“The Alpine Bar is just down the street,” one of the Alphas recommended but the others refused, uttering bad experiences in the said establishment.
I had not expected the meeting to end on such a strange note. The moment the rogue incident was resolved, the Alphas and Betas seemed eager to blow off steam as they planned to go to one of the nearest bars in the area. Jokes were shared, and a few of them were already laughing, the threat of the hybrid seemed to have been pushed aside for a temporary escape.
We all left the conference hall once they had decided on a place, but I was not in the mood for a drink.
“Sam!” Killian called, jogging up to me with a mischievous grin. “Come with us. We could use a little distraction, right?” he convinced.
I folded my arms, already shaking my head. “Thanks, but I’ll pass. I think I’ve had enough excitement for one day.”
Killian groaned dramatically, his hand over his heart. “You’re no fun,” he teased, acting like he had been hurt by my refusal.
“I’m plenty of fun,” I shot back, managing a small smile. “But I would rather have all my wits about me, especially with everything that is happening.”
He gave a resigned sigh, though his eyes glinted with humor. “Fine, your loss. But don’t blame me if you miss out on seeing some truly embarrassing drunk Alpha moments,” he joked, although that would have been too hilarious to witness— the Alpha’s getting out of control because of alcohol.
“I’ll survive,” I promised.
Killian wandered off, joining the others as they headed out, and I made my way back to my hotel room. The hallways were quiet, almost eerily so, and the adrenaline from the meeting had left me feeling jittery. As soon as I reached my room, I went into the bathroom and showered, then I collapsed onto the bed after changing into my nightgown, hoping for a peaceful sleep.
But peace never seemed to last long.
Just as I was dozing off to slumber, the quietness of my room was pierced by the shrill ringing of my phone, I immediately grabbed it thinking that it might probably be Annie, calling about the twins. But when I saw the caller ID, I braced myself, thinking that something might have gone wrong.
“Samantha?” It was Alpha Baron. “You need to come pick up Killian.”
“What?” I sat up, frowning. “Why? What happened?”
“He’s really drunk. Like, dangerously drunk,” the Alpha explained, sounding exasperated. “He’s making a scene, and we can’t handle him. You’re probably the only one he will listen to.”
I ran a hand over my face. Killian never got that drunk, not without a reason. “Fine. Where are you?”
The Alpha rattled off the name of the bar, and I reluctantly got to my feet. So much for taking it easy. I slipped into a silk night robe and slippers in irritation at the disturbed sleep that I could have had, but thinking about Killian, whatever had gotten into him, it must have been bad.
When I arrived at the bar, I even had to argue with the security for not being “properly dressed”, but I did not care, I was not going to flip my luggage and search for an appropriate one just to pick up a drunk man, I was already annoyed that I had to delay my sleep. Well, eventually, after showing him how frustrated I was that I had to come and pick up a drunk man in the middle of the night, he assumed that I was there to get my drunk husband so he let me in, saying that he had witnessed some incidents before. Inside the place was a noisy mess. Music thumped, voices shouted over each other, and the smell of alcohol was overwhelming. I spotted Killian almost immediately, slumped over a table with a half-empty glass in hand. His normally composed demeanor was shattered, and he looked... defeated.
“Killian,” I called, making my way over to him.
He lifted his head, his eyes glazed but lighting up when he saw me. “Sam!” he slurred, his grin sloppy as he raised his hand as if to wave at my presence. “You came to rescue me.”
“More like babysit,” I muttered, folding my arms. “What the hell happened?”
Killian laughed, the sound bitter. “Had a little competition with the mighty Alpha Dominic.” He gestured wildly, nearly knocking over his drink. “And the prize was you.”
I rolled my eyes, feeling a surge of annoyance. “You used me as some kind of pissing contest?”
He looked sheepish but unrepentant. “It was supposed to be fun. But he... he took it too seriously.” His expression darkened, and he mumbled something I could not catch.
Before I could process that prickling awareness at the back of my neck, I turned— and there he was. Dominic stood a few feet away, his tall frame was rigid, his fist was curled and his jaw clenched. Beside him, Olivia practically draped herself over his arm, her fingers curling around his bicep, as if trying to stake a claim. The sight of them together twisted something painfully deep inside me, and I hated that I cared.
I tugged my silk robe tighter around myself, acutely aware of how my thin nightgown clung to my skin beneath. I had been in such a rush and annoyed to get here that I had not bothered about changing, and now, with Dominic’s eyes locked on me, the heat of his gaze and the memory of an earlier encounter in the forest made my cheeks burn.
His dark eyes swept over me and noticed every detail, taking in the way the silk robe barely covered my legs, and the way my hair spilled loose around my shoulders, his eyes darkened. A flash of something primal and raw crossed his face— jealousy, clear and unmistakable. His fists clenched tighter at his sides, and a muscle ticked in his jaw as he fought to control himself.
Olivia, oblivious or perhaps choosing to ignore the change in his demeanor, leaned closer, her lips brushing against his ear as she whispered something. But Dominic did not even flinch. He shrugged her off, pushing her hand away with a force that bordered on a rough gesture. Olivia’s eyes widened, hurt and confusion flashing across her face, but he did not spare her a single glance. His focus was solely on me and my hand that rested on Killian’s shoulder.
Confusion clouded my thoughts. ‘What was he doing?’ If he and Olivia were a couple, why act like that? It did not make sense. None of this made sense.
I turned to Killian and helped him up, my arm around his waist and his around my shoulder.
Dominic’s eyes darkened, his gaze narrowing as it dropped to where Killian’s arm draped across my shoulders. His lips curled slightly, a silent snarl that revealed the barest flash of his canines. It was a reaction I had seen before, one that screamed of envy, of a territorial instinct that he could not suppress even if he wanted to.
He took a step forward, but Olivia grabbed his arm again, trying to pull him back. “Dominic,” she hissed heavily with frustration. “What’s wrong with you?”
Dominic ignored her completely, his entire body tensed as he watched me struggle to support Killian’s weight.
I could feel his gaze searing into me, but I refused to let it affect me. He did not get to act possessive now, not after everything he had put me through in the past. And besides, there’s Olivia.
Dominic took another step, and I thought he might come over, might do something reckless. His eyes locked onto mine, and his lips parted, as if he was about to say something. But then he stopped himself, his hands curling into fists. He was fighting a battle I could not understand, and the conflict in his expression made my heart pound in ways I wished it wouldn’t.
“Come on, Killian,” I muttered as he swayed dangerously, and I struggled to keep him steady. “We’re leaving.”
“Leaving already?” Dominic’s uttered with a challenging tone.
“Yeah,” I shot back, “some of us have responsibilities.”
Killian snorted, his head lolling. “She’s got better things to do than deal with your possessive ass, Dominic.”
That got a reaction. Dominic stepped forward, and for a split second, I thought he might actually start something. His eyes narrowed in barely restrained anger, and I braced myself. But instead of lashing out, he stopped, his fists clenching.
Olivia tried to tug him back, her patience clearly fraying. “Dominic, let’s go. You don’t need to waste time on—”
“Enough,” he snapped, his voice cutting her off. Olivia’s mouth fell open, stunned, and he turned back to me. “Samantha,” he said, almost like a command.
I refused to look at him and only left with a word. “Goodnight, Dominic.”
With that, I guided Killian out of the bar. Dominic’s behavior was spinning my thoughts in circles. He acted jealous and protective, but it did not line up with the image I had of him and Olivia. I thought they were a couple, and yet...
Once we stumbled into the parking lot, Killian slumped against my car, groaning. “He’s an idiot, you know,” he mumbled. “Dominic.”
I bit back a sigh. “You both are.”
Killian let out a dry laugh, but it quickly faded. “He still cares about you, Sam. Even if he doesn’t deserve you.”
I did not want to think about that, not now. “Come on, get in the car,” I said, opening the door.
But as I helped Killian in, I could not shake the feeling of Dominic’s eyes on me, even as the bar faded behind us.