Their gazes sweep the room, and the moment their eyes land on me, everything else seems to fade away.
Even through the blockers I applied this morning, I can feel their pheromones seeping into the air, tugging at mine, testing the boundaries I’ve worked so hard to put in place. My perfume spikes, the response immediate—heat gathering low in my stomach, slick between my thighs, even though I’m doing my best to ignore it.
I tell myself the blockers are enough, but I suspect they can smell me anyway. It’s the way their eyes drink me in, the way they all seem to zero in on me the second they spot me. It’s like they know exactly what I’m hiding, like they can sense the things I want to say but can’t. The things I shouldn’t want, and yet, every part of me does. I still want them. And part of me hates that I do.
Jake is the first to move, his easy smile widening as he beelines toward me, the others following close behind.
By the time they reach my booth, my heart is racing. Todd slides into the seat across from me, his expression soft, and not like the alpha I know he is. West lingers beside him, his lips pressed into a thin line, while Jake and Xayden take the seats on either side of me, effectively boxing me in.
“Hey,” Jake says, his voice warm and familiar. “Didn’t think we’d get the VIP treatment.”
Xayden smirks. “Yeah, next time, Ash, maybe warn us about the welcoming committee outside?”
“I’m pretty sure they followed you here,” I reply, my voice steady despite the nerves fluttering in my chest.
Todd leans forward, his elbows resting on the table. “Probably, they’re everywhere we go.” He looks around the small diner, scanning the familiar setting. “This place was a good choice. Feels like you.”
The comment catches me off guard. It’s simple, but it lands heavier than I expected. I blink, unsure of how to respond, the heat from his presence—and his musk—making it harder to think.
“You haven’t been here before?” I ask, trying to shake the moment off.
He gives a slight smile. “No. But I figured it would be easy for you to get to since you only live a few blocks away.”
Another kindness that I don’t expect. I tamp down the urge to purr out loud because that would be embarrassing. Sure, purr for your ex’s in public, great idea.
“How do you know where I live?”
West snorts. “Pictures speak a thousand words. You and your boyfriend have been photographed coming and going from that place a few blocks over. Could be his place.”
His tone is casual, but his words hit like a challenge. One that tells me more than he realizes—like the fact that he’s paying attention. Or maybe he’s always paid attention. I know my life has been on magazine covers for years. Little blurbs in the corner, full page spreads when it’s about the show, or when I was fake dating Rafe to help his reputation.
When I was with Owen, he’d collect the magazines that featured us, laughing at the ridiculous captions and rumors. Sometimes, I think he encouraged it, just to get a rise out of me.
“It’s mine. And I don’t have a boyfriend.” My voice is steady, and I hold his gaze, daring him to challenge me, to accuse me of lying.
The table goes still. The air thickens as four sets of eyes fix on me, their focus heavy and direct. My skin prickles under their scrutiny, and I shift in my seat, the warmth pooling deeper despite my best attempts to quell it. Every single part of me is aware of them as the three alphas and beta they are.
Jake nudges my arm, his touch light but grounding. “So, what’s good here? I’m starving.”
The tension splinters like glass, and I let out a small breath I was holding. Jake always had a way of diffusing things before they could spiral.
I glance at him, grateful for the reprieve. “The burgers are solid, and the milkshakes are some of the best in the city.”
Xayden perks up, leaning back in his chair with a smirk that makes my panties want to melt right off. “Milkshakes? The real kind with ice cream?”
“The real kind. Trust me,” I say, forcing a small smile as I pick up the menu, using it as a shield. “Even you’ll approve.”
Xayden’s sweet tooth has always been legendary. He’d seek out milkshakes everywhere we went, and we’d always tease him about it. But now, these milkshakes only remind me of him, and I can’t help but wish I could tell him that.
His smirk deepens, his fingers tapping lightly on the table as he eyes the menu. “Strawberries and cream? That sounds like something right up my alley.” His gaze locks with mine for a beat too long before he adds, “You always had good taste.”
The words hit me like a wave. Heat rushes to my cheeks, spreading down my neck, and I quickly bury myself in the menu,pretending to study it. But it’s hard to focus. His scent, warm and bold, wraps around me, a pull that’s slow but undeniable. Did he just say what I think he did?
“Strawberries and cream?” Todd teases, a light chuckle in his voice, though I can hear the amusement under it. The familiar teasing lingers, like we all share some private joke. And I know exactly what they’re all thinking—that’s what I taste like. "Didn’t realize you were such a milkshake expert."
Xayden shrugs, unbothered. “A man’s gotta have standards.”
Jake lets out a warm, easy laugh. “Pretty sure his standards just involve sugar.” He glances at me, his smile softening, the lightness of his tone shifting. “But hey, if you vouch for these milkshakes, maybe he’s onto something.”
