedding and all that crap. Just claim you tonight, make you mine.”
He finished his words by reaching around and grabbing Lexi’s ass, giving it a hard squeeze. Everyone around them saw, but he didn’t care. She knew it was his way of sending a message to the rest of the pack, that she was his property.
Chad looked her up and down again. “Can’t wait to see you underneath me, watching you come over and over again. And then when you’re done, when you can’t take any more, I’m going to put my head between your legs and lick up every last drop of your juices. Sound good?” Another ass squeeze finished his statement.
“Sounds...good.”
But he didn’t care that she was hardly enthusiastic. By this point, the drinks had been passed out and everyone there was ready to make the toast.
“To the wedding!” he said, raising his drink. “And to the war with the Leafcutter pack!”
The what? Lexi was confused.
But the roar of the crowd blocked out her thoughts. They all drank, then Chad turned his attention back to her.
“I want to see you tonight,” he said. “At my cabin.”
She forced a pretend-coy smile on her face. “But Chad, you know we’re not supposed to see each other alone before the ceremony.”
He grinned. “I don’t give a fuck. I’m the alpha, and alphas get what they want. And I want to see you. Be there at one. Got it?”
She wanted to protest but knew there wasn’t any way to say “no” to a man like Chad.
“O...OK. I’ll see you there.”
He gave her one last hungry grin before going back to his table.
Lexi, relieved to be alone, dropped into her seat and let out a sigh.
“Fucking hell,” she said. “What a prick.”
“I can’t believe he grabbed you like that in front of everyone,” said Shana.
“I know, right? I wanted to slap the shit out of him.” Then Chad’s words about the war rang in her head. “You heard that about the Leafcutter pack, right?”
“The war? What the hell was he talking about?”
“Why would we be going to war with the Leafcutter pack? They’re totally harmless.”
Neither of them knew what to say. Before the conversation could go on, Lexi’s phone buzzed in her pocket. A smile spread across her face when she took her phone out and saw who it was—Sam, her other best friend.
He’d sent a text letting Lexi know he was nearby and planning on stopping by to drop off the book he’d borrowed from her. Sam was a beta, and while he was cute enough, he wasn’t meant for an omega like her. And more than that, the two of them had known each other since they were kids. He was more like a brother to her than anything else, and she knew the feeling was mutual.
“Sam’s coming,” she said. “Thank God—it’ll be good to talk to a guy who has pastimes other than slamming whiskey and punching people.”
Shana’s face lit up at the mention of Sam. “He’s coming?” Then she checked herself as if realizing how enthusiastic she sounded. “I mean, cool.”
Lexi grinned. Shana and Sam had crushes on each other, and it was the most obvious thing in the world to Lexi. But the two of them were in total denial about it.
Another text from Sam came, letting Lexi know