Page 17 of Ruthless Alpha Beast

I shake my head. “You don’t know what I’d give to be able to have magic like you do. There’s a bunch of people I’d love to curse.”

Well, one person actually. One very particularly evil, non-human shifter.

Lacey laughs. “Hey, I hear you, girl.”

“Wow!” Danielle gawks. “Someone must have pissed you off, you’re lookingtense.”

“More tense than usual,” Monroe agrees.

I sigh, unsure what Icansay. “I think I’m just hungry,” I nod at the outdoor patio. “Let’s eat.”

Just as we’re about to head inside, I hear that rustling again. This time it’s closer, louder, my insides turn. I’m about to scream, and then Lacey is smiling at someone behind me.

“Jasper,” she calls. “What are you doing here?”

Great.

“You didn’t know that The Wild Bush was my favorite spot?”

I scowl at him and then at the restaurant sign. Now this place is tainted. Forever.

“I didn’t take you as an afternoon restaurant kind of guy,” Danielle says.

He laughs. “Alphas need to unwind, too.”

Then he gives Sawyer, Danielle, and Monroe each a hug before nodding at me.

“Tara,” he says, so politely as though I hadn’t just slammed the door in his face a few hours prior. As though he hadn’t just kissed me out of the blue.

How does he do that? Act so normal?

“Jasper,” I say as neutrally as I can.

“I’m sorry,” he continues. “I don’t mean to interrupt, I see you guys got a whole girls' lunch thing going on.”

“Hey,” Lacey responds. “You’re welcome to join.”

I shoot her a look that she doesn’t register, a panicked, uncomfortable, don’t you dare suggest that look.

Of course, she doesn’t realize what’s going on. If I didn’t know any better, I also might think that Jasper is just some charming Alpha like the other two.

“Hey, Penelope mentioned that she saw you in the witches’ market the other day,” Monroe says.

I freeze, an unwelcome tsunami of nerves crashing through my stomach.

But Monroe isn’t looking at me, just at Jasper. I watch for any signs of discomfort on his face, but detect none.

Damn, he’s good. Annoyingly so.

“Oh, she did?”

“Yeah! I asked her what you were doing there, and then she had to run. Whatwereyou doing there?”

He shrugs. “Can’t a shifter enjoy a witches’ market every now and then? The Moon fruit you guys sell is just perfection.”

Jasper makes a ‘chef’s kiss’ motion with his hand and mouth, and the girls are laughing.

I stifle an eye roll.