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“Cool it, alphas, that’s my cousin-in-law!”

Cousin? Whose cousin… oh!

“Megan?” I called out.

She shrieked when Linda and Diana parted enough for us to see each other, holding out her arms and bringing me in for a hug. She smelled like vodka and sunshine.

“Oh Moon, I can’t believe you’re here! And I can’t believe what’s happening with the Conclave, it’s all the town’s been talking about. So fucked up!”

“Uh, hi, yeah, I know,” I laughed. I hadn’t seen Megan sinceour embarrassing encounter at City Hall after my heat, when I’d almost attacked her for thinking she was flirting with Nolan. But I was happy to see she wasn’t being awkward about it. “Have you talked to Nolan? Is he okay?”

She waved her hand dismissively. “He’s a dumbass, but he’ll be fine once this is all over and you’re back home. I’m way more worried about you. What can I do to help?”

Oh no. From drunk girl hugs to drunk girl tears—I was crying.

“I don’t even know. I just wish that this wasn’t happening, I…”

Megan, Linda, and her friends all tightened their circle around me, patting me on the head and placating me with soothing encouragement.

“It’s going to be fine, Julian’s got this!”

“There’s no way we’ll let them take you!”

“We’ll find a way to fight this!”

I sniffed back my sobs, feeling lighter already, thanks to being surrounded by so much female love and support. “I know, thank you all, really. I’ll be right back, I need to go to the bathroom.”

Megan gave me one more tight squeeze before I left. “We’re going to protest this, and we won’t stop until omegas have the same rights as the rest of us. I know some of the females in this town were feeling a little insecure about your arrival at first, but way more are pissed the Conclave is trying to take you away from your pack. No one is letting this go, got it?”

I nodded, wiping away the tears that had fallen down my cheeks. “Got it.”

Still sniffling, I made my way to the back, where a sign pointed to the bathrooms. They were located right next to an emergency exit, and I paused as I shuffled closer, the music becoming muted.

This was a bar, so the scent of bourbon and vanilla wasn’t out of place, but these particular notes were way too familiar.

I pushed open the emergency exit, thanking god or the Moon or whoever that it didn’t trigger an alarm, and found Nolan in his wolf form stationed outside. His red fur was a beacon in the dark night, reflecting off the lone streetlamp at the end of the alley.

I gave him a pointed look, my hands on my hips. “Didn’t you hear? I’m having a girls’ night, and that means no boys allowed.”

He shifted back to human form, completely naked for whoever could possibly wander out to see.

Not that there was anyone else back here.

He closed the gap quickly between us, his eyes focused and expression serious.

“I know.”

Then his hands were in my hair and his mouth was on mine, devouring me with his kiss. I instantly melted into him, submitting entirely as he pushed me against the wall.

I couldn’t even feel the cold, the alcohol and heat from his body keeping me warm.

“Nolan,” I sighed, his lips making their way down my neck. His teeth grazed my skin, eliciting a desperate moan that echoed through the alley.

“Shh,” he whispered, hiking up my skirt and pushing aside my underwear, already wet with slick. I was so glad I’d decided against tights. “If anyone finds out…”

It was a risk, one that could send me straight back to the Conclave.

“Well then, you should keep my mouth occupied, big boy,” I chuckled. The slight smirk that grew on his face had me thinking he’d probably been watching me in wolf form all night, overhearing the round of Truth or Dare we’d played before coming out.