Page 18 of Beta and the Beast (Beastverse #2)

Sarah

" L ucas gave me the numbers of some companies to call," I tell Lilah over the phone.

I'm ninety percent sure she has me on speakerphone so Scott and Fenrir can listen in, but she hasn't told me.

Scott's messaged me five times since family dinner last night, and that would be fine, except he keeps asking about what I think about Henry as though that's any of his business.

I honestly think it would be better if he went back to letting Fenrir out every time Henry's brought up, because at least Fenrir's action makes some sense.

He doesn't want Henry and Romulus to hurt me.

Scott, well, I don't know what Scott's reasons are for asking about it.

"Well, if you do end up opening up the coffee shop to other dynamics, I think you should do another grand opening," Lilah says. "I can invite the other nurses from my clinic, and Ian can invite his alpha, who I'm sure knows other well-behaved alphas. It can be like a whole thing."

She pauses for a moment, and if I strain my ears hard enough, I can hear shuffling. My bet is on Scott whispering something he wants her to ask, so I continue the conversation before she can do that.

"I think that's a good plan. I just need a little time to make sure I'm not making any rash decisions."

"Not that it's any of my business because it's not at all, and I normally wouldn't ask," Lilah rambles a little bit.

I wonder if I should tell her that I know Scott is listening and making her ask whatever invasive question she's about to ask.

"We just want–I just want to make sure you're doing well financially. "

I snort because that is so not something Lilah would ever ask me on her own.

If I didn't already know about Scott being a nosy pants, I'd know now.

Not that either of my brothers has ever cared much about my finances, other than knowing I'm okay.

If I'm not asking Scott how much his clinic is making, he doesn't need to know how much the coffee shop is making.

"I'm fine," I tell Lilah, and because Scott's not going to be okay with me leaving it there, I add. "I have a six-month emergency fund. Fingers crossed this emergency doesn't last that long, but–"

A loud knock on my door silences whatever else I was going to say.

"Is everything okay?" Lilah asks, hearing the sound over the phone. The single knock is followed up with three more, which are as loud and pounding as the first.

"Someone's at my door," I whisper into the receiver as I tiptoe over.

Whoever's on the other side is angry. I can hear the rumble of his alpha growl before I even press my ear to the door.

When I moved in, there was no peephole in the door, and I didn't think it would ever be an issue since the gate down below was locked.

I've always been good about keeping it that way, but I don't know if Henry thinks about it.

He's an alpha with a beast, so worrying about his safety rarely happens.

The growl on the other side is louder for a second before being bit off. I use that moment to tell the alpha to leave because I'm not about to open my door to some angry, growling alpha. No, thank you.

"I don't know what you want, but you're not going to find it here," I call out through the door, trying to keep my voice firm. My heart starts to pound in my chest when it's met with another growl instead of words. "I'm serious. My alpha will be back soon, and he won't want to deal with you."

Is using the fact that Henry's smell still marks every inch of my apartment and the shared little landing between us a bit of a fib? Yeah, but I'm willing to use another alpha to scare this one away.

The mention of me already having an alpha doesn't do what I want it to, because the growl somehow gets angrier sounding. Fuck, I might have to call someone to deal with this.

"Hey, I need to go," I tell Lilah, hanging up fast enough that she can't respond, but Scott's unhappy growl bubbles up on the other end right before I press end.

Why I didn't just ask for him to come over is something I can think about another time.

Instead, I pull up Henry's number and press call without thinking about how he's the first one I want when I think I might be in danger.

My phone trills twice before the alpha outside my door retreats down the stairwell steps.

" Sarah? " Romulus answers instead of Henry, but I don't hesitate to ask him for help.

"There's an alpha at my door that won't stop growling, and I know you're busy with your social worker stuff today, but if you're done, is there any way you can come back home?

" I rush the words out, my ear still pressed against the door because I didn't hear the chain-link gate close behind the alpha when he went down the steps, so I think he's still out there.

" What? " Romulus snarls on the other end of the phone, his growl reverberating through the speaker. At the same time, the alpha outside my door starts stomping up the stairs again. " I'm outside. I don't see anyone. "

I close my eyes, embarrassment washing over me so hard that my cheeks feel like an inferno. "Wait, Romulus, were you growling at my front door?"

The movements outside my door stop, and the growl silences. " Henry and I are arguing. " Romulus's voice comes through from the other side of the door and through the phone speaker at the same time. " Open the door. "

"No, thank you!" I shout through the only thing keeping Romulus from seeing my utter mortification from thinking he was some strange, deranged alpha, and for telling him that I had an alpha I was going to call.

" Beta, you came on my brother's pillow earlier.

If you don't let me see he didn't touch you, I'm going to drive myself mad out here.

" Romulus does sound more than a little deranged himself.

I've never actually seen him angry. Sure, he's snapped at people and growled at his cousin several times, but for the most part, he's well-behaved.

I chew on my lip, pulling the phone away from my ear and disconnecting the call.

It earns me another growl, and the word beta rumbles like a warning.

I roll my eyes at that as I unlock the front door.

The bolt is barely turned when Romulus barrels in, a wicked smile on his face that doesn't match how angry he sounds.

My humiliation distracts me from why he seems in such a good mood when I spot the pillow tucked under his arm.

The pillow I used to masturbate this afternoon after Lucas left me alone in what he told me was Henry's room.

His angry words from a minute ago repeat as my eyes widen.

He said I came on his brother's pillow, which means Lucas tricked me.

I just wanted a little revenge for Henry coming on my pillow.

Romulus holds the pillow up as he steps inside my apartment like he owns it, gently kicking the door closed behind him. " What do you want to explain first? Your scent all over my brother's room or the alpha you said would be here soon? "

"Romulus," I hold up my hands in front of me. Not because I think he's going to lunge for me or attack me or anything like that. No, I need a second to figure out what I'm going to say because there's no way in hell I want to explain either of the things he has questions about.

" Sarah, " he says my name in a mock of how I said his as he tosses the pillow onto my couch and closes the space between us.

I can't help how my body responds to him. The burning low in my abdomen, the needy pulse that makes me ache. It makes me want things I know I shouldn't hope for with him. Things that make no sense between us.

Romulus's nostrils flare as the scent of my arousal hits him.

I never thought much of how my body responds to someone I might want to sleep with until Henry and Romulus.

They've made me acutely aware of what it feels like when a wave of arousal blooms inside me because their stupid nostrils flare and their eyes seem to sparkle.

Before I can make up some excuse or try to change the subject, he's got his hands on my hips, tugging me close and pressing us together. His face falls to the crook of my neck, and he inhales loud and deep over and over again.

" Sweet beta doesn't know her place, does she?

" Romulus growls against the pulse hammering in my neck.

" You tell me you already have an alpha.

You tell me he won't be happy to see me.

Who is he, Sarah? " His teeth scrape against my tender flesh, and I whimper.

He chuckles low but drops that line of questioning for the time being. " Are you an omega, Sarah? "

"N-no," I stutter as his fingertips press harder into my hips. If he's not careful, he's going to bruise me. Then again, maybe I want Romulus to bruise me. The thought sends a thrill through me, and he groans into my neck.

" Not an omega, " he mumbles before pulling his face away from my neck and leveling me with a desperate and lusty gaze. " Then why are you trying so hard to perfume for me? "

I shake my head. Nope. I don't want to think about what he's implying right now.

I know he can smell my arousal, that alphas and omegas can do that for everyone, and I've been living in blissful ignorance of that fact for most of my life.

I don't need Romulus breaking that illusion even more right now every time my pussy flutters.

His hand snaps up to my neck, wrapping it around and holding me in place.

My heart hammers harder in my chest, threatening to beat right out of me.

I've had a partner be rough with me before.

It's something I enjoy in the bedroom, but it's so hard to find a beta who's willing to do it and not just because they wish they were alphas themselves.

Those guys, I don't even entertain the idea of going home with them.